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Un Amico Italiano: Eat, Pray, Love in Rome
"Luca Spaghetti is not only one of my favorite people in the world, but also a natural-born storyteller. . . . This [is a] marvelous book." -Elizabeth Gilbert When Luca Spaghetti (yes, that's really his name) was asked to show a writer named Elizabeth Gilbert around Rome, he had no idea how his life was about to change. She embraced his Roman ebullience, and Luca in turn became her guardian angel, determined that his city would help Liz out of her funk. Filled with colorful anecdotes about food, language, soccer, daily life in Rome, and Luca's own fish-out-of-water moments as a visitor to the United States-and culminating with the episodes in Liz's bestselling memoir, told from Luca's side of the table-Un Amico Italiano is a book that no fan of Eat, Pray, Love will want to miss.
257 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2010
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837 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
March 4, 2012
I picked this book up at our Book Sale and didn't really know what it was about. I was pleasantly surprised that it was a book about Luca Spaghetti, a character first described in Elizabeth Gilbert's smash memoir Eat, Pray, Love. Personally, I didn't really love that book like a lot of women. The only part I enjoyed was the Italian trip, so this book was right up my alley. Once I figured out Luca Spaghetti was THE Luca Spaghetti, I knew I'd like it since he was my favorite character in the book. In Un Amico Italiano, Luca Spaghetti describes his life in three parts: his early upbringing in Roma, his life-long dream trip to the United States (while taking the Zephyr out West, which sounds so cool), and finally his meeting with Elizabeth Gilbert and the time they spent together when Eat, Pray, Love was happening. First of all, Luca Spaghetti has a ridiculous name but has an enchanted life. I'm not kidding, this guy has had some pretty amazing life experiences which are so coincidental and incredible. In his Roman childhood, he details being a Lazio soccer fan for most of this section. I was most interested in reading more about the famous sites of the city. Sure, I dream of going to Rome, but what would I do once I got there? He details visiting many churches and of course the tourist traps, and I would actually bring this book with me if I ever ventured that way. Also, Luca's exuberance and fun spirit translated well in my opinion. He was obsessed with American music especially James Taylor (who he somewhat stalks when he visits Italy... I'm not kidding, Luca Spaghetti has really fantastic luck. Trust me, I've tried getting back stage at Deer Creek a few times and it was pretty much impossible, and I am a girl!) Elizabeth Gilbert meets Luca through a mutual friend in America, and when they meet, the book definitely picks up a bit more. Luca is afraid Elizabeth will be hard to deal with and impress, but they both just clicked.
Overall, this was a fast and easy read. The new Italian part of me liked reading about all the fun pasta dishes. (and of course all the Italian profanities).
Jen's Rating: ***
Overall, this was a fast and easy read. The new Italian part of me liked reading about all the fun pasta dishes. (and of course all the Italian profanities).
Jen's Rating: ***
September 13, 2011
This book is funny, I like a casual way to write books, don't say it is too commercial, that's some relax air what we should breathe in modern times. When I read "I 'd like to know if there is someone named Franz Kartoffeln in Germany, or a John Hamburger in America, a Nikos Souvlaki in Greece, or Brigitte Baguette in France…we would make a wonderful team", I was laughing out loud. Luca Spaghetti is so funny, should be a magical book :)))
I like it introduced us so many things about Italy, slangs, "Vaffanculo"!! I still remember in the movie the girl was slapped by a stranger on her butt, and shouting "Vaffanculo" to him. wonderful dishes !! One of my Italian friends said to me about their dishes, "That's why we are so happy" :))
It's like straying on the way back to traveling days with Luca Spaghetti. like an honest conversation with them. Italians have this kind of charming. :)
I love his traveling days in the States, I've never been to the States, my dreamed country, but listen to all the songs, read novels about North America, it drives me crazy. I wanna be on the road too.
Neither have I been to Italy before. I remember since I was a teenager, I read a book talking about Venice, the Carnivals, etc. Those are amazing, and be exotic for me. When I was in Europe, I was exotic for them, but I didn't have too many chances to experience Europa, esp, Venice, I dreamed it as a teenager, that I must be there once in my life.
