Rating: 
Summary: A master storyteller tells all
Review: Casanova's "History" is an enthralling portrait of himself, his times, and his conquests. It is written in a chatty yet elegant style that seems bent on seducing the reader too. What is immediately obvious here is that Casanova was no ordinary Lothario but truly esteemed women and yearned for their approval as much as for their bodies. The memoir is also a priceless sketch of 18th life and mores, upper and lower classes, and politics both great and small. This book can't be recommended too highly.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect edition for any shelf
Review: Content aside, (which in itself is fascinating) Trask's fully unabridged translation of Casnova's autobiography is a marvellous effort. Combined with the splendid jacketing, all twelve volumes make this a delightful addition to the bookshelf.
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Summary: Casanova offers a rare and passionate view of his time
Review: Giacomo Casanova's twelve volume memoir, History of My Life, provides a passionate and critical look into the 18th century. The term "Casanova" has become representative of frivolous love-making, however, the real man, Giacomo Casanova, was an artist, a scholar and a philosopher. His memoir reveals his desire for truth, as well as his love for women. Written during the years of the French Revolution, Casanova's memoir appeals to a wide range of book lovers. His stories are entertaining and fulled with adventure. For those interested in 18th century Europe, Casanova comments extensively on the customs and manners of all the social classes, especially in France. He gives charming descriptions of the Parisian streets, taverns, Catholic practices and even a detailed description on how to make hot chocolate (one of Casanova's favourite breakfast foods). Casanova occupied a unique place in society. Instead of trying to fit rigidly into one social class he explores the lives of the peasantry as well as the noblity, therefore, he offers a unique view of his time. Throughout his travels he reflects on universal aspects of human nature, focusing often, but not exclusively, on human sexual behaviour.I have read Casanova's memoirs twice. The original Trask translation was only produced in a limited number.
Rating:
Summary: Oh my goodness
Review: Having only dabbled in the terrible Penguin abridged edition, I had no idea of the sheer heaven I would encounter when I picked this up at a used book fair. Casanova is one astonishing man. He is a philosopher, man of reason, and man of God. He studies religion and is an abbot for a long stretch of his life. The pages are filled with his ruminations, observations, and quotes of literature ranging from Horace to Ariosto. Having a man this educated for author, in this time and place, would have alone made it worth reading. But the scholarship just scratches the surface. He is also a notorious womanizer, probably the most (im)famous in the West. And the tales are endless, sublime, always something different, and delightfully understated. For a real hoot check out his trysts in carriages or the outrageous experience with cross-dressing castrato Bellino, who is really a woman (don't ask, just read Vol. 2). But the real treat with this book is how GC can tie it all together with a storytelling verve that far outdistances most novelists. Every page is a fresh, ridiculous surprise that tugs the viewer along. He manages to constantly work in themes and ideas throughout the work, uniting something that would otherwise be a dizzying travelogue. The man's skill with wit, with anecdote, with the unexpected joke is remarkable (I love his anecdote of screwing up his big sermon). And the translation simply jumps off the page, whereas most translations from French read very mechanically.
"In Italy all is show" Barzini reminds us. Some have wondered whether all the show in this work is real or not. To them I say "Does it really matter?" When the show is this good, he could be plagiarizing half of it for all I care! Any fans of Italy, of the European Baroque era, or of wonderful wit and stories has to read this.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent & Informative Read
Review: I have read the first 3 volumes and found it to be both entertaining and informative about the life of Casanova. You can hear Casanova speak as he tells his tales of all his adventures taking him to many places and what makes him tick. His love of women comes through in a very personal way by his descriptive manner.
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Summary: An 18th-century first-person must-read.
Review: I stumbled across volumes I & II and although I'm not much interested in autobiographies, nor am I much of a history buff, I thought it might be an interesting read. "Interesting" turned out to be a complete and total underestimation. The complete set (volumes 1 through 12) are a truly fascinating first-person account of life in the 18th century - specifically, the life of one of the world's greatest rakes, scoundrels, adventurers, and learned men. I'd only purchased the first book (I & II) and when I finished volume II, I was at a terrible loss because I couldn't find any of the remaining volumes - until Amazon came to the rescue.
