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There are many fine books already listed, but I'd like to add author Iris Origo & nearly anything she has written to the list. She was born in the US, spent time in Great Britain and in Italy growing up, and then married an Italian and lived her married life in Italy. She is a fine writer. Her "War in Val D'Orcia, 1943-1944: A Diary," was the first I read of her books. Spellbinding. Her autobiography is "Images & Shadows: Part of a Life." Italy looms large in this volume, as well. She also wrote "Leopardi: A Study in Solitude." Poet Giacomo Leopardi is considered by many to be up there with Dante in the pantheon of Italian poets. And, she wrote other books as well, mostly biographies. I think you can browse for most of them on amazon, as her works have been reprinted recently. On a more modern note, her daughter Benedetta is the editor of a new book, "La Foce: A Garden and Landscape in Tuscany."

Sixteen Pleasures by Hellunga (the love story was lame, but the history of the flood in Florence, and the descriptions of the places there to visit were perfect)<BR><BR>Stones of Florence and Venice Observed by Mary McCarthy. A bit dated, but the telling of history of both cities was excellent.

My favorite pre-Rome Book is "When In Rome"...a delightful read!!!

Robert Hutchinson's When In Rome - A Journal of Life in Vatican City is the name of the book I mentioned....its is SO MUCH FUN to read!!!

Since other replies have mentioned movies, thought I'd mentioned "Summertime" with Katherine Hepburn. The movie was directed by David Lean and offers beautiful scenes of Venice throughout.<BR><BR>For education on art and architecture in Italy, the "Civilisation" series by Sir Kenneth Clarke is wonderful -- it was on public tv many years ago -- might be available at libraries.

Sixteen Pleasures was good and the most recent novel by the same author, can't remember the name, was great - set in Bologna. I just finished an Italian Affair by Laura Fraser. Loved it!! a little steamy, true story, takes place in Ischia and Florence and some other wonderful places. More a travelogue than a romance story.

I would second every book that anyone has mentioned on this thread...but no one has mentioned Henry James's The Aspern Papers, a short novella set in Venice that is the most heartbreaking, beautiful short novel ever written about Venice..why it hasn't been turned into a movie is a mystery to me....my favorite passage (which is something Hemingway tried to write like many years later) is the post climax where he sits in the bar with the yellow curtains.....read it and weep.

Autobiographical novel: The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe<BR><BR>Films: Enchanted April, Tea with Mussolini, Malena, Cinema Paradiso, Il Postino-- all wonderful!

I thought I'd top this list with two fiction favorites: The Leopard by Tomaso di Lampedusa, one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, about 19th century Sicilian aristocrats and the advent of Garibaldi; and The Sicilian by Mario Puzo about a 20th century Sicilian bandit/outlaw named Salvatore Guiliano, which, while not in the same class as The Leopard, gives you a vivid picture of the lives of the rural poor in 1950s Sicily and is a ripping good yarn (based on a real character).

Axel Munthe's "The Story of San Michele" is a a lifetime favorite.<BR><BR>"Enchanted April" the book (out of print, I think -- might have to get at library) is as enchanting as the movie.<BR><BR>"Summer Lease" (John Mortimer) is hilarious.<BR><BR>Have read and re-read Barbara Harrison's "Italian Days."

topping

I loved "An Italian Affair" also.

Sue:<BR><BR>Except for "Enchanted April" (which is an English movie) and "Il postino" (of whch I cn't talk having never seen it), all the other movie you named are amongst the less interesting produced in Italy in the last few years (I know, "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" won an Oscan, but it's really such a bore...!). Italy has produced far better movies in the last couple of years, movies such as "I cento passi" by Marco Tullio Giordana, "Pane e tulipani" by Silvio Soldini, Le fate ignoranti" By Ferzan Ozpetek, "Placido Rizzotto" by Pasquale Scimeca, "La lingua del santo" by Carlo Mazzacurati and many more.<BR>None of these movies offer a stereotyped image of italy, but they will help you understand Italian reality much better than "Malena" and will usually prove much more fun and fascinating as well.

Checked this book out from the library and haven't had a chance to evaluate it yet --- looks interesting, tho. Called "Artful Italy"-The Hidden Treasures by Ann Brandon. It discusses alternative suggestions of sites/museums to see, apart from the usual mainstream stuff.<BR>

Molly:<BR><BR>Also liked Italy in Mind very much. Have you checked out Desiring Italy? Similar, but it is only by women writers.<BR><BR>I just bought Italian Days by B G Harrison as well. Hope to start that soon.<BR><BR>Some quick questions: I'm mostly interested in fiction, or more literary pieces about travel (have read "A Moveable Feast" by Hemmingway, loved it. Also "The Sheltering Sky," by Paul Bowles). Has anyone read the following books, and, if so, what did you think? I need to start collecting some books to take with me on my Italy trip this September:<BR><BR>The Marble Faun<BR>Nathaniel Hawthorne<BR><BR>Little Novels of Sicily: Stories<BR>(not sure of author, but I think DH Lawrence translates)<BR><BR>Across the River and Into the Trees<BR>Ernest Hemmingway<BR><BR>any other suggestions for real Italian Literature? Help is appreciated. I'm not so much into those Under the Tuscan Sun type of books.<BR><BR>Tante grazie,<BR>Jackie<BR>http://www.thelongtriphome.com

Jackie:<BR><BR>The real problem with itlaian literature for English language readers is in the number of translations. Very few books have been trnslated in English, and these few books are all classics or modern classics, dating at best to the Fifties. Only a very limited number of books by contemporary Italian authors have been translated. Somewhere in the forums I have laid out a list of modern classics of the Italian literature. Two contemporary witers that I know have been translated are Carlo Lucarelli and Andrea Camilleri. Also I invite you to check out for the following writers, all contemporary italian writers that have not yet been translated but whose works I like very much: Wu Ming (their first novel, "Q", was signed Luther Blissett), Francesco Guccini, Alda Merini (poet), Massimo Carlotto and Giampiero Rigosi.

Alice, thanks for the modern Italian writers info. Could you tell us a bit about the books of Lucarelli and Camilleri? I checked amazon and found titles of books, but no synopsis or review to give an idea of what they are about/like?