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The Leopard

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1958

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Book Brief

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The Leopard

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1958
Book Details
Pages

320

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Historical Fiction

Italian Literature

Classic Fiction
Setting

Sicily • 1860s

Theme
Memory

Nostalgia

Death
Publication Year

1958

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1160L

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Super Short Summary

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is a historical novel set during the Italian unification or Risorgimento, focusing on the fictional royal House of Salina's political and social struggles, primarily through Prince Fabrizio di Salina's attempts to maintain his family's influence. As Italian forces unify the peninsula, resulting events lead to changes in family dynamics and romantic entanglements, culminating in Fabrizio's existential crisis.

Melancholic

Bittersweet

Contemplative

Nostalgic

Serene

Reviews & Readership

4.2

43,500 ratings

74%

Loved it

19%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard is lauded for its rich historical narrative and exploration of societal change in 19th-century Sicily. Critics praise its lyrical prose and complex characters. Some find the pacing slow and the extensive historical context challenging. Overall, it is a revered classic that offers deep insights into aristocratic decline and transformation.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Leopard?

A reader who would enjoy The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa is likely fascinated by historical fiction, particularly the transformative periods of European history. If they appreciate the richly detailed, reflective style of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace or the social and political intricacies in Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, they will find this novel compelling.

4.2

43,500 ratings

74%

Loved it

19%

Mixed feelings

8%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

320

Format

Novel • Fiction

Genre
Historical Fiction

Italian Literature

Classic Fiction
Setting

Sicily • 1860s

Theme
Memory

Nostalgia

Death
Publication Year

1958

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

Lexile Level

1160L

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