Product Description

Coming to the big screen this January—Buena Vista’s Casanova, starring Heath Ledger and Sienna Miller

Seducer, gambler, necromancer, swindler, Good Samaritan, spy, swashbuckler, self-made gentleman, entrepreneur, poet, translator, philosopher, and general bon vivant, Giacomo Casanova was not only the most notorious lover the Western world has known but also astoryteller of the first order.

The Penguin Classics edition of Casanova’s The Story of My Life features a brilliant translation by Stephen Sartarelli and Sophie Hawkes and provides readers with the most famous episodes as well as the overall shape of Casanova’s monumental memoir in one beguiling, unique volume.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #135714 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 576 pages

About the Author
Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) was born in Venice, the son of actors who wanted him to become a priest. Instead he had numerous occupations, and is remembered as one of history's great lovers. Stephen Satarelli is a poet and translator of Italian and French literary works. Sophie Hawes is an artist, printmaker, and translator. Gilberto Pizzamiglio is Professor of Italian Literature at the University of Venice.

Customer Reviews

BAD EDITION
Reading this book was a real chore. And a real snore.

Given the sensational subject matter and the supposed wit and charm of the author, I had the feeling I was reading a really really bad translation.

Im glad that other readers have confirmed this. ***DO NOT*** buy this edition unless you want dull lifeless tedious boooooooring version of this book.

560+ pages? dang. i will have to wait 10 years before I give it another shot. what a waste. curse you penguin!

sexual nonsense
I gave this book four stars only because Casanova is such a well-known figure whose name has actually entered the English language. The book is a supposed autobiography and Casanova's sexual escapades and has much more in common with Baron von Munchhausen's fanciful tales than they do with reality. Casanova, who regarded himself as an artistic man of letters, tells literally unbelievable stories on himself. I especially like the tale in which a town's physician tells him to return "anytime" because he's infected half the women in the city with venereal diseases!

The whole thing is one long dirty joke and, if you believe this thing, the joke is on you and Casanova gets the last laugh.

Ron Braithwaite author of novels--"Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"--on the Spanish Conquest of Mexico

Do Not By the Penguin Edition!!!
There are dozens of different versions of this book, and they are all DRAMATICALLY different. Do not buy this "Penguin Classics" edition!!!!!!!!!

It is horrible! All the good parts have been "abridged" out of it.


This is one of the silliest ideas I ever heard-but Penguin apparently tried to "clean up" Casanova. They have removed most of his stories about seduction from his auto-biography! Since Casanova was the world's greatest lover, I don't know why they think anyone would want the book except to read about seductions but those are exactly the parts they took out!

Only Penguin could make Casanova boring.

Buy a different edition of the book!