Customer Reviews

As the Romans Do: The Delights, Dramas, And Daily Diversions Of Life In The Eternal City

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"In November 1998, Rome, Italy changed our 17-year-old daughter's life, thanks to our one week tour with Alan Epstein. It isn't easy to thrill three teenage girls, unless of course you are a teenage boy, but Alan's tour achieved the almost impossible. His astute observations and his infectious enthusiasm provided incredible insights about life in the Eternal City. A walk with Alan becomes a vehicle for understanding the complexities and beauty of Roman culture. His stories opened our daughters' eyes to a world brimming with pleasure and passion, unlike any they had seen before. Our oldest daughter, realizing that her world had the potential to expand beyond suburban Philadelphia, experienced an attitude change. She can't wait to embrace her life with open arms, "as the Romans do," eager to learn more about the world and continue on the journey she began with Alan. From the water fountains that we thought were broken fire hydrants, but that, in fact, are bubbling with the pure, potable water of the underground springs, to the ancient works of art tucked away on almost every street, Alan regaled us with fascinating stories and facts. Alan's help was invaluable, not just entertaining. From understanding why one should never sit down in certain coffee bars, to finding out where to eat like kings but pay like paupers, and even how to use the public bus system, Alan's tips helped us find our way effortlessly, even though we don't speak Italian. Without question, after 25 years of travel, this is the best trip we've ever taken. Don't miss Rome and don't go without Alan Epstein!

There are many aspects of "As the Romans Do" that resonated with me. A few that leap to mind: Epstein's expert weaving of Italian words and phrases into the English text, which add pizzazz to his encounters; the juxtaposition of Roman history -- in all its epochs -- with current Roman life; the contrasts between contemporary Roman and American society, as noted in general observations and in descriptions of Epstein's and his Roman neighbors' personal experiences; the overall smooth rhythm and pacing of the book.

"As the Romans Do" should have broad appeal, enchanting people who love all things Italian, who have visited Rome -- or who would like to, and who enjoy reading about expatriates living in foreign cultures. Epstein does an artistic, classy job with a subject that lends itself to art and class, but that can fall easily into cliches and descriptions of Rome we've all read before.

Epstein has a fresh perspective. His individual approach to the Eternal City defines his book, and as readers, we get to dream about Rome as we mull over our own definitions.

"If you've been to Rome and thrown your coin in the Trevi Fountain, but still haven't been able to take your return trip, As the Romans Do will bring you back. And, if you haven't lived and loved a trip to Rome, the book will take you there. As you read it and figuratively walk the streets with Alan Epstein, Rome envelopes you. The beauty, the sights, the smells, the history that is Rome with its vibrant past and present, fill every page. Alan's insights and observations bring the city to you in a way no guide book or novel ever could. You can learn the secrets that the Romans know about a life brimming with passion and joy, simplicity and sensuality. If you've ever fantasized about beginning life anew in an exotic place, this book will enthrall you. And, even if you stay right where you are, reading As the Romans Do will inspire you to weave a bit of that Roman wisdom into your daily life."

Although Epstein has lived in Rome for years, I think he actually doesn't really understand and know much of this city; his assertions are full of imprecisions, stereotypes and commonplaces. His insights are trivial and most of the times far from the actual facts; his knowledge of italian society is faulty (at least) and sometimes rather absurd: supermarkets that don't change money and other fantasies prove that Epstein don't know much of this city. I bought this book full of hopes and enthusiasm but in the end I was really disappointed by it. As a roman (a really one, not a pretended one as Epstein) who lives in Rome I found the book and his author quite annoying.

Alessandro Cantonetti

When it comes to the living-abroad type of travel memoir, I have expectations of depth, insight, and extensive knowledge - hey, an author living in the midst of his subject should have all the time in the world for research and thought, right? And Alan Epstein, with his degree in European history and his work as a guide and lecturer, ought to be able to do even better than your average Mayes, Mayle, or Gervais. Or so I thought when I picked up this book. What I found, though, was that there just wasn't a lot to As the Romans Do; it lacked both the skillful writing and the insightful depth that make up the best travel books.

The poor grammar and editing of this book drove me nuts. Epstein uses an awful lot of enormously long, convoluted sentences with no special stylistic rationale. And even he gets lost in his own sentences - if you parse them out, you'll notice lots of missing subjects and lost clauses, lots of five-line fragments. One of the strengths of much of the memoir-style travel writing is the craftsmanship of the writers, but that's definitely not the case with this book.

