5 comments about Venice Observed (Art and Places).

1. Mary McCarthy's VENICE OBSERVED is neither history nor a guide book but rather a literary reflection written by a young 1950s "single" woman who has visited a beautiful place and now sits at her desk and muses over what she has seen.

   McCarthy was a writer and an educated woman in an age when educated women were few. She probably wore white gloves and a little hat and visited Europe after graduation from college. One can picture the author of THE GROUP traveling abroad, continuing her education. As part of her formal training, she read James and Ruskin and then she visited the sights they described and wrote her own impressions. I found McCarthy's book intriguing because she was intriguing and women like her don't exist any more. I picture her looking a bit like Katherine Hepburn arriving in Italy in "Summertime." Maybe McCarthy wasn't a "career girl" as single women sans husband and children who worked for a living were called in those days, but this is how I picture her on reading VENICE OBSERVED.

   I've just finished reading JJ Norwich's HISTORY OF VENICE and if you want history Norwich's book is the definitive history. VENICE OBSERVED is for women who want a bit of information to complement their education mixed in with another woman's reflections. VENICE OBSERVED is for educated women who travel alone.

   McCarthy includes some history, but only as a backdrop to her real interests which are art and literature. She assumes you know who Tintoretto and Titian were and that you've at least seen pictures of their works. Where Norwich mentions Tintoretto in passing (Norwich is more interested in archtecture) McCarthy dwells on him.

   VENICE OBSERVED is not an art book however. McCarthy's writing reminds me of James or Ruskin, both of whom she quotes. They observed various places, buildings, paintings, etc. but always assumed you had some prior knowledge of the thing they were discussing. VENICE OBSERVED is the sort of book you'd want to read after you have made your own visit to Venice. You could read it before hand, but the text would be overwhelming if you come to it with no prior knowledge. If you want to read a more contemporary book, I recommend ITALIAN DAYS by Barbara Grizutti Harrison.




2. This is one of McCarthy's most delightful books, although it may also be her least controversial. VENICE OBSERVED might be the best single travel book ever written on Venice, and MCarthy's tone is leisurely and informative, her style witty and engaging. Her asides about her personal experiences in the city complement her grander historical and artistic musings: you never feel alienated from her prose (the way you can in her earlier THE STONES OF FLORENCE). Her anecdotes about the doges, Tintoretto, Veronese, the Councils, etc. greatly enhanced one's understanding of the city, and her musings on the art are thoughtful and illuminating.



3. Talk about taking the joy out of an experience. I read this book prior to a week-long trip to Venice. This book quite simply accomplished none of its objectives. It is a poor "guidebook" and is poorly written and uninteresting in terms of a travelogue. The history and art of Venice are covered better in books from those genres. The only upside is that it is short. Yuck, what a waste of time. My advice is: get a novel about Venice if you like novels, a guidebook if you want that, an art book, or a history book. At least you'll get something out of those--this one tries all of these and fails. Actually, in terms of a travelogue, "Vendela in Venice" far surpassess any other Venice book I have seen. Although I originally bought it because it is considered a children's book, it is not dumbed down at all and adults will enjoy it...



4. Written in 1956, "Venice Observed" was a precursor to "The Stones of Florence" (1959), one of the better travel books ever written. As in "The Stones of Florence," McCarthy weaves a tapestry of art, history, literature, sociology and cogent observation, but this earlier effort is not as well organized as the later book, leaving the reader to dig out the gems that lay within.
   
   Apparently the original hardback versions of both books contained high-quality photographs, and were experiments in presenting the two modes of communication together. Depending upon which edition you buy, the paperback versions either lack photographs altogether or contain low-quality reproductions. While that obviously detracts from the experience, the text standing alone bears witness to an extraordinarily well-disciplined and fine mind at work.
   
   Since McCarthy was born in 1912, she would have been 44 at the time this book was written, hardly the ingenue that other reviewers suggest. In fact, after reading both books, one suspects that this woman was born mature.
   
