Books set in Italy for Italian holiday pleeease?

[RoobyMurray]

I do like to read books set in the country I'm holidaying in, and this time it's Italy

I've done Forster...so, erm Death in Venice? Or is that a bit grim for poolside?

Can anyone suggest anything please?

Death in Venice is a bit grim for the poolside.

How about Elizabeht Von Armin's "The Enchanted April"?

Here are some I enjoyed, I love Venice, have been twice.

Susannah Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell

Salley Vickers: Miss Garnet's Angel

Erica Jong: Serenissima - A novel of Venice

A kids book, but lovely, with a Venetian flavour is "The Glass Heart...A tale of three princesses" by Sally Gardner

Also for non-fiction, bit of historical background etc before you go Francesco Da Mosto's Venice is brilliant. Also you might still be able to get his TV series on DVD. He did a very good round Italy one later too. He's from an old Venetian family.

have a look here!

The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis.

If you google 'books set in Italy' you get lists like this

How about Umberto Eco "The name of the rose"
Giorgio Bassani "The garden of the Finzi Contini"
Giovanni da Lampedusa "The Leopard"

The Savage Garden by Mark Mills

Great, thanks everyone! I'll have a mooch.

BTW, I did google, but I was a bit overwhelmed so though I would asked some people I know will have excellent taste

try

extra virgin, annie hawes
a valley in italy, lisa st aubin de teran

have read them ALL and these are my faves

I was just going to suggest Annie Hawes, Porcamisera. Is that where you have your name from? It always reminds me of that book.

If you like crime books Gianrico Carofiglio or Niccolo Ammaniti

For a lighthearted read try The Perfect Lie by Emily Barr. She is fantastic at combining travel writing/chick lit/suspense. Set in Venice

P

Second The Savage Garden, read it by the pool in Italy a few years ago. I also quite liked 'Last Train From Liguria' by Christina Dwyer Hickey.

If you like easy to read detective series then there are quite a few - Donna Leon, Michele Ferara and a few others.

A Favourite of the Gods by Sybille Bedford - largely though not entirely set in Italy as far as I remember... it's about 20 years since I read - and loved - it!

Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun is lovely.

Be careful of foreign-woman-goes-to-tread-grapes-with-friendly-locals genre though. Most are dire (and always have me chuntering that I could do better myself )

Tim Parks Italian Neighbours/An Italian Education are both quite good.

I've just bought The Dark Heart of Italy which is definitely not rose-tinted!

ooh, great thanks for these! I'm going to have an excess luggage ishoo at this rate maybe I'll have to kindle a few.

I'm not so keen on soppy or crime, but neither do I want Very Serious...

trots of back to Amazon

Tuscany for Beginners - very funny.

I know this is a classic but try "Romola" by Elisabeth Gaskell - beautiful!

isn't Romola by George Eliot?
(not that I have read it)

Check out Nicky Pellegrino - of Italian origin, sets her books in Italy. Light read, good for holidays.

Non fiction, but Peter Moore's 'Vroom with a View', and 'Vroom by the Sea' are very good.
He's a very funny travel writer.

Try 'Eat Pray Love', the first third is based in Rome, the second in India and the third in Bali

'I'm not Scared' by Niccolo Ammaniti is a good read - I tell you what it's about as that would spoil it.

More Lives Than One by Libby Purves. Good story and well written with a twist in it.

I'm currently reading a book by Louise Candlish called "Other People's Secrets" which is fab plus its set in Italy and is based around two families that are holidaying there.

Anything by Marina Fiorato is great, The GlassBlower of Murano is one, my fave of hers is The Botticelli Secret and there is one more can't remember the name