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Sicilian Odyssey
A blending of art and cultural criticism, travel writing, and personal narrative, Sicilian Odyssey is Francine Prose's imaginative consideration of the diverse cultural legacies found juxtaposed and entangled on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. She writes of the intensity of Sicily, the "commitment to the extreme," where the history is more colorful, the sun hotter, the cooking earthier, the violence more horrific, the carnival more raucous, the politics more Byzantine than other places on Earth, and how much the island can teach us about the triumph of beauty over violence and life over death.
Prose examines architectural sites and objects and looks at the ways in which myth and actuality converge. Exploring the intact and beautiful Greek amphitheaters at Siracusa and Taormina, the cathedral at Monreale, the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina, and some of the masterpieces of the Baroque scattered throughout the island, Prose focuses her keen insight to imagine them in their own time, to examine the evolution and decline of the cultures that produced them, and to deconstruct powerful responses each evokes in her.
Illuminated by the author's own photographs, Sicilian Odyssey brings exotic and enigmatic Sicily to life through the prism of its past.
Prose examines architectural sites and objects and looks at the ways in which myth and actuality converge. Exploring the intact and beautiful Greek amphitheaters at Siracusa and Taormina, the cathedral at Monreale, the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina, and some of the masterpieces of the Baroque scattered throughout the island, Prose focuses her keen insight to imagine them in their own time, to examine the evolution and decline of the cultures that produced them, and to deconstruct powerful responses each evokes in her.
Illuminated by the author's own photographs, Sicilian Odyssey brings exotic and enigmatic Sicily to life through the prism of its past.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2003
14 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Francine Prose
155 books863 followersFrancine Prose is the author of twenty works of fiction. Her novel A Changed Man won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Blue Angel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent works of nonfiction include the highly acclaimed Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, a Director's Fellow at the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, Prose is a former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her most recent book is Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932. She lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
January 5, 2020
Foiled again! I had planned to start the year’s reading with books by British authors, but Sicilian author Leonardo Sciascia’s novel Equal Danger jumped onto my IPad and I felt ’obliged’ to read it (I’m glad I did!), and of course I then had to follow it up with this travelogue.
As I discovered when I visited Sicily a few years ago, mythology is pervasive there. Almost anyone you talk to will happily enthuse about mythological heroes: who did this, that, and the other on this very spot where you are standing - thereby lending a magical air to this island which is rich in history too. Francine Prose starts her travelogue as follows:
“On the north coast of Sicily, which Homer called the Island of the Sun, the shipwrecked Odysseus washed up on shore and was saved by Nausicaa, the king’s daughter. Farther inland, on the flowery banks of Lake Pergusa, Hades seized Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and carried her clear across the island to a spring just south of Syracuse, where they descended into the underworld and remained there until Demeter’s pleas persuaded the gods to let Persephone rejoin the living for two-thirds of every year. Pursued through Arcadia by the river god Alpheus, the nymph Arethusa prayed to Artemis for help; changed into a fountain, she reappeared across the ocean, in Syracuse, joined with her pursuer in a pool that today is overgrown with papyrus, occupied by placid white ducks, and surrounded by stylish bars. So even in pre-Homeric times it must have been apparent that this island was so magical that the gods and heroes would naturally have come here to act out their dramas of danger and survival, of grief, mourning, and reunion.”
How very apt!
Ms Prose takes me on a nostalgic journey of all the places that I visited and some that I didn’t. Some of her pleasant experiences mirror mine. She even, or should I say ‘of course’, mentions Sciascia whose writing is still fresh in my memory.
Not only does she mention the mythology and the history*, but also the sights, the archeological sites, the gardens, the food (the food mentioned in the book is salivating, and the markets at Catania and Palermo are enticing) and the friendly people - seafood and hospitality aplenty! “It’s an experience we’ll have, with slight variations, all over the island. Especially in the smaller towns, the less frequently visited spots, you need only ask a simple question about a building, a painting, an archaeological site, a historical incident, and the person you asked will smile, light up, and launch into a long, animated explanation. People seem delighted to tell you the history of a place, a history to which they feel intimately connected.”
Adjustment is required when it comes to tackling the road where drivers perform brave/foolish feats at break neck speed. Meal times also require adjustments. But our intrepid traveller/author manages with aplomb.
