The Leopard

"one of the great lonely books"

A gem of a book that seems to effortlessly interweave the personal, the political, and the mythological. As if it weren't evocative enough already, factor in that di Lampedusa is the great-grandson of the eponymous real-life Leopard--the mind reels. I can't imagine a better narrator for this work than Horovitch--his voice reflects all the book's nuanced emotion, from humor to profound loss, and his pacing is equally sensitive. (BTW, the title for this review is a quote from E.M. Forster.)

22 people found this helpful

Sumptuously descriptive and beautifully crafted

Aristocrat, landholder, family man, libertine, scientist, Don Fabrizio the Prince of Salina is all of these. The risorgimento, that united the Italian peninsula into a single nation, is ongoing. His favorite nephew marries the beautiful and wealthy daughter of a former peasant. He sees the end of the world where he and his ancestors once were the lords of their proviincial manor. The action in this novel in this novel is largely offstage; by the time the Garibaldini reached Sicily, the unification of Italy was a foregone conclusion. Insteady we see the day to day life of the the Prince and his family: his devout wife, his 3 daughters, his sons, and his lively dog, Bentico. We feel the discomfort of riding in a hot carriage, as the family travels from Palermo to their estate at Donna Fugata, the boredom of the elegant society evening, the cynicism of the Prince as he looks to the future, knowing that the people of Sicily will resist any change, no matter how much it might improve their lot.

This marvelous translation is beautifully read by David Horovitch.

18 people found this helpful

a masterpiece

If you could sum up The Leopard in three words, what would they be?

the book that I keep going back to.

What other book might you compare The Leopard to and why?

nothing compares

Have you listened to any of David Horovitch’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

fabulous narration.

Was there a moment in the book that particular moved you?

the two lovers, Tancredi and Angelica exploring and becoming lost in the old and decaying mansion, finding hidden rooms, compartments, courtyards.

Any additional comments?

someone has previously said of this book that it is 'effortlessly exotic and wise', and I entirely agree.
I love the way that through this story, we are given a glimpse into a world that encompasses the personal, the political, and beyond.
I am sure it is a book that can be listened to on many different levels, but what the author conveys somehow is that the characters are players in a time and place constrained by historical forces, that power struggles in society are ongoing, that one form of political ideology or authority in surplants another, and nothing really changes.
It makes that Prince's interest in astronomy with its stars and comets, a consoling
sort of hobby to have in the light of what he sees around him.
There is a sort of wisdom in this telling, which never intrudes onto the story, that is always incredibly touching.

16 people found this helpful

Beautiful Classic

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever listened to. It fully evokes another era and another land. It's a little hard to get into, but be patient and you will fall in love with it. The main character is fascinating and the narrator is excellent. I will be listening to it many more times.

15 people found this helpful

Slow and sly, but great!

Masterly written story of the decline of Sicilian prince in the late 1800's. Gripping, even though very little actually happens except a marriage of a penniless and dashing male relative to the gorgeous daughter of a wealthy parvenu. But it's not a romance. Somehow, though, you care about the characters. Kind of an Italian Trollope, with the landscape and weather of Sicily playing an interesting and crucial role. Well-performed by the reader, too.

7 people found this helpful

Humour tenderness and theatre

Would you listen to The Leopard again? Why?

It had such a rich classical feel with humor and tragedy.

Would you recommend The Leopard to your friends? Why or why not?

Some of them. Those who like the 'Classics'. Here we re-live our own lives, emotions and realise not much has happened in literature in hundreds of years.

Have you listened to any of David Horovitch’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No. But his rendition of this novel was indeed a most wonderful performance. Rich and textured. A delight to hear his characterisation and his sympathy to the culture of long ago in Southern Italy.

Who was the most memorable character of The Leopard and why?

I cannot recall her name as it is a while since I read this. But the the lady who recognised she had never been aware of the affection of her beloved. Very Shakespearean.

Any additional comments?

No I need to read this over and over again. Short enough to do so. However, I am listening to more than 10 x more than I used read - and enjoying Audible.com so much so that I am not exactly free to do this!

5 people found this helpful

Brilliant

This book is wonderful on so many levels I can't even begin to put my feelings into words. I'm so sorry the author only wrote one book. I'll just have to listen to this one over and over -- sort of throwing myself into the briar patch. But I've also found the book and movie on Amazon. I'm wondering if the movie captures the poetry, humor and subtleness of the author.
David Horovitch is the perfect narrator. Just couldn't be better.
This has become one of my favorite books of all time.

9 people found this helpful

Great way to learn a little history.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

A must read if you plan to visit Sicily--as I did. Also recommend the movie version with Burt Reynolds. Read

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Leopard?

The chapter of his death.

Have you listened to any of David Horovitch’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First time I've heard him and loved his narration. Made the book much more enjoyable than reading would have been.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Sicily

Any additional comments?

Helped me understand Sicily and Sicilians.

3 people found this helpful

The world is going to change if we like it or not

Any additional comments?

This is one of the most beautiful novels I've ever read and it's also somewhat unnerving because of how often it forces you to confront your own life, your past, and your mortality. Each time the Prince recalls his past or observes the world he currently lives in, I felt myself having to take a deep breath and press on towards what I knew was going to be some vaguely uncomfortable realizations about what it means to get older.

I kept thinking about King Lear as the novel went on, however, where Lear set in motion the engine of his demise by dividing up his kingdom, the Prince here is at the mercy of the times. He lives in a world - Sicily - that instead of being divided and carved up is in the throes of consolidation. Sicily's unique identity, and thus the Prince's, is being taken from him and being absorbed. And he's powerless to do anything about it.

So in a way his story hits even closer to home than Lear's because of how little control even a powerful man like Prince Fabrizio has over the events around him. And some of this lack of control is not always external, but internal as well. Though a large, powerful man, he's also a little lazy, and not as smart as he would like. He never seemed able to really manage his estate and solved his problems by selling off tracts of land when he got in a bind. Slowly he whittled his own life away.

Yet it's not all sad, either. He seems like a man who, though he doesn't believe it, really did live a full life. He may have spent most of it being indulgent and not working towards any greater good for society, but he did at least enjoy his life, unlike his daughter who realizes much to late she spent her life believing something that was not true - just like her relics.

And when the Prince dies we never get these sense he wasted his life, rather he just wasn't able to hang onto it. And who can, really? Some families may have long branches that extend for generations, but the tree eventually dies. And what can we do when we are confronted with the fact that life will get away from us all? Well we could try to enjoy it, we could be more like the Prince's dog, Bendicò, that mischievous doggy who even long after death manages to give one last taste of playfulness about him.

There is no optimistic or pessimistic message here. The novel has no answers, it only explores a life and what it means to confront your own life. That's why I found it vaguely unsettling at times because these are thoughts I'm not eager to spend much (or any) time dwelling on - better to just live than think about living. Yet there will come a time where everyone has to look honestly at their own life and reckon with their own sense of worthwhile. And we shouldn't worry so much about the past or about events around us we cannot control, the world is going to change if we like it or not no matter how much we are able to control.

Yet hopefully we'll be remembered even just a little bit, even if it is just in a small way, the way the image of the leopard is worn by the priest at the end of the novel who carts away the useless old relics.

10 people found this helpful

Friends urged me to read it and & I am glad I did

If you could sum up The Leopard in three words, what would they be?

enlightening rivetting powerful

What did you like best about this story?

The insight into the characters and the times they lived in

What about David Horovitch’s performance did you like?

His resonant voice, and Shakespearean performance

If you could rename The Leopard, what would you call it?

Aristocrats,Church and Power

Any additional comments?

No

5 people found this helpful