On the Spine of Italy - Harry Clifton

[marco mando]

Just coming to the end of this book - interesting read, anyone else come across it?
Marc

[Angie and Robert]

No Marc we havent. Can you give us some idea of what its about please.
A

[Angie and Robert]

Sorry Marc should have googled first!. I see it is about a year in Abruzzo, and used copies are available from Amazon for 47p!. Which sounds like a bargain to me, so will give it a try. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
A

[Ivan]

Originally Posted by marco mando

Just coming to the end of this book - interesting read, anyone else come across it?
Marc

Yes, I have posted about the book a couple of times. I vividly remember the hardships of the winter in the Abruzzo and how the writer and his wife nearly died until they managed to get an ancient stove to work. I also recall the bloody killing of a pig by the villagers with gore and mud everywhere + also the suspicion of authority and the Church by the locals. There is an interesting passage where the visiting priest tries to get the villagers to sing during the Xmas service and they won't!!

The book makes fascinating reading and emphasises the genuineness of the people as opposed to sophisticated city dwellers.

[annec]

On Marco and Ivan's recommendation have bought it - Sorry A&R, probably got the one you had your eye on!

[lotaresco]

Originally Posted by marco mando

Just coming to the end of this book - interesting read, anyone else come across it?
Marc

I hated it. He's writing about the part of Italy where I live and he seemed like a miserable moaning git. A bit of a user too IIRC, happy to take things off people but not as far as I can tell putting much back.

I suspect that the locals were glad he only lasted a year.

[marco mando]

Well, I said it was interesting, and I recommend it as a relevant read if you're interested in mountain village life. However I felt that the writer was too opinionated and came with his opinions already formed. He was somewhat condescending to the villagers and also to the urban dwellers living a modern life. I suspect he was only interested in being a starving artist in a garrett (sp?) rather than really understanding the people around him. Perhaps he should have got involved in collecting firewood and shovelling snow!
I took it with a pinch of salt and won't let it's rather depressing point of view colour my judgement of Abruzzo! However it is much more modern than the Eric Newby books although they are enjoyable.
Marc

[annec]

I knew I'd read somewhere previously that not everyone liked it. Woudl that have been an earlier post by you, Lotaresco?

I'll keep an open mind until my copy arrives, but all I will say is that he's got stiff competition in Annie Hawes' books.

[annec]

...and left it out in Italy for others to pick and decide for themselves.

I must say that I didn't think he moaned - he was very lyrical about landscape for instance. And although he was negative about some aspects of those who live in small mountain villages, I didn't find his comments surprising. They could be said of any inward-looking, left-behind community anywhere in the world.

And he did also have warm things to say about his neighbours.

What I liked was that he came with no agenda. He and his wife were there because they needed somewhere cheap for a year to live and write (whatever they were writing is not defined), and he was offered this falling-down property by the Church. Could just as easily have been in Greece or Spain.

So he's just observing life around him, with a poet's eye, but feels no need to justify his presence there. Granted that makes him slightly detached, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

He's definitely not trying to rationalise his choice of lifestyle, which IMHO is the downfall of so many of the perky "Aren't the natives darling..." genre.

Definitely one to add to the library of "Foreign books on living in Italy", though still my favourites are the Annie Hawes books

[barrov]

I couldn't agree more... 'Extra Virgin: Amongst the Olive Groves of Liguria', is a fabulous book. I couldn't put it down. I especially loved Annie's ability to point out the local's idiosyncrasies- not allowing them to swim in the sea outside 'summer' etc.

I would recommend it to anyone.