Product Description
In this deliciously seductive account of an Italian neighborhood with a statue of the Virgin at one end of the street, a derelict bottle factory at the other, and a wealth of exotic flora and fauna in between, acclaimed novelist Tim Parks celebrates ten years of living with his wife, Rita, in Verona, Italy. More than a travel book, Italian Neighbors is a sparkling, witty, beautifully observed tale of how the most curious people and places gradually assume the familiarity of home. Selected as a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Italian Neighbors is a rare work that manages to be both a portrait and an invitation for everyone who has ever dreamed about Italy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Disappointing, Brit-centric view of "Italians"
For the past 10 years, I have been blessed to have the opportunity to spend at least a month each year in Italy.Therefore, I believe I can speak, with some authority, about the faults with this book. I really was looking forward to reading "Italian Neighbors", which had been recommended by some English friends.I anticipated some local color, some food, some wine, some festas, etc.All of those are present in this book, of course.However, I doubt that anyone who has ever embraced and been embraced by the Italian people will find very much truth in this tale.Mr. Parks spins a fair yarn, what with the barking dog outside the window, the ghastly old ladies, the contested will, etc., but I didn't think this was going to be a novel.Italy and the Italians deserve so much more than trite, stereotypical swashes.Since Mr. Parks has had the good fortune to spend significant time in Italy, perhaps he should try writing about la vita bella, rather than crass, stereotypical fiction.

If you are interested in a great tale about an outsider living life among the Italians, try The Hills of Tuscany by Ferenc Mate.Mr. Mate has fashioned a lovely and loving paean to living among Italians in Italy.He and his wife are accepted and embraced and their joy shimmers on every page.A real gem.

Reading it didn't help, unfortunately
I've read several of Parks' book, enjoyed them all. Reading this one about life in a small town (not Verona, but Montecchio, which is in Verona Province; Verona is a city of 250,000) did not warn me off moving to Verona for three years, 2005-2008. Verona, though a small city, is really a conglomeration of neighborhoods, and I should have listened to Parks more. But who knew?

Long story short, nothing, and I mean nothing, prepares you for living in Italy except actually going there and doing it. We returned after three years. Our favorite saying is, The USA has its craziness, too, but it's our craziness and we grew up understanding it. Italians are the most exasperating people, though I know that Italians say that about Americans.

Read this book, don't discount any of it, and know that living in Italy part-time as in 'Under the Tuscan Sun' is not the same as 365 days a year. Italy is a really great place to visit.

Italian experiences at its best
Here I was, taking Italian language classes and desperately searching for a book describing a slice of the real italian life. You may say: but what about "under the tuscan sun" As much as I wanted to like it, I couldn't really get into the book. I am not sure why. "Italian neighbors" is a spunky, honest book about life in a country that is so alluring and one would think so similar to what we are used to. However, reading about the struggles and very candid observations made me rethink my desire to move to a small italian town. Tim Parks has a gift to explain his surprises and adventures in a way that are far from boring. The follow up book (Italian Education)is equally good.

A good read overall, but...
Overall I found this book entertaining, smart, and engaging. Parks has an excellent eye for detail, a great sense of low-key humor and wit, and his very readable style flows extremely well. Parks provides a vivid and intimate image of the tiny village of Montecchio (and its colorful inhabitants) where he lived with his wife.

But at times I couldn't help but be put off by a certain smugness, or tone of cultural superiority that emanates from Parks' voice as he writes in great detail about the wild eccentricities of the townsfolk, and of the maddening, catch-22-like contradictions in Italy's mind-bending bureaucratic and political labyrinth. However, it's not that I think he should change that; it's that what makes this tone of smugness apparent is the reader doesn't get a good sense of exactly why Parks *likes* Italy (assuming he does) and why he wants to stay there. Sure, apart from saying he was driven out of London by sky-high rent, he does toss a few crumbs about things he appreciates or actually likes about the place. But those seem outweighed by an overall tone of condescension and abundant descriptions of how everyone around him is a total freak. (And oddly, we never learn about how/where he got together with his Italian wife, and if that factors in to his living there). Writing about the insanity and seemingly incomprehensible socio-cultural differences is fine (and having been to Italy, I can certainly relate to some of it), it's just that there's not enough love there to balance it, and that's what really makes him come off a bit patronizing. Without more of that "love," it's more of a cheap laugh at the expense of his neighbors. One gets the feeling that if any of the locals actually read this book they'd run him out of town!

But overall, I'm getting longwinded here about a relatively small point. It's a recommended read not just for Italophiles or people considering a move to Italy, but for anyone in search of a readable, engaging, light sociological study into a foreign town they've never been to.

Want to "live" Italy, pick this book up...
This is a non-fiction memoir by Tim Parks who wrote the book after spending 10 years with his wife Rita living in Verona, Italy.Parks, places you in this Italian neighborhood where you learn of quirks and lives of the neighbors.You learn about why the government is an inefficient as it is.You learn about the 3 distinct class structures in Italy and why government employees are considered to be at the top of the food chain.You learn why Italy never seems to dig out of corruption and inefficiency.Yet, family members yearn to live in the same neighborhood for all of their lives and don't really look for their lives to change.This is all interwoven into an interesting story with Parks' usual writing magnificence.I labored at times over the author's environment descriptions but was pulled along waiting in anticipation for his character descriptions and interactions.Here's a nugget of what to expect:

"...despite all the disillusionment, a very profound, heartfelt satisfaction with the way things are and a determination that they should remain so.I plump for it because it has the hallmark of that profound schizophrenia, which is also the charm, of all matters Italian: the Pope adored and ignored, the law admired and flouted, politicians despised and reelected.The gulf between officialdom's façade and private thought that façade is always supported.Nothing changes.Italy, one sometimes things, is as if frozen in the high noon of its postwar prosperity."

This NY Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year lives up to its billing. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Italians and Italy and understanding them both
This is recommended as a good book to read for the look at Italians and Italy from the viewpoint of an expatriate married to an Italian woman.Good writer.

Author is Insensitive to Christian and Catholic Readers
I agree with the other reviewers - Tim Parks is a good writer and provides interesting glimpses into daily life in Italy.But I found myself continually disappointed by his lack of sensitivity for the Christian (and especially Catholic) readership of his novel.The author is an atheist by conviction and frequently resorts to making snide comments about religion in Italy.There were many times as I read the book that I would find myself lost in the narrative, only to be snapped back into the present by one of these unnecessary remarks.

Here are just a few examples (page numbers correspond to the "First Grove Press Edition"):

- Regarding a statue of Jesus he happens upon with his daughter while out on a walk, he relates his and his daughter's reactions:""How ugly he is!" Stefi says of the haggard Christ.But then if you'd been crucified..." (p.159)

- He describes his town's version of Santa Claus (Santa Lucia) as "hardly more far-fetched" than "God and hell" and "visions of the Madonna and the Secrets of Fatima" (p. 237)

- He refers to the country as "Priest-ridden Italy." (p.229)

- Regarding a note his daughter wrote saying that she loves her mother even when she misbehaves, he says that she has "...become accustomed to these contradictory notions, enshrined for other children in the confessional." (p.235)

- Concerning extramarital affairs during summer vacations, he writes that "Nobody takes the moral line.Miraculously, the Pope knows to keep quiet for once." (p. 275)Note here that the Pope he refers to is the late John Paul II, who gave a noted series of 129 short talks on sexual morality prior to the release of this book.These talks have been dubbed the "Theology of the Body", and many books on the subject can be found here at amazon.com.

- Describing a painting of the Madonna, he writes "From the wall above me... a heart-shaped canvas of the Virgin (but would she ever have got her [virginity] certificate?) looks on with motherly patience." (p. 303)

These types of comments aside, the book does have merit, but ultimately I cannot recommend it.So I am giving it two stars.

Worth Reading Again
I recently reread this delightful book and enjoyed it all over again.It was one of the first memoirs about Italy I read, but it has held its appeal.It is unique in that it is from an involved father's perspective--less romantic than others and more realistic.While it's lovely to swoon over the glowing descriptions of Tuscany from the patio of the finally restored abode, drinking homemade wine, it's also great to get the nitty-gritty of day-to-day life in the city.Tim Parks's slightly acerbic view is funny and down to earth and gives a crystal clear eyed interpretation of Italian life from an Englishman's perspective that makes you feel right at home there.Well worth the read, and reread.

Raising kids in Italy from a father's point of view
This book was required reading for an Italian Culture course I'm taking.What wisdom my professor has shown in assigning this book!In addition to gaining valuable insight into contemporary Italian culture, I was also very moved by this story of an Englishman raising his half-Italian children in Italy.He observes how Italian his children are and how early they recognize that he is not one of them.He explores such features of Italian culture as Mother Worship (Mammismo) and the curious fact that this most Catholic country of Europe also has Western Europe's lowest birth rate.All Italians talk about the "sacrifice" of having children.To have more than one child is madness from their point of view because Italian children must have the best everything for the entire lives of their parents.The parents "sacrifice" so that their children can have the best schools, the best toys, the best clothing.The parents pretty much support them their entire lives, even buying their houses for them when they finally leave home and marry.He sees the blatant sexism of the Italian culture wherein gender roles are inculcated into the children from the cradle.The Italians see something wrong with his giving his son piano lessons and letting his daughter participate in "boys'" activities.(There is also a certain schadenfreude at a someone's having no male offspring, especially if that someone is your landlord.)But he endures it all good-humoredly and takes great delight in watching his children grow up "Italian."He takes them on walks and bike rides where they discover shrines to forgotten saints in the middle of the wilderness.He takes them to the beach where the kids get an unexpected introduction to the facts of life when they come upon the lifeguard and his girlfriend in flagrante delicto behind some rocks. The book is very funny as well as insightful.I laughed many times throughout the book and was unexpectedly moved in the oddest places, such as when their children find out that it's really their parents who bring their Christmas presents and not "Santa Lucia," the local version of Santa Claus.