Still a wonderful book !!! anything related come out on Germany? :)
I like it introduced us so many things about Italy, slangs, "Vaffanculo"!! I still remember in the movie the girl was slapped by a stranger on her butt, and shouting "Vaffanculo" to him. wonderful dishes !! One of my Italian friends said to me about their dishes, "That's why we are so happy" :))
It's like straying on the way back to traveling days with Luca Spaghetti. like an honest conversation with them. Italians have this kind of charming. :)
I love his traveling days in the States, I've never been to the States, my dreamed country, but listen to all the songs, read novels about North America, it drives me crazy. I wanna be on the road too.
Neither have I been to Italy before. I remember since I was a teenager, I read a book talking about Venice, the Carnivals, etc. Those are amazing, and be exotic for me. When I was in Europe, I was exotic for them, but I didn't have too many chances to experience Europa, esp, Venice, I dreamed it as a teenager, that I must be there once in my life.
Still a wonderful book !!! anything related come out on Germany? :)
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November 19, 2024Translation, a neglected but yet significant profession, the one that plays the role of a conduit, a bridge. It is the recreation of the work, the work's incarnation into a foreign language, like a Solino in Italian.
Once I was among the three armies doubting Luca's last name: Spaghetti. For a noodle person like me, this family name means a lot of luck and happiness.
Luca zoomed in his lovely life in Rome in a sweet and ordinary way, soaking in a Romeish humor.
Life are full of miracles. If you set your wings towards the sky, we will receive friendship, love and the whole world in return.
We will also endure ordeals, because difficulties are always there to accompany. However, consistence is going to prove us, things are worth waiting. Luca will tell you his same story with James Taylor.
Enjoy :)
Once I was among the three armies doubting Luca's last name: Spaghetti. For a noodle person like me, this family name means a lot of luck and happiness.
Luca zoomed in his lovely life in Rome in a sweet and ordinary way, soaking in a Romeish humor.
Life are full of miracles. If you set your wings towards the sky, we will receive friendship, love and the whole world in return.
We will also endure ordeals, because difficulties are always there to accompany. However, consistence is going to prove us, things are worth waiting. Luca will tell you his same story with James Taylor.
Enjoy :)
June 4, 2018
I really liked this book. For many people, the name "Luca Spaghetti" seemed too unbelievable, but really the person "Luca Spaghetti" is unbelievable as in "too nice to be true". He's witty, audicious, curious, intelligent, musical, loyal, passionate, and an overall sweet loveable guy and this book reveals every aspect of these personality traits. I must warn you though, that the book is highly contagious.... guaranteed, after chapter one you will have a very strong craving for a plate of spaghetti and other pasta dishes; by chapter two, you'll be booking your trip to Rome, etc.
November 24, 2015
Many reasons to enjoy this fun read (author's passion and delight is so infectious with each line, sharing relevant chapters with children who wanted more of this book)
Most of all, I am glad I have read this before Gilbert's famous book.
Most of all, I am glad I have read this before Gilbert's famous book.
May 13, 2022
I thought this book was blah when I first started reading and it became more interesting in the second half when he went to America. Lots of good information pertaining to history. Luca seems like a great guy. I am rewatching the movie and think the casting was a bit off lol. It’s an ok read
November 13, 2017
A cute story that not only made me crave pasta but a trip to Italy.
January 29, 2012
Like most American women, it seems, I have read Eat, Pray, Love. (I haven't seen the movie, because I'm hopelessly behind the times, but I'm hoping to change that soon.) And, like most again, one of my first impressions of the "Rome" section of the book was this - "No way Luca Spaghetti is a real person. Surely she made him up. I mean..."
Well, Luca Spaghetti is real. And he wrote Un Amico Italiano ("An Italian Friend") so that you would know that he is real. Elizabeth Gilbert didn't make him up, and that really is his name. Oh, and he really is as open-hearted and ebullient as he appears in Eat, Pray, Love.
In his own memoir, Luca takes us through his childhood in Rome - from the agony of growing up Roman with a last name like "Spaghetti," to the pure joy of playing soccer in the parish yard on a Sunday afternoon, to the fun of discovering British and American rock music thanks to his two young uncles. The second section of the book is devoted to Luca's travels in the United States, where he takes in everything from the Grand Canyon to the Grand Old Opry with wide-eyed charm and Italian enthusiasm. And then finally, in the third section, Elizabeth Gilbert makes her appearance, and the reader gets to experience the friendship that so informed the first part of her memoir through the eyes of Luca, the other party.
