An Italian Education
by Tim Parks
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Description
Tim Parks's best seller, Italian Neighbors, offered a sparkling, witty, and acutely observed account of an expatriate's life in a small village outside of Verona. Now in An Italian Education, Parks continues his chronicle of adapting to Italian society and culture, while raising his Italian-born children. With the exquisite eye for detail, character, and intrigue that has brought him acclaim as a novelist, Parks creates an enchanting portrait of Italian parenthood and family life at home, in show more the classroom, and at church. Shifting from hilarity to despair in the time it takes to sing a lullaby, Parks learns that to be a true Italian, one must live by the motto "All days are one.". show lessTags
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browner56 Two ex-pats offer their fascinating insights on living and working in Italy
Member Reviews
Tim Parks is married to an Italian and living near Verona with their two children. He explores contemporary Italian life at home and at work. Even though I have been to Italy on holiday many times I realised how little I really understood Italian attitudes, politics and predjudices. He writes with an amusing light touch, that frequently had me laughing out loud.
It is a sharp analysis of our (Italian) family and social life. It is amusing, and sometimes it made me to think about our habits, that surely are difficult to understand for people from other countries. Parks forgot another important Italian habit: we can say all the possible evil about our own country, but nobody else can! So, sometimes I felt hurt by his words, even if I must say they are pretty accurate.
A good book, that gives Italian an interesting point of view on their own life.
A good book, that gives Italian an interesting point of view on their own life.
I really enjoyed Parks' humorous expat. view of the underbelly of Italian education and society in general. Good droll english humor. I felt like I was living in Italy with him and his family.
Loved it - great descriptions, cuts below the surface.
A fascinating trip with an American married to an Italian lady who lives in Verona. An interesting and accurate account of the Italian way of life.
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Italian adventures
21 works; 1 member
Guilty Pleasures
223 works; 86 members
Author Information

55+ Works 5,645 Members
Tim Parks is the author of more than twenty novels and works of nonfiction, including Italian Neighbors, An Italian Education, Adultery, Hell and Back, and Teach Us to Sit Still. He is also a contributor to the New York Review of Books and The New Yorker, and translator of the works of Alberto Moravia, Roberto Calasso, Italo Calvino, and Antonio show more Tabucchi, among others. He lives in Italy. show less
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Notable Lists
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- An Italian Education
- Original title
- An Italian Education
- Original publication date
- 1995
- People/Characters
- Tim Parks; Rita Parks
- Important places
- Verona, Veneto, Italy
- Dedication
- For Lucia
- First words
- Cocco! Cocco!
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Spooning foam into his mouth like a big baby, the crumbs of a second brioche on his lips, my father-in-law is quick to correct me: "No better place," he says, "not to grow up!"
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Statistics
- Members
- 520
- Popularity
- 57,544
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.75)
- Languages
- 5 — Dutch, English, German, Italian, Portuguese
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 16
- ASINs
- 4






























































