The Memoirs of Jacques Casanova de Seingalt, Vol. II (of VI), "To Paris and Prison" The First Complete and Unabridged English Translation, Illustrated with Old Engravings

These unexpurgated memoirs thrust listeners into the restless world of a famed 18th‑century adventurer, whose wanderings lead him from Bologna’s lantern‑lit streets through Reggio’s canals to the fashionable salons of Parma. There he meets a charismatic captain and a bewitching young woman named Henriette, whose fleeting glances spark a tender yet turbulent romance. Their evenings unfold in cramped lodgings and moon‑lit promenades, a delicate choreography of propriety and desire. The narrator’s voice swings between witty observation, heartfelt confession, and the unabashed pleasure of love’s first stirrings.

Leaving Reggio behind, the trio sets out for Paris, hopeful that new acquaintances and bright salons will deepen their adventure. A sudden decision by the captain to travel alone hints at underlying tensions, while the promise of confinement looms on the horizon, foreshadowing a later imprisonment that will test the narrator’s resilience. Listeners are invited to follow these early chapters, where libertine exuberance brushes against the harsh realities of an unforgiving society.