Italian Ways written by Tim Parks, in 2013, is a book detailing his love of trains and journeys 'on and off the rails from Milan to Palermo'. This book is a well-rounded, engaging, humorous and captivating, in reading this book you will find yourself transported in to the heart of Italian life on the rails.
Parks has subtly featured Italian nuances, culture, history, facts and quirks that become evident through those travelling on the trains - perfectly summing up the different kinds of people on the trains and the need they fill in the eclectic mix of people in each carriage. Parks also manages to include a seamless smattering of Italian colloquialisms (which I loved since learning Italian), he explains the phenomenon of the 'furbo' and 'pignolo' and how this distinction between people is what divides people on both the trains and throughout life; he eloquently describes the cultural value 'companilismo' whilst weaving in more simple conversational terms such as 'già '. So not only did I find myself engulfed whilst reading this book, but also found myself learning, with every page, a little more about Italian ways, attitudes and language.
Most notably, in the second half of the book the Northern Italian 'despise' for the Southern Italians is a common theme that becomes largely clear as he ventures in to deep Sicily, and the Southern insistence that they have been 'abandoned' by the government in every aspect of life. The book features the capotreno's (i.e. the collective group of capotreno's across Italy) habit of making a drama of small issues and instances for the sake of it, yet never returning to solve it.
Parks' flawless writing captures his own character and essence as a British man who has lived in Italy for thirty-two years yet defines himself as neither British nor Italian. He is often recognised as English-speaking and is eternally curious about what gives him away but is pleasantly pleased when he glides through moments undetected; his British habits are dying hard with an insistence on keeping to ones self on the train, however, he occasionally finds himself flung in to moments of latin drama when confronted with ridiculous scenarios.
'The streets down to the sea offer the typical southern combination of the ramshackle and the haphazard ... You cross a busy road, then move purposefully towards the sea, the waterfront, ... It's dazzling, a well-rounded bay with perhaps half a mile of promenade, looking eastwards across an absolutely transparent sea, a shimmer of pale turquoise and happy bathers.'
pp.246
This book definitely succeeds in making you want to travel by train and see Italy, and although not an easy read as it is largely split between real-time travel and historical interludes overall I really enjoyed this book. My favourite chapter was six although this is largely down to the subject matter as he ventures in to Southern towns, for the first time, so you get to experience this - his writing becomes very descriptive and more typical 'travel writing' and I enjoy experiencing his novel experiences as he does. On the other hand, I feel as if the epilogue is very abstract in comparison to the rest of the book and didn't enjoy it as much - however, what it does give you is a great sense of writing style and how intrinsic the Italian trains, and the life onboard these trains, are to his storytelling in fiction novels he has written.
You will find Italian Ways is perfect for reading while travelling. It's great for gaining a historical and social understanding of Italy whether for an upcoming journey or in preparation for living in Italy. This book is something a little more challenging and stimulating than the typical holiday read but for this it is more captivating, enjoyable and in-fact educational. This book is available in paperback for £8.99 (Vintage Edition) and on Kindle for £3.99; at 261 pages this book could be read in 4-7 days.