But the real star of the book is gloriously beautiful and ageless Italy, so gorgeous you just want to gasp.I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a parent and/or loves Italy.Four and a half stars rounded up to five.

An Italian Education
This is the second time I've purchased this book.I enjoyed it so much (along with the sequel, Italian Neighbors) that I loaned it to my friends and it was never returned.An entertaining account of the experience of marrying into an Italian family, with all its internecine conflicts and quirks, and moving to Italy with all its governmental and religious idiosyncrasies.Well written and funny.It doesn't take an Italian to recognize the eternal struggle to find a place in a strange society....and the Italians can be very strange. ... Read more

Product Description
'For some time now, I have been plagued, perhaps blessed, by dreams of rivers and seas, dreams of water'. Just days after Albert James writes these lines to his son, John, in London, he is dead. Abandoning a pretty girlfriend and the lab where he is completing his PhD, John flies to Delhi to join his mother in mourning. A brilliant and controversial anthropologist, the nature of Albert James' research, and the circumstances of his death, are far from clear. On top of this, John must confront his mother's coolness, and the strangeness of the cremation ceremony that she has organized for his father. No sooner is the body consigned to the flames than a journalist arrives, determined to write a biography of the dead man. The widow will have nothing to do with the project, yet seems incapable of keeping away from the journalist.In Tim Parks' masterly new novel, "India", with its vast strangeness, the density and intensity of its street life, its indifference to all distinctions between the religious and the secular, is a constant source of distraction to these westerners in search of clarity and identity.To John, the enigma of his father's dreams of rivers and seas appears to be one with the greater mystery of the country. ... Read more

Product Description
A new translation of the infamous Renaissance classic, in a striking deluxe edition

The original blueprint for realpolitik, The Prince shocked sixteenth-century Europe with its advocacy of ruthless tactics for gaining absolute power and its abandonment of conventional morality. For this treatise on statecraft, Machiavelli drew upon his own experience of office under the turbulent Florentine republic, rejecting traditional values of political theory and recognizing the complicated, transient nature of political life. Concerned not with lofty ideals, but with a regime that would last, this seminal work of modern political thought retains its power to alarm and to instruct. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Amazing introduction ... A hate or love translation ...
The Prince is considered to be a foundation of modern political science. Well, when you read this translation, it actually feels too modern. Yes, it's easy to understand but there is something freaky when a half thousand years old The Prince sounds very much like a few days old The Economist.

However, if you read the introduction, the translator explains the goals he had in mind, what he was trying to achieve and after that it starts making sense. First, you get a very good overview of the situation in Italy around the time when the book was written. Second the translator explains, that he is trying to make that book sound to us how it was understood by the people 500 years ago. They were reading their regular language and in a same way the old forms should not be distracting the modern reader from the essence. In a similar way, the book has built an image over the centuries and the stronger was reputation the more distorted the translations were becoming. So the translator was trying to uncover the sense and feel of the original text without any later prejudgments.

Knowing that, reading the translation becomes less peculiar and more interesting.

Leaving the translation aside, what can I say about the text? Well, this is true classics. It's amazing how many thoughts, conclusions and advices are packed into a bit over a hundred pages and how important they are even now. It's about the size of a single issue of The Economist, but it can change the way you'll read news for the rest of your life.

Highly recommended.

Powerful New Translation
I don't have too much to say about this new translation of a classic work, as I haven't been exhaustive in my investigation of other translations. However, I believe that Parks executes his mission well. From the outset (as he states in the introduction), he understands that classic translations themselves can become articles of history that are admired for their singular beauty apart from the message of the text (e.g. Hobbes translation of The Prince, or the KJV of the Bible). However, to allow these translations to stand alone would do disservice to the original text, as languages are elastic, forever changing over time. Thus, we have to forever reexamine the original transcripts of venerable documents, and express them in the language of our times. We do this so that the author's message can be effectively communicated to new generations of readers and thinkers. Parks even mentions - without a hint of presumption or arrogance - that one day his translation will at best be an example of the literary style of our time.

I believe that Parks has achieved his goal in producing an easy-to-understand English rendition of the controversial Italian political masterpiece by Machiavelli. I salute not only his effort, but his execution, and am glad that I decided to drop the extra nine dollars or whatever on this edition. Oh - and I had read the intro and translator's note before I decided to do purchase this. I strongly urge anyone serious about which translation to pick to read the introductory material.

-zg ... Read more

Product Description
“A swift and brilliant synthesis of finance, politics, and history.”—Ben Sisario, New York Times Book ReviewBefore they achieved renown as patrons of thearts and de facto rulers of Florence, the Medici family earned their fortune in banking. But evenat the height of the Renaissance, charginginterest of any kind meant running afoul of theCatholic Church’s ban on usury. Tim Parksreveals how the legendary Medicis—Cosimo andLorenzo “the Magnificent” in particular—used the diplomatic, military, and even metaphysical tools at hand, along with a healthy dose of intrigueand wit, to further their fortunes as well astheir family’s standing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Read It
I bought this book at the Rome train station on my way to Florence for vacation. I don't have a deep background in this subject but read this book with great enthusiasm + pleasure.He's a terrific, vibrant writer + the subject matter is gripping.

A Series of Passing References
High school history books usually make at least a passing reference to the Medici family for its role in the banking industry and its support of the arts during the Renaissance.

This book sheds some light on the peculiar banking machinations or "exchanges" that the Medici used to circumvent the church's ban on charging interest for loans.Other than the banking processes the book is padded out to 253 pages of what feels like a series of passing references for the readers of "USA Today."

"Medici Money" is easy to read, but short on content.

A "Magnificent" Book on the Rise and Fall of the Medici Bank
Can you imagine a banking system meltdown, OPEC, a war on Islamic terror, the failure of bank regulation, monetary inflation, a Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme, a legislative prohibition on offshore oil drilling, and a political sea changeoccurring in the 15th Century city states of Italy?Just substitute Cosimo Medici, Lorenzo Medici "The Magnificent" and the Medici bank for Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and AIG, Pope Paul II and Pope Sixtus for the bank regulators and modern politicians, an alum mining cartel for OPEC, a Turkish hold on the best alum deposits for modern Arab control of cheap oil, Italian merchant Giovanni da Castro as Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, hypocritical Catholic laws against usury and monopolies for the Basel Accords, and the Papal granting of mining concessions for modern eminent domain, and you have a historical analogy with the collapse of the Bubble economy in 2008 and thereafter.

Tim Parks' exciting book Medici Money unfortunately was published in 2005, too far in advance of the world-wide financial collapse to get much attention about how globalization of finance can result in a crisis. Nonetheless this book deserves to be re-reviewed in light of the present-day financial meltdown. Fifteenth century Italy had a mix of religion, money, and politics that may not be all that much different than today even if we may not think so. Certainly, any notion of much historical progress is called into question in this book.

I found myself making notes in the margins of this well-written book to reference where I could find certain topics for later reference.This book is not to be misunderstood as a history of the Medicis or Florence but an account of the rise and fall of the Medici bank.

The author often writes eloquently.Some examples among many:
"Propaganda can invent a great deal but prefers a kernal of truth."
"Power always requires propaganda for legitimacy."
"When the grand virtues risk appearing as a charade, or as borrowed from a different drama, the one sure value that remains is money."
"But once made, money notoriously seeks that which cannot - supposedly - be bought"
"Perhaps this is what lies at the heart of our dislike of banking wealth. We are afraid we can be bought. We are sure others already have been, and that many can't wait to be."
"Foreign visitors to Italy in the Fifteenth century frequently remarked on two peculiarities. Everybody had illegitimate children and everybody was extremely concerned with etiquette...And it was perhaps in the absence of order and under the constant threat of anarchy that etiquette and obeisance became so important."

I highly recommend this 250 page book. It contains some historical illustrations that will make you stare and a couple of maps you will be often referring to. A Medici Family Tree and a chronology of the Medici bank are also helpful.

Medici Money made the banking crisis of 15th century Italy come alive in a memorable way.

A fascinating extended essay, not a history or a novel
Reading the other reviews, I see three camps. Reviewers who wanted a serious history disliked the book for being derivative, unprofessional and jumping around among topics without covering any of them well. Reviewers who wanted a straightforward story were annoyed by the literary language and complex narrative line. Reviewers who wanted a literary evocation of the life and times of the Medici Bank liked this book a lot.

I fall into the last camp. The author sets out financial, metaphysical and artistic threads and weaves the story of the Medici from them. Unlike the historian, however, he does not pick the threads that explain most of the story, instead he picks the threads of most relevance to a modern reader. He invites us, to the extent it is possible, to understand why the Medici did what they did, and why it mattered, and why those same choices still matter.

The first thread is the financial imbalance in Europe, with luxury goods flowing from the East, through Italy and north to Europe. Something, trade or money, had to flow the other direction. The imbalance was exacerbated by payments to the Church in Rome. There was not enough gold and silver available to do the job, and shipping it was too dangerous. The Medici bank made large profits for three generations by working out solutions.

