Tim Parks (1) (1954–)

Much like the author, I love to travel by train. Having had the chance to take the train in several countries, on four continents, I agree with him that it gives a distinct insight into a country. This is why I loved this book: not only is there the experience of train travel, but also his reflections about Italy writ large such as complicated process, modernity clashing with tradition, innumerable levels of government, insights into history and social mores. It's fun, precise, honest and show more unpretentious. It had me traveling back into my own memories while discovering a country I know little about. I found it a perfect balance of travelogue, personal observations and explanations. show less

This was a delightful romp through Italy as seen from the perspective of a harried traveler on Ferrovie dello Stato. As a person who is fascinated by Italy and Italians, I loved Parks' observations of Italian culture. Particularly unique was Parks' observation that the institutions of a country reflect the personality of its people. Trenitalia with all its foibles is an excellent proxy for Italy in general.

As beautiful as his prose is, Parks’ “arrival” book leaves me a little queazy. His sarcasm rings of condescension, and he dwells a little long on high-bosomed women and shrieking old ladies. Italy is too old and calcified in this telling. Italy is as new and creative as everywhere else. It is creative and reflective and in unappreciated ways, ahead of the Anglo world.

I picked this up by chance, having seen a stack of signed copies on one of my regular post-payday visits to Daunt Books in Marylebone, and didn’t really know what to expect. While my bank manager might once again have ended up grinding his teeth in exasperation, the gods of serendipity were obvious watching over me that day because it proved to be a wise purchase.

Frank Marriott is a retired journalist who, after a particularly bruising experience with an Op-Ed article he had written show more several years ago while running an institution to promote the value of free speech, has adopted a hermit-like approach to the news. That is unfortunate because he might, otherwise, have been less eager to travel to Italy in early March 2020.

The occasion of his visit is the funeral of his former friend and boss, Dan Sandow. Their relationship had been intricate – one definitely worthy of Facebook’s ‘complicated’ status – as Dan had had an affair with Connie, Frank’s former wife (prior to ‘former’ being a current designation). Indeed, it is because he thinks that Connie might also attend that Frank undertakes to visit. As the story unfolds, we learn that Frank had remarried after he and Connie parted, and that Connie had sought complete estrangement, advising him through the medium of their son, that she did not want ever to hear from him again.

As he arrives in Milan, and checks into a luxurious (and commensurately expensive) hotel, Frank notices with bemusement that many – possibly most – people seem to be wearing medical masks. People are also nervously talking about a ‘plague’ and shops seem to be closing. Shrugging this off, and not feeling sufficiently motivated to set aside his self-imposed news embargo, Frank attends the funeral and meets various fellow mourners, although there is no sign of his ex-wife.

The references to ‘plague’ are of course part of the early alarm about the spread of what we now know was Covid 19, in which northern Italy was the first area of Europe to record its rapid spread. As different aspects of Italian life are closed down, and international flights are cancelled, Frank finds himself one of a small group of foreigners trapped in his luxury hotel.

Parks captures the growing uncertainties about the spread of Covid (or at least the uncertainties of everyone except Frank, who remains – I am not sure whether that is lamentably or blissfully – ignorant of the nature or extent of the problem) with great skill. I remember what it was like in London as news stories about the disease started to circulate, and rumours ran riot.

This was the first novel that I have read that tries to engage with the impact of Covid, and the fears that attended those early days of the pandemic – I have read a couple of novels that acknowledge the pandemic, with characters wearing masks and practising social distancing, but none that have really been about it.

This book wasn’t all plain sailing, however. While I liked the story, and thought that the characters were well drawn, I found Tim Parks’ style of writing, and in particular the complete absence of speech marks, irritating, and felt that they detracted significantly from my enjoyment of the novel. show less