Emilio Salgari (pronounced Salgàri) born in Verona in 1862 and died in Turin in 1911, was one of the best-known authors of adventure novels. He wrote around 200 works including novels and short stories, mostly set in exotic places. Some works are part of cycles with recurring characters, such as the Indo-Malayan cycle, of which Sandokan is the protagonist, and that of the Antilles, with The Black Corsair. Some of Salgari’s works have provided the subject for films and television series, such as the famous Sandokan drama from the 1970s. Salgari, in this way, contributed to building the collective imagination of generations of Italians. A clarification: the correct pronunciation of the surname is Salgàri, with the accent on the second ‘a’, because it derives from the word salgàro (which means willow in Venetian dialect). The Sàlgari version, however, is also very widespread, although it is incorrect.
Who was Emilio Salgari: life and death
Emilio Salgari was born in Verona on 21 August 1862. As a young man he studied at the “Paolo Sarpi” Nautical Institute in Venice with the aim of becoming a naval officer, but did not obtain the diploma. In 1881 he returned to Verona to undertake work as a journalist. He came to prominence as the author of serial novels (that is, published in installments in newspapers). He made his debut in 1882, publishing the novel The Savages of Papuasia in the Milanese weekly La Valigia. In the following years the collection of short stories followed Tay See and the famous novel The Malaysian tigerpublished in volume with the title Le Tigers of Mompracem, with which the Indo-Malayan cycle began.
After getting married to Ida Peruzzi in 1892, with whom he had four children, Salgari moved first to Piedmont and then to Liguria, at the request of his publishers. He continued to write prolifically: between 1892 and 1898 alone, his period of greatest activity, he published around thirty novels. From 1900 he settled in Turin. He continued to write, but had to face serious family difficulties, especially due to his wife’s mental health problems and the economic hardship in which he found himself despite the great popularity of his works. In 1909 he attempted suicide by throwing himself on a sword, recalling the ritual ofharakiri of the samurai in the East that he loved so much, but was saved by his daughter Fatima. Two years later, he tried to take his own life again and, this time, he succeeded: he left three letters for his children, indicating where they could find the body, and took his own life in a wood by cutting his throat and abdomen with a razor.
The works and masterpieces: the most famous novel cycles
Salgari was the author of 80-85 novels (the figure varies depending on how the editions are counted) and more than 100 short stories. Some novels compose cycles with recurring characters.
The best-known cycle is the Indo-Malayan one, of which the protagonists are the pirates of Malaysia and their leader Sandokan, perhaps the best-known character of all those created by Salgari. The pirates of Malaya fight against the English and Dutch to defend their homeland. The cycle began with the publication of the novel The tigers of Mompracempublished in installments in 1882 and in volume in 1900, and continued with ten other novels, among which the best known is perhaps The pirates of Malaysiareleased in 1896. Alongside Sandokan, very popular characters appear in the cycle, such as Yanez de Gomera, his friend and right-hand man, and Lady Marianna, the woman loved by the protagonist.
Another cycle was also very successful, that of the Antillean corsairs, which began with the publication of the novel in 1898. The black corsairsometimes considered Salgari’s absolute masterpiece. Other works by the author are set in Africa, India, the Far West, the Ocean, the Poles, the Far East, Australia. As the writer claimed, “Writing is traveling without the hassle of luggage.”
Salgari was also the author of a novel set in the future, The wonders of the year 2000considered one of the first Italian science fiction novels. He also wrote historical novels, such as Carthage in flames And The daughters of the Pharaohs. The writer’s popularity is also demonstrated by the large number of apocryphal works, i.e. written by other authors and published in Salgari’s name.
The reasons for the success: why Salgari is such an appreciated author
Salgari’s works were very successful: in addition to being read by millions of people, they were used as the subject of numerous films and television series. The most frequently transposed works are those from the Indo-Malayan and Caribbean cycles. Particularly well-known is the six-episode Sandokan drama, starring Kabir Bedi and broadcast in 1976. In 2025 the character gave rise to another series, in which the Turkish actor Can Yaman is the protagonist.
In essence, with his works, Salgari contributed to forming the imagination of millions of people. The reasons for the success must be found in the author’s ability, capable of creating exotic settings and describing them in a precise and captivating way. Salgari traveled very little, but he documented himself in travel books and geographical atlases, thanks to which he was able to describe the places in his novels with reasonable accuracy. Furthermore, his protagonists are charismatic and courageous heroes, engaged in a war against ruthless antagonists, so that the works almost narrate a struggle of good against evil.
Salgari’s narrative is full of suspense and twists, which capture the reader’s attention. It is no coincidence that even today Salgari’s works are published and adapted to cinema and television.
