Narrative
History of My Life
Histoire de ma vie
Giacomo Casanova · 1822
Synopsis
A Venetian tells the story of his life from childhood: his studies in Padua, the ecclesiastical state he soon abandoned, the violin in a theatre orchestra, service to a cardinal in Rome, then his arrest, the prison of the Leads and his escape, the Paris lottery, and the courts, salons and roads of all Europe. Written in the author's last years, the narrative covers his life up to the year 1774.
Context
A Venetian, the author nevertheless wrote his memoirs in French, during his last years, and broke off his account at 1774. The publisher Brockhaus brought out a censored German translation from 1822; Jean Laforgue gave a reworked French version from 1826, which he rewrote in places. The original text did not appear until 1960-1962, from Brockhaus and Plon. The Bibliothèque nationale de France acquired the autograph manuscript, on which the Pléiade edition published from 2013 to 2015 is based. In English, Willard R. Trask gave the complete translation under the title “History of My Life”.
Who it is for
Twelve volumes to be read in pieces, in whatever order one likes; it is better to choose an edition based on the manuscript.
Prizes and reception
Willard R. Trask's English translation received the National Book Award.