Italian Education by Tim Parks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Italian Education
Book Review: A Fascinating Glimpse into Italy's family culture
Summary: 4 Stars
"An Italian Education" will not only appeal to Italophiles but also to parents who will enjoy the author's vivid descriptions of family life in another country. Its actually a two country comparative study of family life, Italy, the book's setting and Parks' England. The comparisons are thoughtful and often hilarious, particularly the two country's different attitudes on school, religion, medicine and a day at the beach.Parks' wit and dry British humor make this a very enjoyable and fast read. The author use his family as the vehicle to introduce the reader on how Italy raises its children. After reading Parks lovely descriptions of the idiosyncrasies of modern day Italy, I am still unable to discern how much Parks actually admires about how Italy raises its youth.
Book Review: A Good Book to Put You To Sleep
Summary: 1 Stars
I have read several books in this genre, and this has to be one of the dullest books on the market that deals with life in Italy. I've lived in Italy on two occasions for short periods of time and can't help but wonder - if Mr Parks dislikes Italy so much, why is he still there? He certainly comes across as disliking Italy and Italians. This has none of the humor or whimsy of other similar books. Very disappointing. I should have know better since I also read "Italian Neighbors" and was unimpressed by it.Book Review: A delightful read
Summary: 5 Stars
In a very readable and delightful book, Tim Parks manages to capture to quintessential family life surrounding children growing up in Italy - trust me I was one of them !! Life at home, at school and at the summer seaside, are all affectionately captured by the author, as are the personal relationships with family, friends and neighbours. This is a book that everybody will enjoy, particularly touching and bringing back memories to those of us that grew up in Italy.Book Review: A remarkable look at Italy
Summary: 4 Stars
I finished this book, like Parks' first book on Italy (Italian Neighbors), with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, Parks writes well, fluidly, comfortably. His subjects are well-handled and fascinating, and he has mastered that technique of finding universal truths in personal stories. And yet...his non-fiction books always have a few characteristics that grate, things that stick in my mind and my craw even after I've finished a book I ought to have loved.For Italian Education, the biggest problem for me was the first two chapters, which are Parks at his worst: smug, self-obsessed, whiny. As just a single example, in the second chapter he tries to justify writing not one but two books about Italy - as though this needs a justification. Part of his justification is the unique way he's found of doing it, concentrating on local people, local issues, things he knows intimately. He's in love with his cleverness at inventing this approach, apparently unaware that he isn't the first writer, or the first travel writer (or even in the first fifty) to use it.
That tone, which disappears as he delves into stories about his family, about living in Italy, left me wanting to find flaws in the book, and I did find a few more. Parks ended it in a strange place, with his wife out of the picture for many chapters and a new baby not yet born - in a book about children, the third one never makes an appearance? And I felt the title was a little less than apt - it isn't about education, it's about children growing up Italian and taking their father with them, at least part way. Italian Children would be much nearer the mark.
But these are tiny quibbles. And the fact that I found so few after those first two chapters - despite almost *wanting* to dislike the book - should tell you about its quality, its insight. Parks may be annoying at times but he can write, and in Italian Education he's found a strictly local topic with worldwide appeal. An important measure of any society is how it treats its children, and so this book is a fascinating study of Italy through a less than common lens.
If you're interested in Italy or parenthood or travel at all, buy this book. Read this book. Even if you don't want to like it, you will.
Book Review: An Italian education. going to Italy? read this book!
Summary: 5 Stars
Tim Parks does a great job of describing his lifewith his kids and wife and wife's family in Italy.
His problems would be your problems, and the things
that frustrate him to death will frustrate you too!
Must read. I laughed all the way through it, and interrupted
what my husband was reading many times to read him
excerpts of THIS book