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Summary: A delightful summer escape
Review: Be sure to pack An Italian Affair in your suitcase this summer. I found the second-person, present tense voice a bit distracting at first, but I was quickly drawn into the story and stayed up late on a camping trip, reading by flashlight. Laura keeps the focus on the magical places the lovers visit and their feelings, not on the sex. Laura, although self-deprecating, has an inner strength and pride, and her lover at times displays a surprising wisdom about life. A quick, uplifting read. Enjoy this book with a good glass of wine, wherever your travels take you this summer!
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Summary: For me...thought provoking, enchanting and delicious reading
Review: Having spent last summer in some of the places Laura travels it made for a very visual Italian experience. This reading can be very thought provoking for those woman who have allowed a man to make them feel so little of themselves. The transformation can be uplifting and a little on the "self help" side. I did not want to see this enchanting true story end. I hope you enjoy it as I did. For those who like romance and a little illicit adventure, and "la bella vita"; love of life, it is a must! Ciao Ciao
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Summary: Stop me before I do something rash!
Review: I read this book because (a) I really like Laura Fraser's writing in Salon; (b) I love Italy; and (c) it looked like a good beach read. Wrong, wrong, wrong. In the acknowledgements page, Ms. Fraser thanks her editor. My reaction to her editor is decidedly different: she has to be the person who told her that writing in the second person throughout THE ENTIRE BOOK was a worthy literary device. BIG MISTAKE. I thought it made the author come off as self-indulgent, precious, aggrandizing, a bore, and a boor. I probably should not even be writing this review because, as Fraser would put it, "you pick up the book, you hope that this second-person narrative device will change, your frustration mounts. Finally, you just hurl..." Frankly, this grated on me so much that I zipped through just to get to the end and put myself out of my own misery. If Laura Fraser has another book in her, I can only hope that she figures this out. In the meantime, if you want to spend your non-reading time at the beach pounding sand in frustration, go ahead, buy this book, and go forth with your towel and a sand pail.
Rating:
Summary: An Italian Affair
Review: I loved this book! From the moment I started reading, I felt as if the author (Laura Fraser) was a good friend and we were having an intimate conversation about her life. The conversation was difficult for her at times, especially when she shared her feelings of sadness about the break up of her marriage and the betrayal she felt. It pulled at my heartstrings having experienced the same emotions myself. I couldn't put the book down and stayed up well into the wee hours of the morning wanting to know how everything turned out for Laura. Her description of her travels, meeting the professor, returning to her home and friends, all keep my attention. Laura grew as a person from these experiences. She gained self confidence and her broken heart was healed. What an inspiring story to those of us who have found ourselves in similiar situations. Way to go Laura! Well done!
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Summary: Perfect summer read
Review: I just finished reading An Italian Affair over the week-end. It's a beautiful description of both the author's coming to terms with her divorce and the exotic locations that form the backdrop for her visits with the professor. It takes the reader along as they learn from each other and as their relationship changes and evolves. I've recommended the book to a number of friends, including a few who have recently gone through their own break-ups and are struggling to make sense of it all. Part love story, part travel story (I want to see some of those places now!) and part self exploration - it's a perfect summer read.
Rating:
Summary: a great book
Review: I loved this book! I picked it up spurr of the moment to read on the train. The title grabbed me. I started this book on Friday afternoon and didn't stop reading till the morning hours. i read this book in one sitting. I rarely do this. This book grabbed me and held my attention the entire time. i loved this book. i wish i could find more like this. beautiful and fun. a great escape!
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Summary: GREAT EXOTIC FAIRYTALE FOR THE ELITE...BUT WHO CARES?
Review: Amazon.com will probably not jump up and down with joy over this review, but I just tell it as I read it! What a relief the book is relatively short because the further I read, the more hopelessly "ushy-gushy, ho-hum" it became. The book revolves around Fraser's two-year affair with a French university professor whom she meets on the Italian island of Ischia. Basically, Fraser's husband leaves her after a year of marriage (with her mental attitude and stability, I actually don't blame the guy) and she is now in search of her own identity - her true sexual and emotional self...believe me, it takes her a long time to find it! Let's get real here, the story is little more than a two-year tryst with a married man, in exotic places of the world - Milan, Lago, Maggiore, London, Aeolian Islands, Marrakech, San Francisco. Just what does it take to satisfy this woman - other than, obviously, a lot! If she chooses to have an affair, that is her business, but three quarters of the people who walk in her shoes do not write a book about it! What about the plot, you ask? What plot? The couple spend their days of glory basking in the sun, strolling hand-in-hand down quiet streets, dining on fine cuisine and sipping succulent wine along the way. Somehow it is immensely difficult for the average reader to relate to, or feel compassion for, this poor abandoned woman who is "trying to find her true self" while dining on Epicurean cuisine and tossing back lavish wine in opulent places around the world! Who the heck cares about her sordid little affair! I did give the book one star, just to be nice, and for at least having the creativity to move the "action" around to exotic locations. In reality, the basis of the story is not much different from what goes on somewhere around the world, for many "married-but-not-to-each-other" couples, twenty-four hours a day, day-in and day-out, but unless they are among the elite....usually in less exotic locations.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading if you're planning an Italian sojourn
Review: Part travel-log, part story of a woman and her relationships - one in particular - over a period of several years. Apparently at least based on fact, if not pure non-fiction. An unusual mix and style, but it works reasonably well. I read it because we were about to head off to Italy, so I was interested in the traveller's tales and experiences in Italy. Also includes holidays and short breaks in other parts of the world. As travel tales sometimes go, this is light and easy to read - but I doubt I would have chosen to read it if I hadn't been planning an Italian break.
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Summary: Enticing Book
Review: I essentially read this book in one sitting. I have been to many of the places Fraser described, and the descriptions gave me goose bumps. I respect her honesty, and would recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure or a little romance.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone wanting an adventure of the heart!
Review: I am not a fan of romantic novels, but I really enjoyed reading this book. The perfect mix of flirtatious romance, exotic scenery and food, and an occasional outpour of tender emotions makes this book refreshingly enticing. The liberal sprinkling of Italian phrases is a charm rather than a distraction because the author skillfully makes sure that her readers understand the conversation. This is a first person narrative written in a second person style. It is a bit strange at first, but you get use to it real fast! This is the perfect book for the rainy weekend. Highly recommended.
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