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pheelmphree's review
5.0
Not sure if I would have given this five stars if I didn’t know Rome well or if I hadn’t rented an apartment for my 2007 internship in the same neighborhood where the author lived. Either way, exquisite writing. I’m definitely queuing his other work.
kimblackman's review
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
There was something so peaceful and spellbinding about this book. Maybe it’s that I have a child the same age as his sons, or really resonated with his descriptions of travel, or reveled in seeing Rome so distinctly through his eyes. It all felt deeply relatable and I enjoyed going along for the ride, which is unsurprising because ever Doerr book is a 5 star read for me.
personalcurio's review against another edition
3.0
If you're a Doerr fan it's fun to read this, knowing what novels he was between. I can also see how much of this influenced Cloud Cuckoo Land. Great descriptions of nature and lighting as always.
I don't recommend the audiobook though. Great descriptions and his writing is always good, but (I'm sorry Mr Doerr I really love your work) he shouldn't have been his own audiobook narrator.
I don't recommend the audiobook though. Great descriptions and his writing is always good, but (I'm sorry Mr Doerr I really love your work) he shouldn't have been his own audiobook narrator.
rebeccasarine's review
4.0
Just stellar writing! I felt like I was right there in Rome. He made his story was so real/alive and I felt privileged that he shared. I want to see the world with the eyes he has and to have the words to talk about it like he does. He talked about little things making them significant and then he talked about how our lives and the lives of those before us all are small and part of a big big world.
jhrcook's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This is Doerr's memoir about a year he spent on Rome on a writing fellowship, further complicated by the addition of his two newborn twins.
I read this as a start to my preparations for a trip to Rome I have planned for this fall.
Doerr poetically relates the simultaneous romance and chaos of the city, the nerves and excitement of travel, the joy for adventure and the desire for routine.
It's a quick read and well written, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a standalone piece; it is best paired with a Reader expecting to visit Rome or wanting a more personal interface with Doerr (I matched on both accounts having just read *All the Light We Cannot See*).
book_concierge's review
4.0
Subtitle: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
This is Doerr’s memoir of a year he spent as a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The award came with a studio in which to write, an apartment, and a stipend. And, of course, the experience of a year in Rome. It also came at a time when his wife had recently given birth to twins. Undeterred, Anthony and Shauna set off for Rome with four-month-old twin boys, who were not yet sleeping through the night.
I was completely delighted by this memoir. I have no children, but have witnessed the absolute exhaustion brought on in new parents by days (weeks? Months?) without adequate sleep as they try to care for a newborn. Caring for two simultaneously? And yet …
Doerr and his wife managed to find some time for themselves (thanks to a great babysitter), to explore some of Rome’s less-well-known treasures and even to venture in the Umbrian countryside for some “alone time.” He recounts his efforts to write, his explorations of the city and surrounding area, his neighbors, his struggles to learn and speak serviceable Italian (asking for “grapefruit sauce” was a highlight!), and the experience of all new parents as these small bundles slowly become independently mobile and show signs of the individuals they will become.
This is Doerr’s memoir of a year he spent as a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Letters. The award came with a studio in which to write, an apartment, and a stipend. And, of course, the experience of a year in Rome. It also came at a time when his wife had recently given birth to twins. Undeterred, Anthony and Shauna set off for Rome with four-month-old twin boys, who were not yet sleeping through the night.
I was completely delighted by this memoir. I have no children, but have witnessed the absolute exhaustion brought on in new parents by days (weeks? Months?) without adequate sleep as they try to care for a newborn. Caring for two simultaneously? And yet …
Doerr and his wife managed to find some time for themselves (thanks to a great babysitter), to explore some of Rome’s less-well-known treasures and even to venture in the Umbrian countryside for some “alone time.” He recounts his efforts to write, his explorations of the city and surrounding area, his neighbors, his struggles to learn and speak serviceable Italian (asking for “grapefruit sauce” was a highlight!), and the experience of all new parents as these small bundles slowly become independently mobile and show signs of the individuals they will become.
avamarina's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
kathleenguthriewoods's review
4.0
Take your time with this. Allow Doerr's gorgeous descriptions to sink into you.