Customer Reviews

Casa Rossa

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved Rules of the Wild, with its witty and incisive look at European expatriates in East Africa but I was totally unprepared for Casa Rossa. It is a very ambitious book. A gripping saga of a southern Italian family, it spans 3 generations, and would be a great book just for the ride, Paris in the '20, giddy Rome in the'50s (cinecitta, paparazzis), Italy under the dark influence of terrorism in the '70s, all anchored by the family old house in beautiful, hot Puglia. At the core of the story is the complex relationship between a mother and two daughters, their family secrets, the transformation of family history as it is passed down.These are strong, funny, at times terrifying women. What an exciting, wonderful book...

Francesca Marciano has the verbal equivalent of a master sculptor's chisel for creating believable characters. In "Casa Rossa" she not only tells a compelling tale about three generations of a southern Italian family, she gives many wonderful insights into daily life in Italy today and in the early 20th century. I particularly liked her spin on the tarantella. Although now merely a lively dance at Italian wedding receptions, Marciano reveals the folkloric purpose of the tarantella and the ritual that is connected with it with a clarity I had not before read. The novel has great atmospheric sense as well, whether the location is the deepest Italian south, Rome, northern Italy or New York. It's only drawback is its cinematic pace.

I was not certain I would enjoy Casa Rossa after reading the first chapter, but was shortly thereafter swept away by the various stories within the novel. Marciano does a fantastic job at character development. More than likely, you will need to keep reading to find out what will happen to them. Each character also has a distinct personality that shows the depth of the novel. This is the type of novel that remains in your thoughts throughout the day until you can return to it again. If you are interested in Italian culture, this novel should also intrigue you.

Marciano's book is absorbing and works beautifully on two levels: a story of multiple generations of women in which one comes to care about the characters, and an evocation of Italy during two decades of turmoil, including terrorism. I learned a lot about Italy reading this book, because interwoven among the fictional threads of the plot are glimpses of Italy's social realities: the division between North and South, for example. About one-third of the way through, this book just "took off" and I couldn't stop reading; it surpasses 'Rules of the Wild' which I also enjoyed, having lived in Kenya for a while.

Ms. Marciano has really outdone herself for her second novel, which is as interesting as her first book, Rules of the Wild, but has a much more sophisticated storyline - plus the plot is much more intertwined. A truly fantastic second book which reveals a lot about the Red Brigade and a obviously very troubled time in Italy's history. My only complaint is with the cover, which I feel does the book an injustice by intimating that the book will be a fluffy girls' story and not the interesting and complicated novel that it is.

This book is fluid and readable and yet complex in how the story reveals itself one thread at a time---not always in sequence. Marciano is an extremely intelligent and insightful writer who is a master at building tension and subtext into a scene and at revealing the dimensions of human psychology. It is a universal story about sisters and how deeply that bond inspires us and at times criples us. It is the story of 2 sisters surviving a dysfunctional family: one crumbles as an adult while the other does not-- but instead, learns to process it, make art from it and live beyond it (healing seems too simplistic a word). It is a story that takes place in Italy but it is a story that could have taken place anywhere.

A unique blend of page-turning drama with thoughful prose that makes the reader want to linger over the words. The varied plots about family secrets, political unrest, unfulfilled yearnings and an insider's view of Italy are skillfully woven into an enchanting tapestry. CASA ROSSA left this reader eager to visit Italy. Even before I finished this novel, I went out and bought the author's other novel.

Marciano is able to transport the reader into the lushness of her settings with all the sights, smells, sounds and history. Being in Kenya while reading "Rules of the Wild" was wonderful. Now Italy with the added complexity of family and romance and food. I look forward to Francesca's next book and setting perfect for escape.

A lot has already been said about this book by other reviewers, the plot is intriguing, the characters believable, the writing beautiful. It is all true, and then some.

I teach Italian at college level and always recommend this book to my students, it gives you a powerful insight into the Italian history of the 1900 and it does so in such a beautiful manner, you feel the characters under your skin, you root for them, you cry with them, you never want to let them go.

It's such a gem!

A wonderful fast paced novel that keeps moving and turning. I thought it was a great read. Equally as good as her first book.