Often likened to Kafka's The Castle, The Tartar Steppe is both a scathing critique of military life and a meditation on the human thirst for glory. It tells of young Giovanni Drogo, who is posted to a distant fort overlooking the vast Tartar steppe. Although not intending to stay, Giovanni suddenly finds that years have passed, as, almost without his noticing, he has come to share the others' wait for a foreign invasion that never happens. Over time the fort is downgraded and Giovanni's ambitions fade--until the day the enemy begins massing on the desolate steppe...

The Betrothed unfolds in the picturesque landscape of Lombardy during the tumultuous Spanish occupation of the late 1620s. This compelling historical novel portrays the enduring passion of two young lovers, Renzo and Lucia, whose dreams of marriage are thwarted by the petty tyrant, Don Rodrigo, who covets Lucia for himself.

Forced to flee, the lovers are cruelly separated and face numerous perils including plague, famine, and imprisonment. They encounter a variety of intriguing characters: the mysterious Nun of Monza, the fiery Father Cristoforo, and the sinister "Unnamed". Their journey is a vivid exploration of love, power, and faith against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Italian life.

The Betrothed is celebrated as one of the greatest European historical novels, offering a whirling panorama of society and a profound reflection on human resilience and hope amidst adversity.