Then there are the festivals. Locals throw themselves into the fray with passion and vigour. Foreign tourists can’t help being drawn into any such spectacle. There are several such feasts. “It’s all so beautiful and so incredibly tasteless, so misguided and so heartfelt.” There are floats, costumes, cakes and music. At a carnivale at Acireale there is some unusual music: “The band’s got a strange instrumentation. In addition to the saxophones, trumpets, and trombones, one young man plays rhythm on a contraption made from a mouthpiece and a long pipe attached to a chamber pot, while others mark time with clappers in the shape of scissors and brightly painted wooden violins that turn out to be percussion instruments.” Here are the cakes served for the Feast of Saint Agatha (who apparently had her breasts cut off) held in Catania - the cakes simulate breasts:
Attribution
Mainly these feasts are a good excuse to have fun and feast on fabulous foods and scrumptious pastries. Everywhere in Sicily there are excellent cakes and pastries. The author mentions “Maria Grammatico’s in Erice”; I had the fortune to sample a pastry and meet Maria Grammatico at her store** when I was there.
But don’t forget the Baroque splendour of Sicily’s architecture. Having suffered severe earthquakes in the seventeenth century, various cities were more or less rebuilt in the Baroque style. Imposing they are and many sport magnificent little balconies decorated with gargoyles and other creatures. Ms Prose mentions the splendour of Ortigia in Syracusa:
Attribution
Syracusa was also visited by: “Among the most celebrated visitors to Syracuse and its archaeological ruins was the painter Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio. He arrived in 1608.” A brief overview of this history and of Caravaggio’s art as applicable is provided. He received a commission to paint The Burial of Saint Lucy while he was in Syracusa:
Noto is one of those towns with wonderful Baroque architecture and cute balconies:
Attribution
But, the author informs us that “Present-day Noto is a shadow of its former self, a scrim much like the one that covers the Duomo and beneath which you can just perceive the outlines of what it must once have been.”
This brings us to the wonderful Norman/Byzantine mosaics of some of the churches such as the famous ones at Monreale,
Attribution
those at the pretty coastal town of Cefalù, or in the city of Palermo. And then there are of course the Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale, a fourth century Roman Mansion.
What strikes one throughout are the contrasts experienced in Sicily. Not all is wonderful; not all is bright, cheerful and festive. There are some dark and ugly sides to Sicily too, but let’s not go there...
#####
Although my review is long and the book has a scant 192 pages, I have barely scratched the surface. Infused with history and culture, erudite and entertaining, this is an excellent introduction to Sicily. I have not even mentioned the Greek and Roman temples, amphitheatres and archeological sites. Many of these are UNESCO World Heritage sites. And of course there is the nearby island of Mozia with its wonderful Giuseppe Whitaker Museum which houses the famous statue of a young man:
Attribution
One thing that Francine Prose doesn’t discuss is puppetry. Sicily has wonderful puppet shows and an excellent puppet museum in Palermo. They are fairly large puppets (or marionettes) and are well worth seeing. I could no doubt go on and on and bore you to death, but let’s stop here.
#####
*Sicily: A Short History, from the Greeks to Cosa Nostra by John Julius Norwich is an excellent history primer.
**Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian Girlhood by Mary Taylor Simeti tells the story of Maria Grammatico and her famous pastry shop in the gorgeous hilltop village of Erice.
As I discovered when I visited Sicily a few years ago, mythology is pervasive there. Almost anyone you talk to will happily enthuse about mythological heroes: who did this, that, and the other on this very spot where you are standing - thereby lending a magical air to this island which is rich in history too. Francine Prose starts her travelogue as follows:
“On the north coast of Sicily, which Homer called the Island of the Sun, the shipwrecked Odysseus washed up on shore and was saved by Nausicaa, the king’s daughter. Farther inland, on the flowery banks of Lake Pergusa, Hades seized Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, and carried her clear across the island to a spring just south of Syracuse, where they descended into the underworld and remained there until Demeter’s pleas persuaded the gods to let Persephone rejoin the living for two-thirds of every year. Pursued through Arcadia by the river god Alpheus, the nymph Arethusa prayed to Artemis for help; changed into a fountain, she reappeared across the ocean, in Syracuse, joined with her pursuer in a pool that today is overgrown with papyrus, occupied by placid white ducks, and surrounded by stylish bars. So even in pre-Homeric times it must have been apparent that this island was so magical that the gods and heroes would naturally have come here to act out their dramas of danger and survival, of grief, mourning, and reunion.”
