The LeopardThe Leopard
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1860, as Garibaldi's forces land on Sicily to unify Italy, Don Fabrizio, the proud and despotic Prince of Salina, watches his aristocratic world begin to fade. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel is a portrait of a man, a class and an island at a turning point in history.
Why it's worth reading
It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1960. It's one of the great Italian novels of the 20th century.
You'll love it if you liked
War and Peace
The Remains of the Day
BuddenbrooksGood to know
It's translated from Italian. It contains a famous line: if we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.
By the numbers
- Readers61 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Leopard worth reading?
Yes. It was one of the ten best-selling books of 1960. It ranks #1,272 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Leopard about?
In 1860, as Garibaldi's forces land on Sicily to unify Italy, Don Fabrizio, the proud and despotic Prince of Salina, watches his aristocratic world begin to fade. Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel is a portrait of a man, a class and an island at a turning point in history.
How long does it take to read The Leopard?
About 6 hours (223 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Leopard?
If you liked it, try War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro or Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann.