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Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius
The definitive biography of the impoverished child, abandoned by his parents, who became the famous writer, notorious libertine, and self-invented genius whose name still resonates Giacomo Casanova.
Today, “Casanova” is a synonym for “great lover,” yet the real story of this remarkable figure is little known. Giacomo Casanova was raised by his maternal grandmother, an illiterate peasant. His birthplace, Venice, was a republic in decline, reputedly the most debauched city in Europe. Casanova would add to the republic’s reputation. Over the course of his lifetime, he claimed to have seduced more than 100 women, among them married women, young women in convents, girls just barely in their teens, and in one notorious instance, his own illegitimate daughter.
Casanova came of age in a Venice filled with spies and informers. Naturally brilliant, he was intellectually curious and read forbidden books, for which he was jailed. He staged a dramatic escape from Venice’s notorious prison, the only person known to have done so. He then fled to France, where he invented the national lottery that still exists to this day. But, intemperate by nature, he made enemies at the French court. He crisscrossed Europe, landing for a while in St. Petersburg, where he was admitted to the court of Catherine the Great. He corresponded with Voltaire and met Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte—assisting them as they composed the timeless opera Don Giovanni . And he wrote what many consider the greatest memoir of the era, the 12-volume Story of My Life .
A figure straight out of a Henry Fielding erotic, brilliant, impulsive, and desperate for recognition, Casanova was a self-destructive genius. This witty, roisterous biography exposes his astonishing life in rich, intimate detail. At the same time, it is a dazzling portrait of eighteenth-century Europe from serving girls to kings and courtiers. Esteemed biographer Laurence Bergreen brings a sensual world vividly alive in this irresistible book.
Today, “Casanova” is a synonym for “great lover,” yet the real story of this remarkable figure is little known. Giacomo Casanova was raised by his maternal grandmother, an illiterate peasant. His birthplace, Venice, was a republic in decline, reputedly the most debauched city in Europe. Casanova would add to the republic’s reputation. Over the course of his lifetime, he claimed to have seduced more than 100 women, among them married women, young women in convents, girls just barely in their teens, and in one notorious instance, his own illegitimate daughter.
Casanova came of age in a Venice filled with spies and informers. Naturally brilliant, he was intellectually curious and read forbidden books, for which he was jailed. He staged a dramatic escape from Venice’s notorious prison, the only person known to have done so. He then fled to France, where he invented the national lottery that still exists to this day. But, intemperate by nature, he made enemies at the French court. He crisscrossed Europe, landing for a while in St. Petersburg, where he was admitted to the court of Catherine the Great. He corresponded with Voltaire and met Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte—assisting them as they composed the timeless opera Don Giovanni . And he wrote what many consider the greatest memoir of the era, the 12-volume Story of My Life .
A figure straight out of a Henry Fielding erotic, brilliant, impulsive, and desperate for recognition, Casanova was a self-destructive genius. This witty, roisterous biography exposes his astonishing life in rich, intimate detail. At the same time, it is a dazzling portrait of eighteenth-century Europe from serving girls to kings and courtiers. Esteemed biographer Laurence Bergreen brings a sensual world vividly alive in this irresistible book.
544 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2016
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1046 people want to read
About the author
Laurence Bergreen
19 books328 followersLaurence Bergreen is an award-winning biographer, historian, and chronicler of exploration. His books have been translated into over 20 languages worldwide. In October 2007, Alfred A. Knopf published Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu, a groundbreaking biography of the iconic traveler. Warner Brothers is developing a feature film based on this book starring Matt Damon and written by William Monahan, who won an Oscar for “The Departed.”
His previous work, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published to international acclaim by William Morrow/HarperCollins in October 2003. A New York Times “Notable Book” for 2003, it is also in development as a motion picture and is now in its tenth printing.
In addition, Bergreen is the author of Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth, a narrative of NASA’s exploration of Mars, published in November 2000 by Penguin Putnam. Dramatic rights were acquired by TNT.
In 1997, Bantam Doubleday Dell published Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, a comprehensive biography drawing on unpublished manuscripts and exclusive interviews with Armstrong colleagues and friends. It appeared on many “Best Books of 1997” lists, including those of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Publishers Weekly, and has been published in Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. In 1994, Simon & Schuster published his Capone: The Man and the Era. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it has been published in numerous foreign languages, was optioned by Miramax, and was a New York Times “Notable Book.”
