Too Much Tuscan Sun : Confessions of a Chianti Tour Guide

Rating:
Summary: Reason Enough to Blush
Review:
By Bill Marsano. This comes as a necessary tonic after years of fake-Italy books. Under the Tuscan Sun was charming until Frances Mayes began strip-mining Italy as if it were her personal franchise. A couple of cheap little books cashed in on her fame; then a PBS series (always the kiss of death to authenticity) and after that, the major motion picture, in itself blessed by bearing no resemblance to her book. Now she's shamelessly stooped to Tuscan-decor-for-your-home. Elsewhere there's ritualized 'roots' sagas, such as Mark Rotella's gag-inducing Stolen Figs, and pseudo-intellectualizations of similarly emetic effect (Francine Prose's Sicilian Odyssey takes the cake here, and with only a little effort would make a satiric comedy).

Now here at last the Italians have their say, or one Italian does, anyway. And that's enough, because even though he's never malicious, the tourists who descend on Italy in general and guide Dario Castagno in particvular are embarrassing and even humilitating.

Castagno was reared in England and so speaks the language as a native, but when he returned to Italy as you young man that didn't do him much good for some time. W
jhat will surprise many here is that he spent several years working at a very ordinary winery job before setting up as a guide. That's becauser it's only over the past couple of decades that Tuscany (the actual place) has become TUSCANY! the illusory media darling.

When he does start out he meets more than his share of perfectly appalling tourists. There are the overdressed (spike heels in the vineyards), the bullying, the utterly ignorant (one of whom expects to tour Chianti in the morning and shop in the Veneto on the same day), the self-deluded (a couple of superbly outfitted health fanatics whose ability to walk deserts them in Hour One) and the utterly clueless (a fellow who buys a valuable antique coin dated "42 B.C.").

Of course not all are that bad; it's only the egregious that are amusing to read about. But there are certainly more than enough of those. They'll make us mind our manners--I hope--the nect time we go abroad.

Interspersed with these misadventures is a goodly view of Castagno's personal history and glimpses of the Tuscany that has disappeared beneath the veneer of modern tourism. It's enough to make me wish I hadn't missed the boat--but at the same time, back there there was hardly a decent hotel or restaurant to be found.--Writer and editor Bill Marsano has been visiting relatives and winemakers in Italy three or four times a year since the 1980s.


Rating:
Summary: What is there to do in Siena? Get Lost
Review: I have had the great fortune not only read the book, but spend a full day with Dario playing in fog draped Tuscan hills, eating and drinking my weight in fantastic Tuscan food and wine. The main dish being wild boar shot the day before, so tender that it fell off the fork landing in a wonderful mushroom sauce, spraying the front of my shirt. The boar along with 2 bottles of fantastic wine from a 2 man vineyard just across the valley from the restaurant and a 2 ltr bottle of the house wine; literally made in the house that was the restaurant. We discussed life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, his book and friends and all the rest of the topics that one talks about, over so much good food and wine.

The book is real, it's informative, it's as fun and funny as Dario is, and it is a great read to boot. These are not traits one normally finds all together in one travel book, maybe one or two of them but not all.
After many years of traveling around Europe hoping to dispel the myth of the ugly American tourist, and still seeing all that a country has to offer, I have never come across a book so dead on about foreigners then this book, be it an American in Munich or a Scot in Dallas. It shows the painful truth about so many of us travelers, and the lack of education and understanding of the location where we are. It also gives you great tips of what to do, where to go and the most important sites to see.

Someone told me he thought the book was conceited and arrogant. I'm sorry to say that that person never had the chance to travel with the locals and been able to see the pride that they have in everything that is theirs. Maybe its because he was one of those ugly American's that feel that all small towns outside of there narrow little mind are theirs to use, abuse, and throw away. Maybe that is what Dario is trying to tell us with his book. Maybe he wants us to "get lost"; get lost in the culture, the towns, the people.

At least that is what I got out of the book. I know that I'm no prince among men, so I hope that Dario would put me in his next book so that I can see and learn from my mistakes and be a nicer traveler in other people's homes. But sadly this is to be his last year as a tour friend so, his next book most likely wont be about travel.

What is there to do in Siena? Get Lost

Rating:
Summary: Not as advertised
Review: I, too, am an American who is blessed to be living in Italy; I've been here over three years now and don't plan on leaving. During this time I have read many books and articles about Italy and Italians, as well as books by Italians. I've traveled through the country without tour guides, mostly throughout Umbria and Tuscany, but also in the South.

