It was light and humorous, insightful and introspective, and the narrator was excellent! Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2019, Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2017. “The story is the same, over and over, only the facts are different and the names and the places.”, REALLY Underrated Books (Fewer than 1,000 Ratings), The obscure: Best books most haven't read (or even heard of), What Happened to Offred? There's a lot of humor in this book and for anyone who likes Italy and Italians it's a really fun read. He also wrote a column for The New Masses, a Marxist weekly, under the name Robert Forsythe. . After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. There's a problem loading this menu right now. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. It holds up so well and is not dated because it is all about wine and the depth of feeling that wine growers experience and what they would do to protect their wine. I wanted to like the book that is sort of classified as a comedy but at the same time there are vast parts of this book that deal with the horror of war that, while realistic, really gave me a different impression on the book. A charming read. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. --. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. So did my father, whose hardback first edition I inherited. It is filled with humor and suspense. by Carroll & Graf Publishers. Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2018. Not in story line, to be clear, but in essence. Wow. I really enjoyed how the so-called "simple Italian peasants" lead by their mayor, Italo Bombolini, were able to make fools of their Nazi occupiers. Before returning to the States, he ran an ice cream factory on the outskirts of Paris; it was, he said, his decompression chamber. One of my favourite stories that has been converted to film well. The plot? January’s challenge is to read a book published in … I'm happy with the changes - after all, it's a 'feel good' story. I have read this a few times and have always enjoyed the tale. Usually humorous, but occasionally deadly serious. Small towns have their unique character,but this town is full of characters! We work hard to protect your security and privacy. It holds up well. If there is a better book about wine (and what is means to the growers) then tell me about it. Thanks to my mom for recommending it! After watching the movie a couple of times over the years, I found out there was a novel. The plot? I would not have read it otherwise, in spite of the fact, Really torn on this book, as I remember the movie that was made from this - a movie that was a huge box office disappointment! Please try again. They also changed a couple of bits of the story to make it 'nicer'. Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2009. When your existance is threatened drastic actions ensue! Top subscription boxes – right to your door, See all details for The Secret of Santa Vittoria, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017. This is when the fun starts! A bumbling, hilarious, over-the-top and pitch perfect gem of a read. I just hope that my Southern Italian relatives that did not emigrate to the US in 1900, did not suffer at the hands of the Nazis. So did my father, whose hardback first edition I inherited. I loved this. It's a funny, ribald story, but also has poignant moments. I just loved reading this book, and do so from time to time again when the need arises. A great book. I really enjoyed this book. Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2017. I enjoyed the rich descriptions of the Italian character and tempermant and watching the clever ways the Italians strung along. There is also a host of vivid characters, but above all is the character of Bombolini. Here, it's superstition and religion (which, in my opinion, are the same thing) that lead people to believe things happen because supernatural forces have ordained them. Remote from the rest of war-torn Italy, the little town of Santa Vittoria has but one thing to boast of: its fabulous wine cellars. Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2019. It is filled with humor and suspense. Italy, wine, comedy, suspense, it has it all! Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Crichton was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and grew up in Bronxville, New York. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. I highly recommend this book! I wanted to like the book that is sort of classified as a comedy but at the same time there are vast parts of this book that deal with the horro.