The Duel

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.