How very apt!
Ms Prose takes me on a nostalgic journey of all the places that I visited and some that I didn’t. Some of her pleasant experiences mirror mine. She even, or should I say ‘of course’, mentions Sciascia whose writing is still fresh in my memory.
Not only does she mention the mythology and the history*, but also the sights, the archeological sites, the gardens, the food (the food mentioned in the book is salivating, and the markets at Catania and Palermo are enticing) and the friendly people - seafood and hospitality aplenty! “It’s an experience we’ll have, with slight variations, all over the island. Especially in the smaller towns, the less frequently visited spots, you need only ask a simple question about a building, a painting, an archaeological site, a historical incident, and the person you asked will smile, light up, and launch into a long, animated explanation. People seem delighted to tell you the history of a place, a history to which they feel intimately connected.”
Adjustment is required when it comes to tackling the road where drivers perform brave/foolish feats at break neck speed. Meal times also require adjustments. But our intrepid traveller/author manages with aplomb.
Then there are the festivals. Locals throw themselves into the fray with passion and vigour. Foreign tourists can’t help being drawn into any such spectacle. There are several such feasts. “It’s all so beautiful and so incredibly tasteless, so misguided and so heartfelt.” There are floats, costumes, cakes and music. At a carnivale at Acireale there is some unusual music: “The band’s got a strange instrumentation. In addition to the saxophones, trumpets, and trombones, one young man plays rhythm on a contraption made from a mouthpiece and a long pipe attached to a chamber pot, while others mark time with clappers in the shape of scissors and brightly painted wooden violins that turn out to be percussion instruments.” Here are the cakes served for the Feast of Saint Agatha (who apparently had her breasts cut off) held in Catania - the cakes simulate breasts:
Attribution
Mainly these feasts are a good excuse to have fun and feast on fabulous foods and scrumptious pastries. Everywhere in Sicily there are excellent cakes and pastries. The author mentions “Maria Grammatico’s in Erice”; I had the fortune to sample a pastry and meet Maria Grammatico at her store** when I was there.
But don’t forget the Baroque splendour of Sicily’s architecture. Having suffered severe earthquakes in the seventeenth century, various cities were more or less rebuilt in the Baroque style. Imposing they are and many sport magnificent little balconies decorated with gargoyles and other creatures. Ms Prose mentions the splendour of Ortigia in Syracusa:
Attribution
Syracusa was also visited by: “Among the most celebrated visitors to Syracuse and its archaeological ruins was the painter Michelangelo Merisi, better known as Caravaggio. He arrived in 1608.” A brief overview of this history and of Caravaggio’s art as applicable is provided. He received a commission to paint The Burial of Saint Lucy while he was in Syracusa:
Noto is one of those towns with wonderful Baroque architecture and cute balconies:
Attribution
But, the author informs us that “Present-day Noto is a shadow of its former self, a scrim much like the one that covers the Duomo and beneath which you can just perceive the outlines of what it must once have been.”
This brings us to the wonderful Norman/Byzantine mosaics of some of the churches such as the famous ones at Monreale,
Attribution
those at the pretty coastal town of Cefalù, or in the city of Palermo. And then there are of course the Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale, a fourth century Roman Mansion.
What strikes one throughout are the contrasts experienced in Sicily. Not all is wonderful; not all is bright, cheerful and festive. There are some dark and ugly sides to Sicily too, but let’s not go there...
“”To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all,” wrote Goethe, who landed in Palermo in April 1787. “For Sicily is the clue to everything.””
#####
Although my review is long and the book has a scant 192 pages, I have barely scratched the surface. Infused with history and culture, erudite and entertaining, this is an excellent introduction to Sicily. I have not even mentioned the Greek and Roman temples, amphitheatres and archeological sites. Many of these are UNESCO World Heritage sites. And of course there is the nearby island of Mozia with its wonderful Giuseppe Whitaker Museum which houses the famous statue of a young man:
Attribution
One thing that Francine Prose doesn’t discuss is puppetry. Sicily has wonderful puppet shows and an excellent puppet museum in Palermo. They are fairly large puppets (or marionettes) and are well worth seeing. I could no doubt go on and on and bore you to death, but let’s stop here.