His biography, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, appeared in 1990. This book won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award and received front-page reviews in major American and British newspapers and appeared on bestseller lists; it was also a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1990. His previous biography, James Agee: A Life, was also critically acclaimed and was a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1984. His first book was Look Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Network Broadcasting, published by Doubleday in 1980.
He has written for many national publications including Esquire, Newsweek, TV Guide, Details, Prologue, The Chicago Tribune, and Military History Quarterly. He has taught at the New School for Social Research and served as Assistant to the President of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. In 1995, he served as a judge for the National Book Awards and in 1991 as a judge for the PEN/Albrand Nonfiction Award. A frequent lecturer at major universities and symposiums, he also serves as a Featured Historian for the History Channel.
Mr. Bergreen graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He is a member of PEN American Center, The Explorers Club, the Authors Guild, and the board of the New York Society Library. He lives in New York City and is represented by Suzanne Gluck of the William Morris Agency.
His previous work, Over the Edge of the World: Magellan’s Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe, was published to international acclaim by William Morrow/HarperCollins in October 2003. A New York Times “Notable Book” for 2003, it is also in development as a motion picture and is now in its tenth printing.
In addition, Bergreen is the author of Voyage to Mars: NASA’s Search for Life Beyond Earth, a narrative of NASA’s exploration of Mars, published in November 2000 by Penguin Putnam. Dramatic rights were acquired by TNT.
In 1997, Bantam Doubleday Dell published Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life, a comprehensive biography drawing on unpublished manuscripts and exclusive interviews with Armstrong colleagues and friends. It appeared on many “Best Books of 1997” lists, including those of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Publishers Weekly, and has been published in Germany, Finland, and Great Britain. In 1994, Simon & Schuster published his Capone: The Man and the Era. A Book-of-the-Month Club selection, it has been published in numerous foreign languages, was optioned by Miramax, and was a New York Times “Notable Book.”
His biography, As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin, appeared in 1990. This book won the Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award and the ASCAP-Deems Taylor award and received front-page reviews in major American and British newspapers and appeared on bestseller lists; it was also a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1990. His previous biography, James Agee: A Life, was also critically acclaimed and was a New York Times “Notable Book” for 1984. His first book was Look Now, Pay Later: The Rise of Network Broadcasting, published by Doubleday in 1980.
He has written for many national publications including Esquire, Newsweek, TV Guide, Details, Prologue, The Chicago Tribune, and Military History Quarterly. He has taught at the New School for Social Research and served as Assistant to the President of the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. In 1995, he served as a judge for the National Book Awards and in 1991 as a judge for the PEN/Albrand Nonfiction Award. A frequent lecturer at major universities and symposiums, he also serves as a Featured Historian for the History Channel.
Mr. Bergreen graduated from Harvard University in 1972. He is a member of PEN American Center, The Explorers Club, the Authors Guild, and the board of the New York Society Library. He lives in New York City and is represented by Suzanne Gluck of the William Morris Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
March 25, 2019
Byłem na tę książkę - nomen omen - napalony. I srogo się zawiodłem.
To nie jest biografia Casanovy. To jest wybór cytatów z jego pamiętników niezdarnie złożony w opowieść o charakterze reportażowym w amerykańskim stylu. Nie ma tu żadnej spójności, poza elementarną chronologią. Poszczególne wydarzenia są opisane w tak absurdalnie chaotyczny sposób, że czasem nie wiadomo, czy uwodzący Casanova w końcu ma ochotę uwieść niewiastę czy nie; nie wiadomo nawet, czy mu się próba uwiedzenia udaje.
A wszystko przez te cytaty bezustannie wplatane w zdania, tak jak by autor nie za bardzo wiedział, co się stało, więc woli ubezpieczyć się wstawieniem cytatu. Tu jednak jest problem, bo Casanova pisał swoje pamiętniki w 18. wieku no i o niektórych sprawach pisał w sposób dość alegoryczny. Efekt jest taki, że czasem błądzimy w labiryntach niewiedzy a czasem - wręcz przeciwnie - wchodzimy w drażniącą dosłowność językową do tego zalatującą nowojorskim slangiem. I to wszystko tworzy wrażenie stylistycznego oraz faktograficznego bałaganu a nie wartko płynącej historii Wielkiego Uwodziciela.