   It is interesting to note that throughout this book, McCarthy refers to John Ruskin's "The Stones of Venice," which explains her choice of title for "The Stones of Florence."



5. VENICE OBSERVED
   While this has become sort of a cult classic, there are better books about Venice to be read and enjoyed, written in the years since Mary McCarthy penned this book. It is a very particular, personal and peculiar look at the famed city.
   
   It may be that this work was cutting edge for travelers in the 'Fifties, but it has long since been surpassed both in content and in tone, by more recent books, be they guidebooks or works of a more literary bent such as the gorgeous "Francesco's Venice" (written by a native of Venice) or "The City of Falling Angels" (by the award winning author of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" which is a brilliant and affectionate look at the city and its people by an American) both of which I recommend highly, as in five stars--read them before considering reading this book.
   
   Mary McCarthy is knowledgeable but she makes every effort to let you know just how very smart she is with the implication that she is smarter than you. She often quotes in other languages and let the reader puzzle them out - if you don't speak the language, then be glad your computer will do free translations for you. She also assumes you have already studied the art, architecture and history of Venice thoroughly before turning to her book, and having been thus armed with the basics from elsewhere, she will now give you her added (she would say, correct) slant.
   
   The book is not quite painful as her book about Florence, but like that book, this too is not a volume pitched to endear one to Venice.
   
   McCarthy's approach is that Venice is an acquired taste and most readers are not sophisticated enough to acquire it. While one feels put down by such an attitude, it is so pervasive it cannot be accidental. McCarthy tells how much better, smarter, wiser, well-read and insightful she is than any of her readers, which is an odd stance for an author to take.
   
   And far from the reality of a visit to Venice.
   
   You see, the reality is this: A taste for Venice can be acquired instantaneously, spontaneously, immediately. One need not know the art, architecture and history, to enjoy the sights the sounds and the people. Although knowing these things will of course add to one's visit.
   
   Even so, all one need do is walk the winding paths from the train station to San Marco, or ride the Number 82 vaparetto full circuit to enjoy and appreciate the myriad wonders of the city on the lagoon.
   
   To really get to know a place, one must do so with one's eyes out of the guidebooks and maps, and filled with everything there that is to be seen. Your experience of Venice may not be all Ms. McCarthy would have it be, but then why put her blinders between you and this place that poets, writers, travelers and sojourners have loved for eons.
   
   For example, take a half-day on Murano for relief (the canals are bordered by walkways; easy to enjoy) and an inexpensive ride over to San Giorggio Maggiore to go up THAT campanile (cheaper and better views than the campanile of San Marco). See the "Must See" points of interest if you wish, but if you miss them, don't sweat it!
   
   There are lots of surprises around every corner, over every bridge and in every shop window. The Venetians are friendly, the food is good and it is impossible to take a bad photo there.
   
   And when you stand on the crest of the Rialto Bridge, breathe one brief, silent sigh of thanks that Mary McCarthy isn't with you correcting your impressions!
   
   If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

No comments about Italianissimo: The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best.

5 comments about A Tuscan Childhood.

1. Prior to her death, Kinta Beevor wrote only one book -- A TUSCAN CHILDHOOD -- which would have been better titled "My Life in Tuscany" as it really is the tale of her connection to Tuscany over period of 40 years that included her childhood. Beevor, whose maiden name was Waterfield, was the daughter Aubrey the artist and his wife Lina Gordon, both British ex-pats who lived and worked in Italy during the first half of the 20th Century. The family owned the fabulous 15th Century Fortezza della Brunella which the family called "the castle" and Lina inherited Poggio Gherardo which was almost as old. Both properties came with extensive farm lands. As a result the Waterfields lived lives of comfort -- socializing with the rich and famous (D.H.Lawrence for one) and feeding them to-die-for meals and sending their much neglected children back to England for schooling.