Casanova was basically a "people person". He was truly interested in people and describes many in great detail. In his travels, he met with many whose names now fill the history books - Popes, Kings, Queens, and Empresses, and many who are totally lost to history - whores, con men, and card sharps. And, because he was primarily a people person, his accounts of places and events are particularly spare.
Casanova's accounts of his travels back and forth across the length and breadth of Europe are fascinating in of themselves. It is truly amazing to read his accounts and to realize just how often and how far people traveled then (contrary to what one might think). Some volumes of his original writings are lost, but for completness sake, have been replaced with poorly written and bowlderized translations that have survived - these stand out like a sore thumb and I could only rush through them, longing to get back to the Trask translation.
He wrote it over a number of years (based, I believe, on journals he had to have kept) and the series simply stop where he left off when he sickened and died.
If you are at all interested in history, this first-hand account of life in the 18th century is a must-read.
Rating:
Summary: If this is not must reading then nothing is!
Review: I wish I could give this work 6 stars and not just 5. In all 6 volumes of the Trask translation. Casanova shows a remarkable gift for writing from the heart even though he was progidy. The result is a vivid and fast moving recreation of the 18th century by a lover, a scholar and a rascal. What Casanova writes the reader feels and lives. He writes as if you are there with him and he makes you feel it is so. Casanova's story is of love, of life from peasants to kings, of risk-taking adventure, of politics, of cabalistic rites and charlatanism, of dupes and dullards and endless intrigues. It has the kind of excitement that fiction can only envy.
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Summary: Fascinating, beautifully written, erudite autobiography
Review: Most people know of Casanova only via his reputation as something of a womaniser. Which is rather like describing Paganini as a bit handy with a violin, Einstein as quite good at physics, or Pele as fairly useful at knocking a leather ball between two white-painted wooden posts.
The real Casanova did indeed have his lascivious way with a healthy number of young (and not so young) maidens, not to mention the plentiful harlots and slatterns with whom he enjoined, but that is by no means the full extent of his achievements. For this was a man who, quite apart from his great achievments in the "Ars Amatoria", dabbled in such a wide variety of fields that he composed an operetta, translated Homer's Iliad, wrote papers on philosophy, escaped from the most secure and notorious prison of 18th century Europe (the Leads in Venice), hobnobbed with Catherine the Great, Voltaire, the Pope, and half of pre-revolutionary Europe's aristocracy (fleecing a fair number in the process), and generally spent his life living in such an outrageous and adventurous fashion that even the most daring and imaginative Hollywood scripwriter would not dare put the story to paper, for fear of being branded a lunatic.
The simple fact is that Giacomo Casanova, self-styled Duc de Seignalt, was possibly the most interesting human being ever to have walked the face of the planet. Certainly, he was the by far the most fascinating person who ever put his life to paper with such flair, imagination (some would say *too much* imagination), erudition, and sheer literary style. For one should not imagine that this is simply a series of clumsily written tales from the various regal courts, taverns, and brothels of ancien regime 18th century Europe. No - if anything, the great surprise of Casanova's story is the sheer literary talent on display. If he possessed but an ounce or two of discipline, there is no doubt in my mind that he could have become a very well respected writer, such is his descriptive power, and his general skill with words, his ability to conjure up memorable images, and his acute powers of observation. As it is, he must still be respected as a storyteller of the very highest order - giving ground only to Chaucer and Homer, in my humble opinion.
What is more, in such a class-ridden age, Casanova traversed all strata of contemporary society, from Kings to prostitutes, from nuns and abbots to humble inn-keepers and vagabonds. A great insight into his character is afforded by the way in which he takes each person on their merits, regardless of wealth or social status. Here is a man who can guffaw over a pint of ale with a drunk and a teenage slattern, and the next day indulge in acute and informed conversation with Europe's leading intellectuals on the merits of various poets and other artists of note, or the pressing political problems of the age.