Jedna rzecz zwróciła moją uwagę, jeżeli chodzi o metody uwodzenia Casanovy. Otóż z tej książki wynika, że tytułowy bohater stosował metodę "na focha". Polegała mnie więcej na tym, że:
1. Zwracał uwagę na jakąś kobietę (był raczej egalitarystą: podrywał hrabianki, służące, krawcowe, gospodynie i wszystkie obdarzał tym samym wielkim uczuciem)
2. Dawał do zrozumienia, że jest zainteresowany (czasem informował werbalnie a czasem chyba robił miny)
3. Jak już pani wiedziała, że jest zainteresowany - Casanova się nabzdyczał. Od razu ruszał z pretensjami, że kobieta, którą kocha na śmierć i życie, nie odwzajemnia jego uczuć.
4. Z książki wynika, że ten magiczny foch działał i obiekt uczuć natychmiast zaczynał uczucia odwzajemniać a dodatkowo miał poczucie winy i chciał natychmiast wynagrodzić swoje zachowanie uprawianiem seksu.
5. Serio, tak to działa?
Do tego faktograficznie ta książka jest niedorobiona. Nie wiadomo skąd brał pieniądze, nie wiadomo jak mu się udawało nawiązywać te wszystkie kontakty z arystokratami, książętami a nawet królami; na czym polegała jego działalność szpiegowska etc. Te fakty są wymieniane, ale bez żadnego tła, uzasadnienia, nawet spekulacji. Za to z całą masą nic-nie-tłumaczących cytatów.
A do tego wszystkiego tłumaczenie i redakcja są słabe. Kilka razy w tekście po jakimś opisie czy przemyśleniach pojawia się nagle słowo NIEWAŻNE. Taki kolokwializm "Nevermind". Wygląda to tak, jakby redaktor przysnął i przegapił.
Świetna historia, bardzo słaba książka.
To nie jest biografia Casanovy. To jest wybór cytatów z jego pamiętników niezdarnie złożony w opowieść o charakterze reportażowym w amerykańskim stylu. Nie ma tu żadnej spójności, poza elementarną chronologią. Poszczególne wydarzenia są opisane w tak absurdalnie chaotyczny sposób, że czasem nie wiadomo, czy uwodzący Casanova w końcu ma ochotę uwieść niewiastę czy nie; nie wiadomo nawet, czy mu się próba uwiedzenia udaje.
A wszystko przez te cytaty bezustannie wplatane w zdania, tak jak by autor nie za bardzo wiedział, co się stało, więc woli ubezpieczyć się wstawieniem cytatu. Tu jednak jest problem, bo Casanova pisał swoje pamiętniki w 18. wieku no i o niektórych sprawach pisał w sposób dość alegoryczny. Efekt jest taki, że czasem błądzimy w labiryntach niewiedzy a czasem - wręcz przeciwnie - wchodzimy w drażniącą dosłowność językową do tego zalatującą nowojorskim slangiem. I to wszystko tworzy wrażenie stylistycznego oraz faktograficznego bałaganu a nie wartko płynącej historii Wielkiego Uwodziciela.
Jedna rzecz zwróciła moją uwagę, jeżeli chodzi o metody uwodzenia Casanovy. Otóż z tej książki wynika, że tytułowy bohater stosował metodę "na focha". Polegała mnie więcej na tym, że:
1. Zwracał uwagę na jakąś kobietę (był raczej egalitarystą: podrywał hrabianki, służące, krawcowe, gospodynie i wszystkie obdarzał tym samym wielkim uczuciem)
2. Dawał do zrozumienia, że jest zainteresowany (czasem informował werbalnie a czasem chyba robił miny)
3. Jak już pani wiedziała, że jest zainteresowany - Casanova się nabzdyczał. Od razu ruszał z pretensjami, że kobieta, którą kocha na śmierć i życie, nie odwzajemnia jego uczuć.
4. Z książki wynika, że ten magiczny foch działał i obiekt uczuć natychmiast zaczynał uczucia odwzajemniać a dodatkowo miał poczucie winy i chciał natychmiast wynagrodzić swoje zachowanie uprawianiem seksu.
5. Serio, tak to działa?
Do tego faktograficznie ta książka jest niedorobiona. Nie wiadomo skąd brał pieniądze, nie wiadomo jak mu się udawało nawiązywać te wszystkie kontakty z arystokratami, książętami a nawet królami; na czym polegała jego działalność szpiegowska etc. Te fakty są wymieniane, ale bez żadnego tła, uzasadnienia, nawet spekulacji. Za to z całą masą nic-nie-tłumaczących cytatów.