   Though I became weary of name-dropping, I found Beevor's book an enjoyable read. Her mention of various rich and famous folks is as natural as can be--just tiresome in the same way a story told over and over by an older person can be. She says her son encouraged her to write down what she could remember, and I suspect he did so after he heard her stories several times. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to publish the book for a wider audience.

   Ms. Beevor obviously loved Tuscany--her father's castle where the family restored and maintained a beautiful garden on the roof, her mother's house which Beevor's mother gained the use of on the death of her Aunt Janet, and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Beevor's description of the sea as the train approached Aulla for her summer vacations from school in England is as well written as anything Lawrence ever wrote, and no doubt she was quite knowledgeable of his works given he was a family friend.

   After WWII, faced with death duties on the Poggio Gherardo following the death of Beevor's brother John, and huge expenses owing to the damage inflicted on both properties during the war (the retreating Nazis and the encroaching Allies made a mess, the latter found an autographed photo of Mussolini in the castle and wrecked havoc) the family was forced to sell up and return to England.

   Beevor's book contains passages that reminded me of bitter-sweet scenes in "The English Patient", the "Jewel in the Crown", "Tea With Mussolini", "Out of Africa", "Room With a View" and other works written by European ex-pats returned to their home of origin. Ms Beevor was undoubtedly well read and understood the withdrawal of the British Empire following WWII, and in her closing chapters she shares her thoughts about the effect of that withdrawal on Italy. Italy of course was not a colony, but the British had truly made themselves at home in Italy before the war (and may have done so once again).




2. The only book Kinta Beevor ever wrote, it was perhaps the only book she could have written. Her obvious love for her magical childhood in Tuscany (esp the years before she was shipped off to England for school) shines forth from every paragraph as she recounts her life as one of the benignly-neglected children of a pair of English aristocrats who owned a 15th century castle, the Fortezza della Brunella, as well as a villa above Florence.
   Centered around two very different periods of the author's life, the rural castle and the more urban villa, A Tuscan Childhood is full of famous people (her parents were part of the literati), beloved peasant farm workers, nursemaids, and Aunt Janet, upon whose death the villa falls into the hands of Ms. Beevor's mother.
   Toward the end, in diatribes against Mussolini, the Allies, death taxes, and everything and everyone else, an old lady's peevishness with changing times mars what is otherwise a lovely and evocative piece of writing.



3. Kinta Beevor, author of only this book, comes from a family of writers, including her son, the reknown author, Antony Beevor. It must be a genetic feature that families produce wonderful writers.
   She draws you into her world, like a welcoming friend. You will experience historic events and the world as it was in Tuscany in the 19th century and the early 20th century. You will get to know many of the distinguished and famous persons who visited the Waterfields and best of all, you will become acquainted with "Aunt Janet", the famous English writer, Janet Ross.
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Tuscany and in warm and inviting family experiences and how they are influenced by world events.



4. This book really takes you to Tuscany, as it was for British ex-patriates between World War I and World War II. Everything is here - the people, the landscape, the food. Highly recommended!



5. What amazed me about this book is that in spite of the author's English silver-spoon upbringing (sometimes it's hard to figure out which castle she's in at the moment) she gives the reader such an intimate portrait of the country, the scenery, the customs and the people of Tuscany. When you read of all the artistic and literary nobility that her parents had entertained, it's hard to fathom how she found the opportunities (and she did find them...) to relate so well to the local people. I have read many books written by authors who lived with and among the rural peasantry that don't give any better or more appealing feel for the country. I would hate to have missed this book!

No comments about Italy 2008 (Michelin National Maps).

5 comments about Francesco's Venice: The Dramatic History of the World's Most Beautiful City.

