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Title: An Italian Affair by LAURA FRASER ISBN: 0-375-72485-0 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 07 May, 2002 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.83 (76 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Opening Up to Life Amid Divorce's Ugliness
Comment: An Italian Affair is the most unusual memoir that I have ever read about how a woman coped with divorce. When I describe the book to other people, they refuse to believe that it is not fiction. But the author says that the events occurred, and only the names have been changed. For those who like their romances to be exotic and perfectly shaped, An Italian Affair will lend new fanatasies. On the other hand, those who are concerned about proper behavior will wonder about the author's pursuit of pleasure with a married father. Whether you admire or admonish Ms. Fraser, you will be charmed by her marvelous writing and sense of joy.
Ms. Fraser's marriage broke up in a most ugly way. Her husband of a year told her he had changed his mind about having children, and began staying out late. One night, she came home to find him cavorting with an old high school girl friend. After the divorce, he married the old girl friend and had a child with her.
Ms. Fraser is now past 35 and feels her chance to be a mother ticking away. She is bent by the betrayal, but unbroken. Her work as a writer takes her around the world, and while visiting friends in Italy, she is encouraged to find an Italian lover on the island of Ischia. Soon Italian men are showing interest, but she connects instead with a Parisian who is half Italian on his annual vacation without his wife and children. His wife also sees other men, and they seem to have an "open" marriage. He is waiting for a Spanish brunette who has stood him up, but Ms. Fraser doesn't find out about this until later. M. teaches art, but also seems talented in the art of beautiful living and making her feel beautiful and appreciated. Over the next two years, they find many opportunities to meet around the world and continue the relationship. He encourages her at the end to find someone like himself who isn't married.
This book can also be enjoyed as a travelogue of the many wonderful places they visited and how to enjoy time with someone you like to be with. The locations include Milan, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Aeolian Islands, and Morocco. The pair has a special affinity for beaches and bare bathing, and fine food. To me, some of the most exquisite writing is about the food and wine they enjoyed together.
What I found most appealing about the book was the way that M. could pay a compliment, avoid hurting her feelings, and make her feel appreciated while being perfectly candid that he wasn't in love with her and intended to stay married to his wife. If you take those skills and put them into a loving relationship, even better results should occur!
For example, Ms. Fraser has a negative body image. M. describes that Renoir, Ingres, Boucher, and Poussin would have enjoyed having her as a nude model. He also caresses her in those places where she is most self-critical.
After you finish enjoying this memoir, I suggest that you think about how you could capture some of its romance for you and your spouse or the person you are dating.
Learn to speak and act more lovingly!
Rating: 5
Summary: Three words: Yum, yum, and YUM!
Comment: Bored with your life? Dissatisfied with your relationship? An Italian Affair is an excellent short-term remedy. It's an armchair travel romance, with exotic islands, deserted beaches, sumptuous feasts, a sensual Frenchman, and tasteful sex - lots of it. The story is written it in the first person, and while this device seems forced at first, it eventually helps the reader slip into Laura's character and live vicariously. It gives this memoir a unique voice.
Although An Italian Affair is a wonderful beach book, it has substance as well. The underlying story of Laura's abandonment by her husband and the way in which this affair helped her heal gives weight to the narrative. I liked this book very much. The author captures well the experience of falling in love with a man from a different culture. An Italian Affair sent my mind spinning backward to when I had a similarly delicious experience, and I liked that part best of all. Thanks, Laura.
Rating: 4
Summary: Wonderful
Comment: I essentially read this book in one sitting. I have been to many of the places Fraser described, and the descriptions gave me goose bumps. I respect her honesty, and would recommend this book to anyone looking for an adventure or a little romance.
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Title: A Thousand Days in Venice by Marlena de Blasi ISBN: 0345457641 Publisher: Ballantine Books Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Extra Virgin: A Young Woman Discovers the Italian Riviera, Where Every Month Is Enchanted by Annie Hawes ISBN: 0060958111 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 02 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Hills of Tuscany by Ferenc Mate ISBN: 0385334419 Publisher: Delta Pub. Date: 12 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Pasquale's Nose: Idle Days in an Italian Town by Michael Rips ISBN: 0316748641 Publisher: Back Bay Books Pub. Date: 09 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Why Dogs Do That: A Collection of Curious Canine Behaviors by Tom Davis, Peter Ring, Steve Smith ISBN: 1572231394 Publisher: Willow Creek Press Pub. Date: September, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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