A do tego wszystkiego tłumaczenie i redakcja są słabe. Kilka razy w tekście po jakimś opisie czy przemyśleniach pojawia się nagle słowo NIEWAŻNE. Taki kolokwializm "Nevermind". Wygląda to tak, jakby redaktor przysnął i przegapił.
Świetna historia, bardzo słaba książka.
April 27, 2017
I think there may be such a thing as over-quoting. The bulk of the information comes directly from Casanova's autobiography, and I would've preferred more input from those around him instead of taking his word for everything. Finishing this was a chore.
In the future, I will never refer to someone as a Casanova in a complimentary fashion. Dude was a predator, and while there's always the argument of "He was a man of his time, you can't judge him by today's standards!", pardoning rape and pedophilia is never cool no matter how much time has passed. 2 stars because I now feel confident in my ability to obliterate a Jeopardy category entitled "Casa-know-va". You read it here first.
In the future, I will never refer to someone as a Casanova in a complimentary fashion. Dude was a predator, and while there's always the argument of "He was a man of his time, you can't judge him by today's standards!", pardoning rape and pedophilia is never cool no matter how much time has passed. 2 stars because I now feel confident in my ability to obliterate a Jeopardy category entitled "Casa-know-va". You read it here first.
November 18, 2016
Poet, writer, free spirit, gambler, lover, and seducer. These are words that are synonymous with the legendary Libertine Giacomo Casanova. However, we should add a couple others as well. Pervert, pedophile, lech, cad, player, and a walking STD. Despite all the notoriety and infamy surrounding this mythical lover, he was far from perfect.
Author Laurence Bergreen shares historical documents and excerpts from Casanova's personal diaries to tell the story of a worldly scholar who enjoyed life, especially when it concerned the ladies and, allegedly, a few men as well. Beginning as the abandon child of two theater performers, Giacomo Casanova raised himself in a world where money, power, and sex played a game into his successful career as a lover of life all over Europe. His quick wit, charisma, sex appeal and ability to ingrain himself into European high society bestowed upon him all the notoriety that he is now known for.
Casanova is an informative and fascinating portrait of a man who was addicted to sex and used his body to fulfill some kind of abandonment issues. I highly recommend this for observing a psychological study of sex addiction and drawing upon your own conclusions of someone who might have been a legendary lover but had many demons.
Author Laurence Bergreen shares historical documents and excerpts from Casanova's personal diaries to tell the story of a worldly scholar who enjoyed life, especially when it concerned the ladies and, allegedly, a few men as well. Beginning as the abandon child of two theater performers, Giacomo Casanova raised himself in a world where money, power, and sex played a game into his successful career as a lover of life all over Europe. His quick wit, charisma, sex appeal and ability to ingrain himself into European high society bestowed upon him all the notoriety that he is now known for.
Casanova is an informative and fascinating portrait of a man who was addicted to sex and used his body to fulfill some kind of abandonment issues. I highly recommend this for observing a psychological study of sex addiction and drawing upon your own conclusions of someone who might have been a legendary lover but had many demons.
October 10, 2022
I'm not sure it's correct to class this as a biography. It's more an abridged rendering of Casanova's twelve-volume memoires - blisteringly honest (if hardly humble), racy (as you might expect... and probably considerably more so than you might expect), and providing a fascinating insight into Europe just before Napoleon began beating the crap out of it. Don't get me wrong - Bergreen has put the work in: translation, research, and editing, are all top-notch, giving us an eminently accessible text (for all that it could arguably be said to lean more toward Casanova's sexual exploits rather than everything else he did... but, then, so did the man himself). There's just little in the way of comment, especially concerning the vastly different attitudes toward women -from surprisingly enlightened to absolutely brutal- between then and now.
Recommended for the abridgement, but if you're looking for something more in-depth concerning both the man and his times, it might be better to look elsewhere (or for something to read in conjunction).
Recommended for the abridgement, but if you're looking for something more in-depth concerning both the man and his times, it might be better to look elsewhere (or for something to read in conjunction).