1. John Parker's photographs in "Francesco's Venice" are lovely. However, the historical text written by Francesco Da Mosto, although complete and covering a vast time period, is opinionated, rather cumbersome and replete with self congratulatory statements concerning his family's Venetian heritage. I found the latter annoyingly childish; like a 6 year-old giving a class report wanting to make sure his classmates knew just how important his daddy was. This self importance as a true Venetian with a rich family history may have been the impetus for writing the book but adds nothing to it. In the final analysis, aside from the photographs I was not particularly pleased with my purchase.



2. I enjoyed Venice and Italy while on My Grand Tour of Europe for my 50th Birthday.....and discovered this wonderful author and TV Travel while cruising through the Travel Channel. So fantastic & brings back all of my travel memories. I was the first of my family to discover Italy & now they all want to go!!!!



3. Really enjoyed this book. Beautiful photos and easily readable text. A lot of good information ,history included, presented in such a way that you actually do want to read it and not just look at the pictures.



4. This is the accompanying book to the TV series, but so much more too!
   
   Firstly, the book is replete with stunning photography by John Parker. These in themselves are enough to merit applause, but Francesco's text is a good read and full of personal insight. He clearly is no lightweight historian, but has delved deeply into his own and his city's past.
   
   The book is in five chapters (one more than the TV series) with titles that explain much of the subject they contain: 1. "Water - From the Waters to the City"; 2. "Earth - The Boundaries of Land Enlarge"; 3. "Air - La Serenissima Evaporates"; 4. "Fire - Venice Burns Its Past"; and 5. "Ether - Life under Uncertainty".
   
   There is a healthy dose of scepticism of traditions in relation to the early history of the city adopted by the author, and his own tentative assertions ring true. He is good on this period, whereas other histories skip over it lightly. He focuses on the physical origins of the city and its political beginnings. It was then not a matter of display or grandeur or empire, but trade, commerce and industry, especially where salt and fish were concerned. It was also a healthy sign that Francesco sheds doubt on the blindness of Doge Enrico Dandolo, the scourge of the Fourth Crusade to Constantinople.
   
   He is also good on the Arsenale, which presently lacks any detailed history in English. It is still very much out-of-bounds to tourists, but it would have been nice, though, to have had plans of its development. And I have yet to see in print those marvellous birds' eye view drawings of the naval base before and after Napoleon's conquest. Francesco is also good on the subject of trade, such as the mechanics involved in sailing convoys, as well as their destinations (but, alas, no map, not even any line drawings of how a galley, a galleass or a navi would have looked like).
   
   There is more emphasis on how Francesco's own family history has become intertwined with that of the city: this is, after all, Francesco's history of his birthplace! We learn of its involvement in the Tiepolo plot of 1310 and in that of Doge Marin Falier, the only doge to be sentenced to death, in 1355. Francesco provides personal reminiscences too about the first time he received his first communion in Saint Mark's Cathedral, about his first experience of a Titian painting, about witnessing the fire at the La Fenice opera house, and about his own home, which was the setting for part of Anthony Minghella's film "The Talented Mr Ripley." There is much more.
   
   Many of these recollections appear in the numerous additional textboxes that populate the whole book. These allow the reader to focus in more detail on particular aspects, whether it's the doge's hat, robes and regalia, or the antics of Baron Corvo. Those boxes devoted to the language of Venice proved very useful to me. I always wondered why the Venetians often failed to pronounce the suffixes used elsewhere in Italy; Francesco explains that it is partly down to laziness.
   
   There are, as one would expect, many links to the TV series. He repeats in the book his castigation of the bridge to the mainland as a folly; its name - Ponte della Liberta - he insists is ironical. But there are differences with the TV series too. For example, the painter Turner appears nowhere in its pages, but John Singer Sargent appears in his place.
   
   Francesco's coverage of twentieth century Venice is a pleasure to read, as this is often an overlooked episode in its history, for understandable reasons. And yet, it has a richness of drama all of its own, especially in his family reminiscences of war and peace.
   