Un Amico Italiano isn't particularly deep or well-written (except for some meditations on friendship and one practically poetic description of a sunrise as seen from an Amtrak observation car), but what it lacks in literary value it makes up in spades, in sweetness and charm. Luca is a fun and gregarious guide to Roman life. His passages on the anguish experienced by S.S. Lazio fans (and I can relate, as a Buffalo Sabres fan), and his attempts to test Elizabeth's culinary fortitude during the early days of their friendship (of course, we know she passed) are such good fun. His talk of pasta and gelato made me hungry, and his meditations on love made me yearn for un amico Italiano of my own. Luca Spaghetti, let's be friends?
Well, Luca Spaghetti is real. And he wrote Un Amico Italiano ("An Italian Friend") so that you would know that he is real. Elizabeth Gilbert didn't make him up, and that really is his name. Oh, and he really is as open-hearted and ebullient as he appears in Eat, Pray, Love.
In his own memoir, Luca takes us through his childhood in Rome - from the agony of growing up Roman with a last name like "Spaghetti," to the pure joy of playing soccer in the parish yard on a Sunday afternoon, to the fun of discovering British and American rock music thanks to his two young uncles. The second section of the book is devoted to Luca's travels in the United States, where he takes in everything from the Grand Canyon to the Grand Old Opry with wide-eyed charm and Italian enthusiasm. And then finally, in the third section, Elizabeth Gilbert makes her appearance, and the reader gets to experience the friendship that so informed the first part of her memoir through the eyes of Luca, the other party.
Un Amico Italiano isn't particularly deep or well-written (except for some meditations on friendship and one practically poetic description of a sunrise as seen from an Amtrak observation car), but what it lacks in literary value it makes up in spades, in sweetness and charm. Luca is a fun and gregarious guide to Roman life. His passages on the anguish experienced by S.S. Lazio fans (and I can relate, as a Buffalo Sabres fan), and his attempts to test Elizabeth's culinary fortitude during the early days of their friendship (of course, we know she passed) are such good fun. His talk of pasta and gelato made me hungry, and his meditations on love made me yearn for un amico Italiano of my own. Luca Spaghetti, let's be friends?
October 4, 2011
Luca Spaghetti, an Italian man Elisabeth Gilbert meets in Eat, Pray, Love, provides his take on Italy and his friendship with Elisabeth. I cannot claim I read the whole book, but I gave it a very good skim and my assessment is a firm "eh". I didn't find anything particularly interesting about him or Elisabeth at all and this book didn't shed much light on anything. Eh eh eh. Cute cover, though. If you like cute covers.
July 5, 2022
Brought back the enjoyment I felt when reading Eat Pray Love. Loved it!
April 3, 2021
Приятна книга за живота на италианците и връзката на автора с Елизабет Гилбърт, написала „Яж, моли се и обичай“.
Приятел от Америка се обажда на Лука да разведе писателката Лиз в Рим. Те обикалят и хапват из града, разглеждат забележителностите, посещават футболни мачове. Постепенно двамата стават много добри приятели, а Спагети даже участва във филма с Джулия Робъртс.
Авторът описва и гостуванията си в Америка – срещата с Лиз на неин терен и пътешествието му с приятел из американските забележителности, като Гранд Каньона, Мексико, Лос Анджелис.
Стилът на автора е приятен, а книгата е написана с чувство за хумор и чистосърдечие, като създава жизнерадостно настроение.
Приятел от Америка се обажда на Лука да разведе писателката Лиз в Рим. Те обикалят и хапват из града, разглеждат забележителностите, посещават футболни мачове. Постепенно двамата стават много добри приятели, а Спагети даже участва във филма с Джулия Робъртс.
Авторът описва и гостуванията си в Америка – срещата с Лиз на неин терен и пътешествието му с приятел из американските забележителности, като Гранд Каньона, Мексико, Лос Анджелис.
Стилът на автора е приятен, а книгата е написана с чувство за хумор и чистосърдечие, като създава жизнерадостно настроение.
August 25, 2011
What a fun book! Luca spends most of the book telling about his life as a kid in Rome and his allegiance to his home city. You can feel the excitement when he talks about playing soccer and attending soccer games. He also describes the food and its significance to the Romans. You can also tell how much he loves America and American music as he travels across the US after graduating from high school. And then he talks about meeting Liz Gilbert and the time they spend together. It sounds like they had a blast together while she was "eating". A fun book!
