Comments | nwhyte: What is the best-known book set in Italy?

nwhyte

What is the best-known book set in Italy?

Feb 07, 2015 19:39

See note on methodologyI have to be honest with you. I felt I could get away with disqualifying the most-widely owned book which has been tagged "France" by the users of Goodreads and LibraryThing on the basis that, as well as being utter tosh, not all that much of it is set in France. Unfortunately, the top-ranked book, by users on both LT and GR ( Read more... )

famous books by geography, world: italy

Comments 17

emmzzi February 7 2015, 18:44:07 UTC

I am with Andy; book and film are self indulgent twaddle, Stay away.

tanngrisnir February 7 2015, 20:09:36 UTC

I heard Kermode's review of the film where he amended the title to "Eat, Pray, Love, Vomit" - everything I have seen, read or heard about it has suggested he was on the button there; I don't expect the book to be any better.

emmzzi February 7 2015, 20:25:51 UTC

prescribed for book club; we tried the film to see if it was better. Nope. Would never read by choice. Cannot believe it got a sequel!

tanngrisnir February 7 2015, 20:30:37 UTC

THERE WAS A SEQUEL? *faints*

inuitmonster February 7 2015, 19:02:17 UTC

I have spent the last 30 years of my life planning to read one of Machiavelli's political books, but always "Discourses on Livy" rather than "The Prince", as it is meant to more accurately reflect his views.

bopeepsheep February 7 2015, 19:54:29 UTC

Italy and Hell. From some perspectives, much more similar than you'd think.

The Talented Mr Ripley comes to mind first, closely followed by some of Spike Milligan's war memoirs. Apparently I have no particular reverence for the place. Blame Nonna. :D

tweedisgood February 7 2015, 22:55:47 UTC

"The Leopard" - Guiseppe di Lampedusa

atreic February 8 2015, 08:25:42 UTC

I am loving these posts, do keep it up. Do you think it would work for cities and counties? Selfishly, I want to know the best known book set in Cambridge and the Lake District (I'd wander off and do it, but I don't want to appear to be stealing your methodology or your glory, if it's something you think you might get round to)

nwhyte February 8 2015, 09:17:47 UTC

Thank you! Do feel free to adapt for other cases - I don't plan to do any more sub-national parts of the UK apart from, perhaps, the western four counties of Northern Ireland (Antrim and Down already done).

The Cambridge lists are here and here. A quick scan suggests that the winner is Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams, but you may find more complexity if you go into the detail. I'll leave the Lake District to you!

djm4 February 8 2015, 17:12:18 UTC

I would guess (with no checking) that Swallows and Amazons would rank high on the Lake District ones, but I could be very wrong about that.

atreic February 9 2015, 10:12:49 UTC

Oh, what fun! Most of the things I'd expect in the Cambridge lists (Porterhouse Blue, Period Piece, The Liar, Ghostwalk) but lots of things I'd never heard of. Swallows and Amazons does appear to win the Lake District books, followed by all the Wainwrights, but I don't think non-fiction walking guides are really the point! And I'm intrigued by who gives their OS maps stars out of 5...