Deceptive, infuriating and beloved: it is not easy to explain Italy but these six books are a start
Like the late Luigi Barzini, Tim Parks is an insider-outsider, well suited to explaining the idiosyncrasies of one culture to another. The Italian spent much of his early life in America. Mr Parks, a Briton, married an Italian and, although they later divorced, he has lived since in his adopted land. “An Italian Education”
deals with the upbringing of his three children. It has less of the wry humour that made his first work of non-fiction, “Italian Neighbours”, such a success. But it is a more rigorous, and enlightening attempt to isolate the factors—the childhood events and omissions, the parental authorisations and refusals—that go into shaping the outlook of an Italian. Like all of Mr Parks’s skilfully crafted works, it is a delight to read.Da Capo Press; 192 pages; $15.99.
It took more than 30 years for Norman Lewis to dig out, edit, shape and publish the diary he kept while serving with British military intelligence in southern Italy after its “liberation” by the Allies. Yet “Naples ’44” has come to be regarded as the greatest of his many fine works. Humorous and harrowing by turns, it somehow contrives never to condescend to its subjects, the people of Naples—famished and humiliated yet possessed of astounding reserves of resilience, ingenuity and good humour.
Arguments could be made for other histories of post-war Italy, notably the late Paul Ginsborg’s splendid, two-volume series: “A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics 1943-1988” and “Italy and its Discontents. 1980-2001”. But they are unapologetically scholarly works, and though John Foot, the professor of modern Italian history at the University of Bristol, is no intellectual slouch, his account is one that non-academic readers will find easier to digest.
At last—you might think—an American author, albeit the son of an Italian journalist. It is remarkable that so few good books about Italy have come from the country whose inhabitants love it more than any other. Alexander Stille, who has also written books on Italy’s fascist dictatorship and the Mafia, provides an exception to the rule in this perceptive and illuminating study of Italy’s most successful post-war politician.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Can Cinecittà become Europe’s premier film hub?The Italian government is investing massively in Rome’s historic film studio. The question is whether it will pay off
Read more »
The World's Best Attacking Midfielders Have Been Ranked Into Four Tiers And It's Caused Controversy😲 Tier 4: Martin Odegaard 🤔 Tier 3: Bruno Fernandes 👀 Tier 2: Gavi 👑 Tier 1: Luka Modric Six players are included in the top bracket 🥇
Read more »
Our Bello columnist on the essential books for understanding Latin AmericaThe seven books for getting to grips with the Americas
Read more »
Blackpool hotel slammed as food hygiene inspectors give it 1* ratingBlackpool hotel slapped with one star food hygiene rating as inspection finds urgent improvement needed
Read more »
Aer Lingus: 18 flights cancelled over two days due to Covid outbreakThe airline apologised to people booked on the flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Read more »
Aer Lingus: 18 flights cancelled over two days due to Covid outbreakIrish airline Aer Lingus cancelled 12 of its flights on Wednesday due to a spike in Covid-19 cases among staff
Read more »