Don Orsino is the third of four titles in F. Marion Crawford's fictional treatment the last quarter of the 19th century history of Italy centered on Rome and its transformation from the political capital of the Papal Sates to the capital of the constitutional monarchy of Victor Emmanuel II in the wake of the success of the Italian unification project.

The novels capture the spirit of the times through the lives and fortunes of an ancient Roman aristocratic family, the Saracinescas. The plots revolve around their fortunes, romances, social status and to a lesser extent their politics. That said, it is their politics that by the third volume of this history restricts their role in the new dispensation of local Roman and national political affairs.

In the aftermath of the Risorgimento political factions are divided into three groups: the Black or clerical party to which the Saracinescas belong, the Whites or the party that supports the monarchy established by Victor Emmanuel, and the Reds, or the all-out republican party. Political divisions, as Crawford depicts in his story are reflected in society. As we see in the unfolding plot of Don Orsino, for example, the homes and society of families belonging to the White faction are off-limits to the families of the Back party and vice-versa.

Our protagonist, Don Orsino, is the eldest of four sons of Giovanni Saracinesca and his wife Corona whose story was the main plot line of the second volume and the grandson of the reigning paterfamilias whose family name was used as the title in the first volume in the quartet.

Don Orsino has completed his education and reaches majority status in this volume. He is restless, unsatisfied with the prospective role that everyone, especially his family expects him to occupy, that of a wealthy scion of a noble family who stands to inherit fortunes from both parents. A life if idleness if he will submit to it, spiced up by travel and romantic dalliances is his near-term future. His family suggests that if he needs occupation he should study the issues and problems that would allow him to manage some part of the family estates. He would in effect learn agriculture and the well-being of the rent paying laborers who provide a major source of the family's wealth.

Orsino is disinclined to take up the family affairs as his occupation. He wants to succeed by dint of his own talents, energy and good fortune. Rome is undergoing at this time a physical transformation related to the political and social transformation related to unification. There is a major real estate boom in progress, vast fortunes are being (or apparently being) realized, and Orsino is eager to try his skills which at the outset are non-existent and test his native abilities and luck.

At the same time Orsino meets a mysterious "new girl in town", one Maria Consuelo d'Aranjuez D'Aragona, with whom he becomes acquainted, then strikes up a flirtation then ultimately falls in love. The pursuit of Maria occurs in parallel with the story of Orsino's entrepreneurial adventure and the two tracks of his affairs form the substance of the story's plot.

Orsino enjoys a lucky night at the gambling tables which yield what he hopes will be enough capital to act as seed money for the real estate venture that he has decided upon. His family does what it can to discourage him in a career that is beneath his status as the eldest scion of the ancient Roman nobility. He seeks the advice his relative, San Giacinto, who has become a prominent, wealthy financier. Giacinto's advice is to "be a farmer". It is a useful occupation for which his status and future responsibilities will be needed. Moreover, San Giacinto's knowledge of the real estate market has led him to conclude that the boom is winding down and there will be the inevitable failures that ensue when properties remain on the market unsold, failures lead to restrictions on lines of credit and the market for the paper sold by lenders to third party, mainly foreign investors, collapses.

Sobered but not completely discouraged, Orsino seeks the advice of Ugo Del Ferice, a prominent banker and parliamentarian of the White faction. Ugo is also a man with a history of enmity toward the Saracinescas who once fought a duel with Orsino's father. However, Orsino is not privy to the details surrounding the duel and neither of his parents are inclined to share the story. Del Ferice gives Orsino the advice he wants to hear and offers to back his enterprise. He introduces him to an architect to be his partner who proves to be talented, diligent and honest. Orsino, who knows nothing of the building trades decides to immerse himself in the administrative affairs of the firm and becomes a competent accountant in a brief period of time.

In the meantime, Orsino's relationship with Maria Consuelo ebbs and flows. Her past life is a complete mystery apart from the fact that she is a young widow. He finds it impossible to find a source that can reveal anything about her origins. This is a matter of great consequence to his family, though Orsino denies that he would let it be an obstacle to their being married. Maria Consuelo's seems to blow hot and cold regarding her end of the relationship and does her best to discourage any matrimonial notions entertained by Orsino.

One of the notable features of this story is the relative lack of supporting characters compared with the first two installments in the series. Aside from Del Ferice and the architect, Andrea Contini the only character who appears with any frequency is Count Spicca, a solitary individual, known mainly for his dualling skills and his extensive history of their successful deployment. He is now elderly, down at heels noble who has his own mysterious relationship with Maria Consuelo which he has no intention of disclosing to his friend, Orsino.

The plot of the novel consists of the unwinding of the story of Orsino's business ventures and his romantic affairs with Madam d'Aranjuez. I will not provide any spoilers except to say that the denouement is a corker.

Crawford's style is similar to Henry James, his contemporary and friend. The pace is deliberate, and the story is interspersed with reflections on the psychology of his characters, human nature in general and moral philosophy, all of which are as well articulated as edifying. I submit this lengthy paragraph as a for instance.

"Perhaps it is not easy to believe that recklessness is a manifestation of the second degree of passion, while the highest shows itself in painful sacrifice. Yet the most daring act of chivalry never called for half the bravery shown by many a martyr at the stake, and if courage be a measure of true passion, the passion which will face life-long suffering to save its object from happiness or degradation is greater than the passion which, for the sake of possessing its object, drags it into danger and the risk of ruin. It may be that all this is untrue, and that the action of these two imaginary individuals, the one sacrificing himself, the other endangering the loved one, is dependent on the balance of the animal, intellectual and moral elements in each. We do not know much about the causes of what we feel, in spite of modern analysis; but the heart rarely deceives us, when we can see the truth for ourselves, into bestowing the more praise on the less of the two deeds. But we do not often see the truth as it is. We know little of the lives of others, but we are apt to think that others understand our own very well, including our good deeds if we have done any, and we expect full measure of credit for these, and the utmost allowance of charity for our sins. In other words we desire our neighbor to combine a power of forgiveness almost divine with a capacity for flattery more than parasitic. That is why we are not easily satisfied with our acquaintances and that is why our friends do not always turn out to be truthful persons. We ask too much for the low price we offer, and if we insist we get the imitation."

Crawford's work is of the highest merit, and I give it my highest recommendation. ( )

The third book in the Saracinesca sequence, it is probably the best. It is also a very careful look at a financial bubble. This is one of those books that marks a moment in literature where the seriousness of tone meets the importance of theme and the demands of a romance-loving audience. A truly fine novel of historical as well as literary importance. If you are interested in 19th century culture in general, and Italy in particular, this book is necessary reading. ( )