At the same time, Humanism is gaining force in Italy and the Dominican Order is evolving some of the changes that will give birth to the Reformation (and cause some Medici discomfort in the person of Savonarola). Urban elites are growing in wealth and power at the expense of hereditary rulers, and inequality within urban centers is turning Republican systems to autocratic ones. War is constant, chaotic and relatively benign. The lines between war, religion, commerce and politics are not only blurred, they're non-existent.

These changes are stimulating, and being stimulated by, a revolution in Art. This is not just a change in styles but a new place for Art in the economy and in social consciousness. The Renaissance is only an external social movment, individuals have to reinvent themselves in relation to family, God and State.

The author takes us through this time of exhilaration and uncertainty with a novelist's pen. But this is not a novel, it is tied to the history of the Medici. As bankers and elite churchmen, extraordinary collectors and patrons (and at least in the case of Lorenzo, talented poets), skillful players of politics both civic and feudal and above all, masterful schemers; they are perfectly placed to feel the colliding forces that made modern Europe. The conflicts they exploited for wealth, power, acclaim and beauty are with us today.

This is a wonderful book, but difficult to categorize. I sympathize with the reviewers who were looking for something more conventional. But taken on its own terms, this is a five-star book.

Don't Buy This Book
After reading the reviews on here it seems that most people enjoy this book, but believe me the negative reviews are much closer to the truth on this. The author states that he is not an historian, but to undertake this kind of work one would expect at least good writing.Don't.The only aspect of Medici Money that is worse than the history is the writing. There are many books on Amazon about the Medici, buy one of those. ... Read more

Product Description
Jerry Marlow is on a coach hurtling from Milan to Strasbourg, even though he loathes coaches and everything they stand for:...all the contemporary pieties of getting people together and moving them off in one direction or another to have fun together, or to edify themselves, or to show solidarity to some underprivileged minority and everybody, as I said, being of the same mind and of one intent, every individual possessed by the spirit of the group, which is the very spirit apparently of humanity, and indeed that of Europe, come to think of it, which this group is now hurtling off to appeal.Jerry, suffice to say, is not a team player--not even when it comes to saving his own job.Together with a group of colleagues and students from the University of Milan, he's off to the European Parliament to protest new Italian laws against hiring foreigners--a cause which he opposes, appealing to an institution he's not sure should exist.So why is Jerry on the coach in the first place? Because she is there--the same she for whom Jerry left his wife and daughter and who has since broken his heart.The unnamed she in question is a beautiful French woman (of course), a hellcat in bed (it goes without saying), and an intellect of notable refinement (naturellement). She was also unfaithful, and now they scarcely speak to one another. The rest of this dark and often savagely funny novel (shortlisted for the 1997Booker Prize) consists of one great Joycean rant, a stream-of-consciousness harangue that circles obsessively around sex, the treachery of she, and Jerry's boundless misanthropy. In between we get glimpses of the bus and its motley cast of characters, including, most vividly, Vikram Griffiths, part Welsh, part Indian, with his nervous tics and his self-consciously Welsh accent and his shaggy mutt, Dafydd. As one might deduce from the title, the dream of the new, unified Europe looms behind this tale like--well, like a big, unwieldy metaphor, given expression in the form of Jerry's affair. As a meditation on the continent's future, the novel works surprisingly well, and though it initially takes some time to sort out the looping rhythms of Parks's prose, the reader's patience is repaid in spades. --Mary ParkAmazon.com Review
Jerry Marlow is on a coach hurtling from Milan to Strasbourg,even though he loathes coaches and everything they stand for:

...all the contemporary pieties of getting people togetherand moving them off in one direction or another to have fun together,or to edify themselves, or to show solidarity to some underprivilegedminority and everybody, as I said, being of the same mind and of oneintent, every individual possessed by the spirit of the group, whichis the very spirit apparently of humanity, and indeed that ofEurope, come to think of it, which this group is now hurtlingoff to appeal.

So why is Jerry on the coach in the first place? Because she isthere--the same she for whom Jerry left his wife and daughterand who has since broken his heart.The unnamed she inquestion is a beautiful French woman (of course), a hellcat in bed (itgoes without saying), and an intellect of notable refinement(naturellement). She was also unfaithful, and now they scarcelyspeak to one another. The rest of this dark and often savagely funnynovel (shortlisted for the 1997 BookerPrize) consists of one great Joycean rant, astream-of-consciousness harangue that circles obsessively around sex,the treachery of she, and Jerry's boundless misanthropy. Inbetween we get glimpses of the bus and its motley cast of characters,including, most vividly, Vikram Griffiths, part Welsh, part Indian,with his nervous tics and his self-consciously Welsh accent and hisshaggy mutt, Dafydd. As one might deduce from the title, the dream ofthe new, unified Europe looms behind this tale like--well, like a big,unwieldy metaphor, given expression in the form of Jerry's affair. Asa meditation on the continent's future, the novel works surprisinglywell, and though it initially takes some time to sort out the loopingrhythms of Parks's prose, the reader's patience is repaid in spades.--Mary Park ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

suffocating
Interior monologue; no dialogue; paras pages long; sentences of two or three hundred words; a depressing, turgid read. Reading Tim Parks' fiction is a bit like being buttonholed by an inebriated guy in a bar who wants to tell you for ten or twelve hours about what a bitch the woman in his life is.Enjoyable only to those who think that reading is supposed to be an unpleasant experience, to be endured rather than enjoyed.Hard to believe this is the same author who wrote those delightful Italian books.

Stream of Conceit
Hated it. Took me a year to get through. Read "Crime and Punishment" in between, just for fun, which was a breeze by comparison.

Anyway, "Europa" is a musing on the intellectual superiority of the narrator, Jerry Marlow, a contract lecturer at the university in Milan, and the stupidness of everybody else. At first, his criticism is directed at his wife and just-turning-18-years-old daughter, whom he regards as stupid. Then, he mulls over his affair with a younger, also married, lecturer, and the wild sex they had while discussing Great Philosophy. Marlow regards himself as the daddy figure to this younger woman, guiding her reading and thinking, and providing her a chance to cogitate at his higher level. Then, he discovers, because he has been so clever in giving her a naughty turn of phrase from a historical quotation, that she has been unfaithful to him sexually, as well as intellectually, by passing on the quotation, which he discovers, to a stupider, also married, but less sexually proficient, colleague; so, he hits her; on different occasions; repeatedly. He feels bad about this, but blames his "incorrigible" romanticism. His conscience diverts from examination of hitting the woman he loves and turns to a rumination on the word "incorrigible" and the consolation that she told him he was better in bed. He learnt nothing, except that he feels sorry for himself, because the pattern of abuse is "irremediable", meaning he can no longer enjoy various sexual perversions while lecturing, which is just as well, because, in the end, when he must give a speech to a committee of the European Parliament, despite his hungover and drugged haze, he steals his mistress' idea, which he thinks is stupid, and gives a humdinger of a speech, and the committee members fail to appreciate how stupid the idea is, because they are stupid and he has argued so well, and yet, through this experience, he comes to appreciate that his mistress is stupid, too. Unbelievably, at the end, the mistress throws herself at him again. He is, it turns out, irresistible.

Another reviewer mentioned one of the book's better moments, a dinner party on a hot night with Marlow, his wife and daughter, the alcoholic, womanizing Welsh lecturer with mutton chops, Vikram Griffiths, and Griffith's young son. Marlow is trying to call his mistress to arrange their next assignation, but cannot get through. Griffiths is chatting up Marlow's daughter. Marlow's wife and the boy play Legos together on the floor. The wife is annoyed by the awful Griffiths and is kind to the boy. Marlow has sex with her afterward. Was that her reward? The author believes that Marlow's sexuality, like his professed smarts, is a gift to womankind, Europa.

I read this awful book, because I thought there was a good sex scene in it, somewhere. Boy, was I disappointed. In future, I will stick to supermarket romances or Dostoevsky.

I finished this book, because I could not believe the author meant to take Marlow seriously. I kept expecting a twist that would undermine the hero's conceit. It never came. Instead, in the last chapter, the author allowed that the "perversities of the mind are best not discussed". Too late.

Having written this, I read David Gates' New York Times review. He agrees with me. He must not be stupid.

The Literary Reader's Fatal Attraction...
I need to disclose upfront that I am a huge Tim Parks fan.Anything he writes is 5-star for me.However, to love this book (and his current novel titled "Cleaver") you need to enjoy deeply introspective, first-person narratives, with stream of consciousness rambling reflections of inner monologue that zig and zag back and forth within a lightly veiled storyline (- kind of like this sentence).This book is funny, quirky and Parks does a terrific job in getting the reader into the head of the main character, Jerry Marlowe.

Marlowe, 45, is a Brit and a foreign language translator in Italy.He joins a delegation of foreign language teachers and students from Milan who travel on a bus to Strasbourg to protest against the discrimination against foreign instructors who aren't permitted to be granted tenure.Marlowe could care less about the cause but is pulled to join because of his "Glen Close / Fatal Attraction" pursuit of a former lover who dumps him to have an affair with a colleague.The story takes you on the bus ride and back...

Here's a paragraph that gives you a taste of what's to come:

"Except that this in turn reminds you that her name on the contrary, her Christian name her surname her second name her daughter's name her home phone number her work phone number her address her bra-size her birthday her saint's day her daughter's birthday her necklaces her earrings her bracelets her brooches her ankle-bracelets her shoe-size her complete wardrobe her favorite drinks pastas meats and sweets her brands of perfume of deodorant of cigarettes of tampons of chewing gum, and a thousand other details are things you will never be permitted to forget.You will never be permitted to forget them.So that on more than one occasion, having got the phone down on some nameless tottie, I have found myself dialing her automatically, without even being aware of it.045, it begins, it began, for Verona, for my age.Then I stop."

