A review by booktalkwithkarla
Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr

informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

Anthony Doerr, a prize winning author, takes us on his adventure with his twin sons and his wife, as he writes and moves through a year in Italy. He is there as a fellow, at the American Academy, writing alongside other artists pursuing independent projects. This is a beautifully written and interesting peek into the life of a new father temporarily living in a historic and fascinating city. Doerr is a talented writer, able to bring Rome alive. I felt the wind. I smelled the food. I heard the water. Doerr’s insights and advice - parenting and otherwise - inspire presence and observation.

I loved how he wove together ordinary and extraordinary events. I felt moved between the beauty of the past and present. This is a short book but one that I hope to engage with again and again. The richness of Doerr’s connections and contrasts is incredible and worthy of more attention. His love for Rome made me consider more cities I want to explore. This book offers a powerful and rich reading experience. Enjoy the journey. 

“Maybe being a new parent is like moving to a foreign country. There is a Before and an After, an Old Life and a New Life.”

“We are humbled over and over – humility hangs over our heads like a sledgehammer.”

“Not-knowing is always more thrilling than knowing. Not-knowing is where hope and art and possibility and invention come from. It is not-knowing, that old, old thing, that allows everything to be renewed.”