Italian Neighbors
or A Lapsed Anglo-Saxon in Verona
by Tim Parks
Overview
From the Publisher
In this deliciously seductive account of an Italian neighborhood with a statue of the Virgin at one end of the street, a derelict bottle factory at the other, and a wealth of exotic flora and fauna in between, acclaimed novelist Tim Parks celebrates ten years of living with his wife, Rita, in Verona, Italy. More than a travel book, Italian Neighbors is a sparkling, witty, beautifully observed tale of how the most curious people and places gradually assume the familiarity of home. Selected as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Italian Neighbors is a rare work that manages to be both a portrait and an invitation for everyone who has ever dreamed about Italy.
My thoughts
I don't know why it took me so long to get through this book. I guess I blame the time of year, with back-to-school responsibilities to my kids and just the typically busy nature of August and September. It took me almost 2 months to get through this book. Not that I wasn't enjoying it -- I was! I just didn't find time to sit down and read in long spurts, and when I did, I generally read a few pages and took a nap! Again, no reflection on the book, rather my lifestyle.
That said, this book is unlike many other "I moved to ..." books because it's written on a more sophisticated level than a lot of other travel books. Peculiar Italian laws are referenced throughout the book and the frustrations of dealing with political and governmental agencies are interlaced in the normal text of the book. In a way, it's part travel, part essay, part biography, and part how-to! I think that makes it unique and sets it apart from other similar books.
You'll grow to love the characters in the book even as you furrow your brow in bewilderment!
Incidentally, I got this book as a free trade from www.bookins.com, a book trading service that I'm researching. So far my experiences have been quite successful with them!
Favorite Passage
It is as summer gets into full swing that you are reminded you are living in a foreign country. A strange breed of wasps, more than an inch long, have made their nest in the eaves above our balcony and will occasionally whir into the flat, causing intense alarm. Opposite the church we see a snake, head held high, sliding rapidly along the wall of the flood emergency dike. Typing away at Il Professore's desk, I become aware that a baby lizard has come in through the French window and is soaking up the sunshine on the tiles by my feet. Outside, freed from their winter covers, lemon and orange trees flourish again in tubs by lowly back doors shrouded with bead curtains against the flies.
