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Books : The Dark Heart of Italy
Rating: 
- A disappointing collection of second-hand stereotypes
This book is a collection of second-hand stereotypes about Italy and Italians. I watched the author on a TV program struggling to put a few words together in Italian and asked myself how he could have gathered any insighgts on the Italian political/sociological situation with such a poor knowledge of the local language. Overall: a surprisingly shallow book and a serious source of embarassement for British journalism.
Rating: - far from reality
The author does't know what he is talking about. His vision of Italy, its politics and Italians is naive. It is never a good idea to generalize about a country and its citizens, especially if someone is not an anthropologist and especially if the description carries a judgement in itself. And if you are not a glottologist it is not wise to interpret the language according to the ethimology of the words without placing the latters in their contemporary context and use. In fact it is the use that makes the language, regardless its origin, especially if we are talking about familiar expressions. The author's vision of Italy and Italians is superficial, and I am only talking about the first chapter. The title of the book presents the book itself as a reference book for anyone travelling to the Country. In fact it is only a very restricted view of an ordinary foreigner who doesn't know much about the culture and uses of the country he is visiting. I would suggest the author to read "Watching the English" by Kate Fox as example of honest writing. In fact, Kate Fox is an anthropologist and also she does not judge the social phenomena she describes. Viola Petrella
Rating:
- Thanks Brits!
In Italy this book caused a small wave of anglophobia.
However, we italians must thank you brits because of your great jouranlists, Tobias Jones and David Lane. They are the voice of 50% of Italians who hate Berlusconi.
Read their books and you'll know who we Italians are.
Rating:
- The emotions of a newcomer bring back the memories...
This is a great to book to read for those resident in Italy over the last thirty years - I relived it all. The bomb in Piazza Fontana when I could hear the roar of the sirens from my office, the young recruits with their rifles outside the Leonardo De Vinci Lyceum, Corso XXII Marzo where Zibecchi was crushed to death by an armoured police van etc., etc., events which happened close to my home. All the bewilderment of the new arrival at the Italian way of doing things, of their art to "arrangiarsi", the scandalous verdicts, the never ending trials and the hopes that some day things will change and now the Berlusconi catastrophe are sensations which Jones experienced 30 years on...Nothing has changed and his conclusion is identical. The last chapter moved me to tears because despite everything I couldn't choose a better place to live in: Italy and the Italians have cast their spell...
Rating:
- An amusing book, but quite superficial.
As an Italian living in the north of Italy I don't understand why Mr. Jones fights so angrily against italian banks, postal offices and police offices for foreigners. In forty years living here I never experienced problems with banks or postal offices. Maybe I can meet the same problems if I will go in England. I enjoyed the humorous writing of Mr. Jones and I laughed for his description of the Italian bureaucracy. Much of what he says about dishonesty and corruption it's absolutely true, but I think he himself is really distant from italian meanings, and always patronizing. He doesn't understand that Italians work much harder than most people believe. It doesn't exactly fit with the carefree image wich the British is happy to accept as the truth. It's absolutely true that in many italian televisions you can see a lot of trash, but I can see a lot of stupid programs also in the BBC ! And, most of all, I agreed with the first reader that the role of Catholic Church (even if I'm not a believer) in Italy is not well investigated by Mr. Jones, who often demands to people: why are you catholics ? A nonsense question for an italian. I want to underline that there is ignorance of other religions, but not intolerance outside the Catholic Church, as Mr. Jones wrote, because there are not protestants in Italy, so the people simply don't know them. At last, I think Mr. Jones is a good journalist, but he hasn't a really profound knowledge of Italy.
- A disappointing collection of second-hand stereotypesThis book is a collection of second-hand stereotypes about Italy and Italians. I watched the author on a TV program struggling to put a few words together in Italian and asked myself how he could have gathered any insighgts on the Italian political/sociological situation with such a poor knowledge of the local language. Overall: a surprisingly shallow book and a serious source of embarassement for British journalism.
Rating:
- far from realityThe author does't know what he is talking about. His vision of Italy, its politics and Italians is naive. It is never a good idea to generalize about a country and its citizens, especially if someone is not an anthropologist and especially if the description carries a judgement in itself. And if you are not a glottologist it is not wise to interpret the language according to the ethimology of the words without placing the latters in their contemporary context and use. In fact it is the use that makes the language, regardless its origin, especially if we are talking about familiar expressions. The author's vision of Italy and Italians is superficial, and I am only talking about the first chapter. The title of the book presents the book itself as a reference book for anyone travelling to the Country. In fact it is only a very restricted view of an ordinary foreigner who doesn't know much about the culture and uses of the country he is visiting. I would suggest the author to read "Watching the English" by Kate Fox as example of honest writing. In fact, Kate Fox is an anthropologist and also she does not judge the social phenomena she describes. Viola Petrella
Rating:
- Thanks Brits!In Italy this book caused a small wave of anglophobia.
However, we italians must thank you brits because of your great jouranlists, Tobias Jones and David Lane. They are the voice of 50% of Italians who hate Berlusconi.
Read their books and you'll know who we Italians are.
Rating:
- The emotions of a newcomer bring back the memories...This is a great to book to read for those resident in Italy over the last thirty years - I relived it all. The bomb in Piazza Fontana when I could hear the roar of the sirens from my office, the young recruits with their rifles outside the Leonardo De Vinci Lyceum, Corso XXII Marzo where Zibecchi was crushed to death by an armoured police van etc., etc., events which happened close to my home. All the bewilderment of the new arrival at the Italian way of doing things, of their art to "arrangiarsi", the scandalous verdicts, the never ending trials and the hopes that some day things will change and now the Berlusconi catastrophe are sensations which Jones experienced 30 years on...Nothing has changed and his conclusion is identical. The last chapter moved me to tears because despite everything I couldn't choose a better place to live in: Italy and the Italians have cast their spell...
Rating:
- An amusing book, but quite superficial.As an Italian living in the north of Italy I don't understand why Mr. Jones fights so angrily against italian banks, postal offices and police offices for foreigners. In forty years living here I never experienced problems with banks or postal offices. Maybe I can meet the same problems if I will go in England. I enjoyed the humorous writing of Mr. Jones and I laughed for his description of the Italian bureaucracy. Much of what he says about dishonesty and corruption it's absolutely true, but I think he himself is really distant from italian meanings, and always patronizing. He doesn't understand that Italians work much harder than most people believe. It doesn't exactly fit with the carefree image wich the British is happy to accept as the truth. It's absolutely true that in many italian televisions you can see a lot of trash, but I can see a lot of stupid programs also in the BBC ! And, most of all, I agreed with the first reader that the role of Catholic Church (even if I'm not a believer) in Italy is not well investigated by Mr. Jones, who often demands to people: why are you catholics ? A nonsense question for an italian. I want to underline that there is ignorance of other religions, but not intolerance outside the Catholic Church, as Mr. Jones wrote, because there are not protestants in Italy, so the people simply don't know them. At last, I think Mr. Jones is a good journalist, but he hasn't a really profound knowledge of Italy.