If you enjoyed this book, run out and buy Park's fantastic new novel: "Cleaver."

Breakdown
Of all the thousands of books I have read, this is my all-time favourite.The most beautiful prose I have ever read is contained within these pages.The style is deeply contemplative and finely detailed - reminiscent, at times, of Proust's Recherche Du Temps Perdu.The story meanders through the obsessive musings of the narrator as he allows himself to be led reluctantly on a bizarre and seemingly pointless expedition.Like Hemingway, Tim Parks possesses a distinctly expatriate view of life in continental Europe.His wry commentary on the idiosyncracies of the European Union is strikingly apt even today, as anyone who has had the dubious pleasure of living within its borders will swiftly realise.

Europa is a story of and for the introspective among us - those prone to incessant reflection and, inevitably, regret.

I Agree
Pretentious appears to be a common observation about this book and its central character Jerry Marlow. The word is really not intense enough, for if there is a superlative form of pretentious this book and most of its characters would qualify for the description.

Hypocrisy would be another apt description as the main character believes in nothing that he participates in, and this is the man who is to give the presentation of grievances to the European Union that are being brought via, "The Shag Wagon". The members of this tale are firstly the academics and secondly their blindly supportive students. For the former group of Academic males the later groups of students are essentially targets of opportunity for personal romps.

The book appears to be a commentary on the absurdity of the European Union and that requires the affected pretensions of the characters to communicate the idea. The, "United States Of Europe" sounds like a punch line from a joke to begin with, and only gets better when the country that will function as the central bank for this United Europe is Germany. And people wonder why England wants nothing to do with this mess! The 20th Century's History alone is enough to ensure this Union never prospers. In the book one currency is being devalued as if its the 1920's and 30's of Germany, and in real life the value of the Euro started sinking virtually the day it was initialized.

At times the story is funny in a gray pathetic sort of way, but it also becomes tragically dark and exploitative as it winds down. The Author uses a variety of ways to show just how artificial the links to a United Europe are. There is Vikram; a man who is Welsh, but due to an Indian background is dark of complexion, so he exemplifies Europe without borders as he is also discriminated against because of his complex ethnicity.

Jerry Marlow like his fellow teachers is an instructor in languages. However regardless of the language an event takes place in, his memory can only recall it in English. Personal conduct is also brutally contrasted between characters of different nations, and may bother a few readers for the cliché's they reinforce.

As a final comment the Author's style takes some acclimatizing as well. Mr. Parks likes to write in paragraphs that run to multiple pages, and sentences that should be multiple paragraphs. This makes for a run on stream of consciousness that you will either embrace or detest. This is the first work I have read by this Author, I may try again but it is not a priority. ... Read more

Product Description
In his essay "Maturity," Tim Parks, reflecting on that notoriously indecisive prince of Denmark, suggests that Hamlet's problem was "not cowardice, or even thinking too much, but rather that thought is his chief pleasure." Indeed, Parks continues, "It is perhaps this that our culture will have no truck with, the idea that the greatest pleasure might come, not from consumption, or action, or doing good or passion, but merely, wonderfully, from the mind's play with itself." Our culture may not appreciate the mind at play, but Tim Parks most definitely does. In Adultery and Other Diversions, he gives his own intellect free rein to cartwheel and skylark among a variety of subjects from the dangerous allure of adultery to the creative power of rancor.With each essay, Parks begins by grounding himself and the reader in a concrete experience--a bus ride across Europe, for instance, or cleaning his daughter's room, or translating an Italian novel into English--then lets his mind loose to joyously observe, reflect, and comment on what it all means. In "Glory," for example, Parks recounts an arduous hike through the Italian Alps with his two young children and a family friend. Descriptions of the difficult terrain, his own complicated feelings about climbing a particular peak, his friend's preoccupation with the Tour de France, his children's games--all dovetail gracefully to arrive, eventually, at his real point, the nature of their endeavor:Being an entirely mental quality, surfacing in nothing more concrete than a word, glory tends to be belittled, or viewed with some embarrassment in a world where technique and her accomplice, information, are assumed to hold sway.... And yet despite her new boots--Gore-Tex lined--and all the chocolate and mineral drinks, the creams for sores and plasters for blisters, young Stefi, I know, would never have climbed Monte Maggio on that third day had it not been for the flavour of certain words--Crest-Strider, Peak-Dancer.Whether he is discussing the Dionysian nature of affairs, or drawing parallels between the society Plato commented on in hisRepublic and our own, Parks does so with wit, elegance, and the kind of unself-conscious grace that a natural athlete brings to the game. Adultery and Other Diversions is a delight to read, and even better to think about afterwards--exactly the sort of book a certain prince of Denmark would have loved. --Alix WilberAmazon.com Review
In his essay "Maturity," Tim Parks, reflecting on thatnotoriously indecisive prince of Denmark, suggests that Hamlet'sproblem was "not cowardice, or even thinking too much, but rather thatthought is his chief pleasure." Indeed, Parks continues, "It isperhaps this that our culture will have no truck with, the idea thatthe greatest pleasure might come, not from consumption, or action, ordoing good or passion, but merely, wonderfully, from the mind's playwith itself." Our culture may not appreciate the mind at play, but TimParks most definitely does. In Adultery and Other Diversions,he gives his own intellect free rein to cartwheel and skylark among avariety of subjects from the dangerous allure of adultery to thecreative power of rancor.

With each essay, Parks begins by grounding himself and the reader in aconcrete experience--a bus ride across Europe, for instance, orcleaning his daughter's room, or translating an Italian novel intoEnglish--then lets his mind loose to joyously observe, reflect, andcomment on what it all means. In "Glory," for example, Parks recountsan arduous hike through the Italian Alps with his two young childrenand a family friend. Descriptions of the difficult terrain, his owncomplicated feelings about climbing a particular peak, his friend'spreoccupation with the Tour de France, his children's games--alldovetail gracefully to arrive, eventually, at his real point, thenature of their endeavor:

Being an entirely mental quality, surfacing in nothingmore concrete than a word, glory tends to be belittled, or viewed withsome embarrassment in a world where technique and her accomplice,information, are assumed to hold sway.... And yet despite her newboots--Gore-Tex lined--and all the chocolate and mineral drinks, thecreams for sores and plasters for blisters, young Stefi, I know, wouldnever have climbed Monte Maggio on that third day had it not been forthe flavour of certain words--Crest-Strider, Peak-Dancer.

Customer Reviews (5)

Oh how disappointing
Having lived in Italy for over 20 yers I am a great fan of Tim Parks.Italian Neighbors, are my neighbors.Down to the barking dog you plan tokill on the first moonless night. Italian Eucation is the story of mybeach and my beach club.Down to the jukebox mother! Adultery is justsuch a disappointment.None of the humor.None of laughing outloud.Justdull and overly trying too hard to impress. I have to say I disliked everyword of this book.Not vintage Parks

Interesting but too breezy, blithe
The English have a tradition of great essayists but modern practitioners such as Parks and Theroux do not have the scope or weight of their predecessors.

Parks is clever and he never rambles on. But his subjects--adultery, cleaning his daughter's room, the transforming power oflanguage expressed in a hike--do not carry the weight of an Eliot or Orwellessay. Maybe that's because most of Parks's pieces appeared in the NewYorker, which has pared back noticeably the length of essays itpublishes.

You may find that the essays do notcompell repeated readings as, say, Eliot's and Orwell's do.

A brilliant turn from a brilliant writer.
This talented novelist and essayist rarely disappoints, and this book of essays is as understatedly clever as everything Tim Parks write. Especially impressive and thought-provoking is "Charity," a devastatingconsideration of that famous Italian sportswear's manufacturer's infamous"consciousness raising" ad campagn. That essay alone is worthreading many times. One hopes these smart essays will lead more readers toParks's superb novels such as "Europa" and "FamilyPlanning."

a sassicaia 85 type of a book, complex ,sensual,has breed.
This is the third book of the author I have read.I run into the Italian Education accidentally,while perusing through the travel section in a bookstore. Later I have read the Italian Neighbours. I recommend thesebooks higly especially for those who are interested in Italian society andwho thought that Francis Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun was a tasteless joke.This last book by Parks which comprises of a set of essays strengthened myconviction that,when it comes to making observations and passing judgmentson contemporary institutions and social norms he is as insightful andoriginal as anybody, perhaps he is a modern day Tocqueville. Theseseemingly disparate essays are held together by some common themes:limitsof rationality in guiding behavior,arbitrary nature of language,critique ofthe historical unlearning process which is underway,etc. What isparticularly noteworhy in the author's reasoning is that he can start outwith a convention or an assumption that reasonable minds will agree(such as "being charitable is a good thing"),then he debunks the widelyheld conventions by attacking their inner contradictionsbefore(sometimes)reaching a moral conclusion. Fortunately he does thiswithout a dash of pedanticism and with irony and sincere self-examination.The book also becomes a lot of fun to read under the Campania sun whenParks delivers a beautifully crafted personal attack against aliterary"giant" and you understand that the man must have been aforce to reckon with when he played football(Soccer)in his youth.

