The Leopard is a book written by the Italian author and social critic Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. The book, which is a chronicle of Italian history, was published in 1958 by Feltrinelli after many query-rejections. It spans over 330 pages originally written in Italian. The original title is Il Gattopardo, the scenery and story set in Sicily.
The book tells the story of Tomasi’s great-grandfather who was-similarly to Tomasi- a prince of Sicily. Through his life we are given the happenings during the civil war in the 19th century, including the political, revolution and class systems perspective. Also included in the story is the fine line between ethics, family pride and hopes for the future.
The author, Tomasi was a minor prince of Sicily himself, just as the forefathers before him. He wrote the book during his depression, as a form of self-reflection, helping him get better. When it got published it became a literary hit, as many people loved not only the story but the meaning behind it, as well as the historical perspective from one of the princes themselves.