#####
*Sicily: A Short History, from the Greeks to Cosa Nostra by John Julius Norwich is an excellent history primer.
**Bitter Almonds: Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian Girlhood by Mary Taylor Simeti tells the story of Maria Grammatico and her famous pastry shop in the gorgeous hilltop village of Erice.
March 11, 2011
A few weeks ago my husband and I had dinner with two men who'd come from Cagliari, Sardinia, for a project their company is doing with my husband's. When I told the two Italians my paternal grandfather was born in Sicily, they were genuinely interested and asked me where exactly. When I told them Monreale, they gently corrected my pronunciation and then one of them (more fluent in English than the other) launched into delightful descriptions of the beauty of Sicily. I was so enthralled that I didn't want the vicarious experience to end; I remembered I had this book and started reading it almost as soon as we got home.
I read it in between other books, and it was always a pleasure to return to. Prose has an artistic, historic and literary outlook, of course, so she is the perfect guide for someone like me.
She has a balanced eye, and sees the dark along with the light. I imagine that sometimes she struggled to see that light, as she chronicled a trip from her New York city home that occurred only months after September 11, 2001, which added another element to her journey and its story.
To continue with the personal, one very interesting, surprising thing for me was how much the Carnival floats in Acireale were like the floats used here in New Orleans for our celebration. They are, in the true spirit of Mardi Gras, satiric or allegorical, and with intricate details.
I read it in between other books, and it was always a pleasure to return to. Prose has an artistic, historic and literary outlook, of course, so she is the perfect guide for someone like me.
She has a balanced eye, and sees the dark along with the light. I imagine that sometimes she struggled to see that light, as she chronicled a trip from her New York city home that occurred only months after September 11, 2001, which added another element to her journey and its story.
To continue with the personal, one very interesting, surprising thing for me was how much the Carnival floats in Acireale were like the floats used here in New Orleans for our celebration. They are, in the true spirit of Mardi Gras, satiric or allegorical, and with intricate details.
November 13, 2020
This was an enchanting read for me. Did I agree with some of the judgments or equivocations to interpretation that the author made? NO, no, no. But regardless, I super enjoyed her adventurous journey and imparted tale of a February month long personal survey in Sicily.
And did she, her husband and the people who showed them some out of the way places, all of them, did they experience a wide spectrum. It told me much about Francine Prose and her husband. As much as it did about Sicily itself. That's also what a memoir should do. And it did that fully to a 5 star level. Elite observation. All the way from Messina to Palermo. And everywhere around the coast.
She was tremendous and sublime at her descriptions of the Carnivale. And I loved her emotional responses to the "icky" stuff. There's a lot of it. It seems only the tourist level funerary really got to her.
Yet throughout the 180 or so pages- Sicily does exhibit. Not into its fullest complexity of mistrust greatly earned, but into its brashness factors especially. Also well earned.
Silence to the outsider, full throated and full movement exhilaration to each other of "known". Strict patriarchal and control sensibilities for reasons beyond explaining. Abundance of expression and visuals within rock poverty deprivation and violent "eyes" memory.
This is a book you will enjoy the most if you know Greek and other ancient myths, poems, contexts to historic events and especially the most famous authors, artists, noble honored of Sicily's 3000 year known past from all the conquerors' cultures. Francine was supremely well suited to guide some of those cleanly into the present. Placements and uses.
Most Sicilian towns, small to mid-sized of population are different from each other. Yet the language, the manner, and graveness in depth general. So true. I loved her building and "fixer" of structures tales as she met them.
So Sicilian to have no parking. It's planned. Believe me. They most want to see your exhaust driving away. And they are crude enough to let you know too. Most of the time,
The food passage about flour, eggs, olive oil, garlic, cheese (fresh goat ricotta) with fish at the shore and meat inland- absolutely spot on. Best in the world. IMHO.
I've inherited it all except for the great love of sweets and gooey. But a good fresh just made cannoli would never be refused.
And did she, her husband and the people who showed them some out of the way places, all of them, did they experience a wide spectrum. It told me much about Francine Prose and her husband. As much as it did about Sicily itself. That's also what a memoir should do. And it did that fully to a 5 star level. Elite observation. All the way from Messina to Palermo. And everywhere around the coast.