   So why only four stars? On the negative side, Francesco mentions books in his introduction, but there is no bibliography to guide the reader further into the details of the subjects raised. And where are the maps? Maps of the lagoon would have been useful for placing the city in its geographical setting and for providing bearings in relation to many places named in the early chapters, such as Torcello, Aquileia, Grado, Ravenna and Chioggia.
   
   This review is of the softback print. Unfortunately, there are errors arising from the reduction in size and pages from the original hardback, for example, the "see above" on page 107 is meaningless, as are the picture credits (although these can be worked out with a little patience). The index is good, but there is no entry, for instance, for either "Messeteria" or "Modone".
   
   How does this book compare with the standard introduction to the history of Venice in English by John Julius Norwich? Although Francesco spends some time to accounts about the city's wars in the east and its political relations with the Italian mainland, there is by far a greater amount of information and history given to the development - architectural, social and economic - of the city itself. For example, space is given by Francesco to the paving of streets and the standard of cleanliness, to clothes and how nobles greeted each other - it would have been nice to have one of Longhi's pictures to accompany these social points; you will look almost wholly in vain for such details in Norwich's history. The downside is that there are only two paragraphs devoted to the role of Paolo Sarpi whereas the more political and wider geographical sweep of Norwich's book devotes a chapter or more to the workings out of the papal crisis of the early seventeenth century.
   
   So, `you pays your money and you takes your choice', but if you are seeking an introduction to the city of Venice as opposed to an introduction to the politics and external relations of the city, then Francesco's must be the better buy. However so great Norwich's history is, it does spend more than half its time on the coasts of the eastern Mediterranean and the plains of Lombardy, rather than in the city itself (see my amazon.co.uk review).



5. I just got back from Venice, at 2AM today in fact, and I am extremely glad that I read this book before the trip. It is very well written and covers a breadth of information about Venice, ranging from history, politics, art, architecture and more. It is beautifully illustrated and contains a number of inset discussions about venetian society and other topics that just add more and more to the book. Altogether, it was a fascinating and easy read, and one that dramatically enhanced my trip. I am thinking of reading it again, or renting the videos, to further the experience. In my opinion, a must read for any traveller to Venice.

No comments about Made in Italy: A Shopper's Guide to Italy's Best Artisanal Traditions from Murano Glass to Ceramics, Jewelry, Leather Goods, and More, 2nd Edition.

No comments about Fodor's Italy 2009 (Full-Color Gold Guides).

1 comments about Top 10 Naples & Amalfi Coast (EYEWITNESS TOP 10 TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. As a frequent visitor to the area I was pleasantly surprised by this very practical and compact guidebook to Naples and the Amalfi Coast. I am pleased that this is a book that I would take with me on my next trip - there is enough here that is new for me, and I'm surprised that the recommendations are, based on my tastes and personal experiences, quite accurate.
   
   I am particularly pleased that the author gives good coverage to the Capodimonte Museum (I had really expected to criticize the book for overlooking one of Naples most important attractions), which for some reason is usually given short shrift in American guidebooks. On the other hand, the allegiance to a "top ten" format can be a little misleading unless the reader is careful: the Capodimonte is listed as a "top ten" museum along with such extremely minor destinations as the "paper" museum in Amalfi (Museo della Carta), but note however that the Capodimonte museum is itself a "top ten" attraction for the entire region.
   
   It's also interesting that the book does not devote much space to such well-known destinations (and typical tourist overnight stays) as Sorrento and Amalfi itself. Quite frankly, I think it's a wise decision: the book is small enough to fit comfortably in a jacket pocket or a purse or a knapsack, and I think it's primarily meant for the traveler who is staying in Naples (perhaps for business) and is interested in what to see in the city and on day trips along the coast, as far south as Paestum.
   
