In her acclaimed novels Blue Italian and Pink Slip,Rita Ciresi dazzled both readers and critics with her graceful storytelling and wi...
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reviews
Oct 23, 2010
Lola
rated it: 
"Sometimes I Dream in Italian" is an interesting book, to say the least. It is written in the style of memoirs of fictional protagonist Angel Lupo - her trials growing up in an Italian-American home, how her upbringing touched and influenced her adult life, so on and so forth.
I found the book to be very interesting in the cultural aspect. Coming from a family that has almost no cultural affiliation whatsoever, I always find families whose traditions and cultures are still More...
I found the book to be very interesting in the cultural aspect. Coming from a family that has almost no cultural affiliation whatsoever, I always find families whose traditions and cultures are still More...
Dec 09, 2009
Sometime I Dream in Italian
Rita Ciresi
224pp
Delta
038533494X
All siblings are jealous of each other and have things against each other. Younger siblings want to be just like their older sibling when they get older. They want everything they have, just so they can make their parents as proud as the other sibling has. Angel Lupo is one of those younger siblings. She wants to be like her older sister Lina.
If you love a classic comedy about sisters, lover More...
Rita Ciresi
224pp
Delta
038533494X
All siblings are jealous of each other and have things against each other. Younger siblings want to be just like their older sibling when they get older. They want everything they have, just so they can make their parents as proud as the other sibling has. Angel Lupo is one of those younger siblings. She wants to be like her older sister Lina.
If you love a classic comedy about sisters, lover More...
May 25, 2009
Jennifer
rated it: 
This is one of those, "I'll just pull it off the shelf and it give it a go", cold call books- where for some reason, amongst the isles and isles of books, this one title caught my attention in the library. I gave the back cover a quick review and decided to try it out. Sometimes the cold call books surprise you.
This was a pretty enjoyable read. Interestingly enough Rita Ciresi's, Sometimes I Dream in Italian setting takes place in New Haven, of all places. It chronicles the More...
This was a pretty enjoyable read. Interestingly enough Rita Ciresi's, Sometimes I Dream in Italian setting takes place in New Haven, of all places. It chronicles the More...
Jun 04, 2011
Suzanne
rated it: 
It's not often that I truly DESPISE a novel. This one made the list, however. This story was so depressing and lacking in anything of substance. I kept reading to the end thinking "surely there is something that one of these characters will do that resembles redemption or even a motivating factor for their annoying actions." But I was sorely disappointed. I don't need to read a "happy" novel to think it's good or that it has merit, but there was just nothing interesting here.
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Aug 07, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
Angel Lupo is still struggling to recover and distance herself from her Italian Catholic upbringing, while simultaneously dealing with her jealousy of her sister's life-husband, house, and children. As she and her sister struggle to come to terms with their present day lives they face some of their biggest obstacles yet.
Told in short story chapters that jump between the past and present, Ciresi's story is the most interesting and entertaining when relating childhood anecdotes of the More...
Told in short story chapters that jump between the past and present, Ciresi's story is the most interesting and entertaining when relating childhood anecdotes of the More...
Jul 05, 2009
Pam
rated it:
Well written with thought-provoking family dynamics and deft characterization. Angel (the narrator) is the only person who comes through fuzzily, but I suspect that is intentional, as she feels like she lives in the shadow of her older (and assumedly, prettier) sister. The end is realistic, and as such, a little disappointing, because these are unhappy, unsatisfied lives we're glimsping. The Elizabeth Berg quote on the cover makes the book sound a lot cheerier than it really is: no wacky Ital
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Sep 07, 2011
Lisa
rated it: 
I knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw the classic Catholic First Communion picture on the cover. So much of my own childhood was spent wishing to be blonde and live in a house that had Wonder Bread, white rice and didn't smell of garlic. I would suggest this book to anyone who grew up during the 70s and 80s in the US with parents who came looking for the American dream and weren't sure what to do with these Americanized offspring.
Jan 02, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
An unpretentious tale of two second-generation Italian-American sisters growing up poor in New Haven, seeking and mostly missing the American dream. It's one of those stories that seems to show a slice of reality that links up with yours, no matter how different it might be. The set-up is oddly like the U.S. portion of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, with the bitter immigrant mom, sexy older sister, unsexy smart protagonist, and urban Eastern working-class minority life -- and by my ligh
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Aug 14, 2011
I enjoyed reading this book. Each chapter was a story in itself and the book was broken into two parts - the first part was when the girls were kids growing up and the second part as adults. I liked the first part much better than the second - having a sister myself I thought the author captured the camaraderie, perils & joys of growing up together. Being Italian added yet another dimension to the stories.
Jan 15, 2011
Maria (Ri)
rated it:
This book was quite bleh for me. I never really cared much for the characters. The story jumps around in time quite a bit. Sometimes I found this interesting and other times I found it annoying. Overall I was underwhelmed by this book. I finished it a couple days ago and can hardly remember it.
Apr 30, 2010
Mom
rated it: 
This was delicious. I've never read her before and I'm going to run out
and get somemore of her books. Fun stories of growing up in an Italian American family. Reminds me a little of My Ugly Greek Wedding. Same kind of old world traditions and people.
and get somemore of her books. Fun stories of growing up in an Italian American family. Reminds me a little of My Ugly Greek Wedding. Same kind of old world traditions and people.
Dec 16, 2009
Maurey
rated it:
I picked up this book because I am of Italian descent, and even though I was raised by a German/Norweigan mother, I found a lot to relate to. The Italian-specific mentions were fun to read (I loved when they talked about the things they were eating - yum!), but it's the family dynamics that make this book entertaining.
The book jumps back and forth between our protaganist's childhood and adulthood. There are a couple of humorous 30-something dating stories, but the scenes from Angel's More...
The book jumps back and forth between our protaganist's childhood and adulthood. There are a couple of humorous 30-something dating stories, but the scenes from Angel's More...
Apr 18, 2010
Rosa
rated it:
Clever book about growing up Italian. The childhood part was good, but the rest got to be a drag. The book started out to be a humourous take on an Italian family but ended with a bitter portrayal of the sisters lives.
Apr 01, 2011
Cindy
rated it:
I really enjoyed this little novel about two sisters of Italian immigrants. The parents drive them crazy. Humorous. Kind of dirty but I like it.
Oct 21, 2009
Lora
rated it:
Okay. Read this a year ago and while I recall it was interesting, it really didn't stick with me as memorable so must not have been that great.
Dec 12, 2007
Christy
rated it:
I loved the first half of this book. It was funny and a great picture of growing up in an italian/american family. Very reminicent of My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Her quirky, dysfunctional mom made me laugh and groan at everything she did and said. Unfortunately, she went on to write the second half of the book about her adult life, which was a horribly depressing, hopeless picture that blamed all the dysfunction of the daughters on the parents. I hated it. So if you decide to read this book, I
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Nov 07, 2008
Peggy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 10, 2009
Madelina
rated it:
funny if you have any italian decent realtives you can realate, gives you a sense of relief that your not the only family in the world this crazy
Jun 27, 2009
Maureen
rated it:
Liked the early childhood part, but as the novel progresses a little depressing.
Aug 18, 2011
Gina
rated it:
Though this book was not by any means what I anticipated it to be which was disappointing it ended up being a decent read which is why I gave it 3 stars.
I had hoped it would be more about what growing up in an Italian family is like but it's more about two sisters and how let down they were by there parents which they seemed to dislike greatly.
I had hoped it would be more about what growing up in an Italian family is like but it's more about two sisters and how let down they were by there parents which they seemed to dislike greatly.
May 26, 2009
Natalie
rated it:
I liked this book becasue I can relate to having family who recently immigrated from Europe, and having to sort out the duality of an ethnic identity and an American identity.
Oct 06, 2008
Ginny
rated it:
This book reminded me so much of the stories my sister in law tells of growing up. I married into an Italian American family and this book is so close to them it is amazing. The fact that my brother in law grew up in New Haven really brings this one home.