READ IT
All the joys of being a husband, friend and father are extolled in this book, yet they are rendered with a much deeper understanding of the human condition and the community of life. ... Read more

Product Description
In a nonfiction debut that's certain to echo the success of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence, British novelist Parks offers a delightful expatriate's diary, an irresistibly eloquent and insightful postcard from abroad to be cherished by active and armchair travelers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

Italian Neighbors: Or, A Lapsed Anglo-Saxon in Verona
A great discription of the old Italy in a small village seen by a couple of modern times.

No appreciation of Italy
I found this book tedious, slow-paced and not at all what I expected.For some reason, I thought an expat who has chosen to live in Italy would find the country and its people beautiful, as I do.Instead, he seems intent on telling only the bad, the worse and the ugly.Sure, it can be a pain dealing with the government, but I bet it is in nearly any country (I think it is in the USA).I was also disappointed because Parks hinted at a mystery--a bit of a plot--when he wrote early in the book that the Professor, whose flat they were renting, would turn out to be a very interesting character in the end.I don't think he ever wrote another word to fulfill this promise.I'm not sure 2 stars is low enough, but there were some interesting bits, quirks and traditions I enjoyed reading about.I would also add that I very much agree with the 3 other 2 star reviews which are already posted.

Just doesn't make me want to visit
There are a great deal of people giving this book praise. I can't be one of them. It was a good deal for the money that I paid, since I found it remaindered at Crown Books (Remember Crown?) for 2.99, instead of 19.95, which was indication then that too many of these books had been printed even then.

The problem that the telling is two fold. One of theme and one of technique. Reading Tim Parks was tiring. Short chapters that string together if you lead an existential life, but within these 5 and 10 page chapters are long paragraphs and almost non-existent dialogue told in first person. My brain aches from needing a rest between such long passages. Certainly I start to learn about the little part of the world Parks calls home, but the rhythm is all wrong. Good way to put me to sleep every night and that surely was not the intent of the author.

The second fault is that of theme. After more than half the book you realize that there is no story but to be told what life is like for the man in the city on the outskirts of Verona. There is no quest, there is no reason, it is just the telling of the exposure to the little world of Via Colombare, that you/I begin to wonder why? Do Frances Mayes and Peter Mayle have these same problems or are they more deft at showing us a story when one is transplanted to another culture.

For 2.99 instead of $20, it was worth an exploration but never a return visit.

A Journey into Latinization
I borrowed this book from a British friend after my first trip to fascinating Italy.I read it in one sitting- just couldn't get enough of Park's (VERY dramatic ) accounts of his move into a culture of wild Latins who waste no time with proper rules of conduct and infinite responsibilities, but instead rejoice in a world of emotional chaos and random events.

Being Latin myself, I can trace Parks' transformation into a true specimen of our kind.His journey into Latinization encompasses some very familiar events: learning to deal with strangers' hysterical displays of unresolved issues in a most kind and sympathetic manner, cohabiting with invincible insects and volunteeringly engaging in the murder of a harmless animal for the sake of restful sleep.

Fellow Italy lovers-you MUST follow Park in his adventure.His bitter and skeptical narrative provides us indispensablepieces of the puzzle of what it takes to develop a real passionate and impulsive Italian character.If nothing else, you'llcertainly get a good laugh out of it!

A Journey Into Latinization
I borrowed this book from a British friend after my first trip to fascinating Italy.I read it in one sitting- just couldn't get enough of Park's (VERY dramatic ) accounts of his move into a culture of wild Latins who waste no time with proper rules of conduct and infinite responsibilities, but instead rejoice in a world of emotional chaos and random events.

Being Latin myself, I can trace Parks' transformation into a true specimen of our kind.His journey into Latinization encompasses some very familiar events: learning to deal with strangers' hysterical displays of unresolved issues in a most kind and sympathetic manner, cohabiting with invincible insects and volunteeringly engaging in the murder of a harmless animal for the sake of restful sleep.

Fellow Italy lovers-you MUST follow Park in his adventure.His bitter and skeptical narrative provides us indispensablepieces of the puzzle of what it takes to develop a real passionate and impulsive Italian character.If nothing else, you'llcertainly get a good laugh out of it! ... Read more

Product Description
Christopher Burton, Britain's foremost foreigncorrespondent, has returned with his Italian wife to London for anextended stay. One morning, while at the reception desk of hisKnightsbridge hotel, he receives a phone call announcing that histeenage son has committed suicide in Italy. Why, upon hearing thenews, does he immediately conclude that his marriage of 30 years isover? And why is grief so slow in coming? Analyzing the three decadesof his love-hate relationship, Burton finds his life a web ofcontradictions, questions, and confusions. And yet, clearly, it hasalso been his destiny.Amazon.com Review
The protagonist of Tim Parks's Destiny is a disillusioned,fiftysomething journalist intent on writing a book about Italy's nationalcharacter. It's not merely intellectual curiosity that has led ChristopherBurton to this project: as an expatriate Englishman, he's also desperate tofigure out the inhabitants of his adopted country, and more specifically,his Italian wife. "You cannot marry a woman in one language and think inanother," he muses, convinced that what he once found vehement and excitingabout her has been revealed as shallow and distasteful. Mistaken for aGerman in Italy and an American in England, the narrator beautifullyarticulates the dilemma of living amid a confusion of tongues. "Languageis national destiny," he concludes, which would seem to be bad news for hismarriage.

Meanwhile, Burton and his wife are confronted with another, nonlinguisticcatastrophe. During a three-month stay in England, the journalist learnsthat his only son has committed suicide in Italy. His first emotion is notgrief but a kind of relief--after all, it was mainly Marco's schizophreniathat kept the couple together. As they travel back home, however, hisflamboyant wife begins to unravel, and punishes him by lapsing into a"miserable and uncooperative mutism."

Destiny is an astute study of the inappropriate behavior thataccompanies grief, as well as a blistering look at a marriage of equals--atlove's endless loss and retrieval. The fractured, claustrophobic narrationperfectly suits Burton's mood, as he lurches from ugly confusion to sublimelucidity, even (or especially) in the presence of his son's corpse. "Marcois less remarkable in death than in life," he notes, and then continues:

To my immense relief he was dressed. The corpse was dressed. My wife wasn'tthere. Dark trousers, blue sweater.... There were two or three heavy piecesof dark wooden furniture and a Sacred Heart on the near wall. A publicspace that apes the private, I thought, or the imagined private of adistant past. That saves you taking your late beloved home to lie underhalogen light by the television.

Customer Reviews (3)

Not his best, but a great ending
I'm a big Tim Parks fan, and I've read most of his previous books and enjoyed them thoroughly. Unfortunately, I think Destiny was written more for the critics than the average reader. The book is pretentiously written, with numerous plots intertwined throughout each paragraph.I almost gave up half way through, but I'm really glad I stuck it out till the end - it has a great finish. Yes, it does define national character in a unique way. I'm glad to have read it, but didn't enjoy reading it.

Tim Parks Goes Deeper
This is my kind of novel. The disenchanted, urban, pan-European middle-aged protagonist is the only type of character that interests me at the moment. This book goes deeper into the kind of philosophical yet entertaining writing that Parks' readers have come to expect of him. Thenovel captures its protagonist at the riveting crisis point after a son'ssuicide, as he contemplates the breakup of his marriage.

If sowonderful, then why not five stars? Too much back and forth in thenarrator's head, time sequence confusion, the way we can't figure out ifwe're in the present or the immediate past or both sumultaneously. Thereare always at least two thoughts being conveyed simultaneously, because thenarrative strategy aims to mimic the jumbled thought processes during thehero's crisis. The author succeeds in getting this effect across, but itmakes for a roller coaster effect. One has to read passages over and overto get at the gems of insight, of which there are many. But I'm afraid manyreaders will simply not be willing to battle the rocky terrain. Too much ofthe writer's effort, and the reader's attention, are expended on this wildride, when I longed for information that would make the auxiliarycharacters more real to me. I still don't have enough of a sense of thedead Marco before his schizophrenia descended to feel a real sense of losson behalf of the narrator. And throughout most of the book, the wife Burtonis determined to leave seems more a larger than life symbol of Italiannational character than a flesh and blood woman. She only acquires a name,for example, in the last chapter.

It also seems a bit of a lameanti-climactic afterthought when, late in the book, Burton reveals, "Ican't forgive my wife for growing old." When remarks like these arethrown out, almost out of context, and a past mistress surfaces but is onlysketchily dealt with, I sometimes suspect that Parks uses these malefiction conventions not because they are true to character, but becausethey are simply male fiction convetions, a way of saying, "Yes, I'm aregular guy, a twentieth century adulturous man." The mistress ofalmost five years' standing seems tacked on -- if he loved the girl as hesays he did, why don't we feel it? Such tricks do not sit well with thephilosophical sweep of the rest of the book, seem lazy when the readerknows what depths the narrative is capable of plumbing. Some auxiliarycharacters, such as the wife's former lover, Gregory, earn their space, buttoo many appear as plot-driven, conscious creations.

Yet, these arerather minor faults. Parks offers something unavailable in mainstreamliterary fiction today, rising above the typical clever-cleverpostmodernist wordplay of most "leading" British authors, or theponderous political correctness of their American counterparts. How manybooks these days seriously explore ideas without sinking into preaching?

I applaud this book for questioning the current culture's over-emphasison blaming and explaining through simplistic pop psychology formulas. As inMartin Amis' Night Train, we have the aftermath of a suicide withoutapparent motive, people struggling to find meaning behind an apparentlymeaningless act. But the phenomenon is rendered both so much morepersonally and universally:" ... we all invent stories to explainthese horrible things to ourselves. We invent the past. When perhaps thereis no explanation." The central concept of destiny, rather thanpsychology, determining the course of people's lives also figures in someof Anita Brookner's novels. I wish the often too chaotic style of Parks'novel could have borrowed just a little of Brookner's calmness, in order tolet such concepts breathe.

