Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa; trans. Archibald Colquhoun
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, translated from the Italian by Archibald Colquhoun, is an Italian classic. Set against the backdrop of the unification of Italy, the novel charts the passing of the era when Italy was separate states. Lampedusa embodies the turmoil during the transitional period in his central character, Don Fabrizio Corbera, a Sicilian aristocrat and fictional prince of Salina.
As a member of the old ruling class, Fabrizio adopts a pragmatic attitude towards the inevitable changes that will come with the unification of Italy and the establishment of democracy. But his observations are tinged with melancholy at the death of an era. He is conscious of the fact he is the last member of his family who knows its rich history. He is saddened by the knowledge that with his death, the memories of his ancestors, their traditions, their grandeur, and all they achieved and represented will die with him.
Lampedusa immerses the reader in late 19th century Sicily with its palatial homes and grand balls. In Fabrizio he has created a character who is charming, cultured, intelligent, sensitive, and astute. He looks askance at the changes and the emerging class that will govern the country. Saddened by the changes he perceives but recognizing their inevitability, he encourages his nephew to marry into the bourgeois class even though he is contemptuous of its acquisitive temperament and absence of culture and good taste.
This is a haunting story of loss and the demise of a former way of life, one with biographical elements since this same loss was probably experienced by the author himself. The diction is immersive, rich with detail, and compelling. Fabrizio garners sympathy for his unsettling situation. His interiority reflects his dilemma of being caught at a time of flux between the death of the old and the birth of the new. The past, with its rich traditions and culture, is all he has ever known. And now, he has to step aside to make way for the inexorable forces of change.
Lampedusa’s writing, much like his central character, is elegant, tinged with melancholy, poignant, and compelling. It is heartbreaking to know that Lampedusa was unable to get this major literary accomplishment published during his lifetime, denying him the literary accolades he so well deserved. Fortunately, the novel survived him and was published posthumously.
This elegant, moving novel of a bygone era yields an impact that lingers long after the final page has been read.