This book, although the title is catchy, is a let down. When I saw the title, I purchased it without hesitation, looking forward to the stories of the ridiculous Americans. (Believe me, I have seen many of them in Itlay. There is no argument from me that this is undoubtedly an excellent topic or idea for a book. The "Ugly American" is thriving.) Dario, however, seems to play it safe in his anecdotes. His stories are flat and leave me with a question of "So what?". He does provide a bit of interesting trivia about the region and, unlike others, I don't feel a bit of arrogance from him. It's just boring -- with a topic that is potentially VERY interesting and humorous.

I have to wonder, however, if an Italian reading the same stories would be so bored.

Another book that I recommend which is an Italian's point of view of Americans is "Ciao America!" by Beppe Severgnini.

Rating:
Summary: Fast, easy read. Very funny.
Review: Maybe you have to know Dario to understand the quips and subtleties of this fun and easy-to-read jaunt through Tuscany. In contrast to some of the reviews and as a paying customer of Dario, I found absolutely no insult in any of his anecdotes. Rather, many chuckles at the foibles and eccentricities of fellow travelers. Plus, many remembrances of unique experiences he offers as a guide when we visit his corner of the world. This book is very funny and a great, quick read. A definite must-read for any Tuscan enthusiast.

Rating:
Summary: what a disappointment
Review: The premise of this book sounded great; after all, who to better tell funny stories about what so many of us have seen (which isn't pretty) when traveling abroad than such a tour guide?
But this book is a major let-down. Sure, he had someone make a pass at him, and some drank too much, and some were late --but that's about as far as his anecdotes go. The encounters he talks about are neither odd, unusual nor amusing enough to make the book worthwhile. Maybe something was lost in translation. The writer does sound pleasant, and maybe that's the problem: he's just too nice to make this interesting.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had loved it, but................
Review: The title really caught my eye. I loved the Mayes book, and was hoping for perhaps the 'other side'. Plus, having travelled alot in Tuscany, I looked forward to the tidbits and warm sunshiny exploits. The writing was sadly not compelling, and although I did read it through to the end ("maybe the next chapter will have the gem...") I never found the good parts. It says to me that, even with the potential of great content, the storytellers skills need to be masterful to have a home run. It's not in this book, sorry to say.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time or money
Review: This book had the potential to be so much better. Unfortunately, it feels like it was only written to take advantage of Ms. Mayes' fame. Her books aren't favorites of mine, but at least she's sincere in her admiration of Italy and the Italians, and she can create a sweet turn of phrase occasionally.

Don't look for good writing in this book - you won't find any. Castagno favors taking cheap shots at people who have paid him to be their guide. Just what we all want to do, right? Pay some guy to make fun of us, and read about what fools we are.

I found his tales of juvenile delinquency (breaking into houses in the countryside and treating them as his own) more than a little off putting. He writes about it quite cavalierly, claiming boredom and having a good time with friends. In America, we call that breaking and entering - and people usually go to jail for it!

I really disliked this book, and recommend that you look elsewhere for insights into the tour guide business!

Rating:
Summary: Tuscany Overdone? This proves it.
Review: We have enjoyed vacations in Tuscany for nine years...a total of over 30 weeks staying in the same villa near Certaldo. For the past four years we have worked like contadini for the olive harvest. Naturally, this book's title had some appeal. Having heard the adventures of several of our friends who have traveled to Italy, I can well understand how Dario had met his share of jerks. So why not chronicle their foibles? Of course, future "jerks" probably are reading publications other than this one, so they no doubt will not learn from it. So it boils down to Dario getting some frustrations off of his chest, at the same time telling the reader what a laid-back, well-informed guy he is. And at the same time, selling books and olive oil (check out the web site). What visitors to Tuscany really should be reading is Iris Origo and other tales of WWII. But I truly enjoyed the 2 hours it took to read this book.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to read, easy to laugh easy to cry
Review: What else can you desire from an easy read like Too Much Tuscan Sun ? Its well written, funny and makes you shed tears towards the end.

I thought it was "delizioso"

Rating:
Summary: Loved it
Review: While on a trip to Italy last year, I, my husband and then 13-year-old daughter, all read this book, which we had picked up at an English language bookstore in Rome. It was perfect vacation reading - a few passages had us in stitches. In fact, it's the one book we recommend for friends en route to Italy. We still occasionally take it out for a good laugh.