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A review by cheryl6of8
Naples Declared: A Walk Around the Bay by Benjamin Taylor
3.0
First and foremost, this is NOT a travel book. I have read several travel books with the theme of a walk in a specific city. Those include descriptions of buildings and places both popular and well-hidden, accompanied by info about the people and events of history that are relevant to the locale. This book was multiple layers of history and philosophy (dating back to Roman and Byzantine Empires and including modern Italian history up through the end of World War 2) with occasional information about buildings and places.
Much of the book is dense reading and much of it focuses on lesser known historians and philosophers and kings of the past. There are discussions of literature, including one about William Faulkner. When the author compared Naples to the US Deep South in attitude of mourning for glories past and compelled to live in a country dominated by those who looked down upon that past, it resonated with me. Neither is a desirable tourist destination because both present as impoverished and superstitious. This book at least gave an understanding of Naples' history that made her flaws much more sympathetic and tolerable.
Finally, the thing I struggled with the most here was the author's casual frankness and acceptance of the habits of men he expresses great admiration for in these pages. Soecifically he excuses or shrugs at pederasty and child prostitution, seeming to find the behavior of no import compared to what he considered the genius of these men. And yet he gives sufficient detail of these activities for the reader to be sickened, apparently so he is not accused of ignoring that aspect of their life. For me, my passing interest in reading the works of Nornan Douglas will never be indulged now that I know of his abuse of children and my opinion of Malraux will not recover.
Much of the book is dense reading and much of it focuses on lesser known historians and philosophers and kings of the past. There are discussions of literature, including one about William Faulkner. When the author compared Naples to the US Deep South in attitude of mourning for glories past and compelled to live in a country dominated by those who looked down upon that past, it resonated with me. Neither is a desirable tourist destination because both present as impoverished and superstitious. This book at least gave an understanding of Naples' history that made her flaws much more sympathetic and tolerable.
Finally, the thing I struggled with the most here was the author's casual frankness and acceptance of the habits of men he expresses great admiration for in these pages. Soecifically he excuses or shrugs at pederasty and child prostitution, seeming to find the behavior of no import compared to what he considered the genius of these men. And yet he gives sufficient detail of these activities for the reader to be sickened, apparently so he is not accused of ignoring that aspect of their life. For me, my passing interest in reading the works of Nornan Douglas will never be indulged now that I know of his abuse of children and my opinion of Malraux will not recover.