January 4, 2019
Bergreen does a wonderful job of explaining and describing Casanova's life. As expected, much of it is erotic. Some may be triggered by descriptions of his wooing and deflowering several young girls. I'm merely skeptical about their enthusiasm when he finally does reach his goal. Of course, once the prize is gained the thrill of the hunt is gone and he moves on to someone or somewhere else. He sleeps with everyone from common prostitutes to aristocrats yet still remains surprised every time he gets a venereal disease. He's good about abstaining during his treatment, but he's back in the game the instant it's gone. There's also plenty of broken hearts in convents, with his children, etc.
Sexcapades aside, Casanova led a very successful life. He was born in Venice to an actress who abandoned him at a young age. So, he assumed new identities whenever he needed to. In France he brought the lottery from Venice to start a national lottery that would fund the monarchy instead of taxes. He also helped compose the opera Don Giovanni. He loved Catherine the Great. Finally, he became a private librarian and devoted his old age to writing his memoirs.
I loved Bergreen's biography, but he uses lots of obscure words. I like it because I get to learn new ones. He also goes to great pains to explain and describe Venetian culture, which is very unique.
Sexcapades aside, Casanova led a very successful life. He was born in Venice to an actress who abandoned him at a young age. So, he assumed new identities whenever he needed to. In France he brought the lottery from Venice to start a national lottery that would fund the monarchy instead of taxes. He also helped compose the opera Don Giovanni. He loved Catherine the Great. Finally, he became a private librarian and devoted his old age to writing his memoirs.
I loved Bergreen's biography, but he uses lots of obscure words. I like it because I get to learn new ones. He also goes to great pains to explain and describe Venetian culture, which is very unique.
April 11, 2017
An interesting, complex and intriguing man of his era also tells insights on how the government worked back in the 18th century in Italy.
March 12, 2019
I was hoping for a book that set Casanova's remarkable life in the context of his times and this volume does that to a point, but it's mostly a labored retelling of the Memoirs with a focus on the most salacious of the man's conquests and orgies. Giacomo was a scoundrel in the truest sense of the word and some of his actions were appalling. When one reads the Memoirs, the sense of disturbance is tempered by the humanity of the teller -- a rusted rake who has lived long enough to acquire some sense of philosophical reflection if not an actual sense of guilt. Recounted here, albeit with whole pages of quotations, the scamming, seduction, and rape are harrowing. I was also hoping for more of a focus on Casanova's "occult" practices, mostly used to pry money out of the fingers of gullible believers but occasionally a true glimpse into the mostly shrouded world of 18th Century kabbalists and magicians. The book addresses this aspect the rogue's adventures but doesn't provide significantly more insight than the Memoirs themselves. I did enjoy the side notes on Venetian culture and, especially in the later chapters, the insight into Casanova's declining years as Europe begins to throw off the chains of monarchy, to the horror of the man who had lived on the excesses of the dying era. The numerous illustrations are great, portraits of the people Casanova writes about and examples of the erotic art he used to catch the interest of his conquests. On the whole, I enjoyed this book and had no trouble finishing it but I think a reader who had never read the Memoirs would find it more entertaining than I did, and that reader would probably be better served by a good annotated edition of the source material.
March 10, 2018
Basically an author recounting the memoirs of Giacomo Casanova, the famed (or infamous) seducer of women during the 1700s in Venice, Paris, London, Austria, practically everywhere ... it's exhausting and tedious. Casanova is highly unlikeable and a sociopath and a liar. He does meet Voltaire and Catherine the Great and I did learn he aided in the libretto of Mozart's DON GIOVANNI (which the author states is actually a shaded story of Casanova).
This is an endless tiring history that is just one sexual exploit after another and no woman was safe no matter the age. Casanova liked them young, but if he thought he could something from a rich older woman, then ... he was oozing charm. He even dabbled slightly in homosexuality and found castratos (young men who were tempered in the groin area by surgery in order for them to sing in a high voice) quite appealing. Venereal disease? Please. He gets it time and time again and goes through tedious medical procedures by quack physicians. He is imprisoned and escapes and fights duels and gambles. He insinuates himself into royal palace employ. But, he basically has sex. Over and over again in any way you can imagine and with as many people as possible.
If Casanova was alive today, he's be the ultimate target of the #MeToo Movement. He would make any story of any celebrity or workplace sexual abuser pale in comparison. You'd hearing the chanting of "TIME'S UP"! In fact, that was the phrase I had in my mind after finally finishing this well researched, beautifully illustrated, but exhausting boring read.
