Italian Carousel: Scenes of Internal Exile - Softcover

Navrozov, Andrei

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0720611962 ISBN 13: 9780720611960

Publisher: Peter Owen Ltd, 2004

Synopsis

Andrei Navrozov has described himself as a political refugee from Russia, a cultural refugee from America, and a gastronomic refugee from Britain. Yet the theme of his new book is altogether less flippant: where in the homogenizing and modernizing Europe would the hardened individualist find a last refuge? The answer to that question takes the reader on an uncompromising, occasionally eccentric but deeply personal and always entertaining travelogue with the author on his first day in Rome to his last night at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, and through a number of Italian cities, with sidelong glances at 70s Moscow, 80s New York, and 90s London. All of which leads him to "home" and the end of his flight from social progress: Palermo. Italy. Accompanying him to each of these destinations is the author's Phiz, the Russian photographer Gusov. His forty-eight arresting images serve to give another dimension to Navrozov's ideas, arguments, and impressions.

About this title

From the Publisher

Where can travellers go to find "pure" culture uninfluenced by American film, television, food, music and fashion? Russian-born Navrozov, who was educated in the United States at Yale and currently resides in Great Britain, takes us on a quest for cultural purity as he travels through Italy and visits cities like Rome Venice and Palermo. Short, impressionistic vignettes make up the 46 chapters on a variety of topics: cities, hotels, food, dress, friends and local atmosphere. In Palermo, Sicily, Navrozov satisfies his quest for purity at last: here, where " progress is retarded", many of the negative aspects of the modern world have not interfered. In addition, Navrozov loves the down-to-earth nature of the people, the lack of social pretense, and the exciting threat of the Mafia. Photographer Gusov, Navrozov’s friend, augments the author’s eccentric, highly opinionated, but always entertaining prose with arresting black-and-white images of Italian people and places. This is a refreshing, non-objective and persional take on one of the most written-about tourist destinations. Recommended for photography collections and large travel collections in public libraries. - Olga B.Wise, Austin Texas, Library Journal November 1, 2003

About the Author

Andrei Navrozov is the author of The Ginger-bread Race (Picador, 1993), a regular contributor to Chronicles, and translator of Boris Pasternak's poetry.

Edition details

• Publisher: Peter Owen Ltd
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0720611962
• ISBN 13: 9780720611960
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 188