La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
by Beppe Severgnini
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Book Summary Information
Author: Beppe SevergniniEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-12
ISBN: 0767914406
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Broadway
Book Reviews of La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind
Book Review: another tourist menu
Summary: 1 Stars
While this book claims to be a "hilarious tour of Italy", and that it covers "thirty places in ten days", and while its table of contents contains titles such as "day two: in Milan", "Day seven: in Naples", "Day eight: in Sardinia", giving the impression that the author is covering all these places, the content barely contains ANYTHING at all related to them, suggesting the author has not left his seat nor even had the grace to research his destinations in "google earth".
At the start of every chapter supposed to cover one destination or the other, the author sometimes mentions a few very general things about it, without any "commitment" to a concrete description of anything, and, after which, he launches into talking about topics such as cars parked in a certain way, how italians regard this or that, italian attitudes and beliefs towards something or the other, etc..etc.. The repetition of the name of a specific destination in the first pages of "its relevant chapter" seems to serve the sole purpose of make-believe that the author is talking about that particular destination, while he is, in fact, talking about very general things that could apply anywhere in Italy!
The fact is, this book is NOT about any of the destinations it promises to portray, it is about the author's view of Italians. Why he packaged the book as to pretend it tours the country north to south, is open to conjecture. My guess would have been, "either he is not very clear in the head, or, he is deliberately misleading"; however, reading on the back cover that he has worked as a columnist for places like the newspaper "corriere della sera" and "the economist" eliminates the "not-clear-in-the-head" bit. He is simply misleading. His book is the equivalent, in the writing world, of the "tourist menu", which, anyone who has been a tourist knows, is usually a rip-off.
Had the author been HONEST about his intentions and not pretended the book was something it wasn't, I'd have given it two stars. Apparently, the "tour of Italy" pitch held the promise to sell more. That such a "tour" did not exist, did not seem to perturb his conscience one bit, apparently, he trusts his own powers of bluff too much and the intelligence of the readers too little to believe that they will actually notice there was no tour.
Taking inspiration from his writing, in his referencing of certain practices as manifestations of "the italian mentality", I'd venture to say that his bluff is probably testimony to the magnitude of his mother's faith in him, and how that affected his faculties of judgement with regards to everybody else. Or, maybe there is no inflated faith in his own powers, but that he just doesn't care, as long as the book sells. Certainly writing headings that promise coverage of all the mouth-watering destinations of Italy would sell, and, who cares that the product does not deliver once the money is had?
This is worse than a "tourist menu", it is the equivalent of ordering a plate and get something completely different in its place, only after having paid in advance with no money back guarrantee.
Then, a word to his "sense of humor": it is SO forced that it can easily bring about adverse side-effects to the reader. Had the author let go of what seems like a compulsion to be funny, maybe he'd have actually managed to hit on something funny every now and then, as it is, there is nothing at all "natural" about his "humor", you can feel the effort reeking off his lines, an effort that is infectious and exhausting, resulting in the very opposite effect of what natural humor would have produced. There is a very clear self-consciousness about his "jokes", you could almost see between the lines the words "see how funny I am? See how smart I am?" (Yet another symptom of the power of MAMMA's faith in her son?)
The most annoying bit, however, was an alleged "letter from Britain" on the last pages of this book, supposedly from "British friends" with whom the author "toured those ten days", and who are making remarks about all the gems of insight and wisdom he imparted upon them throughout "the tour". By some fascinating "coincidence", both the writing style of his "British friends" and "their" sense of humor are the exact labored ones as his, even the range of vocabulary and expressions are the same...hmmmm.... readers are not supposed to notice that either...
Ah well, I guess it all fits now, imaginary friends go on imaginary tours, which we, in turn, are supposed to imagine...
The book's intended market is italian airport shops, promising a "piece of Italy" to visitors who crave more, but where what they actually get is the worst of what Italy sometimes offers its countless lovers, the "no-promises-shall-be-kept" bit.
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