In "The Wave," a young man falls dangerously in love with the tenant downstairs, who is engaged to be married; in "The Signorina," a flirtatious young woman is caught between her feelings and her parents desire for a good match; in "A Friend to the Wives," the peerless Pia Tolosani leaves a trail of regret in the life of a former suitor.

In this collection of stories, Pirandello's first published work of fiction, the master of Italian modernism dissects the passions that are either dimly felt or unrequited, ultimately raising doubts about the very nature and existence of love, while simultaneously foreshadowing the themes and the psychologically nuanced characters that he would go on to develop in his later works.