2048 English Fiction/½ûÂþÌìÌà Backdrop

Having just started to re-read Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" with its vivid evocation of war on the Alpine slopes I started to muse whether it would be possible to draw up a top 20, say, of works written in English with an ½ûÂþÌìÌà setting either in the foreground or background or wherever!!

My other recommendation would be E.M.Forster's "A Room with a View".

Any other suggestions?

Ivan.

Category
Culture & Entertainment

[QUOTE=Ivan]Having just started to re-read Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" with its vivid evocation of war on the Alpine slopes I started to muse whether it would be possible to draw up a top 20, say, of works written in English with an ½ûÂþÌìÌà setting either in the foreground or background or wherever!!

My other recommendation would be E.M.Forster's "A Room with a View".

Any other suggestions?

Ivan.[/QUOTE]

What about Shakespeare ?
Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice and at least ten more tragedies or comedies....

In the last few years I've greatly enjoyed the giallo genre written or translated into English. I'll offer a few authors Michael Dibdin, Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb and Andrea Camilleri (in translation).

Tim Parks has written some fine things too. I'm not a football fan but I found 'A YEAR WITH VERONA' fascinating.

Now as to more classical fiction I will think that over further.

The Wings of the Dove - Henry James

There may be some useful hints here:
[url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=616&highlight=reading[/url]

[QUOTE=Girasole][url]http://italian-mysteries.com/[/url][/QUOTE]

I would like to propose a new category for this forum - films and books - we could have several threads:
½ûÂþÌìÌà films
Non ½ûÂþÌìÌà films about (or filmed in) Italy
½ûÂþÌìÌà books in ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ
½ûÂþÌìÌà books translated into English
Non ½ûÂþÌìÌà books set in Italy
Travel books about Italy
Online book/film club

If anyone agrees with me then please petition Ronald and Sano.

Ciao Ivan,
books which we have thoroughly enjoyed are :

Love & War in the Appenines (?) by Eric Newby -especially as you can follow his trek on your map.
½ûÂþÌìÌà Nighbours by Tim Parks
An ½ûÂþÌìÌà Education, also by Tim Parks.
Will list you a few films when a relative thread begins!

The City of Falling Angels - John Berendt

Sdoj maybe you have not noticed but Kim and David of Tuscanhills have already introduced a bookclub [url]www.vitabookclub.com[/url] which has introduced some of the points you mention.

[QUOTE=Cassini]In the last few years I've greatly enjoyed the giallo genre written or translated into English. I'll offer a few authors Michael Dibdin, Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb and Andrea Camilleri (in translation).
[/QUOTE]

This really intrigues me.
Did you red Montalbano's stories?
They're written in an amazing melting pot of italian and sicilian in a language that is very musical, this is half of the novels' beauty, so I wonder how it sounds translated in english.

[QUOTE=DavidandLinda]Sdoj maybe you have not noticed but Kim and David of Tuscanhills have already introduced a bookclub [url]www.vitabookclub.com[/url] which has introduced some of the points you mention.[/QUOTE]

Ooooh, blimey, yes.......... forgot about that!

Come join (please!) ;)

I have to 'second' the vote for Don Camillo............... I had to resort to eBay for mine, but worth the hassle!