The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the Second

In this witty memoir, a flamboyant Venetian aristocrat and celebrated playwright recounts the first half of his colorful life with a blend of self‑irony and sharp social observation. He describes his tall, habitually solemn appearance, the quirks of his ever‑unchanging hairstyle, and the way his furrowed brow—mistaken for brooding menace—actually concealed the scheming mind behind beloved comedies such as The Green Bird. Through lively anecdotes about friends, café escapades, and the fashion of cloaks and buckles, he paints a vivid portrait of 18th‑century Venetian salon life, while hinting at the romantic entanglements that would later inspire his stage work.

Readers hear his reflections on the tension between poverty and creativity, his reluctance to be labeled miser or prodigal, and his habit of letting a tailor dictate his fashions rather than chasing trends. The memoir’s gentle humor and candid tone invite listeners into the mind of a man whose thoughtful melancholy masks a heart that revels in theatrical invention and the delightful chaos of Venice’s artistic circles.