   One minor nit: although the author mentions that nativity scene decorations ("Presepe") are typical souvenirs of Naples he does not mention the street "Via San Gregorio Armeno" which is lined with shops selling them. I personally consider it a highlight destination of the city. Similarly, although he mentions Vietri sul Mare, there's no photo of the town and he doesn't really convey how much fun it is to explore the ceramic shops there. Of course a book this size can't really do more than list the attractions: a careful reader who knows what they are interested in will find much useful information here. Highly recommended.

2 comments about Turin (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. Since we are planning our trip to Italy and we will be spending some time Torino, this book has been of great help giving a very good description of everything in Torino. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about Torino especially after the Winter Olympics.



2. Great area of Italy to visit, hopefully the Olympics have shed much needed exposure to an area that has been overlooked. Not many Travel books out about his area, but this book covers the area very well.

4 comments about A Traveller in Rome.

1. There is a small, independent bookshop in New York dedicated to the Art of Travel. It is there that I've spent many happy hours looking through new and used books and maps- some treasures and some highly disposable.

   One of the favorite places I've ever visited is Rome, Italy. And this book by H. V. Morton which is shamefully out of print, is positively the finest I've read on this forever changing, "eternal" city.

   I'd never heard of Morton, but soon learned that in 1957, when this volume was published, he was "the most widely read living travel author." And now, according to research I've done online, every single one of his books is out of print. And he wrote quite a few: "A Stranger In Spain," "In Search Of London," "In The Steps Of St. Paul," et. al. Morton's method is simple and works perfectly: first a short history of Rome, then a diary-like collection of his thoughts and impressions. There are also several, wonderful photographs including a charming, color one of The Vatican's Swiss Guard---one man "at attention;" the other looking as if he had better things to do. Everything in the book is well-researched and very interestingly written, yet his description of the politics and history of The Vatican is especially fascinating, as is his description of Julius Caesar's final days. But the book is not all history. Not at all. We also read about the author's trip to an open market, Hadrian's Villa, and I particularly liked the passage about Rome in the rain, since when I was there, it rained every single day for twenty days. This is a book of fact that reads like a fine novel.

   It is an absolute crime that Morton's books cannot be more easily purchased both for travellers and for people whose hobby is reading about travel. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.




2. I am thrilled to see that "A Traveller in Rome" is back in print! (I have spent the past decade combing used book stores for books in H.V. Morton's several wonderful series -"A Traveller in...", "In Search of ...", "In the Steps of..." and others - and never pass up an opportunity to buy one when I find it.) Although published in 1957, "A Traveller to Rome" is as fresh as the day it was written (H.V.Morton was at his best when writing about Italy). The book is not a travel guide per se, but rather a sort of memoir of walks all around Rome into which Morton seamlessly weaves charming tales of his own experiences, his personal observations, and fascinating historical background. And what makes it all so delicious is Morton's elegant but unpedantic use of the English language. I have read this book half a dozen times, and it never fails to delight. I wholeheartedly recommend "A Traveller in Rome" to anyone who is going to Rome, who ever went to Rome, who ever may go to Rome, who enjoys daydreaming about Rome, or who simply glories in elegantly-written non-fiction. I look forward to the day when Morton's splendid companion volume about Rome, "The Fountains of Rome," is back in print as well.



3. Spending several months in Rome, living in several different locations to get a feel for the neighborhoods, the very observant Morton sets out his commentary and observations and amazement about a wonderful city over 2,000 years old. He weaves history in with the modern, and for someone who has been to Rome, the observations are spot on, even though they were written in the 1950s (his comment about Roman drivers is still very true today, absolutely on the mark, and poetic in his analysis). I read some of the book while I was in Rome; very much enjoyed reading it after I returned, and reread the parts I had read when there. This would also make a great book for an armchair traveler. This is travel writing at its very best.



4. I have read a lot of travel books as Editor-at-Large for Travelers' Tales but this is one of the very best. Morton's grasp of history is nothing short of extraordinary and his powers of description, as a traveler, are almost peerless.