Reading 1001 discussion

The Leopard by Guiseppe di Lampedusa
4/5 stars

I enjoyed the forward by Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi, Lampedusa's nephew; it gave me information about the author, a sense of history about the time period and how the book came to be. The Prince Don Fabrizio, aka the Leopard, is part of Italy's aristocracy that is losing power during the revolution of 1860 to re-unify Italy. “On their slopes and peaks glimmered dozens of flickering lights, bonfires lit every night by the rebel bands, silent threats to the city of palaces and convents.”

The novel follows The Prince and his family especially his nephew Tancredi through these changes in power. “Unless we ourselves take a hand now, they'll foist a republic on us. If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” The story is told through Don Fabrizio and we are privy to what he is thinking as well as what is coming. The Prince is accepting that change is inevitable and there is nothing he can do to stop it. The beauty of the story is watching how he handles it.

I liked Lampedusa's writing and it is a pity that this is his only novel. He is a very descriptive writer and I could visual what he had written. A wonderful historical fiction. “We were the Leopards, the Lions; those who'll take our place will be little jackals, hyenas; and the whole lost of us, Leopards, jackals, and sheep, we'll all go on thinking ourselves the salt of the earth.”

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa
3 stars

The story starts out telling about the Salina family during the early 1860's. Prince Fabrizio is the "head of the household" and already realizes that things are soon to change in his family and country. Troops have landed on the coast and are attempting to bring their area into the Italian government. We learn about the family's environment, idiosyncrasies, and love lives and I really did enjoy the descriptive words, I thought they really helped the reader to "see" what was being detailed. After the death of the Prince, which is also artfully described, the book jumps forward 17 years and we learn how his 3 daughters, now elderly, are being investigated by the Archdiocese because they have artifacts in their chapel that may not be authentic. The story ends as the chapel is deemed usable again because it has been resanctified with the removal of the false artifacts. As the last item is tossed out the window to the heap below, Concetta, one of the sisters sees the article take the shape of a leopard. I'm not sure I really understood all the political and religious ramifications of the book but I did really enjoy the way it was told.

I just finished listening to the audio version of this book, and I highly recommend this version. Like Diane, I enjoyed the writing very much. The descriptions are lush, and you get a real sense of place (Sicily) in this novel. The novel is essentially from the Prince's point of view - and he is a very self aware, intelligent and politically astute. Often novels about the ultra wealthy just annoy me, but this one was very different and delighted me consistently. 5*

Read 2010
A historical novel, set in the time period of May, 1860 to May, 1910. The Bourbon state of Naples and Sicily is coming to an end. King Ferdinand II had just died and all of Italy is to be one state for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire. The story is of the Prince, Don Fabrizio, a Sicilian prince. He is the Leopard. He understands that life as he has known it is coming to an end and in his way, he takes his family through the change. He is facing the erosion of the class system by the peasants and shabby gentry. The election tells how though things change they really don't change and the common man is more disillusioned that he was under the former. The final chapters, Death of a Prince and Relics are really great commentaries.

I really enjoyed this novel. I've been reading far too many British & American classic novels this year, so I liked the change of setting in particular. Also, while I studied Italian for a few years in high school, I have always been a bit vague about Italian history, so it was interesting reading about a time in which so much changed in Italy. The writing is easy to get into, and the forward was actually interesting.
I definitely recommend this one. I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads.

A wonderful telling of a time of great transition in Italy starting in the 1860's when the feudal aristocracy is already under siege from capitalists and many are losing their financial resources. On top of this, the unification of Italy causes further great change as Italy moves toward a parliamentary form of government under one king instead of many individually ruled nation/states. We view these changes through the thoughts and emotions of Don Fabrizio, a Sicilian Prince, who can already surmise that although the changes do not seem radical at first, they will lead slowly to the end of all that he knows and cares about.
The book further captures how the grand transitions of history impact at the individual level. We see as the Prince's daughter Concetta makes a small decision and lives with the decisions of others in such a way that her whole life will be determined for her when she is still very young.
A strangely great book with wonderfully descriptive writing and unique insights into the motivations and despairs of men and women.

Pre-2017 review:

****

Another novel chronicling the end of the era of influence and power exerted by the nobility and aristocracy under the auspices of decaying monarchies. Yet, this is probably the best I have read so far. Narrated by one who has inherited the outcome of such events, it depicts several aspects of Sicilian life which establish distinctions with the rest of the Italians and the transition between the decorum of a comfortable, nonchalant aristocratic way-of-life to dealing with the "people" now being in charge. While some characters adapt more or less to the changes (from the opportunistic Tancredo to the moderate compromises of the Leopard himself), others cling desperately to the past, like the three sisters. The last event of the book (the tossing of the decrepit pelt of Bendico by Concetta) symbolises the resigned acceptance from the old aristocracy that times have changed and that the current time is no longer theirs. Must read.

A story of political and social upheaval in Sicily during the unification of Italy, told through scenes in the life of one of the old noble families. The prose is not quite purple but certainly baroque, and takes some getting used to. But it conveys a really vivid sense of place, time, and character that I suspect will stay with me for a long while. This book made me realise how little I know of the history of Italy.