This book felt like a cross between a Greek Myth and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet! The symbolism is amazing! Giovanni moves from his native Italy. He ends up boarding at the home next to the scientist Rappaccini. Rappaccini, a scientist, had started out trying to help people. Over time, his hatred for mankind grew and he began to experiment with deadly poisons. His daughter, Beatrice, was raised in the garden where he grew his deadly plants and she became immune to them. In this warped version of the ’’Garden of Eden, ’’ Giovanni meets and falls in love with Beatrice. In the garden where reptiles are killed by single drops of poison from the plants Beatrice picks, the deadly quest of love begins.
A professor, Bagglioni, attempts to deter Giovanni’s pursuit of Beatrice. He finally gives Giovanni a vial that will counteract the poison, if he needs it. Beatrice and Giovanni finally interact, while Beatrice is trying to help Giovanni, they touch. Moments later the flowers in Giovanni’s hands wilt and begin to die. Rappacini begins to realize his experiments with the poisonous plants are evil. It is too late, Beatrice has drank the potion provided by Giovanni. As she dies, she curses Giovanni. His pursuit of her was more evil than the evil that she had become through the poison. This story is an amazing love story with hidden messages of science gone awry, the draw of love, the condemnation that can come from it. Read it to grasp the true meaning of this story. The story itself is mesmerizing and will draw you into the garden where Beatrice eventually dies.