Italian Education by Tim Parks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Italian Education
Book Review: Edgier Sequel to Italian Neighbors
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a difficult review for me to write since my problems with Tim Parks's book have a can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it-quality. There's much to enjoy about the book, of course--the descriptions of the beach culture in Italy are particularly wonderful. As an American who's lived in both Italy and England I really enjoyed the comparisons with child rearing, particularly the Italian obsessive floor moping culture with the English slightly more casual approach. I was glad, too, that Parks was open about his wife's Italian identity-- his coyness about her "nonforeignness" was irritating in "Italian Neighbors". Something, however, was lacking in this book for me. I missed the group of neighbors that he described with such detail--I missed their dramas, and their life stories. Mr. Parks seemed to exist in a vacuum with his family. (Now it could be that Mr. Parks ran into some trouble with being so free with other people's lives and decided to be more discreet; I don't know.) I do feel that this book was more disjointed and could have been compressed into a span of a year, or at least put into a more coherent framework, as he did with "Italian Neighbors". These aren't my main problems with the book. There is a bit of a sourness in the tone; it is as if Parks has made his Italian bed and must lie in it. He must also raise his children as Italian, for good or bad, and it is this dominant theme that he wrestles with throughout the book. Without a doubt this in an expatriot's main dilemma--to raise your children successfully in a different culture, you must raise them as foreign to yourself. I'm not sure, deep down, the Mr. Parks is entirely happy with this realization, and a bit of his disillusionment leaks out into the book. Gone is his tone of ironic detachment, and yes, there is often more warmth and feeling, but at what price? (I will mention, though, that the scene when he explodes near the German border after dealing with his beyond-colicky daughter was priceless and the best scene of either book for me) I guess what I'm trying to say is that I often pick up "Italian Neighbors" to reread bits of it, and I don't do that with this book. And that, ultimately, is the final review of all.Book Review: Entertaining and down-to-Earth
Summary: 5 Stars
The author has a wonderful sense of humor. Reading about Italy from the perspective of a parent raising his children was very amusing and interesting. I found this book to be a fast and enjoyable (sometimes hilarious) read!Book Review: Entertaining, with a warm and perceptive view of Italy
Summary: 5 Stars
This wonderful book is a moving and informative account of the author's trials and tribulations raising his children in Italy, and the discoveries he makes about Italian culture during the process. His occasional tendency to simplistically analyze the reasons behind the actions of his relatives, neighbors and friends might grate on the nerves of some readers (particularly those who dislike any criticism of organized religion), but nonetheless his love and respect for Italy and Italians is clearly visible throughout the book. In particular, his charming anecdotes describing his vacations with his children while on the Adriatic coast of Italy struck a strong chord with me. His description of the Italian beach scene made me realize why I enjoyed my vacations on the coast of Italy so much. Throughout the rest of the book, some of his other observations and anecdotes brought me to a deeper awareness of what I both love and dislike about Italy, and further gave me a greater insight into the motivations, joys and aspirations of my Italian friends.
I don't know how this book will read if you haven't lived or travelled in Italy, but I would hope that it will give you an appreciation of the wonderful people and culture that I have found here. I read it in one sitting, and afterwards found myself moved to plan yet another expedition into the small beach towns along the coast near my home.
In all, this was certainly a wonderful, perceptive and inspiring book, underscored throughout by the author's wit. His earlier book about his Italian experience was certainly funny, but it didn't amuse nearly as much as this one, perhaps because much of his first book was so clearly intended to amuse. This book is witty, warm and loving at the same time and stood head and shoulders above his previous effort.
Book Review: Expendable Italians?
Summary: 3 Stars
Tim Parks writes remarkably well and can describe situations with painstaking insight. Yet, when he deals with Italy, he may become unbearably patronizing. I often wonder whether his books generally aim at explaining Italy or at reassuring English readers of their supposed superiority to the Italian comedy of questionable manners and corrupted politics.
In the past, Tim Parks has lived in the United States for long. Will he eventually have the courage to contend with American social mores with the same acerbic wit he employs with the Italians?
Book Review: Great book about being Italian
Summary: 5 Stars
At first, I didn't think I'd like this book. I'm American, have been married for quite a few years now, but my wife and I have no children. I speak Italian fairly well, and have travelled there quite a bit. But, as a non-Italian, there were always things about the culture that I never understood.Tim Parks, through his observations about bringing up children in Italy (in the Veneto), has explained so much about the Italian way of thinking and living that I now understand much more about what it means to be Italian. For example, read his description about how gifts (not allowances!) are given to Italian children, and his relating that to the way Italians have of tipping in restaurants--ah, now I understand!!
Any Anglophone who wants to try to understand Italy should read this book.
Tim Parks is a great writer, with a sensitive and idiosyncratic style, and tremendous powers of observation and description. This was the first book of his that I have read, but now I plan to read the rest of his books, both fiction and non-.