The December meeting of the Italian Book Club in Mumbai will focus on The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. Set in Sicily during the second half of the 19th century, the novel portrays with elegance and depth the world of the aristocracy in a period of transformation within the context of the Risorgimento and the unification of Italy. Through the figure of Prince Fabrizio of Salina and his family, the author explores social change and identity in a world suspended between tradition and modernity.
Published posthumously in 1958, The Leopard is Tomasi di Lampedusa’s only work and has become a classic of Italian literature. In addition to depicting the decline of the landed aristocracy and the rise of a new bourgeoisie against a backdrop of a monumental yet fragile landscape, the novel offers a reflection on the Italy of the author’s own time. Lampedusa’s refined and elegant style makes the narrative at once intense and flawless in form, and the famous phrase “if we want everything to stay as it is, everything must change” encapsulates his lucid and disenchanted view of the course of history.
The novel can be read in Italian or in English translation. The discussion is open to all lovers of literature and Italian culture.
10 December | Title Waves Bookstore, Bandra | 6:30 PM