The idea of going deeper into a marriage, intoan experience, rather than starting over is explored in this novel.Likewise, in the writing itself, Parks goes deeper into his own style --deeper into the workings of a human mind, deeper into faith, intophilosophy, deeper into meaning, or the mystery of its lack:" ...And it occurs to me now that the brighter the light, the more evident it isthat revelation is denied. The more clearly one sees, the more inescapableenigma becomes ... Whereas in a shady room ... It is just possible toimagine that mysteries will one day be revealed." Wonderful stuff.

Disappointing
I gave up halfway through Destiny, not because the writing isn't terrific-it is-and not because Parks has nothing to say-I find him to be a very astute commentator on a variety of issues (the trouble with marriage, national identity, etc.). But maybe that's the problem: Parks' is grapplingwith issues more than telling a story. Which is fine sometimes, but hereit's heavy-handed and dull. Maybe I'm biased because I read Parks' lastbook, a book of essays called "Adultery and Other Diversions"which touches on the same issues with much more success. His narrativeapproach in non-fiction is superior to the tact he takes in Destiny (someof the essays in "Adultery" read like short stories).I mighthave forgiven all this if the book was funny. Which it isn't. ... Read more

Product Description
In this thoroughly revised edition, Tim McNulty returns his gaze to the Olympic National Park: 1,400 square miles of rugged mountains and wilderness in the heart of the Olympic Peninsula. By examining the effects of global warming and its rapid changes throughout the region alongside current archaeological discoveries that shed new light on the early people of the peninsula, McNulty brings together our past and future. McNulty also tells the stories of the Olympic National Park's animal populations. From marmots and black bears to the prospect of reintroducing wolves, he then looks at the resurgence of bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and the burgeoning sea otter populations rejuvenating the coastal ecosystems. Finally, the restoration of the Elwha River, the removal of salmon-blocking dams, and salmon recovery efforts across the peninsula are bringing wildlife back to the wilderness. Tim McNulty is a poet and nature writer living in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very happy reader
I bought this book to get some natural history background before a 10-day backpack trip in Olympic National Park.The book is so fine I ended up carrying it with me.The information is vast and accurate, the writing is first-rate, the author's knowledge is deep, and his understanding and compassion for this special place are infectious.A MUST read for anyone interested in the Olympic Mountains and their unique natural heritage. ... Read more

Product Description
“Let’s get lost together . . . ”

Lost in My Own Backyard brings acclaimed author Tim Cahill together with one of his—and America’s—favorite destinations: Yellowstone, the world’s first national park. Cahill has been “puttering around in the park” for a quarter of a century, slowly covering its vast scope and exploring its remote backwoods. So does this mean that he knows what he’s doing? Hardly. “I live fifty miles from the park,” says Cahill, “but proximity does not guarantee competence. I’ve spent entire afternoons not knowing exactly where I was, which is to say, I was lost in my own backyard.”

Cahill stumbles from glacier to geyser, encounters wildlife (some of it, like bisons, weighing in the neighborhood of a ton), muses on the microbiology of thermal pools, gets spooked in the mysterious Hoodoos, sees moonbows arcing across waterfalls at midnight, and generally has a fine old time walking several hundred miles while contemplating the concept and value of wilderness. Mostly, Cahill says, “I have resisted the urge to commit philosophy. This is difficult to do when you’re alone, twenty miles from the nearest road, and you’ve just found a grizzly bear track the size of a pizza.”

Divided into three parts—“The Trails,” which offers a variety of favorite day hikes; “In the Backcountry,” which explores three great backcountry trails very much off the beaten track; and “A Selected Yellowstone Bookshelf,” an annotated bibliography of his favorite books on the park—this is a hilarious, informative, and perfect guide for Yellowstone veterans and first-timers alike. Lost in My Own Backyard is adventure writing at its very best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

backcountry inspiration
Book was easy to read and inspires reader to get off the main road and really see and enjoy Yellowstone.
My main complaint was that much read like it was out of a guidebook (maybe because I was just there and seemed "same old stuff").But I am glad I read it and wish I'd done more off the loop.

Cahill good as usual, but too short
I totally enjoyed the book, being a big Cahill fan, but was disappointed at the shortness of it for the price.

Brilliant
This is a brilliant assessment of a precious national treasure. Those who said booooring or no substance just don't get it. Cahill has his finger on the pulse of all things Yellowstone, and shares it with those of us who care stridently for the park's past, present and future. I was especially interested in his report about fallout from the Waterfalls book. No, this is not a definitive guidebook. Yes, this is an insiders look and appraisal of the state of our oldest, biggest and best national park. I applaud Tim Cahill and his writing.

-- Joyce B. Lohse, Mammoth '73
Centennial, Colorado

lost in my own backyard
Booooooring!I got nothing out of this book, and sold it at a rummage sale for a quarter.

A great entry point for those seeking to get the most out of a Yellowstone visit...
I have been to Yellowstone. I have used numerous hiking guides. I have even, in my fascination, read some books on the history and geology of the park.

Having used the Lonely Planet Yellowstone as a primary guide for an overview, I was pleased to find that the man--Tim Cahill--who had written the delightful introduction to that book has written a small book of his own on some of his adventures in the park. More than just stories, this book is a resource on multiple levels.

This coming year, I hope to be taking a BUNCH of people with me on a road trip to our nation's great "backyard." When I think about trying to get people fired up for such an adventure, the stories and enthusiasm of this book help me to get a little more enthusiasm. It further helps me to know where to begin to describe the awesome VASTNESS of wonder to be found in Yellowstome.

More than that, this book, with its list of further Yellowstone resources in the back, is a gold mine for those looking for Yellowstone resources. When Christmas rolls around, I will be sorely tempted to give this book as a gift to many who are thinking of going on the trip next year.

Until then, you should check this book out. And more than that, you should REALLY check Yellowstone out. Theres is no place like it on earth! ... Read more

Product Description
Is Italy a united country, or a loose affiliation of warring states? Is Italian football a sport, or an ill-disguised protraction of ancient enmities? After twenty years in the bel paese, Tim Parks goes on the road to follow the fortunes of Hellas Verona football club, to pay a different kind of visit to some of the world's most beautiful cities. From Udine to Catania, from the San Siro to the Olimpico, this is a highly personal account of one man's relationship with a country, its people and its national sport. A book that combines the tension of cliff-hanging narrative with the pleasures of travel writing, and the stimulation of a profound analysis of one country's mad, mad way of keeping itself entertained. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

a season with verona
i am not sure if this was a good book or not but i did learn a lot of new italian words some i should probley not use.

Of Lunatics and Fanatics in Serie A
As a soccer fan, reading "A Season With Verona" is like watching the opposition score an elegant goal against your team.You can admire it, but it does not make you happy.

Englishman, Tim Parks, spent a season following his beloved Verona team all over Italy to watch them play in the Serie A football league.His chronicles of his travels and the games make Italians and Italian soccer fans in particular sound like lunatics.

Parks and the Hellas Verona die-hard soccer fans are the principal characters of the book and they were a hard bunch for me to like or relate to.They spend a large portion of their fandom drunk or high.They waste much of their emotion on trying to antagonize opposing fans or their own players.They seem to love playing the part of the "victim" after they have been detained by the police or their team has been beaten on the pitch.

Parks spends a good portion of time making observations on how soccer fits into Italian society, makes interesting observations, and tells humorous stories.I think most soccer fans would enjoy this book and travelers who have spent some time in Italy might enjoy it as well.I can't heartily recommend "A Season With Verona," though.

After I read Chuck Culpepper's "Bloody Confused" I was ready to hop on the trains and follow English Premier League teams all over Britain.After reading Tim Parks' "A Season With Verona" I'm not sure I ever want to set foot in Italy.

Great in-depth insight, of the good and bad
I won't go into all the details like others but I think the fact that he discusses the ugly losses as much as the great wins helps the book. Great insight as a writer that lives in the town that he follows, which an outsider would miss. If you're familar with the sport and are a supporter but want a different view then consider reading, also. Too bad about the teams's current situation/standing! Best of luck to them.
Overall, a great read because (unlike the approach here) anybody can write happy (boring) stories about the giant, bandwagon teams.

not perfect but gripping nonetheless
Parksvividly captures segments of life on the road following a not-so-glamourous and not-so-successful football team in one of the more cryptic, corrupt and colourful leagues in the world. Overall it is superb reading. The narrative of the season is skillfully depicted. From the blow by blow description of the first away trip to the hothouse atmosphere of the final match, it captures the excitement and dreariness of the season and provides moments of humour as well as disgust. Some of these fans and their behaviour are truly abhorent. However, that is the nature of the game and Parks is obliged to describe them. Whether you think he is overly sympathetic is toward the hard core fans is up to the reader to judge.
Where it fails is in its more lofty ambitions of drawing a canvas of every aspect of life in Italy. The editing could have been more rigorous as the constant to-ing and fro-ing between football and non-football analogies is distracting, particularly in the middle third of the book.
No book written by a fan about fans can truly capture a global view of any game. This book certainly doesn't although it sometimes tries hard. For a more historical and analytical view of the game, I recommendFoot's book. However, if you're after something to give you an idea of the joy and bitterness of life on the terraces, read this.

