Casanova

by Derek Parker

For more than 200 years, Giacomo Casanova has been infamous as the archetypal elegant libertine. He gained considerable fortune by living on just his wits, luck and charm, but this same decadent lifestyle almost left him destitute. Uncontrollably ruled by an insatiable desire for sex, he attracted women with his seductive charm and endless generosity, and was irresistible as a lover. He believed himself to be in love with many of the beautiful women he pursued, and unusually for his time, he often treated them as equals and remained dear friends with them long after the affairs ended. For this account of Casanova's life, Derek Parker has studied Casanova's memoirs along with other sources on his life and 18th-century European society. He reveals the true motivations and complex nature of an extraordinarily adventurous man, a legend in both his own time and ours.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Derek Parker (27 May 1932 – 2 January 2025) was a British writer and broadcaster. He was the author of numerous works on literature, ballet, and opera, and with his wife Julia of several books about astrology.

Reviews

[Robyn Maire · Rating 2 out of 5]

Casanova by Derek Parker is a summary of The History of my life by Giacomo Casanova (with some additional notes on currency and people’s names and lives).
It follows the travels of Casanova – who is the fastest person to ever fall ‘in love’ through Constantinople, Rome, Venice, Naples, Paris, Moskou, Madrid, Vienna, Barcelona and others in which he well… has sex (surprise huh). Casanova is an interesting man but what I found even more interesting were the notes on the way sex was regarded in that time. And although Casanova had a more interesting love life than my friends and me combines he was sleeping around with so many people that I didn’t know who was who after a while. The problems I had with the story – I mean if ya wanna have orgies man, be my guest but having sex with your daughter?! NO. Just no- I can’t blame on Parker of course but even then I felt there was something missing in the writing style and sometimes a bit boring.

[Evitina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesants cilvēks, bet uzrakstītais ir kā faktu uzskaitījums, kad personāžu ir tik daudz, ka beigās atminies vien dažus. Kā arī apraksts par viņa "favorīti" nekādi neatšķiras no pārējām (daudzām "favorītēm"). Kā arī filmā nebiju pamanījusi, ka viņam tik daudz cilvēku "deva" naudu. Kā arī to kā viņš apdāvināja savas "favorītes" un izkārtoja viņām veiksmīgu nākotni.

[Marcus Mccain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good biography about one of the most famous and interesting persons of 18th century Europe.