Dinsdale, Try Songbirds, Truffles, and Wolves: An American . I've had and have read it. I recall enjoying it. If I remember correctly, they follow a pilgramage trail of St. Francis of Assisi.
For a book about living in Italy that offers a much needed counterbalance to the books of Frances Mayes and company, I would suggest Tim Parks' "Italian Neighbors." In addition, it's well and humorously written.
I'm all over the map with my Italy reading right now.
Recently finished a feel good, old fashioned, romance by Peter Pezzelli "Home To Italy". Older 1st generation Italian/American is widowed after many years of marriage to an American, and goes home to Italy to his boyhood town and falls in love with the daughter of his closest childhood friend. ISBN 0758207689
Just before that, I read the most delightful food/sex novel. "The Food of Love" by Anthony Capella. An American college student in Rome who is food obsessed, falls in love with a womanizing waiter after he tells her he is a chef in a famous restaurant. It is really his roomate and friend (a Cyrano character) who is cooking the food. ISBN 0670033227
Right now I'm plowing my way through "Lucrezia Borgia" by Sarah Bradford. ISBN 0670033537 I love Italian history of this period, but I must admit that I'm having a little trouble concentrating. Bradford's exhaustive research and detail can make for some thick reading. Still, I'm learning a lot -- if slowly.
On my nightstand, waiting it's turn is. E.R. Chamberlin's "The Bad Popes" IABN 0880291168 A 1969 scholarly discussion of the eight most corrupt popes in the churches history.
Deborah Horn In a previous life I was an Umbrian sunflower farmer. I want to do a past life regression and stay there. ----------------------------------- www.petsburg.com My blog: Old Shoes - New Trip
Posts: 4974 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: 04 September 2001
Just stayed up to 4 a.m. finishing "La Gioconda di Leonardo "opera de facti e precepti" (Edizioni Kappa) Enrico Guidoni's fascinating new discoveries on the Mona Lisa- a must for serious art fans, as is his book on Bomarzo that was presented in Palazzo Orsini, Bomarzo: "Il Sacro Bosco di Bomarzo nella cultura europea" (Davide Ghaleb Editore) . For Dinsdale: the books by Alberto Cattabiani "Florario","Lunario" and "Volario" are perfect if you read Italian.
Originally posted by caplanco: Check out Michael Dibdin's books. Fun reading, especially if you read them while in Italy.
I love Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen mysteries too! He's a great writer even if you're not normally a whodunnit reader (which I'm not). I've read Cosi Fan Tutti (set in Naples) and Dead Lagoon (set in Venice) - both were great.
I also recommend Ginsborg's books on modern Italian history (I've forgotten their titles).
This is a great thread....I wonder if Slow Travel needs a book review section (to go along with vacation rental, hotel, restaurant reviews, etc.....)
Thanks to Slow Travellers, I've become hooked on the Donna Leon, Michael Dibden and Andrea Camilleri mysteries (and I think I've bought 'em all if anyone wants to borrow some)
I'm also reading Alexander Stille's Sack of Rome right now but finding it rather slow going -- I had such high hopes for it because I really enjoyed his Excellent Cadavers: The Mafia and The Death of the First Italian Republic. So, for a bit of change, I'm about to start Bassani's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis and see how that goes.
I must say, de Blasi's A Thousand Days in Venice really irritated me; I'm not exactly sure why, but it kind of gave me the creeps. Maybe it was her husband's Lido apartment that she apparently had to muck out, against his wishes. He sounded so controling and unpleasant...
But I like the sound of Tim Park's Italian Neighbors, described by Eloise. That's going to the top of my list!
So, for a bit of change, I'm about to start Bassani's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis and see how that goes.
I have that book on my night stand waiting to be read. Did you ever see the movie? I saw it a long time ago. I don't remember it real clearly, so it's probably a good time to read the book.
-Krista
Posts: 1682 | Location: Santa Barbara, California | Registered: 21 May 2004
Originally posted by sandrac: I must say, de Blasi's A Thousand Days in Venice really irritated me; I'm not exactly sure why, but it kind of gave me the creeps. Maybe it was her husband's Lido apartment that she apparently had to muck out, against his wishes. He sounded so controling and unpleasant...Sandra
I am so happy to know that there is another woman that feels the same about that story/woman/whatever. There is someone I know that has read the book twice and tries so hard to hook with someone in Venice and live happily thereafter. She is even trying to 'steal' my friends there, playing the 'good girl'... but ready to everything, even leaving her husband and family, and she is not a spring chicken... Well, anyone can dream, I guess...
I have this movie in my collection--I love it. I think I'll pull it out and watch it today! Thanks for the reminder.
Sandra, I think your idea of a book review section--based on the same structure as a vacation rentals--is fantastic. I would be there adding and reading and then buying ( ) like crazy!!!!
