The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone

I was compelled to read The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone after watching the 2003 film adaptation starring Helen Mirren which left me wanting to know more about the main character, Mrs Stone.

Mrs Stone, an American, seeks some kind of purpose in her life after the death of her husband. She is painfully aware of her fading youth and looks and is desperate to fill the void left by her retirement from the stage.

Tennessee William's playwright background is evident in his vivid descriptions and attention to detail. He sets the scene in Rome some time after the 2nd World War.

I really felt Mrs Stone's isolation, her loneliness and pain as she battles to fill the emptiness in her life. Tennessee Williams suffered depression, isolation and neuroses in his lifetime and he has drawn on his experiences to make Mrs Stone a character that anyone who has experienced depression will identify with.

I found the story to be very moving and sad and when I finished the book I really appreciated the importance of family and friendships. As a woman in my 40s, it made me realise that there are more important things in life than worrying about the inevitable onset of age.