September 15, 2019
Excellent book, started a bit slow but then grabbed me and wouldn't let go until the end. I loved his travel accounts, he really nailed the joy and wonder of travelling in a new country and it made me remember what it's like when everything is fresh and exciting. Loved it.
February 2, 2016
Kakva poslastica od knjige, Luka Špageti je genijalan. Sada imam još veću želju da posetim Rim :)
March 9, 2017
I love Luca Spaghetti's side of the story! The way he talks about growing up in Rome and the beauty of it had me glued to it!
April 21, 2019
Not the most interesting book. A quick read with a few interesting parts.
April 6, 2018
After discovering that author Luca Spaghetti appeared in "Eat , Pray, Love", I was intrigued to try reading his skills as a writer. Although this book is tedious to read at times, it is mostly due to the topics, such as his passion for football in Rome. There are also some great examples of writing in this book, such as his description of travelling solo:
During that winter trip to New York, with the beautiful, clear cold days and the bone-cutting chill, so different from my first summer journey to New York, I found myself dealing with an unfamiliar element: solitude. My wonderful solitude. Going to New York alone was proving to be a fascinating adventure. To wander around as I pleased with or without a destination, to eat and drink when the urge moved me,the impossibility of commenting on anything, unless it was to mayself, to be forced to think about what my eyes took in: it all made me lose my sense of time. It enhanced everything I felt in a remarkable way...I had hours and hours to spend by myself. I had the possibility and all the time I needed to think about people I loved...I enjoyed my blessed solitude and the magnificence of a city that, for the first time, was mine and mine alone
August 23, 2020
Written in three parts: 1) Luca's childhood in Rome, 2) Luca's time visiting America, and 3) Luca's time in Rome with Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert. The 3rd section is by far the best section, told with heartfelt detail. But I also loved hearing about Luca's cross-country train ride to San Francisco in the 2nd section. The 1st section was written very generically, with no real anecdotes or detail. Overall, it was an enjoyable read that kept getting better with each passing chapter.
Favorite quote: "You just can't argue with it. Food is one of life's greatest pleasures... Food was art, curiosity, sensual gratification. Food was love."
Favorite quote: "You just can't argue with it. Food is one of life's greatest pleasures... Food was art, curiosity, sensual gratification. Food was love."
June 10, 2023
Luca grows up in Rome, but is charmed by America and English language music. He has low expectations meeting friend of a friend Elizabeth Gilbert.
While this was a charming story, I couldn't get over how terrible he expected Liz to be. Even if they had not hit it off he could have still showed her around Rome, and I thought testing her in many ways was extremely unfair.
While this was a charming story, I couldn't get over how terrible he expected Liz to be. Even if they had not hit it off he could have still showed her around Rome, and I thought testing her in many ways was extremely unfair.
February 1, 2020
Książka nie porwała mnie. NIby biograficzna, niby subiektywny przewodnik, ale jakoś nie można do końca określić co to było. Bardzo podobały mi się opisy Rzymu, z punktu widzenia prawdziwego rzymianina. Lecz część książki dziejąca się w Ameryce już całkowicie mnie zanudziła. Jest to książka do szybkiego przeczytania i do szybkiego zapomnienia.
January 31, 2023
Bardzo przyjemna książka, która wielokrotnie wywoła uśmiech na twarzy, a także sprawi, że pocieknie ślinka na wspomnienie tyle przepysznych i wspaniałych włoskich potraw! Można zakochać się w Rzymie od samego czytania o jego ulicach, ludziach, tradycjach... Piękna książka, od której bije otulające serduszko ciepło ❤
January 6, 2019
It was fun getting to know Luca Spaghetti
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March 9, 2019Ah! I love this little book. Luca Spaghetti has created a lovely slice of the Roman spirit. I don’t think his name warranted an entire chapter, but he is charming and infectious.
March 11, 2020
just couldn't get into this one and didn't feel like continuing -dnf.
July 22, 2020
Objectively it's a four but I'm giving it a five for emotional impact. I definitely see myself rereading this before my trip to Rome sometime in the future.
November 19, 2020
Cute, easy read about Liz's Italian friend, Luca, from Eat, Pray Love. Enjoyable.
September 8, 2021
This was a really enjoyable book for anyone that loves Italy and Eat Pray Love. It had me crying at times.
October 6, 2022
Delightful
October 3, 2023
Just couldn’t get interested even though I generally love all things Italian.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews