Folio Archives 33: The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa 1988 and 2000

The Leopard by Giuseppe di Lampedusa 1988 and 2000

Lampedusa’s “ The Leopard” is a novel about a Sicilian nobleman and his family who live on the tiny island of Salina, off the northeast coast of Sicily, and their experiences when they are caught in the midst of the Sicilian civil war in the 1860s. The title comes from the animal on the Corbera family coat of arms.

The Folio Society has published The Leopard twice, in 1988 and 2000. I purchased the latter from the FS, and obtained the former in a job lot of FS books that I bought very cheaply.

The text of the two books is identical, and both are 186 pages long. The translation is by Archibald Colquhoun and they have an introduction by Raleigh Trevelyan, but the illustrations and bindings are completely different.

The 1988 edition is illustrated by Ian Ribbons with 10 ink drawings, that are highlighted with a yellow wash. The binding is quarter maroon cloth with gilt spine title and pattern printed paper sides. The slipcase is cream with faint creased texturing on one side, a common feature of FS slipcases at this time.

The 2000 edition has eight full colour illustrations by John Holder. It is bound in full red cloth blocked with a gilt design on the cover. The slipcase is undecorated red.

The books are identical in size measuring 24.5x16.5cm. in their slipcases.

An interesting read, and fascinating insight into the lifestyles of both the aristocracy and peasantry of a very status conscious island during a period of turmoil.

2000 edition above 1988 edition

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1988 edition


Crease textured slipcase









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2000 edition














An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed at : http://www.librarything.com/topic/266300

The Leopard is a wonderful novel. In Folio's case, I far prefer the illustrations and stately binding of the '88 release.

>1 wcarter: Thanks for this, with especial thanks for showing examples of both sets of illustration. This is on my "to be purchased when I have the inclination to read" pile!
>2 gmacaree: It is all a matter of taste, as I prefer the 2000 edition.

I have the 1988 version. A beautiful book and very good novel.

I also have the 1988 edition in a 1991 third impression. It must have been a popular publication. I definitely prefer the binding (with Italian paper sides). The later edition's illustrations are more conventional and, I would say, more representative of the time the story was set in.
It would be interesting to know the thought processes that led the FS to produce the new edition since the translation and introduction are the same and I assume the typeface and layout as well.
It does appear the earlier edition was letterpress and I suspect the later was not.
Thanks to Dr. Carter for your Folio scholarship.

I prefer the binding of the 1988 edition and the illustrations of the 2000 edition. I own a copy of the latter, but not the former.

>6 ultrarightist:

My view and situation accords with yours in every particular. It's a great novel and Visconti's 1963 film is well worth a look, too.

>7 boldface: Yes, I've been meaning to watch the film. The stills that I have seen look gorgeous. Arion Press illustrated their edition with stills from the film.

Thank you for the comparison. For me, the 1988 edition is head and shoulders more attractive than the 2000 version.

The 1988 edition was one of my very first Folio purchases - it may have been among the first order placed, when the Prospectus came out once per year and I generally bought only the required four to maintain membership. It is indeed an excellent novel and an excellent production.

Thanks so much for the comparison - I source a lot of my books second hand these days, so it's really helpful to be able to see them side by side! It's interesting there have been so many recent FS re-releases with different illustrators.

Inspired by this I have dug out my copy (1988 edition) for a re-read. One of my favourite novels and one of the greatest, I think.