The Leopard

What is the author's style in The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa?

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The novel is narrated from the third person present omniscient point of view, in general from the perspective of its central character, the Prince. There are diversions; for example, the novel frequently explores the feelings, motivations, and experiences of other characters, particularly Tancredi, Angelica, and in the final chapter when the Prince is dead, Concetta.

The purpose of these diversions seems to be to develop a sense of irony, that the characters do not and cannot recognize either the repercussions or the futility of their actions. Perhaps most intriguingly, narration occasionally moves away from the present point of view completely and interjects comments from the perspective of the author, relating events and experiences of his contemporary life (such as air travel and World War II) to the events and experiences of the characters. These detours into anachronism are sometimes jarring and can seem inappropriate, but they seem intended to create a sense of connection between the experiences of the characters and those of the reader. Whether the intention is successfully fulfilled is open for debate.

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The Leopard