The Volcano Lover

The Volcano Lover is a historical novel by Susan Sontag, published in 1992.

It focuses on Emma Hamilton, her marriage to Sir William Hamilton, and her scandalous affair with Lord Nelson.

The novel explores themes of art, desire, and historical nuance, using the metaphor of the volcano to symbolize creation and destruction.

Sontag's unique perspective centers on Sir William Hamilton, an elderly intellectual and collector, rather than the more commonly told stories of his wife and Lord Nelson.