When in Rome: A Journal of Life in Vatican City by Robert J. Hutchinson Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.82 You Save: $12.18 (64%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of When in Rome: A Journal of Life in Vatican City
Book Review: I really enjoyed this book.
Summary: 5 Stars
For starters, it's hilarious. I laughed out loud many times. And while the author is irreverent, he's never offensive. He's a loyal Catholic who's not afraid to air out some dirty, and usually hilarious, laundry. The book is also fascinating. I often didn't want to put it down or was sorry to see a chapter end. And most of the chapters left me wanting to learn more. I especially liked his amazing account of the discovery, loss, and rediscovery of the bones of St. Peter. And his historical account of the outrageous shenanigans of some past popes was both entertaining and amusing.
I also found myself wanting to visit all the places the author visited - and even to meet some of the fascinating characters he came across.
If you like to laugh and you're at all interested in the secrets of the Vatican, you'll love this book, even if you're not Catholic and never plan to visit Italy.
Book Review: Missing the point, I think
Summary: 4 Stars
Some of the other reviewers, that is.I bought this book at the glorious Feltrinelli outlet by the Bargello in Florence on my way back to Rome for Easter Sunday. Sure, there are a few errors. But on the whole it's a fabulous book by a real Catholic who speaks for more than one of his fellow faithful in his lighthearted but respectful approach to the beautiful, colorful, and sometimes tedious history of the Catholic Church.
This book is for anyone who wants to know more than just the litany of architects who worked on St. Peter's or how many columns comprise Bernini's collonnade. This book is even more especially suited for those who make cursory, blanket statements about the hypocrisy of the church's wealth. The author jokes ironically about things like the Pope's tolerance for boredom (the "Beverly Hillbillies" joke so reviled by another reviewer) and the habits of a Gregorianum Latinist but puts a startlingly accurate picture of the modern Catholic attitude forward: whether they agree with him or not, Catholics have a certain fondness for this most recent Pope.
And Hutchinson is quite obviously in love with Italy. I think his comments on the lack of English in Italy were intended more to suggest the strange monolinguality of the Italians in comparison with the nationals of other European countries than to express a jingoistic annoyance that his own language wasn't commonly used. And as far as sexism goes . . . I think that's reading a bit too far into the text. There's nothing sexist about appreciating human beauty. The greatest writers go to great lengths to describe the beauty of people they encounter.
Altogether a fantastic book and a recommended read for anyone interested in the modern life of the Church's center.
Book Review: More Entertaining than Informative
Summary: 4 Stars
Although there is wealth of observation on the workings of the Vatican beaurocracy, it is mostly superficial. Although there is considerable amount of historical information, it is mostly trivial. Still, Hutchinson is an engaging and entertaining writer: When In Rome is fun to read and may change the way you think about the Holy City. Hutchinson is Catholic, but this is a no-holds-barred depiction with a very American enjoyment of the paradoxes of the Vatican.Book Review: Observations of a (temporary) Roman
Summary: 4 Stars
Living in Rome (I even work for the Vatican), I found the 1998 version (subtitled "An Unofficial Guide to the Vatican") a very pleasant read, with many of the same wry observations I myself have made on more than one occasion. The author provided me with an entertaining experience, and I was also inspired by his evident love of the Catholic Church, despite all the superficial evidence to the contrary. Although I have lived here for about a year and a half now, I learned some interesting tidbits about places I walk by every day, and laughed out loud on more than one page. The book is now making the rounds of all my American friends in Rome. In fact, I received it as a gift from another temporary Roman!Book Review: Of the many good books on the Vatican, this is not one.
Summary: 1 Stars
Here's what you need to know when deciding whether to buy this book:1. The author proudly proclaims his own ignorance and unpreparedness as a supposed asset in writing about the "real" Vatican.
2. He claims as his mentor -- as the person responsible for his views of and attitudes about Rome and the Vatican -- his translator, who is the spoiled, partially Americanized, previously unemployed and unemployable, and perpetually angry, twenty-six year old son of Italian diplomats.
3. He dismisses the "vaticanisti," local and foreign long term resident experts on Rome, because they follow substantive issues and don't spend their time shmoozing with the Vatican sweepers and drinking with the Vatican guards.
4. He spends a great deal of the readers' time complaining about the fact that the Vatican bureaucracy, which he discovers is much smaller than he suspected, won't quit their day jobs to do his research for him, i.e., won't spend their time gossiping with him as the sweepers and off duty guards will.
5. He spends even more time comparing himself favorably with P.J.O'Rourke, Mark Twain, and the centuries-long list of his travel-writing predecessors, with writers with real talent.
6. His sources seem to be other malcontents with whom he commiserated in various pubs in Rome. The Italians and Vatican insiders smelled this guy coming from a mile away and stonewalled him.
7. He assumes, because Italian women don't smile at him and Italians in general won't waste their time speaking English with him, that Italian women never smile and that Italians can't speak English. (Both of these assumptions are patently absurd.)
8. He thinks that Madagascar is off the southern tip of Africa.
If this gonzo jouralist is the person you want as your guide to the Vatican, spend you money and buy this book. Otherwise, type "Vatican" in the keyword search box on the left side of the screen and scan the list for good books on the subject.
In the interests of full disclosure, you should know that I am a former US diplomat (neither Italian nor a writer or member of the press) with spoiled but not angry kids of my own, I am living temporarily in Rome, I find the Italians delightful and thoroughly accessable, and, unlike the swarms of American writers who aspire to the title, I know that "gonzo" is an Italian word that means ignorant, foolish, and loutish.