This is an endless tiring history that is just one sexual exploit after another and no woman was safe no matter the age. Casanova liked them young, but if he thought he could something from a rich older woman, then ... he was oozing charm. He even dabbled slightly in homosexuality and found castratos (young men who were tempered in the groin area by surgery in order for them to sing in a high voice) quite appealing. Venereal disease? Please. He gets it time and time again and goes through tedious medical procedures by quack physicians. He is imprisoned and escapes and fights duels and gambles. He insinuates himself into royal palace employ. But, he basically has sex. Over and over again in any way you can imagine and with as many people as possible.
If Casanova was alive today, he's be the ultimate target of the #MeToo Movement. He would make any story of any celebrity or workplace sexual abuser pale in comparison. You'd hearing the chanting of "TIME'S UP"! In fact, that was the phrase I had in my mind after finally finishing this well researched, beautifully illustrated, but exhausting boring read.
June 3, 2017
Based, it would seem, entirely on Casanova's own exploits of his life and featuring little, if any, outsider research to the libertine's actual life. Everything is seen through Casanova's eyes, which, as much as I tried to put aside my modern perspective - he's not a very sympathetic character, he's not endearing, and honestly, not what I'd call a reliable narrator by any means. Bergreen does mention Casanova's more academic pursuits, but more time is given to his love affairs - and even then, the attention paid to them is what I'd almost want to call "fleeting." There's time spent on the salacious aspect of them, but not really the aftermath (unless you count the multiple cases of venereal disease, which, in all honest, I'm pretty sure he had more than the accounted for 11 times). There are probably better biographies of Casanova out there, or you might be interested enough in slogging through the God knows how many volumes of his autobiography, but I think for the time being, I'm quite done with this libertine.
November 26, 2016
Received through FirstReads...
I'm kind of conflicted about this book, which is why I only gave it three stars. It's a very enjoyable book, fascinating, never dull. But I often felt like I was reading a very condensed version of Casanova's memoirs, as they are quoted in nearly every paragraph. Still a good read, though.
I'm kind of conflicted about this book, which is why I only gave it three stars. It's a very enjoyable book, fascinating, never dull. But I often felt like I was reading a very condensed version of Casanova's memoirs, as they are quoted in nearly every paragraph. Still a good read, though.
December 15, 2017
Surprisingly, I found the sex to be some of the most boring parts. But when you compare it to his feats such as escaping a never before escapable prison, starting the lottery in Paris, meeting royalty, and other craziness that makes you go, "Wait, that couldn't have happened. That sounds like it came out of a fiction novel," the sex is boring.
August 23, 2017
Didn't finish the slop. I really tried my best but it's really a crappy cut and paste job of Casanova's diary. The chapter breakdown doesn't really make sense either. Try his Magellan book. It was much better.
November 1, 2016
Fascinating, funny, sexy, revealing biography. Couldn't put it down
April 11, 2023
A nice telling of Casanova's life, a credible read, and often fun, but I thought this book was rushed to the printer. I don't know if Bergreen had lost patience with his subject or merely his enthusiasm for the man, who I believe was the most entertaining philosopher of the 18th-Century European Enlightenment.
I recommend the book to those who are not acquainted with Casanova and also to those who are only just acquainted with him. For those like myself, ardent admirers of the man—I have read his Histoire de ma vie in 12, 6, and 2 volumes and many books about him and episodes in his life—the book, while a nice and easy read, lacks passion. Although Bergreen often captured the spirit of Casanova and his time, I often had the feeling he was not entirely approving of him.
As we inhabit a time of spineless public men who possess little zest and even less imagination, and where celebrity has the worth of clipped coins, and men are largely terrified of women, Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius: The World of a Seductive Genius offers a guide for would-be adventurers and, for that reason alone, the book merits a place in my library.
The book includes useful notes and a bibliography. The plates and illustrations are charming.
I recommend the book to those who are not acquainted with Casanova and also to those who are only just acquainted with him. For those like myself, ardent admirers of the man—I have read his Histoire de ma vie in 12, 6, and 2 volumes and many books about him and episodes in his life—the book, while a nice and easy read, lacks passion. Although Bergreen often captured the spirit of Casanova and his time, I often had the feeling he was not entirely approving of him.
