The Leopard, by Guiseppe di Lampedusa, translated from the Italian by Archibald Colquhoun

As someone who has an interest in the history of Sicily, I found this particular novel to be a stellar and deeply enjoyable example of a historical novel that can help the reader gain a better grasp of history even as it has a compelling and moving story.  At the heart of this novel is an aging Sicilian notable Don Fabrizio and his attempts to deal with the rapid and dramatic changes that took place when Sicily and indeed most of Italy was unified by troops supporting the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia.  The novel takes what could be somewhat dry history about the corruption of Italian politics as well as the general lack of development of Sicily and its causes and puts it in the service of a story of a man struggling to cope with change as it relates to his family and determined to do what is best, and dealing with other people who are likewise seeking to do the best by their own lights, even though the result of that is highly different.  And best of all, Don Fabrizio is neither perfect nor unappealing, giving the reader plenty of cause to empathize with the aging nobleman in chaotic times.

The course of most of the novel takes place in a short period between the invasion of Sicily by Garibaldi and his forces and the death of Don Fabrizio a relatively short time later.  Throughout the course of the novel we see Don Fabrizio’s easy way with dealing with the local priest, to whom he confesses his various infidelities, for he is a known shirt-chaser, and we see him decline a chance to be a Senator in the new Italian kingdom because he does not consider himself up to it, nor does he think that Italy’s desire to develop Sicily is going to work for very sound reasons that remain true.  Meanwhile, his nephew joins up with Garibaldi’s forces and helps them win before returning to marry a young woman who is in love with the nephew’s dash, spurning the chance to marry Don’s own daughter, who seems unwilling to find anyone else and who eventually becomes a spinster retiring at home with her two similarly unmarried sisters.  There is even a subplot where the priest has to smooth things over with relatives and avoid a destructive feud over seduction and property ownership on the outskirts of Palermo.

All in all, this is a compelling novel for a variety of reasons.  The author is sound at mixing historical detail into a compelling story about a decent but not perfect man caught in a difficult historical moment and coping with it as best as possible.  The author also writes with a deep knowledge of Sicilian history and culture, and perhaps the most moving moments in the book come when Don Fabrizio appreciates the task of his Garabaldino nephew in allowing him to update the family on his doings without causing a lot of fear and panic and when Don Fabrizio turns down the chance to be a Senator and argues about Sicily being an old and tired colonial territory worn down by 2500 years of being dominated by other areas and never being free to pursue its own destiny.  If you appreciate good historical fiction and have a knowledge of or interest in the area of Sicily, this book is definitely a worthwhile novel that is easy to recommend and also very easy to appreciate.  Coming in at about 300 pages or so, this makes for a smooth read that is also thought-provoking and insightful.