She was tremendous and sublime at her descriptions of the Carnivale. And I loved her emotional responses to the "icky" stuff. There's a lot of it. It seems only the tourist level funerary really got to her.
Yet throughout the 180 or so pages- Sicily does exhibit. Not into its fullest complexity of mistrust greatly earned, but into its brashness factors especially. Also well earned.
Silence to the outsider, full throated and full movement exhilaration to each other of "known". Strict patriarchal and control sensibilities for reasons beyond explaining. Abundance of expression and visuals within rock poverty deprivation and violent "eyes" memory.
This is a book you will enjoy the most if you know Greek and other ancient myths, poems, contexts to historic events and especially the most famous authors, artists, noble honored of Sicily's 3000 year known past from all the conquerors' cultures. Francine was supremely well suited to guide some of those cleanly into the present. Placements and uses.
Most Sicilian towns, small to mid-sized of population are different from each other. Yet the language, the manner, and graveness in depth general. So true. I loved her building and "fixer" of structures tales as she met them.
So Sicilian to have no parking. It's planned. Believe me. They most want to see your exhaust driving away. And they are crude enough to let you know too. Most of the time,
The food passage about flour, eggs, olive oil, garlic, cheese (fresh goat ricotta) with fish at the shore and meat inland- absolutely spot on. Best in the world. IMHO.
I've inherited it all except for the great love of sweets and gooey. But a good fresh just made cannoli would never be refused.
Read
January 22, 2020I love Sicily but I was so disappointed with the writing style here.
September 12, 2017
A fascinating travel memoir that delves into the history, ethos, culture, art, religion, architecture, people, politics, violence and beauty of Sicily. Francine Prose is a very gifted writer and her language is exquisite. That, paired with the fascinating history of Sicily, kept me riveted. Probably not for everyone because it's not your typical travel memoir. She doesn't reinvent herself, buy an old house and renovate it, or anything like that. She just spends a month in Sicily delving deeply into the culture. As someone of Sicilian descent, this resonated with me very much.
September 4, 2018
A good travel memoir. Prose is a novelist so the writing is excellent. She seems to have a rich understanding of the cultural aspects of Sicily, both past and present, and gives a real feel for the soul of the island. The Leopard by Guiseppe di Lampedusa is now, even more strongly on my "to read" list.
June 19, 2025
It gives me a good idea of the history of Sicily-I am looking forward to my experiences on this island.
May 30, 2025
Somehow this always had the potential to be a really great book, but didn't quite make it. But I still enjoyed it since I just got back from Sicily. It was written in 2003 and many of the places she visited are sadly no longer open. But she made me realize how much I missed, and I'm ready to go back - especially at Easter time.
December 18, 2013
I expected travel writing a la Naipaul, Kapuściński et al, but this is nothing of the kind. It's short on genuine insight or deeper analysis. Save for a few interesting pieces on art (she does know her art) and tidbits of history, much of it reads like a Sunday paper travel write-up or, worse, a guide book. Unfortunately that also tends to make it every bit as dull and uninvolved as you'd expect a travel manual to be.
June 8, 2020
This book jumped off the library shelf to me *after* I visited Sicily the summer I turned 50. I have Sicilian roots and had a wonderful trip -- reading this added layers to the whole experience. And then led me to so much more Sicilian art, literature, history and natural history.
I am a huge fan of everything Francine Prose writes (and miss her writing about contemporary lit in O Magazine). This, though, was like a gift from the gods.
I am a huge fan of everything Francine Prose writes (and miss her writing about contemporary lit in O Magazine). This, though, was like a gift from the gods.
February 17, 2011
I found the writing to be a bit too flowery.
July 2, 2012
Never has such an interesting place been described in such an excruciating fashion.
July 22, 2012
some interesting info about several sicialian locations (and cuisine), but i thought a bit pretentious in style and content.
May 15, 2025
If you are planning a visit to Sicily, or have been there, Francine Prose's travelogue is a must-read. It's an excellent companion to all of the travel books out there because she offers a learned insight into, well, everything. From the culture of this oft-conquered island, to the art and architecture, to the amazing food, Prose knows this place and its people. She's a master.
December 20, 2017
A fairly breezy account of a 2002 trip to Sicily by Prose. Appropriately for someone of that name, she writes well, and I liked all the classical references sprinkled through. She's also very good on art and food. Good fodder for our impending trip next year...
