Comments by Bob Corbett
October 2016
As the novel opens Casanova is headed back to Venice. He had, years ago, been exiled from the city and not allowed to return. Now, 53 years old and quite poor, he has pleaded to be allowed back into Venice and is on his way there.
However, he passes one of the small towns where he had lived for some time in the past, and is greeted by an old friend, Olivo, who invites him to stop at his farm (now a modestly successful vineyard) for a few days.
Casanova agrees. He had had an affair with Amalia, Olivo’s wife, in the past, and but it now all seems well with them. Olivo is very impressed to even know the famous Casanova, and very much wants him to come to his home.
When Casanova and Olivo arrive at the farm Amalia is joyous that he is back, and believes that perhaps she can once again have some bit of an affair with him. However, he isn’t much interested. She’s not only aged a bit (as though he hadn’t!), but they have employed a very beautiful young woman, Marcolina and Casanova is overwhelmed with lust!
However, Marcolina isn’t the slightest interested in him as a possible lover, but, perhaps, enjoys talking with him about intellectual things. She, herself, is tremendously interested in higher mathematics and is hoping for a life in this area, something extremely unusual for a young woman of the time.
In the meantime a soldier, Lieutenant Lorenzi, has been staying with Olivo and he is in love with Marcolina too, but, again, she seems to be only interested in mathematics and other intellectual topics.
The hosts arrange an evening party for Casanova, and in a long poker game Casanova wins big at first, then loses to where he’s about even to where he was before. However, he can’t understand what all this fuss is that is being made by his return to this area. He even sees himself as an older and less interesting fellow now, but he seems very well known (and not fully liked) by various guests who come to the party at the vineyard.
Why, why, he moans to himself can he not have Marcolina. He was shocked. He had now met the “wonder of wonders – the virtuous woman,” and she wants nothing to do with him.
Casanova receives a letter from an older official in Venice replying to his desire to return. He can, but only on the condition of being a spy for the older and under siege government, helping them know what the enemies are after. Casanova is deeply offended by this proposition and the assumption he would do such a thing, but sees no way out. So has agreed, but plans to only PRETEND to be a spy, but actually not give them much.
Back at the farm house in a last night poker game Casanova wins a great deal of money, and Lt. Lorenzi loses a great deal. Casanova has discovered that the Lt. had spent the night with Marcolina and so he offers the lieutenant a deal – Casanova will give him the money to pay off his debts from the card game, if the Lt. will give Casanova his cloak and allow him to sneak into Marcolina’s room dressed as the Lt. The lieutenant reluctantly agrees. Casanova gets his wish to have Marcolina, but is never really convinced it was worth it.
To then top it all, the Lt. demands a duel and in this duel Casanova kills the Lt.
Nonetheless, he does get back to Venice and pulls off his double agent role, and apparently will live happily ever after.
This seemed to me a very strange novel. Schnitzler brings the “older” Casanova to the fore, mocks him a great deal in the process, and gives the reader a not overly exciting or interesting story. I’ve read several other works by Schnitzler and have generally been much more favorably impressed than I was in this reading of CASANOVA’S HOMECOMING. Nonetheless, I do still regard Arthur Schnitzler and a very capable and, generally speaking, a major figure in Austrian literature.
Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu
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Bob Corbett corbetre@webster.edu