Did Leone read books?

[wind demon]

Was wondering this image of him is running around on film sets , then coming to his place later at night to touchup scripts (like said in the bio) or running around at restaurants, whatever. But did he enjoy reading books for his own pleasure?? Or was he a word of mouth type of person.

[noodles_leone]

He at least talked about books in his latest years. I wanted to adapt Voyage Au Bout De La Nuit (the most influent book of the XXth century in France). But some sources said he never read books and was just trying to look more educated and intellectual than he was. I think his former writer Vincenzoni even stated that he thought Leone was lying about Voyage and had also never read it... but I don't think they had spoke to each other for years at this point.

We'll just have to guess 

[wind demon]

Yeah maybe in the 70s he did so but before that definitely not. He definitely gained intelligence through his keen and word of mouth nature. Wish i was like that to, i always craved to have his sharp people skill to help me through life however he had it but all i could do is just sigh, and just tell others the good news of Leone.

[dave jenkins]

I think his former writer Vincenzoni even stated that he thought Leone was lying about Voyage and had also never read it... but I don't think they had spoke to each other for years at this point.

In fact, there was an animus betwixt them.

[drinkanddestroy]

Yeah I think some of his collaborators (definitely Vincenzoni; maybe Donati too?) didn't think Leone read. But he at least had other people read him books (definitely the ones in English, which he could never read; he never learned to speak English well.
If you want to know more about Leone, read Christopher Frayling's biography of him, called SERGIO LEONE: SOMETHING TO DO WITH DEATH. Frayling writes that one of Leone's collaboratoes (I think it was Vincenzoni) said he once saw Leone on a tv show holding a copy of Journey to the End of the Night and I think the way Frayling describes it is that Vincenzoni recalled "gasping in disbelief." So Vincenzoni thought Leone liked to pretend that he read books but he really didn't, though he claimed Journey to the End of the Night was his favorite book. I believe this discussion is in the chapter on GBU in STDWD.

[wind demon]

Hahah gasping in disbelief!
Yeah i did read the bio, he had someone read The Hoods to him.

Which begs the question: He was not book smart, but VERY street smart. So how can WE be street smart? Any dumby can go sit and read a book. Because we all want to be like him.  

[drinkanddestroy]

I am not sure if Leone read The Hoods himself or if someone read it to him. I am pretty sure The Hoods was also published in Italian, so he may have read that himself.

[T.H.]

He at least talked about books in his latest years. I wanted to adapt Voyage Au Bout De La Nuit (the most influent book of the XXth century in France). But some sources said he never read books and was just trying to look more educated and intellectual than he was. I think his former writer Vincenzoni even stated that he thought Leone was lying about Voyage and had also never read it... but I don't think they had spoke to each other for years at this point.

We'll just have to guess 

I wouldn't trust Vincenzoni, he acted like he wrote GBU in two hours and almost looks down on it.

[wind demon]

In Fraylings bio it says someone read it to him when they got it from the airport bookstore.