Save your money....I have never thrown away a calcio book--until now
I have never written a review before; I have also never thrown away a calcio book. After reading this book, I can no longer say either.

If you get your kicks reading books about anything but calcio; if you get your kicks reading "Dio boia and Dio can" seemingly a billion times in the first 50 pages, and reading maybe 2 pages worth of calcio in the same stretch, then this book is for you. If, like me, you want to read about calcio...the game, the teams, the players, the true culture, then this is not the book for you. Save your money and buy "Calcio" by Foot, instead. ... Read more

Product Description
"In the autumn of 2004, shortly after his memorable interview with the President of the United States and following the publication of his elder son's novelised autobiography, cruelly entitled "Under His Shadow", celebrity journalist, broadcaster and documentary film-maker Harold Cleaver boarded a British Airways flight from London Gatwick to Milan Malpensa, proceeded by Italian railways as far as Bruneck in the South Tyrol and thence by taxi, northwards, to the village of Luttach only a few kilometres from the Austrian border, from whence he hoped to find some remote mountain habitation in which to spend the next, if not necessarily the last, years of his life." Thus opens Tim Parks' new novel and masterpiece. Overweight and overwrought, London's most successful journalist abandons home, partner, mistresses and above all television, the instrument that brought him identity and power. His quest: to climb above "the noise line," to get beyond the e.mail and the mobile phone and the interminable clamour of the public voice of which he himself was such a master.Weeks later, snowed in at five thousand feet, harangued by voices from the past and humiliated by his inability to understand the gothic peasants he relies on for food and whisky, Cleaver discovers that there is nowhere so noisy and so dangerous as the solitary mind. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Spreken ze Deutsche?
I don't.

And there's a LOT of it in this story.

OK ... so the language barrier adds to Cleaver's physical isolation.

I get it.

BUT Cleaver knows SOME German, he's able to communicate even if it's on a rather elementary level.

But half the time we're not told what HE'S saying or what HE THINKS is being said to him.

On the plus side, I like stream of consciousness narration. Overall, it was a very good device for this story. And the descriptions -- emotional and physical -- were marvelous.

But trying to second guess what the Germans were saying -- not knowing if it was prattle or if I was missing out on something useful -- just became too tiresome, and I quit the book about half way through.

no matter where you go, there you are
I enjoyed this book even though I will spend more time critiquing than complementing.At this point, there is only one other review giving 5 stars and I think this book is more like a 3.5.

Harold Cleaver moves to a Austrian city high in the mountains where everyone except Harold speaks German.Cleaver is trying to get away from everything, especially his life and family.However, he spends just about every minute of the day thinking (obsessively) about his life and family.There's an old zen saying that no matter where you go, there you are.Cleaver rarely gets to Be Here Now and spends most of time in the past.

Since most people speak German, he has trouble communicating with anyone.I enjoyed the part of his trying to communicate but what I did not like about it was never knowing what was being said even when Cleaver used some of his high school German.So the narrator (Cleaver) is able to do some of the communication but the reader NEVER gets to know.I understand the writer trying to make us feel what Cleaver is going through but he keeps us out of that loop.He does this way too often in the first half of the book and I constantly battled about just putting the book down.

The second half of the book is much better because there are more characters involved in it.Cleaver is not a likeable person and the first half can drag at times.You feel "who cares" what happens to this person.In the second half, more people become involved and the story gets much stronger.

Interesting ending to the book.

Masterpiece...
Harold Cleaver, who is in his mid to late 50's, is balding, overweight, a womanizer and also happens to be Britain's most celebrated T.V.journalist.

This story is set in 2004.Several days before his interview with the U.S. President, he reads a just published but thinly veiled fiction novel written by his son about Harold and his family titled "Under His Shadow."His son viciously and repeatedly attacks him in his expose:

"my father was as utterly incapable of leaving any woman alone as he was utterly, absolutely and irremediably incapable of turning down any offer of food or drink or cigarettes, or, even any opportunity to appear in public at any moment of the day or night...He was ambition, avarice and appetite incarnate - the three As as he called them - at once and always carnal and carnivorous."

You get the picture.

Harold then interviews (unloads his rage on) the U.S. President when he visits Britain in what many describe as his best professional interview of his career.The President is expecting a "friendly" Q&A session and instead finds that he is intellectually ambushed by Cleaver.

Rather than basking in his elevated celebrity, Harold finds that he is reeling from his son's disclosures and characterizations including the nature of his partnership (not marriage) with his wife, his father's "responsibility" for his twin sister's death among a series of other so-called "fictional" observations (accusations) of his Father's character.

Harold decides to walk away from it all.He leaves Britain to find solitude in a cabin in the remote mountain tops of Italy near the Austrian border - to get away from television, cell phones, the internet, newspapers, his son's book, his partner and mistresses.

Instead of finding solitude, Harold finds that he is replaying his son's book chapter by chapter.His mind is constantly chattering as he agonizes over his weight, his cold feet, the lack of full and accurate disclosure in his son's book, his temptation to check voice mails and emails, his inability to speak/understand German, his frustration in lighting a lantern and other day to day necessities as the urbanite is challenged in living in the mountains.Harold's mental and physical struggles make this one of the funniest novels that I have read.

Tim Parks manages to masterfully weave the internal (mind chatter) and external dialog and often times in the same paragraph.Harold travels from the present, to the past, from the internal to the external - and Parks makes Harold's stream of consciousness all stick together.

At 6,000 feet in the mountains, Harold finds that rather than leaving all of the noise of the press and his family behind, he discovers that "nowhere is so noisy and dangerous as the solitary mind."
"Why am I not relaxing?"

This book was selected as a Sunday Telegraph Book of the Year and it certainly lives up to its billing.
... Read more

Product Description
Patterson Park is an urban oasis, a sacred green space surrounded by red brick row homes and generations of diverse cultures and neighborhoods. For almost 180 years, Baltimoreans have picnicked under tall tulip poplars, strolled the deeply curved paths, and enjoyed the rich architectural design of this 137-acre East Baltimore park. Patterson Park is not simply beautiful landscapes, scenic vistas, and tree-lined pathways. This refuge is also an urban emerald with many facets. Patterson Park has served as the defenses of Baltimore during the War of 1812, a Civil War surgical hospital, and a picturesque home to herons, wood ducks, and painted turtles. Patterson Park has a free outdoor gym with tennis courts, volleyball nets, and an ice rink, as well as paths for relaxing walks around the boat lake. Since its beginnings in 1827, Patterson Park has been a prime example of how urban open spaces can complete and unify diverse communities. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great memories
Another great photo history book of the area in which I grew up. I've recommended it to friends and several have told me they purchased it and are just as happy with as I am. My children and some of my grandchildren have also read and enjoyed it.

Baltimore's Patterson Park
An interesting background of an inner city park with a history. Local residents have brought the park back to an active community roll from several decades of neglect. The current multi-cultural stage still leaves room for improvement but progress is on-going. Wonderful photographs. A joy to read. Thank you, Tim. ... Read more

Product Description
Pennsylvania is home to many classic amusement parks, several of which began operating as early as the late nineteenth century. Some of these parks maintain rides and amusements from their early years, preserving an atmosphere of nostalgia. Others have evolved with new trends in the industry, adding high-tech rides and water parks. This book begins with a concise history of the amusement park, and then surveys the industry in Pennsylvania. A comprehensive guide to 13 parks in the state and a selection of smaller ones, complete with information on rides and attractions, follows. Packed with vintage postcard images and photos. Featured parks:Williams Grove Amusement Park, MechanicsburgIdlewild and Soak Zone, LigonierDorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom, AllentownConneaut Lake Community Park, Conneaut LakeLakemont Park, AltoonaWaldameer Park and Water World, ErieKennywood, West MifflinBushkill Park, EastonHersheypark, HersheyDelGrosso's Amusement Park, TiptonKnoebels Amusement Resort, ElysburgDutch Wonderland, LancasterSesame Place, Langhorne ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Should Be Titled "History Of Amusement Parks Of Pennsylvania"
When I delved into this book, I really appreciated its history of amusement parks throughout the country, in its first chapter. But then as I read further, in the sections for each individual park, I realized that I'd be getting mainly history for each park. ACE will (tentatively) be holding their annual Coaster Convention in the Pennsylvania parks in 2010 and I bought this book thinking I'd be getting up to date information on each park, such as I do reading DisneyLand or DisneyWorld books, so I was disappointed. But, I must say, as a history book, it is very interesting. Four out of five stars.

Yesteryear and now of Pennsylvania's Parks
Very informative book on the history of many amusement parks in the state of Pennsylvania. Many brought back memories; from all the historic photos. Alot of informative websites and locations are included with lots of information.

Not just for PA residents
As most roller coaster enthusiasts know, there are very few books that go beyond pretty full-color photographs and into the history of a particular park. It is even more difficult to find information on parks not owned by major corporations (e.g. Disney, Paramount, Vivendi Universal).

Futrell's book captures the unique history of 13 different amusement parks in Pennsylvania. You are given a rare glimpse into these parks that date back to the origins of the American amusement park industry. Having recently visited Kennywood and Idlewild for the first time, I have realized how much of the charm and atmosphere has faded from the latest generation of parks.

Buy this book before the print run ends! You won't regret it.

