The Leopard: A Novel

In The Leopard, Di Lampedusa masterfully narrates the downfall of an ancient aristocratic Sicilian family. We are introduced, among many others, to the paternalistic, intellectual Prince Fabrizio, his beloved but financially unendowed wit of a nephew Tancredi, Father Pirrone - a clement and practical reconciler and the Prince's ever-present conscience, and Don Sedara, a crass and uninitiated self-made landowner from the peasant class, whose beautiful daughter Tancredi falls for.

The Leopard, a pithy and briskly-paced historical novel, opens for us the door into the world of an old Sicilian family and the patriarch who tries to maintain the rule of tradition in his beloved world under the backdrop of Garibaldi and the reunification of Italy. That the book is extremely well-written is evident even in the eloquent translation. The story, undulating the tone from the tender expressiveness of all that is dear and familiar to a man who loves his country and heritage, and the gentle sorrow attending the perception of forces that gradually efface the bonds that hold those things together.

The chapter dealing with Don Fabrizio's declining health is an achievement in its own right, reflecting the organicity and artless sophistication of an experienced writer. It is to be read slowly, with sweet relish

A journey through the life of an Italian noble family at the time of national reunification as slow as a Sicilian afternoon. Offers a view of Italy at a time of change, a compact Italian War and Peace.

I was lent this book- an old copy and at first glance, I thought it was going to be boring and something I wouldn't enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised and became so engrossed in the novel that I finished it in a week! This is impressive in that it typically takes me about a month to finish a book with time constraints, etc. The descriptions in this book are like nothing I have ever read before. I really felt like I was there! Plus, coming from a Sicilian family, the accounts of Sicilian's personalities, superstition and stubborness are spot-on.

There are several phrases in French throughout the book that are kind of important to the story which is worth noting. Have your French Dictionary handy!

The grace and power of this story could be quite overwhelming if it weren't for the cleverness we all adopt while reading it, so that at its end, we are neither shocked nor saddened, but rather challenged to take up our own pathetic cudgels and go at the world ourselves. Or not. A beautful tale.

This is a wonderful historical novel/character study/satire of political "progress" that pays homage to Stendhal. Di Lampedusa's Don Fabrizio (based on the author's own great grandfather), Prince of Salina of Sicily, is an unforgettable character - full of himself and his pampered, aristocratic life, wiley and politically astute, lusty, yet loving, compassionate and melancholicly romantic. The history of the Italian Risorgimento is fascinating. It's a shame that this wonderful writer wrote so little before he died.