Blue Italian

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: Before I began reading this novel, I thought that the bulk of the book would be take place after the discovery of Gary's illness. It doesn't. Much of the book is about Gary and Rosa's meeting, and their relationships with their parents. In many ways, I thought this book was more about Rosa and her mother than I thought it was about Rosa and Gary. And that was a bit of a disappointment for me, since I was expecting something else.

Nonetheless, I did have much sympathy for Rosa and Gary, and really wanted them to work out their differences. But then Gary gets ill, and they simply run out of time. This makes the book very sad, but in the end, quite poignant.

I'll continue reading Rita Ciresi's work, particularly since I highly enjoyed Pink Slip. This too is recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable read
Review: Before I began reading this novel, I thought that the bulk of the book would be take place after the discovery of Gary's illness. It doesn't. Much of the book is about Gary and Rosa's meeting, and their relationships with their parents. In many ways, I thought this book was more about Rosa and her mother than I thought it was about Rosa and Gary. And that was a bit of a disappointment for me, since I was expecting something else.

Nonetheless, I did have much sympathy for Rosa and Gary, and really wanted them to work out their differences. But then Gary gets ill, and they simply run out of time. This makes the book very sad, but in the end, quite poignant.

I'll continue reading Rita Ciresi's work, particularly since I highly enjoyed Pink Slip. This too is recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Very real and touching...
Review: Gary and Rosa--what a marriage! At times I wanted to jump in the pages and break up the fist-fight and other times I laughed at their silly arguments. Ms. Ciresi paints a very vivid portrait of marriage and all it's swirls and brushstrokes. This novel was funny and smart with all of Rosa's hot-headed italianess and Gary's quirky Jewish personality, but also very touching for the same reasons. Throughout the whole novel, I had a hard time figuring out why these two were together, but after reading the Epilogue and finally closing the book, I realized why. Much better than Pink Slip, so read this one first!

Rating:
Summary: Very good!
Review: I am not the weepy type, and this book never fails to make me cry at the end. The last line of the book always gets me, oh my gosh. But really, I love Blue Italian and have read it many times, because as much as I hate to admit it, i can relate to Rosa and i love her. Many times I felt the urge to slap her, or roll my eyes, but the emotions that the characters evince from the readers is what makes the book so special.

Rating:
Summary: Sad but Enjoyable
Review: I read this book in 3 days but I was reading slower than usual because I didn' want it to end! You become very attached to Rosa And Gary as they are trying to live and LOVE while the others in their life make it difficult. I originally was mad that on the back of the book they tell us that Gary succumbs to a terminal illness but I came to understand that it didn't matter because it was still most enjoyable to learn all about their trials and tribulations that would lead them to that point.I did feelvery sad and disappointed at the end for Rosa. It wasa great read.

Rating:
Summary: heartbreakingly real love story
Review: Italian-American Rosa Salvatore is married to Jewish Gary Fisher, and it is a romance so touchingly real that you fall in love with them too. In the first chapter, Gary, at age 31, is told he has cancer. "I don't get to be anyone," he says to his wife.

The story is then told from Rosa's perspective, starting with how they met through their courtship and wedding, up to the news of the cancer and beyond. The story is told within the greater context of both Rosa and Gary's families (Rosa's overly critical mother, Gary's loving -- nearly smothering -- mother, who calls Rosa "the other woman in Gary's life", their proud but distant fathers.) It is chaotic, noisy, touching and will make you cry.

This is like Love Story with realism -- Gary and Rosa are so real, they alert each other when there is something on their faces in public, they annoy each other, they fight, they care about each other. You feel like you are watching your best girlfriend go through multiple tragedies without any real way to help her.

It is good to read something to stir up emotion after the glut of chick-lit out there -- Rita Ciresi's work will do that every time.

Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: What a story. That this is a first novel is impressive, but shame about so many typos. Anyway, I was drawn into the story and found her observations and style to be engaging. It was a bit depressing, sure, but...isn't that the way life really is? No happy endings, death, loss, regret. Makes you want to mend fences and repair burnt bridges.

Rating:
Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: While I commend this book as a good read, the subject matter depressed me SO much. An American-Italian girl,Rosa, is at loggerheads ALL of the time with her parents,especially her mother who never ceases her attempt at dominating her daughter.Rosa meets Gary, the only son of a wealthy Jewish couple and the joy of his mothers life.This unlikely pair marry,more as an attempt to escape the stranglehold that both sets of parents have on them. Their marriage in NOT an unqualified success but they are both struggling along until Rosa loses her baby and Gary is diagnosed with a terminal illness.I'm not giving away the plot as we are given this news on the book cover. Rosa in particular, goes from an unhappy childhood, through to an unhappy marriage and then, on to early widowhood. Hardly a joyous moment accurs throughout the story and, although in Rita Ciresi's great style, overall it's a terribly depressing book--not one to read if you're feeling a bit down!.