Litsy

The House on Via Gemito: Winner of the Strega Prize | Domenico Starnone

so-so

#InternationalBooker2024 Book 1

3⭐️

I think I made the mistake of kicking off my Booker reading with the longest book on the list. Not only is it long but it is really slow being character not action driven.

I liked the idea of exploring memories by examining your own childhood through the memories and stories of your father I never felt connected to any character and there wasn‘t anyone I actually liked.

Do artists have the right 2b selfish

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Caroline2

The House on Via Gemito: Winner of the Strega Prize | Domenico Starnone

There‘s currently a kindle deal on this book (set in Naples during WWII) if anyone is interested? It‘s on the International Booker Prize longlist even though I said I wasn‘t going to look at any more longlists and I certainly wasn‘t going to buy any more. 🤦‍♀️ 😂 #internationalbooker

BarbaraBB I bought this one too, I loved his earlier book

Trust

Caroline2 @BarbaraBB oh good to know. 😉 3w

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Gleefulreader

Eva Sleeps | Francesca Melandri

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This was an interesting book because I found myself caring slightly less about the main storyline (unwed South Tyroleon mother in Italy in the 1950-1970s) and more about the history of this now mostly autonomous region. South Tyrol is on the border with Austria and is primarily German speaking and got caught in events of WW1 and WW2 and Italian nationalism. A fascinating part of history that I knew little about. #europacollective

jlhammar Sounds good! 2mo

14 likes1 comment

Tamra

Italy in Small Bites | Carol Field

Time to make my 🎄feast grocery list!

Sans the roast beast. Can you imagine the price this year??? 🤣

Julsmarshall Ooh, can‘t wait to hear what you decide! I‘m working on our menus too. 4mo

Tamra @Julsmarshall for sure 5 cheese lasagna & focaccia, that is our tradition. 😋 What are you planning? (edited) 4mo

50 likes2 comments

Gleefulreader

Lesser Islands | Lorenza Pieri

Sometimes you go to the used bookstore and hit the jackpot. Snagged all these Europa editions this weekend plus a mint condition/brand new Penguin Clothbound edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Merry Christmas to me!

#europacollective

jlhammar Wow, gorgeous haul! I haven't read any of those Europas yet. I can't believe they had so many! 4mo

Chelsea.Poole Nice stack! 4mo

11 likes2 comments

Graywacke

Italian Backgrounds | Edith Wharton

#whartonbuddyread - Italian Backgrounds - 2nd half

Well. Your Italian tour has completed. Please grab your personal items, check for anything you may have dropped while napping, and take a stop in our little discussion store here before exiting. (Maybe i‘ve spent too much time on ✈️s recently?) Anything standout for you? Should we go back to novels after the holidays? (Next could be The Mother‘s Recompense)

Lcsmcat

Graywacke @AllDebooks @Ann_Reads @arubabookwoman @batsy @BookishTrish @CarolynM @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @Cathythoughts @Crazeedi @Currey @Daisey 4mo

Graywacke @emilyhaldi @IMASLOWREADER @jewright @KathyWheeler @kspenmoll @Leftcoastzen @LitStephanie @llwheeler @Louise @SamAnne @sarahbellum @Sparklemn @Suet624 @Tamra @TheBookHippie 4mo

Currey Yes, back to novels please. 4mo

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Currey @batsy @Lcsmcat @Graywacke As Batsy noted in her review the George Sand dis was quite the masterpiece of cruel 4mo

Currey @Graywacke - I enjoyed looking up the painters and paintings to help me see what she was discussing but I was again feeling as if I was so much NOT the intended audience for this book 4mo

Lcsmcat Like @Currey I felt like so much was going unnoticed by me because I am not of the time or the class. But mostly I think Wharton is just at her best when depicting people, rather than places. 4mo

Lcsmcat I‘m for returning to the novels, but I‘m not sorry to have tried this. And @Graywacke - your introduction had me giggling. 😂✈️ 4mo

Graywacke @Currey @Lcsmcat we are the wrong audience in many ways. I was hoping for some history, but I kind of got the sense Wharton assumed we knew all the history already and she was determined to find something we couldn‘t possibly know. She seemed to have a well read and well traveled audience in mind. 4mo

Graywacke My main problem is that a text catalogue of art works might make sense in 1905, but doesn‘t make sense today and it‘s not what we‘re used to. Those artist names and works fly by, and i found myself searching for something i would have a chance of remembering. 4mo

