Product Description

Giacomo Leopardi was the greatest Italian poet after Petrarch and one of the great prose writers of the 19th century. Caught between devotion to the classical past and a sense of the impoverished present, Leopardi rejected both the Catholicism of his childhood and Enlightenment optimism. In his world, all that we love and value is illusory, and therefore to be loved the more. His existential resolve makes him the most compelling of Italian poets. J.G. Nicholls provides a translation of the complete "Canti", explanatory notes, and a selection of Leopardi's prose, keyed to related poems. Further background is provided by Nicholls's introduction and a brief biography woven from Leopardi's own words.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #911706 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-24
• Original language: Italian
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

From the Publisher
New translation of one of Italian Literature's most loved poets. Translated by prize-winning translator J.G. Nichols. Dual-language edition, ideal for students of Italian literature and poetry lovers. Thoroughly edited and extensively annotated.

Customer Reviews

A Beautiful Edition
Absolutely delighted with this new edition of Leopardi's wonderful poems. The translation is excellent, and it is great to have a the verse in its original Italian alongside the English. The book is also packed full of extra material - pictures and previously unpublished work. A great find.

Same Old Translation
Canti (Oneworld Classics) (Oneworld Classics)

I was very eager to read One World Classic's new edition of Leopardi's Canti. However, when I discovered that it was the old Nichols's translation, with a facing Italian text for padding, I was deeply irritated and threw the text aside. Why did the publisher bother?