As we inhabit a time of spineless public men who possess little zest and even less imagination, and where celebrity has the worth of clipped coins, and men are largely terrified of women, Casanova: The World of a Seductive Genius: The World of a Seductive Genius offers a guide for would-be adventurers and, for that reason alone, the book merits a place in my library.
The book includes useful notes and a bibliography. The plates and illustrations are charming.
June 9, 2017
Geez it has taken me about fifteen thousand years to get through this thing.
Casanova was an interesting dude who did a lot of very interesting and sometimes brilliant things. He also seemed to have an uncanny ability to seduce women and make them believe he would marry them, but then he'd run away. He also sexually assaulted half of them in the first place.
And then there was the BLATANT GANG RAPE.
I can't get over that one.
No matter what else Casanova did in his life, no matter how great and amazing and intelligent he was...he does not deserve the title of "seduction Genius," and I'm still pretty upset that the author portrayed him in such a positive light, almost glossing over the explicit and unavoidable gang rape.
It's still a very thorough biography that includes plenty of context and information on everything going on in the world during Casanova's lifetime.
Casanova was an interesting dude who did a lot of very interesting and sometimes brilliant things. He also seemed to have an uncanny ability to seduce women and make them believe he would marry them, but then he'd run away. He also sexually assaulted half of them in the first place.
And then there was the BLATANT GANG RAPE.
I can't get over that one.
No matter what else Casanova did in his life, no matter how great and amazing and intelligent he was...he does not deserve the title of "seduction Genius," and I'm still pretty upset that the author portrayed him in such a positive light, almost glossing over the explicit and unavoidable gang rape.
It's still a very thorough biography that includes plenty of context and information on everything going on in the world during Casanova's lifetime.
May 10, 2021
Interesting bio - enjoyed learning about Venice and the life and times of Casanova and 18th century Europe.
Not sure I would call him a "seductive genius"... as the title does.
Surprised to learn that Casanova was so interested in literature and served as a librarian; although he didn't focus on these pursuits until he was too old to be the "adventurer" he had been as a younger man, and he could no longer rely on wealthy patrons and gambling to support himself...
Definitely some cringeworthy moments; however, depending on accuracy of Casanova's account, offers a portrayal of initmate lives of everyday Europeans going on despite Inquisition, influence of the Catholic church, etc.
I wonder what the impact of #MeToo might have had on the author's perspective on the subject matter and if he might have written this story differently if he had published in 2017 or after.
Not sure I would call him a "seductive genius"... as the title does.
Surprised to learn that Casanova was so interested in literature and served as a librarian; although he didn't focus on these pursuits until he was too old to be the "adventurer" he had been as a younger man, and he could no longer rely on wealthy patrons and gambling to support himself...
Definitely some cringeworthy moments; however, depending on accuracy of Casanova's account, offers a portrayal of initmate lives of everyday Europeans going on despite Inquisition, influence of the Catholic church, etc.
I wonder what the impact of #MeToo might have had on the author's perspective on the subject matter and if he might have written this story differently if he had published in 2017 or after.
March 19, 2017
I must give the man credit. He has real charm and charisma: his words are enough to bring a modern woman to an incredible orgasm so many hundreds of years after his death. Now that, my friends, is seductive genius!!
I do not know if it was the author's writing style or the kind of life Casanova led, but reading the book was too much for me. It was like too much rich chocolate without a glass of milk to quench the thirst.
Casanova jumped around from place to place, never sleeping in the same place for more than a few weeks at a time. It got exhausting trying to keep up. It shows that he had an indomitable spirit, an incredible charm that was irresistable, as everyone (except his mother) seemed to want him around and to help him.
I wonder if perhaps according to todays standards he might be considered bipolar... With a mainly manic diagnosis. Sexual promiscuity and shiftlessness are a big part of people with that diagnosis.
But considering that it was so "rich", like The Doors movie about the music group- an overwhelming amount of sex, drugs, and rock n roll - and considering i had trouble finding admirable character traits i would want to or be able to emulate, i had to put it down to move on to my next ioraphy: "A Sorrow in our hearts" about Tecumseh. Now there is someone i truly admire!! Time much better spent!
I do not know if it was the author's writing style or the kind of life Casanova led, but reading the book was too much for me. It was like too much rich chocolate without a glass of milk to quench the thirst.
