Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa reads and teaches English literature : a case of Sicilian Anglophilia

Abstract

The essay briefly dwells on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa 's life, and especially on his early London experiences, with a focus on three aspects of his relationship with English culture. These were his love of dogs, that would resurface in the key role given to Bendico in The Leopard, his confessed Anglophilia, and his love of literature. The essay then takes into consideration the text of his lessons on "Letteratura inglese", imparted to Francesco Orlando and a few young people in post-war Palermo. His reading list was vast and impressive, and his judgements are also unexpected: these throw light not only on his favourite writers, but on a vision of literature devoid of nationalism, culturally branching out to include music and the cinema, free from traditional commonplaces, and from critical stereotypes. His "Letteratura inglese" can still entice readers and teach them a great amount that is wholly original, with irony and an unconventional attitude truly precious in today's literary and academic world. [excerpt]