The cliche "Truth is Stranger than Fiction" was clearly inspired by Casanova's account of his own life, for not even the greatest and most imaginative novelist could realise such a varied, realistic, and fully-formed group of characters, let alone the myriad adventures and encounters which our eponymous Italian hero experienced. It really is impossible to read this delight of an autobiography without thinking that one is simply trudging through life, missing out on the plentiful opportunities for fun, adventure, and dare I say it, happiness. I promise you, Casanova will inspire you to break out of the daily grind and pursue you own dreams, the man really is that good.
So, what place in literary history should this man hold? Whilst no literary critic, I do not consider myself to be ill-read. And yet, of all the great works of literature I have had the pleasure to savour; of all the strange and miraculous events from history that I have learned about: nothing, I say nothing, ranks anywhere near to the fantastic voyage that is Casanova's life.
As a final addendum, I must commend Mr Willard Trask for a superlative translation. Translation can never truly capture the full spirit of the original, but you would not know it by reading Mr Trask's fine effort. He has done the world a great service by making this astonishing work available to a wider, monoglot English-speaking audience. That said, I must say that it is worth learning the French language purely to be able to read this masterwork as it was originally written. I once quoted a couple of lines from book VI to a pretty waitress in a Parisian restaurant, and the remaining 4 nights of my trip were spent in absolute bliss - Casanova's spirit lives on!
I leave you with one final thought. If you do not acquaint yourself with the dozen books (contained in half a dozen volumes) of this autobiography, then you face the prospect of eventually dying without having ever known what it is to have lived. This legendary Italian adventurer will change your world view that far, I can assure you. It will take you only a day or two to finish the first volume - less than you would spend doing income taxes, reading about which tedious celebrity mediocrity slept with which other non-entity, or watching the latest piece of trash soap opera. Do you really value the tedious and grotesque more than life itself? Click to buy, and let Amazon deliver one of humanity's finest achievements to your door - I swear, you will not regret it!
P.S. if you still need convincing, just look at the review scores - 5 stars from everyone. Remember, this is not the sort of book you pick up from the NYT best-seller list, or from a film tie-in - almost everyone who has read this has just discovered it randomly or through word of mouth. If someone gives Steven King 5 stars, you know they are just a fan - for someone to give a person renowned just as a womaniser 5 stars for literary merit...well, there has to be something special going on. Get to it and find out what that special something is!
Rating:
Summary: Captivating, thrilling, engaging
Review: Some people have lives that are filled with a certain drama and adventure from start to finish. As a young teenager, Casanova is already thinking, engaging people much older than him in serious conversation, plotting and scheming, and even taking enemies to court! People often ask if Casanova's stories are embellished. I don't think so; he's too good of a writer, and too smart, and gives too many specific details on the surrounding circumstances and historical events. He wrote twelve volumes of this stuff - if he were making it up he would have become bored long before getting that far. His account of his time on earth rings true from start to finish, and believe me when I say: it is the story of a fascinating life told by a man of outstanding writing ability and social genius. Casanova will come across to many readers as very self-absorbed. However, he clearly has a deep fascination for his characters and all of the people he comes into contact with. As a child he already had an intellect superior to many of the adults around him. As a man he still viewed each new relationship and circumstance with the fascination of a kid at the carnival. If you like romance, history, intrigue, drama, with a smart and smart ass young man at the centre of it all narrating for you, you'll love this book.
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Summary: My book club's favorite
Review: This has gotten the best reponse this year from my book club.
We used the review guide to search out pertinent questions to
discuss at the group. What a cameleon Cassanova was as he
finagled into,and mingled with, the church hierachy, professional
musicians, and nobility. I have lots of questions that the
books did not answer, and after reading other books on him, ('Casanova in love' and the 'Man who Loved Women',I
want to know more. What a shame this man, who was such a great
reader, writer and accomplishment speaker, was not cloned!
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