About
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957), 11th Prince of Lampedusa, was an Italian writer born in Palermo. From the high Sicilian aristocracy, he served as an artillery officer in World War I, was captured at Caporetto, and escaped. In 1932 he married Alexandra Wolff von Stomersee, a psychoanalyst. He began writing his only novel, The Leopard, in 1955, which was rejected by two publishers before his death. Published posthumously in 1958, it won the Strega Prize and achieved worldwide success. He also wrote short stories and essays.
* 1896-12-23 — † 1957-07-23
Major works
- Il Gattopardo (1958)novel
- Racconti (1961)short story collection
- Letters from London and Europe (2011)letters
Key milestones
- 1896Born in Palermo, Sicily.
- 1958Posthumous publication of The Leopard, which won the Strega Prize.
- 1963Film adaptation of The Leopard by Luchino Visconti.
Themes
decline of aristocracyhistorical changeSicilydeath and decaynostalgia
Sources: britannica.com · id.loc.gov