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adorkablereader's review
5.0
I really loved this book. And I loved the author's writing style... Yes, it is full of metaphors and yes, it is super discriptive and yes, there is a lot of detail, and yes, I thought it was wonderful. I've read some reviews stating some readers thought Doer's writing was so beautiful in the beginning, but by the end they felt it was just too much and they were over it. I really don't know how anyone could get sick of something so beautiful. Plus, I think the author is aware that there is potential of this... Especially after reading this quote in the book ".... We began to feel glutted, oversaturated. Church interiors meld from one to the next, two-thousand-year-old columns float past unnoticed. Was that another Michelangelo? Another Pinturiccho? Fifty years ago, in Rome and a Villa, the novelist Eleanor Clark called it the "too-muchness" of Rome.......Too much beauty, too much input; if you aren't careful, you can overdose.". See, he knows that crossing the line is a potential, but he treats us anyways! I also loved that we know in this book he starts writing one of my favorite books "All the Light we Cannot See". I will definitely be reading more by this author. I would recommend listening to this audiobook as well, as it is narrated by the author: he did a great job.
tiffanywang29's review
4.0
This book is not necessarily a story-it's more of a musing about Rome, writing, and just life in general. Doerr, the amazing writer that he is, crafts beautiful sentences and passages on every single page. This isn't a book you can just read while watching TV, just to understand the plot. It requires time to fully appreciate the writing.
lelandbuck's review
1.0
I am not going to trash this book in an angry review. Though, honestly, I probably could. I’ll just say this book did absolutely nothing for me. I felt nothing, and i hope i remember even less. It is a memoir that didn’t need to be written.
guk's review
4.0
An enjoyable contemplation of Rome written by a temporary American expat in 2004. Although how he could hope to write while also helping with twin babies is beyond me! I liked the history (Pliny the Elder, not just beer!), descriptions of nature and unique Roman sights. Being the first visitors of the day to the Sistine Chapel is a cool, resident only adventure. I probably read this too quickly and didn’t savor his vocabulary building details but I will look into his other works and pay attention to his writing in the future.
Recommended by Modern Mrs. Darcy, borrowed from the library.
Recommended by Modern Mrs. Darcy, borrowed from the library.
corene's review
5.0
Just the kind of book I like: He's an excellent writer and storyteller plus it's set in Italy
alilbitofreading's review against another edition
3.0
This reminded me of my time in Rome, which made me reminisce about my time in Italy. It also reminded me that I really do not want children. Overall, this was all right. I simply enjoy reading other people’s experiences abroad for the most part.
kris45's review
Stretches of absolutely read-halting, beautiful prose intertwined with the realities and frustrations of daily life for an American living in Rome.