Since my last post I have read 3 other books:
Da Vinci Code, I enjoyed but I liked better Angels and demons,

As the Romans Do, enjoyable book, by Alan Epstein, you can feel the great love that the author has for Rome,

The Rage and the Pride by oriana Fallaci, great book and a great eye opener , a must read...

kismetchimera, I stumbled across Alan Epstein's website looking for info on Rome. It's www.astheromansdo.com and (you probably already know this!) it's full of helpful notes, photos, miscellanea to make a trip to Rome more enjoyable. I have to read his book next.

Last night we attended a charming and funny evening of Calvin Trillin and Adam Gopnick in conversation at Herbst Theater in SF, part of the City Arts and Lecture series. What intelligent, witty, delightful men -- I want to invite them both over for dinner.

Gopnick got off the best line of the evening when he said, "It's not a surprise to find the Corleone family running America, you just don't expect Fredo to be President."

Thanks dln, is such a great site...Read the book if you can... The author fulfilled 20 years later his dream to live in Rome and raise his family there..

I've been saving "Angels and Demons" until we get closer to our Feb. 27th departure date, but now I find it un-put-down-able.

I am pleased to have figured out much of the plot, and several of the secret Altar/Church locations before they were revealed.

And I found an error in Brown's Italian usage. He uses, "Hanno conosciuto l'uomo?" (Did THEY know with the man?) when he meant and translated it as "Did you (plural) know the man?" It should have been, "Avete conosciuto l'uomo?"

I wonder if La Professoressa will give me extra credit!

Oooo, Koshka, you are getting scary good at this Italian thing.

I read DVC first and then A&D. I read A&D when I was flying to London. I finished it on a park bench in Hyde Park. Anyways, there is a reference to a statue but there was no way it could have been in Rome since it was "at the V&A museum in London." It was kind of neat because I was headed to the museum anyways and snapped a shot of the statue.

My biggest regret was reading DVC after I got back from France. I wanted to remember all those Louvre references and follow the trail. Just another excuse to go back.

Bravissima Koska!! I give you A+...

I feel the same way you do coldwar27... I have read the book DaVinci code months after I came back from Paris...
It could have been so interesting to follow the Louvre trail.. Anyway I still prefer A&D,the plot was far more interesting.
At this moment I am reading "A Pillar of Iron "by Caldwell. It is a fascinating novel about the life of the great Roman Cicero. Is quite interesting.. To think that all these years I had this book in my home library and finally I decided to read it.. Like I always said: I never Too late..

pardon. it should have said :Is..

Kismet, I haven't heard anyone talk about Taylor Caldwell in ages! Isn't that a great book? I too have oldies on my bookshelf, and you're right, it's never too late to pick one up and start reading.

I just started Flaubert's Sentimental Education. There are hundreds of classics I've never read.

Koshka,
most of what's written in italian contains mistakes !
I'm around pag.200, now, and I'm amazed and quite surprised about this thing.


"Hanno conosciuto l'uomo ?" is not wrong if it's referred to you(plural) in the polite form.

(Loro) hanno conosciuto l'uomo ?

It would have been
"(Lei) ha conosciuto l'uomo ?"
if singular.

Unfortunately the polite form at plural is rare and uncommon, so it can be accounted as a mistake as well.

Ah, Le Canard. I had considered the polite form, but no mention in 2 1/2 years of Italian of the "Polite Plural"

I sit corrected!

The phrase you have mentioned is on page 405 of my british edition book.
This "Did you know the man?" in italian should have rather been "hanno riconosciuto l'uomo ?" or better "Conoscevano..."
Not to talk about the "E' chiusa temprano.", (it's closed "temprano&quot few lines above.
The word "temprano" does not exist.
Or, same page, the "buona sera" instead of "buonasera". And many more.

Who knows why the author, who's so accurate, has not considered to have his italian better checked down.

By the way, I'm not english mother tongue, so I hope you would excuse some mistakes .

Interesting book.

Just finished Angels and Demons. I had read DaVinci Code first. I think DVC was a much better book. It was nice to see that Brown has improved as a writer...In DVC he was able to tell a better story with less sex and violence and improbable plot twists.