When in Roma

Here's one of my habits.  I wonder if it's weird or if others share it.  When I'm traveling, I always like to read books set in or about the places I visit.

Nearly a dozen years ago I spent a month traveling around Italy with my friend Amy.  We both read the book Italian Days by Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, passing it back and forth as we burned holes in our rail passes. Because Amy and I are both writers, we are pretty clear, usually, about the craft of writing, i.e. the difference between the narrator of the book and the person who wrote it.  Nevertheless, by the end of the trip, it felt a bit like three of us were touring.  We'd say things like, I agree with Barbara's comments about Venetian architecture, but I think your description of the squid cooked in its own ink captures what I experienced.

For me, reading literature is an experience that deepens my sense of the place. 

On the trip to Los Angeles this past week, I read Ask the Dusk by John Fante. It's a novel that had a big impact on the beat generation.  As far as I know, it doesn't have a big following in literary circles.  I didn't realize it until I starting searching for an image for this post, but apparently it was made into a movie last year. The stars are Salma Hayek, Colin Farrel, and Donald Sutherland.  Did you happen to see it? It seems to have received only so-so ratings.  The book leaves you ragged.  I'm not totally sure why I liked it even.  The racism of the characters is disturbing. But something about it was good.  Maybe it's that I have a weakness for books about writers.

I also read some nonfiction: City of Quartz by Mike Davis and Washed Up by Skye Moody. Both books have a curious tone to them, but I think once I started reading fiction, I really wanted more, more, more of the same.

Your turn, dear reader.

Comments

[suzoz]

As I was about to enter Malaysia from Singapore 15 years ago, I bought Turtle Beach, a novel by Australian Blanche D'Alpuget that was set in Malaysia - I read it as we travelled and felt it really enhanced my experience. Recently I happened to re-read a childhood novel of mine that was set in Tasmania and then visited Tasmania for the first time - I was really glad to have the book fresh in my mind.

[Angie]

Hi Robin -- I love this idea! I don't claim this habit yet, but I intend to cultivate it asap. By the way, thanks for your comment on my blog "Between the Lines" -- nice to know someone's looking at it. I really love your blog space here, especially that you have "Writers in the Schools" linked on it -- they rock! Have a great day!

[Robin Reagler]

Here is a link to an interesting story in the L.A. Times about a walking tour of John Fante's haunts: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fante17jun17,1,2920348.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

[john chang]

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