Travel to Italy

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian Mind

Format: Hardcover
Author: Beppe Severgnini
ReleaseDate: 15 August, 2006
Publisher: Broadway
Rating:

Not so mindful
There is so much about the Italian culture that is humorous. . I think because, unlike people in most other Western cultures, Italians know that humor, even about themselves, is not inconsistent with intelligence or sexiness. In my estimation, La Bella Figura fell short in the humor arena. I did not laugh much, or find it very interesting. Having been to Italy several times, and studied with Italians, experiencing their wonderful senses of humor, I really expected to find it much more fun, or have much more depth. I would have preferred both. .

La Bella Figura: A Field Guide to the Italian mind
. I found the book quite superficial and rather boring.

Divertente, ma un po noioso....
The book was interesting, and funny, and I wish that I had read it prior to a trip to Italy, but I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more to it. I read this book after I heard Beppe Severgnini speak about it in Chicago; while reading, I realized that he'd already mentioned the best things in the book during his talk. He's a very funny man, however, and if you're at all familiar with (or interested in) the ways of the Italians, you'll get a kick out of it.

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