The Leopard in James Mustich's 1000 Books to Read Before You Die

Apr 05, 2015 Bryan--The Bee’s Knees rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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According to the Amazon.com review of The Leopard, E. M. Forster referred to it as 'One of the great lonely books'. I couldn't find where that quote was taken from, but no matter--I can't think of a more fitting description for Giuseppe di Lampedusa's meditation on aging and change. There are many descriptions of this book: historical novel; a portrait of decaying aristocracy; a history of Sicily; a history of the Risorgimento--and while all these labels were what I expected to find, I think the According to the Amazon.com review of The Leopard, E. M. Forster referred to it as 'One of the great lonely books'. I couldn't find where that quote was taken from, but no matter--I can't think of a more fitting description for Giuseppe di Lampedusa's meditation on aging and change. There are many descriptions of this book: historical novel; a portrait of decaying aristocracy; a history of Sicily; a history of the Risorgimento--and while all these labels were what I expected to find, I think they are all wide of the mark now. And it is likely that the expectations these descriptions prepare the reader for are why some of the other reviewers express disappointment. I was happily surprised, though--the novel that di Lampedusa DID write exceeded what I thought I'd find by a large margin.

At first I wasn't sure. In the beginning, Di Lampedusa writes of his ancestry in what I thought was an idealized and romanticized manner, describing it in the same rosy tint that I might if I were to try and describe my own grandfather as a youth. In di Lampedusa's case, I would think that would be all the more tempting, considering how much dimmer the life of the aristocracy would have been in his time as compared to his parent's parents. Still, the style wasn't overwhelming, and after the first chapter or so, the thrust of the narrative began to change from details of time and setting to the ruminations of the prince, Don Fabrizio, as he is confronted with the changes involved in his family and his country.

I feel that those readers who will only be content with a straightforward historical novel, or who are looking to gain some insight into the time period of Italy's Reunification will likely be disappointed. The Prince's story could have taken place anywhere a once-powerful man has had to transition out of the limelight and recede into a sort of twilight. As an example of the latter, I think it is excellent; it is like watching the waves roll onto the beach--inexorable and melancholy, and Don Fabrizio meets the inevitable changes with grace and calm.

I suspect this is one of many books I've read in the last few years that I would have had little patience for when I was younger. In this case, perhaps I felt some small bit of congruence with Don Fabrizio's story--not a great deal, to be sure, but as I say, the story of The Leopard is less about time and place than it is made out to be. Instead, I found it elegiac--though not sad...but rather affirming and honest. Although it skips dangerously close to sentimentality at times, in the end, I thought it moving. By no means a technically proficient novel, di Lampedusa managed to create an affecting one. ...more

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Apr 18, 2010 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1001-books-you-must-read-before-you, book-and-movie, 3ms, read-2010, audio-books, italian-literature

By Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, and adapted for radio by Michael Hastings.
Don Fabrizio, a member of the old Italian aristocracy, contemplates his obsolescence amidst the great social changes during the Risorgimento of the 19th century. The head of an opulent household in Sicily, he reflects nostalgically on the past as his family grows to maturity and Garibaldi's republican movement puts an end to the feudal system and the traditions of the old bourgeoisie.
Don Fabrizio ...... Stanley Townsend
Pr ...more

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