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Collection of nine travel essays by Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of Italian culture and history with Edith Wharton’s "Italian Backgrounds." This fascinating collection of essays explores the depth and vibrancy of Italy, offering readers an insightful look into the country’s historical and cultural landscape. In "Italian Backgrounds," Wharton delves into the complexities of Italy’s past, examining everything from its ancient pagan traditions to the profound impact of Christianity. Her essays provide a unique perspective on how Italy’s rich heritage has shaped its modern identity, revealing the intricate interplay between historical beliefs and cultural evolution. What if the ancient gods you thought were mere myths were, in fact, a reflection of deeper spiritual conflicts? How does the clash between old and new beliefs influence the cultural fabric of a nation? Explore the intriguing contrasts and conflicts that define Italy’s historical and cultural landscape. Wharton’s eloquent observations offer a captivating glimpse into the ways in which ancient traditions continue to resonate in contemporary Italy. Are you ready to uncover the layers of history and culture that make Italy unique? Dive into "Italian Backgrounds" and experience Edith Wharton’s masterful exploration of Italy’s rich heritage. This collection is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the profound influences that have shaped Italian society. Don’t miss the chance to enrich your knowledge of Italy’s past. Purchase "Italian Backgrounds" today and delve into the fascinating history that defines a nation. Unveil the historical and cultural depths of Italy. Buy "Italian Backgrounds" now and immerse yourself in Wharton’s insightful exploration of one of Europe’s most storied countries.
For ten days we had not known what ailed us. We had fled from the August heat and crowd of the Vorderrheinthal to the posting-inn below the Splügen pass; and here fortune had given us all the midsummer tourist can hope for—solitude, cool air and fine scenery. A dozen times a day we counted our mercies, but still privately felt them to be insufficient. As we walked through the larch-groves beside the Rhine, or climbed the grassy heights above the valley, we were oppressed by the didactic quality of our surroundings—by the aggressive salubrity and repose of this bergerie de Florian. We seemed to be living in the landscape of a sanatorium prospectus. It was all pleasant enough, according to Schopenhauer’s definition of pleasure. We had none of the things we did not want; but then we did not particularly want any of the things we had. We had fancied we did till we got them; and as we had to own that they did their part in fulfilling our anticipations, we were driven to conclude that the fault was in ourselves. Then suddenly we found out what was wrong. Splügen was charming, but it was too near Italy. One can forgive a place three thousand miles from Italy for not being Italian; but that a village on the very border should remain stolidly, immovably Swiss was a constant source of exasperation. Even the landscape had neglected its opportunities. A few miles off it became the accomplice of man’s most exquisite imaginings; but here we could see in it only endless material for Swiss clocks and fodder. The trouble began with our watching the diligences. Every evening we saw one toiling up the pass from Chiavenna, with dusty horses and perspiring passengers. How we pitied those passengers! We walked among them puffed up with all the good air in our lungs. We felt fresh and cool and enviable, and moralized on the plaintive lot of those whose scant holidays compelled them to visit Italy in August. But already the poison was at work. We pictured what our less fortunate brothers had seen till we began to wonder if, after all, they were less fortunate. At least they had been there; and what drawbacks could qualify that fact? Was it better to be cool and look at a water-fall, or to be hot and look at Saint Mark’s? Was it better to walk on gentians or on mosaic, to smell fir-needles or incense? Was it, in short, ever well to be elsewhere when one might be in Italy?
Interpreting Italians is a socio-cultural travel guide designed for people whose interest in Italy goes beyond the readymade impression or the hackneyed cliché.
From Hermione Lee, the internationally acclaimed, award-winning biographer of Virginia Woolf and Willa Cather, comes a superb reexamination of one of the most famous American women of letters.Delving into heretofore untapped sources, Lee does away with the image of the snobbish bluestocking and gives us a new Edith Wharton-tough, startlingly modern, as brilliant and complex as her fiction. Born into a wealthy family, Wharton left America as an adult and eventually chose to create a life in France. Her renowned novels and stories have become classics of American literature, but as Lee shows, Wharton's own life, filled with success and scandal, was as intriguing as those of her heroines. Bridging two centuries and two very different sensibilities, Wharton here comes to life in the skillful hands of one of the great literary biographers of our time.
In this lively and engaging history, Stephen Puleo tells the story of the Boston Italians from their earliest years, when a largely illiterate and impoverished people in a strange land recreated the bonds of village and region in the cramped quarters of the North End. Focusing on this first and crucial Italian enclave in Boston, Puleo describes the experience of Italian immigrants as they battled poverty, illiteracy, and prejudice; explains their transformation into Italian Americans during the Depression and World War II; and chronicles their rich history in Boston up to the present day.