August 30, 2017
Nice to read in advance of my trip there!! Some good tips!
August 18, 2021
This is a slow collection of essays about off season travel in Sicily. The writing is exquisite and there is such a sense of place in her writing.
July 2, 2023
This was good background for Sicily. I didn’t cross paths with her trip much, but gave me some ideas for our next trip and for further reading.
March 29, 2024
One should take a hose to the prose of Prose.
January 6, 2015
Overall: 3.5 Stars
Star Rating Art: 3 Stars
Star Rating Story: 4 Stars
Netgalley Review
First Impression: Yeah, it seems like a comic book based on a game. Art is average.
Plot/Storyline: Reminescent of Divergent. Especially the rooftop scenes. Divergent crossed with Walking Dead.
Characters: Riley and Ellie at least seem interesting.
Writing: The story gets better after the beginning, but it’s still a typical young adult dystopia.Good little dystopia story. I didn’t give this a fantastic rating, but it’s still good, I would buy it for people and I am interested in reading future releases.
Quotes: Questionable Dialogue:” I’m gonna take what I want and I’m going to kick your ass.” . Little lame to me.
December 28, 2013
"Travel through Sicily is filled with [such moments,] instances when the curtain of the present parts to reveal a connection, a parallel to something that occurred thousands of years before." I loved Francine Prose's uniting of her utterly present enjoyment of Sicily with it's profound ties to the past in her slim, very personal memoir of time spent in Sicily.
Although I was not always in agreement with Prose, I appreciated her clear, sometimes immoderate reactions to places that resonated (or didn't) with her. It was especially poignant reading about places where I had been (for the most part), and to read her often eloquent observations about Sicilian people, food, art, geography, history, and local traditions.
Prose is also funny (the Normans are the "Hells Angels of the medieval world"), but I suppose what resonates most for me is her solid belief in a "Sicilian gift for extracting beauty from the harshest and most painful of truths."
Although I was not always in agreement with Prose, I appreciated her clear, sometimes immoderate reactions to places that resonated (or didn't) with her. It was especially poignant reading about places where I had been (for the most part), and to read her often eloquent observations about Sicilian people, food, art, geography, history, and local traditions.
Prose is also funny (the Normans are the "Hells Angels of the medieval world"), but I suppose what resonates most for me is her solid belief in a "Sicilian gift for extracting beauty from the harshest and most painful of truths."
August 11, 2014
Prose writes very well and it's always a pleasure to read good writing. I enjoy vicarious travel, and because I am a fan of Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano books as well as the Italian TV filmed versions (which are wonderful), I was especially interested in learning more about Sicily. The problem is that I am not educated enough to understand the many references to ancient history, which would probably make this a more interesting book to someone who is.
November 22, 2009
A good way to learn about non tour group travel in Sicily. The author is fluent in Italian so can go off the tourist track with ease. Sometimes this becomes a little unsettling because of the Sicilian distrust of strangers. She weaves historical details into her travels, thus revealing many ancient influences on this fairly small island.
March 1, 2011
The author looks Italian/Sicilian.She writes,for my taste ,somewhat over-the-top re:Sicily. However, in certain ways, Sicily is "over-the-top" in its extremes of friendliness and suspicion and with the extremes of geography/topology,AND the amounts of food served in the inns and restaurants.
I have read her books before and now I know, besides being ironic, she is passionate.
I have read her books before and now I know, besides being ironic, she is passionate.
September 25, 2009
Trying to get ready for my trip... I probably would have rated only 2 stars if I weren't so interested. Gave me a bit of insight into Sicilian life and culture, but a bit shallow overall. Still, a good way to get pumped up for the potential adventure that awaits me.
June 7, 2016
2.5 stars. These essays are very uneven, and really only of interest to someone about to travel to Sicily. Luckily for me, I am that reader. I really enjoyed the essays about literature and artists in Sicily, the others not so much.
April 1, 2009
Sophisticated travel memoir brings Sicily alive. Great on atmosphere and food.
June 12, 2011
Lookin for insight before 2nd visit to Sicily, found Prose's reflections on what is evident vs what is implied in Sicily travel thought provoking.
November 16, 2011
Completely enjoyable read while here in Sicily. Have made small modifications to my days based upon her comments.
December 23, 2011
perfect for what it was!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews