Italian Neighbors
by Tim Parks
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 114)
Read in May, 2008
This was an interesting memoir of living in Italy - usually they're all romantic about the sunset and the flowers and the wine and restoring some villa - but this is the down and dirty nitty gritty of living in Italy as a foreigner, trying to earn enough income to survive by tutoring English and translating, and attempting to navigate the hardened traditions and prejudices of small-town locals, as well as the insane bureaucracy of Italy. Tim Parks is not at all bitter or frustrated, mind you. ...more
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Read in March, 2008
It is a sad reality that the American education system is deficient in teaching students about the true culture, history, and government of other countries. In Italian Neighbors, Mr. Parks, a British expatriate, provides the rare opportunity for us to experience Italy as something more than a tourist destination in a text that is engaging, and filled with fascinating characters. You'll come to appreciate Mr. Parks' neighbors as much as he did. I've already started the sequel to this book - An...more
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Read in July, 2008
This book totally indulged my fantasies of running away and living in Italy. I enjoyed the well written, colorful tales about the inhabitants of this small Italian village. The writer does a great job of getting the reader lost in the simple details of these people's lives, plus the ins and outs of Italian laws. If you love visiting Italy as much as I do or are planning a trip there, this book is a small, but picturesque window into Italian life.
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Read in February, 2005
recommended to Denise by:
bookgrouprecommends it for: Italian Lovers
I'm actually enjoying the book and picked up Italian Education to read afterwards.
They really don't have characters in this book (unless
you count Italy as a character)so obviously it's really hard to do a Character Analysis.
But, all in all, I like reading about the little quirks and traditions that foreigners deal with in new countries. I think it would be very interesting to read a book like this but based in Japan.
They really don't have characters in this book (unless
you count Italy as a character)so obviously it's really hard to do a Character Analysis.
But, all in all, I like reading about the little quirks and traditions that foreigners deal with in new countries. I think it would be very interesting to read a book like this but based in Japan.
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Read in August, 2007
Tim Parks tells stories of life in Italy. He has a love-hate relationship with the country, and must find ways to adjust to the Italian way of life. This book is not as good as the follow-up, Italian Education, but still worth the read.
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This book took a lot of the romance out of my view of Italy, but I found it very informative and entertaining. It also made me decide that Italy is a great place to visit, but not a great place to live.
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was given to us by a canadian friend living here in italy with his italian wife. I'm anxious to read this just to get a good laugh over the oddities and pleasures of this italian life.
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recommends it for:
anyone who has lived a while in Italy
VERY FUNNY!!! But especially funny if you have lived as an American or UK citizen in Italy for awhile. True insights in the humor. MI RACCOMANDO!
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I loved this book! It was good training for my trip to Italy - I wouldn't have known how to cross the street without it.
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Read in April, 2007
Read this in prep for a trip to Verona...the trip was much better :)
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recommends it for:
Leslie
Those of us who are planning a trip to Italy must read this book.
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Read in January, 2003
recommends it for:
same as an Italian Education
great book!! really funny!!! i want to meet his neighbors!
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