OK, not a book, but I gave my wife tickets for "Light in the Piazza" for Christmas. We got dressed up and went to the Kennedy Center on Wednesday to see the play.
Without hyperbole, it was one of the worst shows (cast, story, characterizations, music, lyrics, voices, orchestration, sets, lighting....what am I leaving out?) that we've ever seen.
Large numbers of people left at intermission and many of those who stayed bolted for the parking garage as soon as the lights dimmed after the final number. The exodus was in full flow before the cast was done with their bows.
In the days of standing ovations as a matter of no consequence, a grand total of 3 people stood at the end of the show (guess the accurate statement would be "three people who were probably relatives of someone in the cast stood and stayed to applaud" as opposed to those who stood and did everything but leap over the seat backs to get out of there).
Posts: 532 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: 22 May 2006
Anyone who loves Venice will enjoy the novels of Donna Leon set in Venice. They are well written, easy to read,and evoke that unmistakable atmosphere of "La Serenissima" that makes us long to return there as soon as possible.
And Clodia, I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only person who was kinda creeped out by de Blasi's book! I really fear sometimes I'm getting too cynical...
DogMom, I've heard about the movie version of the Garden of the Finzi-Continis and have thought about trying to rent it somewhere, but I think I'll read the book first. I find that often, if I see the movie version of a book first, it leaves such a visual impact that I can't enjoy the book! I recently became hooked on the BBC's mysteries series about Insp. Thomas Lynley and now that I've started reading the books, they just seem all wrong. (Sorry, I'm digressing from the Italian book topic!)
Originally posted by Alpinista: "Light in the Piazza" ......it was one of the worst shows (cast, story, characterizations, music, lyrics, voices, orchestration, sets, lighting....what am I leaving out?) that we've ever seen.
I couldn't agree with you more. We saw this at the Ahmanson in LA this month. I simply don't understand how this received 6(?) Tonys, including best score??
Originally posted by Alpinista: "Light in the Piazza" ......it was one of the worst shows (cast, story, characterizations, music, lyrics, voices, orchestration, sets, lighting....what am I leaving out?) that we've ever seen.
I couldn't agree with you more. We saw this at the Ahmanson in LA this month. I simply don't understand how this received 6(?) Tonys, including best score??
Me three - we saw this on Broadway a year or so ago and I was sure I'd love it. After all, it takes place in Italy, what's not to love?
Well, where shall I start? Oh yes, to quote Alpinista: ". . . cast, story, characterizations, music, lyrics, voices, orchestration, sets, lighting . . ."
It was a big disappointment.
Has anyone seen the (non-musical) Yvette Mimieux movie that it was based on? Light in the Piazza I'd be interested to see that....
Posts: 871 | Location: New York City | Registered: 28 May 2003
I haven't seen it, but I was thinking of ordering the book from audible.com until I read the reviews -- pretty much everyone found the book dull. - gedlin
PS I, too, am reading April Blood in anticipation of a Florence trip at the end of the month. Interesting book, but the writing style is forced and sometimes difficult to follow(e.g. figuring out to whom pronouns refer). I gave it up once before, but this time am finding the story worth the effort. Plus it is the only book in my Florence collection I haven't read at least twice and I am TRYING to kick my amazon habit.
Posts: 461 | Location: Philadelphia, PA | Registered: 11 November 2003
Me three - we saw this on Broadway a year or so ago and I was sure I'd love it. After all, it takes place in Italy, what's not to love?
Thanks for the reassurance. I was afraid that I was just not appreciating something that made this play so award-worthy (I once walked out at intermission at the Broadway showing of My Fair Lady, but my excuse then was that it my high school senior class trip to NYC and a cheerleader named Melinda had reminded me that the chaperones would be staying for the entire show). Ever since then I've stayed in my seat, but often wonder why.
On books, however, I am working my way through "Venice, Lion City" a 15th/16th century history and am also reading "The Merovingian Kindgoms" a history of the successors to the Gallo-Roman rulers of the Frankish kingdom (found out a long time ago that majoring in medieval English literature and history meant that no one ever stole any book that I left lying around untended).
Posts: 532 | Location: Northern Virginia | Registered: 22 May 2006
Wow. I just finished (finally!) Prince of Foxes. What a terrific movie it would make!!! So, I went online to find out that, sure enough, in 1949 a movie was made with Tyrone Powers and Orson Welles (as Cesare Borgia). Fantastic!!! On to Netflix...but alas, no listing of this movie. Half.com...nothing. Amazon.com...niente.
I'll continue to search--but if anyone out there can steer me to a place to purchase or rent it, I sure would appreciate it!!
For the book, I give two !
Now, I will go back over this thread and pick out the next one to read. Many of your recommendations are sitting unread on my bookshelf....I really should buy stock in amazon and half.com!!!!
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) like crazy!!!!