Leftcoastzen I didn‘t find a way to get my hands on this one . I was looking through a section of trade paperbacks I seldom look through & I do have a copy of The Mother‘s Recompense!😂 4mo

batsy That was my main issue too @Graywacke there's a lot that's assumed of the reader but we're not as smart these days, Edith! We have smartphone-ruined brains 😂 I was so hoping the other pieces would have the same tone and creative freedom, so to speak, as the Hermits piece. @Lcsmcat That's a great point, the novel suits her strengths better in terms of getting into people's heads. 4mo

CarolynM I intended to join in with this but I‘m just not in the right headspace. I will get to it one day, and when I do I know I‘ll enjoy everyone‘s comments. 4mo

Graywacke @Leftcoastzen it‘s not easy to find in paperback, and maybe not worth the effort. But, cool you‘re prepared for The Mother‘s Recompense. 4mo

Graywacke @batsy the hermit piece was terrific. And I agree, we aren‘t as smart these days. 🙂 4mo

Graywacke @CarolynM hugs. Join back in anytime you feel ready. 4mo

TheBookHippie I was so disappointed ! And @batsy 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I don‘t think she was writing to us… sorry to be so late! Last weeks of school were 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 bring on the novels and winter break! 4mo

Graywacke @TheBookHippie enjoy your break! And yeah…about the book and our Wharton future. 4mo

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batsy

Italian Backgrounds | Edith Wharton

pick

This is my first attempt at Wharton's nonfiction. I am dazzled by the ease with which she synthesises myriad references to art & architecture. Her depth of knowledge is remarkable. People reveal themselves when they travel, but especially so when they write about it, & as such there's a glimpse of her snobbery. There were times when it felt like the references overcrowded her prose. Her formal descriptive powers in her novels are the highlight;

batsy here it felt like we were often given a rundown of how many examples she could cite, how many references she could make. I'm sure writing as a woman in that era would have made her even more determined to show that she knew what she was talking about, but it doesn't always make for compelling reading. My favourite pieces were "What the Hermits Saw" & "Italian Backgrounds". I haven't finished looking up her references! #WhartonBuddyRead @Graywacke 4mo

batsy (The illustrations in the Gutenberg epub edition, shown above, are by Ernest C. Peixotto. They are lovely and delicate drawings..."softer" than Wharton's artistic eye, in a sense!) 4mo

tpixie Love the illustration and your review. I‘ve never read her… so many books I need to read! 4mo

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Ruthiella I didn‘t even realize that she also wrote NF. 😳 4mo

erzascarletbookgasm Lovely review. 4mo

BarbaraBB Wow, I didn‘t know about her non fiction 4mo

JenDR Definitely checking this out. 4mo

CarolynM Lovely review. I will get to this sometime…😬 4mo

batsy @tpixie I know the feeling! #MountTBR I definitely recommend her novels 👍🏽 4mo

batsy @Ruthiella @BarbaraBB She was extremely prolific 🙌🏽 4mo

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm @CarolynM Thank you 💜 4mo

batsy @JenDR I do hope you enjoy it! It wasn't the best display of her strengths but her writing is always so elegant. 4mo

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batsy

Italian Backgrounds | Edith Wharton

"Still more Shakespearian is the scene of the pearl. Cleopatra, enthroned in state at the banqueting-table, lifts one hand to drop the jewel into her goblet, and in her gesture and her smile are summed up all the cruel grace of the 'false soul of Egypt'". Love it when words collide, in this case #WhartonBuddyRead & #ShakespeareReadAlong ? @Graywacke

The detail in this painting ? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banquet_of_Cleopatra_(Tiepolo)

TheBookHippie 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 4mo

batsy @TheBookHippie So gorgeous! 4mo

Graywacke I think this was my favorite line in this second part. 4mo

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batsy @Graywacke Same! 4mo

Lcsmcat That line jumped out at me too. But I think my favorite section was when she not-so-subtly pans George Elliott. Wharton is the queen of snark. 4mo

batsy @Lcsmcat Oh no, I must have missed that...zoned out when I read it, maybe 🙈 I did enjoy her snark towards George Sand! 4mo

Lcsmcat @batsy I shouldn‘t post before I‘ve had my coffee. I meant Sand. 4mo

batsy @Lcsmcat Haha, no that's a relief! I was worried I had missed out on reading the book while reading the book 😁 4mo

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