Still, weak writing is survivable; weak content isn't. That's the biggest problem with the book - there just isn't a whole lot of Rome in As the Romans Do. Epstein only skims along the surface, without ever going into depth or revealing anything bigger than himself. Each chapter is just long enough to give the gist of the topic. The true insights that can come from reading about living abroad - insights about the way we are, as well as about the way other people live - are missing in action. In one chapter, Epstein briefly discusses a meeting at his sons' school, using it to illustrate a weak point about the way people argue in Italy. It would have been much more revealing and interesting had he gone into depth about the differences between Italian and American schooling and about his family's experiences with Roman schools. Harriet Welty does this in French Toast (with French schools, of course), and it's the most revealing part of her book - how we educate our children says a lot about who we are. But Epstein doesn't pursue this topic, or any of the others, and left me wishing for more.

All in all, this is a very short, light look at one of the world's oldest and richest cultures. I finished the book frustrated by the writing style and disappointed because I'd hoped for much more.

I quickly got absorbed in the first half or so of this book. The author's delight in his adopted city is contagious, and apart from falling into the occasional cliche and tendency to name-drop, he's an engaging writer. But eventually it cloys. Please, let's hear something--anything--to indicate that Rome is not paradise, because no place is paradise. The absence of a single negative note gets to be monotonous and annoying--and suspect. (You get the feeling that his publisher gave him his marching orders, instructing him to offer kudos and nothing but. Or else that Epstein lives in a fantasy, averting his eyes from anything unpleasant.) By the second half of this book I couldn't shake off the sense that if it were the Roman habit to toss the household garbage out the front window, Epstein's response would be "How charming! What insouciance! Such a devil-may-care approach to life!" I hope in his next book, if there is one, he exhibits a little more candor.

Mr. Epstein obviously has bushels of cash, and plenty of connections with the glitterati. His descriptions of buying a place in Rome, going to dinner parties with his famous personal friends, and his perceptions of la bella figura, etc. are all rather patronizing. While I did enjoy a couple of the chapters, I found that Mr. Epstein's reality in the USA was obviously far different from mine, and so is his reality in Italy. Must be nice to have it all so easy.

As the Romans Do is a treasure. Having just returned from a week in Rome, I was delighted to find this book. Alan Epstein has an easy-going way of telling people about life in Rome that allows you to feel as if you were talking with a friend about his vacation experiences, and gives you the chance to indulge in nostalgia as you remember your own. His love for, and pride in, the city is evident. I was waiting to see some of Diane's slides! For new readers who have already been to Rome, the book serves to validate the feelings that you might have in common with Alan. I, too, noticed how eager the Romans are to assist someone who is in difficulty, and how kind they are when they do it. For people who are looking forward to their first Roman experience, the book will aid you in understanding the wonderful people of that city, as well as in finding the perfect place to have lunch with a family of four.

Alan conveys the beauty of the people of Rome, in addition to that of their awe-inspiring surroundings, and amuses the reader with recollections of entertaining times in the city with his wife and children. It is written with a sense of humor that continues to make me laugh, even after reading snippets to friends numerous times. It will help you to understand many of the cultural differences between Italians and Americans. The book makes some sense of many of the questions that I have had after my own experiences. It offers you the opportunity to avail yourself of Alan's expertise. It will be interesting to see if I agree with Alan's pick of the best pizza, a great route for a Sunday morning jog, or the best trattorie in town. I have been to Rome many times. Not to date myself, but the first time I went, I brought along Europe on $5 a Day, by Arthur Frommer. When I go back next month, I'm bringing As the Romans Do, by Alan Epstein. And, as always, I'll leave a little piece of my heart.

I love Rome, yet when people have asked me exactly what it is I love about it, I've never been able to explain adequately. I'd come up with answers like, "I don't know, it has a certain pace of its own", or, "It's sort of a combination of New York City and Havana", or, "The food..." Well, Alan Epstein expresses the reasons beautifully. Unfortunately, the book has a side effect- if you've been to Rome, it makes you want to return-NOW, and if you've not yet been to Rome, it makes you want go- NOW. Oh, also- the chapters about food will make you hungry.

As a 100% Roman, brand new resident of the Big Apple and ex-upstairs neighbour of Alan Epstein, I just loved this book: not only it is well written, witty and full of heartly enthusiasm on Rome and its inhabitants; it really gets the "spirit";, the humour and some "crazy" (by US standards) habits of my former fellow citizens. It is obvious that Alan enjoys living in the Eternal City, and this book should be a "must" reading for any American planning to spend some time in Rome.