Toilets at the Venice Biennale
water, water, everywhere and not a spot to piss
Tag: italy
Valentino and Sagittarius by Natalia Ginzburg
the lockdown continues and nothing changes
Movements in European History by DH Lawrence
a mediocre history text then a pro-UBI, anti-“the Arts is special” rant
The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante
yes it is good and i got to read it slightly early and for free
the story of the lost child by elena ferrante
two and a half months ago i read an incredible novel
The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
a cracking novella about a terrible murderous marriage
The Sign of the Cross by Colm Tóibín
a book almost squarely aimed at me
The Priest of Love by Harry T. Moore
An un-Lawrentian D.H. Lawrence biography
Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham
like my life, a novel that’s half tragedy, half farce
D. H. Lawrence and Italy
I review a Lawrentian travel writing collection containing Twilight in Italy, Sea and Sardinia and Sketches of Etruscan Places.
Some Rain Must Fall: My Struggle Book Five by Karl Ove Knausgaard
It’s taken me a few more days than I’d hoped, but I’ve just finished reading the fifth book of KarlContinue Reading
The Diamond Smugglers by Ian Fleming
I’m writing this on an aeroplane to Istanbul, off for a “mimibreak”*. Treating myself to a trip, all on myContinue Reading
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Well, it is good. It’s good. It’s possibly great, but it’s definitely good. Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend is basicallyContinue Reading
How to be both by Ali Smith
Ali Smith’s latest novel – How to be both – has been shortlisted for this year’s Man Booker PrizeContinue Reading
If This Is A Man and The Truce by Primo Levi
Primo Levi was a chemist, young (younger than I am now), when he was rounded up by the anti-Semitic ItalianContinue Reading
On Re-Reading Henry James and Thinking About Forster
Henry James’ little novella Daisy Miller, as well as his more sizeable The Portrait of A Lady, were two of the keyContinue Reading
A Long Weekend in Italy: Naples, Pompeii and Capri
Mount Vesuvius is big. It creaks over Naples from the southeast, with a threat made obvious by the fame ofContinue Reading
It Ain’t Brindisi Livin’ Free, Or: You Know What They Say About Men With Big Carbon Footprints*
I woke up at five thirty on my final morning in Palermo. I’d spent the evening before being highly irritatedContinue Reading
Scott Manley Hadley’s Palermo-st Excellent Adventure: Bad Bags, Bad Bank Cards and Caverns of Capuchin Corpses
My last morning in Tunis was dedicated to finding myself a new bag, a new, large, bag in which toContinue Reading
On the Future of This Blog
Right. I am finally taking my own titular advice to heart and heading off for a little bit of living.Continue Reading
On Ancient Rome
The Roman Forum is fantastic. Eerie, elegant, a little bit scary… Despite being full of other tourists and located inContinue Reading
On Things That Do Impress Me (Much)
A few days ago, as part of my scathing review of Charles Mingus’ Beneath The Underdog, I mentioned that IContinue Reading
On Santa Croce With No Baedeker
Rather lamely, Florence is probably the non-British city I know best. It’s full of beautiful, wonderful buildings, sculptures and paintings,Continue Reading
On Daniel Craig as James Bond on Roofs
I was up a tower in Siena this afternoon and was gifted this beautiful view of the red-tiled roofs ofContinue Reading
On the rolling hills of Tuscany
I’m spending a short spell off Shit Island*, which is always pleasant. Even leaving it to be in a countryContinue Reading
Triumph Of The Now 