The Leopard opens up to a gloomy man, Prince Fabrizio di Salina, meaning that he is the literal prince of a minor country. He is, however, deeply mournful and depressed, as he realizes that he will not be a part of the royal family for long, as the Italians are on their doorstep, ready to take over the country. Instead of doing something about this, he mourns and spends a lot of time with his mistress, trying to forget reality as much as he is capable.
When the Italian troops finally arrive, the royal family of Salina runs away to their other home in refuge, where Fabrizio’s nephew falls in love with a girl. This is even more depressing, since Fabrizio’s daughter was in love with Fabrizio’s nephew. They have a wild romance and spend all the time they can together falling more and more in love before they get married.
Sicily is taken over by the Italians, and they hold a poll that show that the people want to become a part of Italy. Fabrizio is offered a job in the new Kingdom, which he declines in his sorrow. There is some more family drama, as a woman gets pregnant before she is married and then has to get married as quickly as possible, while the two lovebirds, Fabrizio’s nephew and his finance presents each other’s to their families. The book flashes forward in time in the end, where Fabrizio dies of old age, hoping to have a peaceful afterlife.
