Rating: 
Summary: Things changed and did not remain the same
Review: To call Lampedusa's masterpiece "The Leopard" the Italian "War & Peace" --or "Gone with the Wind", for that matter -- is too much to reduce this superb novel to a copy of a more famous book-- what the Italian novel is very very far from being. However, the three novels have some resonance, this novel stands on its own.Using the decadency of a wealthy family, Lampedusa created a beautiful metaphor for his country. The sentence that perfectly describes the spirit of this novel is "Things must change if they are to remain the same". But throughout our reading, one realizes that things changed, and didn't remain the same. One of the highlights of the writer's style is the description. From the beginning the narrative is filled with beautiful descriptions of places, people and food. When a garden is described with abundance of details it feels like where are there with The Prince and his dog Bendicò. But, my favorite segment is the one after the first dinner, when a pudding is served. It feels like we can taste that dessert. And not for a second these profound descriptions are boring or take a detour from the narrative. The characters are also fully developed and presented. From The Prince himself to his dog Bendicò --a lovely character, by the way-- were come across real people that live, and not act. And this is more than we can ask to a novel. People like Trancredi and Angelica come alive when the writer unfolds a story that lasts 50 years. For its political and novelistic achievement, Lampedusa's "The Leopard" is regarded as one of the best books of the 20 Century. And it totally deserves its praise. A novel that won't be easily forgotten by who read it. A classic for the eternity. There is also beautiful film version of this novel, made by Lucchino Visconti in 1963. Both are highly recommended as means of entertainment and culture.
Rating:
Summary: Things changed and did not remain the same
Review: To call Lampedusa's masterpiece "The Leopard" the Italian "War & Peace" --or "Gone with the Wind", for that matter -- is too much to reduce this superb novel to a copy of a more famous book-- what the Italian novel is very very far from being. However, the three novels have some resonance, this novel stands on its own. Using the decadency of a wealthy family, Lampedusa created a beautiful metaphor for his country. The sentence that perfectly describes the spirit of this novel is "Things must change if they are to remain the same". But throughout our reading, one realizes that things changed, and didn't remain the same. One of the highlights of the writer's style is the description. From the beginning the narrative is filled with beautiful descriptions of places, people and food. When a garden is described with abundance of details it feels like where are there with The Prince and his dog Bendicò. But, my favorite segment is the one after the first dinner, when a pudding is served. It feels like we can taste that dessert. And not for a second these profound descriptions are boring or take a detour from the narrative. The characters are also fully developed and presented. From The Prince himself to his dog Bendicò --a lovely character, by the way-- were come across real people that live, and not act. And this is more than we can ask to a novel. People like Trancredi and Angelica come alive when the writer unfolds a story that lasts 50 years. For its political and novelistic achievement, Lampedusa's "The Leopard" is regarded as one of the best books of the 20 Century. And it totally deserves its praise. A novel that won't be easily forgotten by who read it. A classic for the eternity. There is also beautiful film version of this novel, made by Lucchino Visconti in 1963. Both are highly recommended as means of entertainment and culture.
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