Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa - The Leopard
A Video Talk
The story of an aristocratic family in Sicily, whose fortunes are rapidly fading, is considered one of the best historical novels ever written. Sicilian society, Don Fabrizio and his family, are all so vividly portrayed, as is their crumbling home and lifestyle. A superb movie version, Visconti’s glorious 1963 film starring Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale is still delightful to watch today.
Travel with me to this ancient island, learn more about Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (one of the best-read men in the history of the world), and delve into a rich, thought-provoking, and memorable story that is now regarded as one of the great books of the 20th century.
Just $15.00
This video is about 60 minutes full of intriguing information.
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“Perhaps the greatest novel of the century.”
― L.P. Hartley
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa was told by an editor that his novel The Leopard was “unpublishable”. It was rejected by publishers and only appeared after the author’s death, but then became the top-selling novel in Italian history. When, in 1963, the glorious film version was released, it too won awards and was a popular and critical success.
Lampedusa was the last in a line of minor Sicilian princes and when his palazzo was damaged and pillaged during the Allied Invasion of Sicily in WWII, he turned to writing historical fiction as a way of somehow imaginatively restoring the fortunes of his family. The Leopard is set in the time of the Risorgimento, and Don Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina, is based on Lampedusa’s own great-grandfather.
In the novel we see the Prince having to choose between the age-old traditions of his class, and breaking those traditions in order to ensure his family’s survival. It’s a story of decay, mortality, loss of power and money, and the impact of political systems. There’s the inevitability of the family’s decline and yet, as readers, we watch it happen with sorrow.
Just $15, purchase access here.Sicily forms such a memorable setting to the story. The largest island in the Mediterranean, it has a rich and unique culture, an extraordinary history and, in the 19th century, an undeveloped economy and great poverty. Lampedusa makes his readers see the back streets, the buildings crumbling into ruin, the chapels and churches, and the ballroom where the Prince dances with the beautiful Angelica while the crowd watches admiringly.
Make the time to watch Visconti’s glorious 1963 film of the novel with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. Did you know that all Burt Lancaster’s lines were spoken in English and then dubbed into Italian for the Italian version, while the other actors all spoke Italian and were dubbed into English for the English version? And that incredible ball scene lasts for 45 minutes – it would take a brave director to spend so much time on one scene today!
Join me to explore this magnificent novel and the life of the man who wrote it. Just $15, purchase access here.
This Video Talk is a real treat! In it, I reveal intriguing stories about the author to help you understand what prompted this book to be written. I identify the main characters and their roles, analyse the themes behind the story, and describe the influence that the era, lifestyle and circumstances have on the book’s setting. It is illustrated with photographs, paintings, scenes from different film versions and book covers – you’ll have plenty to look at while you listen. Buy it now and view your video immediately. Just $15, purchase access here.
100% guaranteed. If you don’t feel my talk is great value for money, please let me know why and I will refund your purchase price.
The story of an aristocratic family in Sicily, whose fortunes are fading rapidly, is considered one of the best historical novels ever written. Do you agree? Let’s discuss it here.
Here is where to buy the book in print, ebook or audio. Find the books on my recommended reading list, watch a movie version, enjoy related videos, websites and much more. Have anything to add here? Let me know.
PURCHASE
The Leopard by Guiseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Lampedusa by Steven Price (a novel about how The Leopard came to be written)
The Last Leopard: A Life of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa by David Gilmour
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa: A Biography Through Images by Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi
The Leopard by Guiseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, narrated by David Horovitch (7 CDs)
FREE DOWNLOAD
Some free versions are better than others, please feel free to try these, but I cannot guarantee the quality.
The Leopard by Guiseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
Free downloadable version in various formats including Kindle, epub, pdf and others. If you are unsure of how to add these files to your ereader, look here.
FIND IN A LIBRARY (You will need to create an account and hold a library card.)
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa National Library of Australia free public access to books in libraries at Trove.
MOVIES
Rent or buy 1963 20th Century Studios movie adaptation The Leopard
Streaming guide from JustWatch: The Leopard
AUDIO
96 min. BBC Radio Drama adaptation of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel, The Leopard
LINKS