Casanova jumped around from place to place, never sleeping in the same place for more than a few weeks at a time. It got exhausting trying to keep up. It shows that he had an indomitable spirit, an incredible charm that was irresistable, as everyone (except his mother) seemed to want him around and to help him.
I wonder if perhaps according to todays standards he might be considered bipolar... With a mainly manic diagnosis. Sexual promiscuity and shiftlessness are a big part of people with that diagnosis.
But considering that it was so "rich", like The Doors movie about the music group- an overwhelming amount of sex, drugs, and rock n roll - and considering i had trouble finding admirable character traits i would want to or be able to emulate, i had to put it down to move on to my next ioraphy: "A Sorrow in our hearts" about Tecumseh. Now there is someone i truly admire!! Time much better spent!
July 15, 2023
It goes through the autobiography of the late Giacomo Casanova while lending important and enlightening historical context. From an autobiographical standpoint, this book is priceless in giving a glimpse into the lives of the 1700s. From a humanitarian standpoint, this man was vile. He was not a seductive genius. He was a rapist, a pedophile and an incestuous pig. It's unfortunate that we only have such an impressive and in-depth account of this time period from such a despicable excuse for a human being. So all in all, worth the read, but be ready to be deeply unsettled.
July 17, 2025
Too much time spent detailing seductions and affairs which did nothing except bore me; they certainly did not enhance or develop or provide background.. I had hoped for a more critical review of the memoirs - seems odd that they're accepted as truth when in fact they were written so much later in life by someone who essentially created himself anew as circumstances warranted. He wanted to be grander than his birthright; wouldn't he carry some of that thinking into the memory of his lovelife if only to bring some excitement into sad end of the life situation?
April 22, 2020
The way the book is written is very complicated to understand and follow through, but noneless is an amazing book of the story of Casanova, i only knew he was a famous seducer, but this book shows other parts of casanovas life and personality. So much adventures, escapes, fights, sex and constantly travelling. To imagine that all that happened, is very impressive. An unique personality and a legend.
December 4, 2025
Stopped reading after 100 pages. The author has a nice writing style, and looking at the references has done a tremendous deal of research, but nearly all passages about Casanova's life and behavior are quoted from Casanova's own (exaggerated?) memoires.
I'd rather read his autobiographical version, assuming it has a lot of exaggeration and fiction, than to read this summary with the addition of some historical context, but no verification whether Casanova was truthful in his own words.
I'd rather read his autobiographical version, assuming it has a lot of exaggeration and fiction, than to read this summary with the addition of some historical context, but no verification whether Casanova was truthful in his own words.
June 22, 2017
Casanova's adventures and conquests were spellbinding! More than just a lover. Con artist, academic writer, prison escapee and teller of tales. His charisma must have knocked them all over! You might need a fan for swooning.
October 4, 2021
I felt the story jumped around a bit. I was going back to reread sections to see if I missed or misread something. It seemed it was just a bunch of individual episodes strung together. I also thought there was a lot of quoting from Casanova’s memoir.
April 7, 2023
The book was entertaining and painted a pretty good picture of what it was like living a Venetian life in the 1700’s. Cassanova, however intellectual and funny he seemed to be, would definitely have been in jail for a life sentence if he were alive today!
December 17, 2025
It was intersting, In the beggining Casanovas story was sad. in the middle I was grossed out and by the end I realized and saw his growth. By the end time he passed it was complicated. I was glad that I read it,I always wanted to know more than what the movies interpret.
December 18, 2020
Love the history but hard to love him
April 8, 2024
Not what I thought it was going 2 be. Also was written in very old English. Was an interesting read though and I enjoyed reading this type of genre, which I do not usually read
February 11, 2017
DNF after about 100 pages. Junk history.
Read
February 21, 2021Writers who choose to write about a figure whose legend lives on in such a form as Casanova's had better know they set themselves up for either meeting the expectations of the reader to develop an interesting read or losing readers early on. Writers who know themselves to be rather duller and more academic writers should probably choose topics that don't require them to match style of writing with the excitement the subject promises.
December 8, 2016
Okay the world's greatest lover. This man had more encounters with women, affairs, seduction, war, and life. Casanova is indeed a well written biography of this man's life. It's never ending in this book, we come to tales of this man as he escapes prison, makes a lottery system, made enemies at court, and met with or even attended great men and women of times. A must read .
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