Casanova

A deliciously entertaining account of Casanova's adventures and many accomplishments.

In this fascinating interpretation of Casanova's notorious History of My Life, Lydia Flem discerns the pattern that enabled a sickly Venetian baby to become the audacious, gallant Casanova, the man who flung himself into experience without asking for anything in return but that most scandalous of all rewards--pleasure. By interspersing her own witty narrative with quotations from the most entertaining and apt passages from Casanova's memoirs, Flem shows how he realized that "real happiness stems from the recollection of pleasure."

New York Times Notable Book of the Year