The Duel - Softcover

'The myths of romanticism - self-determinism, libertinage, a life lived and then staged in fiction - are enshrined in the figure of Giacomo Casanova. In reincarnations as a spy, diplomat and poet-philosopher, he sought to become the hero of his own picaresque adventure. Here, individualism is choked by cultural protocol.' --The Observer

'The prose is exquisite and the book is full of wry humour and revelations about life in eighteenth-century Europe. The etiquette of duelling is described in great detail and is of historical interest. Worldly advice, such as 'I cannot is heard to often on the lips of mortals; it is very seldom on the lips of a man who really wishes to do something', appears on nearly every page. The language intrigues the reader and the addition of French and Latin (including translations) adds originality and charm.' --New Books Magazine

'Like Histoire de ma vie , The Duel abounds in those fascinating details. To take only one example, there is a curious pattern of attention paid to hands: Casanova s wounded left hand, which his inept surgeons want to amputate, but which ultimately heals; Casanova unwillingly kissing Branicki s hand, and willingly kissing the Polish king s noble right hand (p.53). Along with the paradoxical reasoning and witty observations, such curious textual (as Barthes would say) patterns are part of what makes Casanova s writing into something more than rich social documentation, more than the story of a famous libertine s adventures, part of what makes them into literature that continually rewards the reader.' --18th Century Fiction

One of the few works written in Casanova’s native Italian, The Duel is an important example of the infamous Lothario’s vivid prose style. Translated for the first time into English, this autobiographical novel describes Casanova’s extraordinary battle with a Polish count, while on the run from the Venetian authorities. Having escaped from Venice’s infamous Piombi Prison, Casanova was forced into exile. Far from destitute, however, his reputation gained him entry into European society’s highest echelons. Yet there, he soon found himself obliged to engage in a duel over a ballerina?a lady in whom neither he nor his Polish rival had the slightest interest. Recounting the deadly encounter and the surprising events it precipitated with sardonic wit, Casanova creates a work of thrilling adventure and inimitable literary style. Giacomo Casanova was an adventurer, a spy, a poet, and a novelist. His literary reputation rests on his remarkable History of My Life, which vividly records not only his exploits and adventures but the manners and morals of the day.