Fun reading and focus on PA!
Great new book on amusement parks of PA. This book show theinterest in amusement parks and rides that has been growing ever since the 90's.There is a nice balance between the history of the parks and current conditions.In one book the reader learns a wealth of material about past and now defunct parks (where is the mention of the park that used to be in Mt. Gretna - carousel and all??) as well as information on parks that are up and running. Good summary of each park as well as current information on admission, directions, etc.I was disappointed that there was little emphasis on memorabilia or good trivia. The old photos/postcards really help.That would really help this work out.What about all those great tokens.Even Leap the Dips put our a coaster token to push the coaster.The book is a good read and recommended for the enthusiast.

coaster riffic
This book rocks.There was more information than I could possibly imagine.The author is obviously impassioned by his subject--this had to have been a labor of love.And what better muse than the romantic coasters of Pennsylvania. ... Read more

Product Description
It's great fun at the park! Topsy and Tim discover there's lots to do as they feed the ducks, have a picnic, visit the playground and finish off the day with a nice cold ice cream. ... Read more

Product Description

Wild, spectacular Yellowstone thrills visitors with gushing geysers and free-roaming wildlife. Grand Teton entices with jagged peaks and glacial lakes. Packed with information for everyone from families with small children to hardcore outdoor adventurers, this guide takes you there.

• Thermal Wonders: From world-famous Old Faithful to gem-colored hot springs, Yellowstone's wild thermal features.
• Wildlife: Bison, elk, bears, moose, wolves, bald eagles - this guide tells you where to spot them.
• Outdoor Fun: The best spots for hiking, camping, rock-climbing, skiing, fishing, boating, and more.
• Insider Tips: Hundreds of places to stay, eat, and play, as well as how to find a wealth of hidden treasures.
• Beyond the Parks: From the Wild West bluster of Cody to the exhilarating ski slopes of Jackson Hole.

Customer Reviews (10)

I had no problems, but I sent the book as a gift and really don't know what it looks like.
I had no problems, but I sent the book as a gift and really don't know what it looks like.

Most helpful guidebook
Before my Yellowstone trip, I had purchased many books and maps and visited websites-you know the drill.This book helped with many insider tips-when talking with other visitors, they had consistently asked me how I knew these things, and I told them-the Lonely Planet guide.Even two park rangers wanted to know how I knew these lesser known tips-and they were impressed with the information.My favorites:how to get the best view of the Grand Prismatic pool (I'm not going to give that one away) and how to avoid bears on trails-which I'll let out of the bag-sing show tunes!Yes that sounds ridiculous-but when I saw a bear about 150 ft ahead of me on a trail and started singing Ethel Merman, well, bears are smart enough not to stick around for the encore!

Not The Lonely Planet I've Come to Expect!
Maybe it's because the author admits that he ventured off to complete this project only a couple days after getting married, leaving his bride behind.Perhaps a publishing deadline loomed large.I'm not sure what Lonely Planet's excuse is, but this book is the most thrown together, unhelpful guide I've ever seen in their repertoire! I've appreciated their "secret" tips and organized guides for many of my world adventures, and this one is just way below par. Abyssmal on any scale.

I did tons better researching on the internet on my own, which might be the best approach to these parks anyway, so that you're sure to get up to date information.This guide doesn't even mention the great guest ranch outside the park at which I snagged six nights a few months before my visit, how to make sure that you get tickets for special ranger-led, half-day back-country adventure hikes with 15 person limits, or that there are boat and kayak rentals/tours in Yellowstone from concessionaires.

The book literally gives you a headache, trying to figure out how to make sense of the vast amount of listings presented. A menage of maps and thrown-together tidbits are pretty meaningless without the necessary organization to figure out an orderly travel plan.It would have been a lot better if the book took you around each of Yellowstone's loops and through Grand Teton in a more logical format.

I alos found much of the information to be grossly outdated and inaccurate, and so many basic outdoor activities weren't explored in depth, and no real useful information or how-tos were given.I was thoroughly disappointed with my selection. With the vast amount of knowledge that I've accumulated through my own research, I could certainly re-write this guide myself!

You'll be lost without it!
If it's your first time in Yellow Stone or the Grand Tetons this'll be your bible .. the hikes listed in both places are well presented and with the maps included will help you plan you time in this wonderful part of the world .. The information on where you are likely to spot animals is really useful - Elk, Bison, Moose and Bear ... all accurate! The highlights and intineraries suggested helped with planning the trip.. but in addition to the traditional 'must sees' the book also suggests some wonderful off the beaten track experiences as well. Has info on where to stay and eat ..I stayed outside the park and would recommend either Teton Village or Jackson Hole as a good base with lots of top class accomodation. For European travellers Jackson Hole was the only place that I could get a mobile phone signal!

A Guide To the Tetons and Yellowstone
For one contemplating a trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons this book will be a fine handbook and guide.It is very detailed in regards to information about the parks and offers the reader a fine source of information for things to do on your visit. ... Read more

Product Description

Tim Parks' first bestseller, Italian Neighbors, chronicled his initiation into Italian society and cultural life. Reviewers everywhere hailed it as a bravissimo performance. Now he turns to his children -- born and bred in Italy -- and their milieu in a small village near Verona.

With the splendid eye for detail, character, and intrigue that has brought him acclaim as a novelist, he creates a fascinating portrait of Italian family life, at school, at home, in church, and in the countryside. Thispanoramic journey winds up with a deliciously seductive evocation of an Italian beach holiday that epitomizes everything that is quintessentially Italian. Here is an insider's Italy, re-created by "one of the most giftedwriters of his generation" (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post)

Customer Reviews (25)

Growing up Italian
I enjoyed this book (as I enjoyed most of Parks' others) particularly because it was an interesting look at parents and children, and especially how our childhoods create the adults who fit into a certain milieu.How does an Italian/British/American child grow up into an adult that can navigate the ins and outs of the particular culture to which it belongs?It's an interesting topic for me, especially as I'm an American who mostly grew up overseas, and I was interested in Parks' musings on how his children would grow up with radically different assumptions about how the world works than he did.

Unlike some reviewers, I didn't notice Parks being especially whiny, and for me the book captured my interest throughout.

Living in Italy/Italian life
I have read two of Tim Parks books and have even sent them to my daughter who recently moved to Italy. His books talk about real life things in Italy that she has also encountered.
It was enjoyable reading them in succession because I could see how he had been adapting to the new culture and different ways of doing things.
A must read for anyone thinking about moving to Italy and a pleasant read for anyone who wants to learn more about the "real" country of Italy. It's not the touristy stuff it's the regular people stuff and it's a fun read.

A Good Book to Put You To Sleep
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.

Interesting read
I enjoyed this sequel to Italian Neighbors.Mr. Parks gives us a glimpse into the real Italian family and day to day life.

Expendable Italians?
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? ... Read more

Product Description
Morris Duckworth, an unhappy and poverty-stricken English teacher in Verona, descends deeper and deeper into crime and violence as he moves from petty theft to a plot to kidnap a wealthy heiress who has fallen in love with him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

second time around
I checked this book out at the library years ago and decided to have another go at it (and also the sequel "Mimi's Ghost") because I love to read Tim Parks and he can't write fast enough to keep me in reading material.I enjoyed it so much the first time, but now his writing talent has excelled so far past what it was in this book, that I'm not as impressed. For a first-time reader it should be very entertaining.But, really, check out some of his later novels.He is a winner.

Social Commentary Gone Wrong
This book is a prime example of one where you can admire the author's writing skill, find it hard to put down, perhaps acquire a grain of insight into the human condition, and still intensely dislike the book.It is, indeed, a thriller.Things constantly go wrong with the protagonist's plans to enrich himself, forcing him to improvise.Even though this pretentious working-class Englishman is not likeable in the slightest, the reader feels compelled to find out how he's going to deal with each unforeseen obstacle.In addition to creating a fast paced story of love and crime, Parks may also have something to say about the consequences of social class and economic disparity.By depriving the central character of any sense of moral integrity, however, Parks has taken too great a risk.A reader needs to connect with the main character in some way, and to finish the book with some sense of time not wasted.I suspect that this clueless character was intended to be funny, or darkly funny, or scarily familiar, but I'm at a loss to see the humor, and the class consciousness may lose impact in transition across the Atlantic.

Great
Parks use of the sympathetic narrator is ingenious. Through all Morris' self-congratulatory highs to his self-loathing lows, the narrator keeps us tuned in to the thought process of this likeable 'serial killer.' The Fowles similariy struck me as well, especially in another book of his, Shear. However, I emailed Tim Parks asking how he felt about John Fowles, and he claimed not to be a fan. Either way, both are master writers, and for my money, Tim Parks is the best writer around. Mimi's Ghost, the sequel to this book, is an absolute must read, as are Shear, Europa and Goodness, to name but a few.

Parks: the next Fowles?
This is the first book I've read by Tim Parks and I plan to follow it up immediately with the sequel, "Mimi's Ghost". Park's style can be compared favorably to a young John Fowles' , especially his earlier works such as "The Magus" and "The Collector".
As in "The Collecter", Parks creates a disturbing story told from the perpetrator's POV wherin the main character attempts to justify his own deviant behavior and digs himself deeper and deeper into into trouble. The effect is chilling and Park's eye for detail is evident throughout, not surprising as the book's main character is an English teacher in Verona, Italy where the dust jacket states that Parks himself teaches English. Hopefully that's where his similarity to the books main character, Morris Duckworth ends.

Great Book
This book is a real page turner and I really loved reading this book.This is the first Tim Parks book I have read but It won't be the last.I highly recommend reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
George's father died a martyr's death, and in her small way his mother is a saint. But George is more pragmatic. He believes that life is only worth living if it is happy, and he will not believe his life is destined to be anything other than pleasant. But then his daughter is born deformed. ... Read more