Customer Reviews

Italian-American Folklore (American Folklore Series)

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

 

 

As an Italian-American myself, I was searching to fill the gaps on some of the details regarding some of the traditions and superstitions that my grandparents believed in. Since both of them have passed away, we have been filling in a family tree and are supplementing our research with some of the rituals and customs we have come to enjoy and would like to pass them along to our children.

This book was right on the money! Very enjoyable and easy to follow! My father and aunt and uncle enjoyed the portions I read aloud to them-- it brought back a lot of memories and is allowing us to build a more robust family history story! Excellent reading!

Being Italian-American, I really enjoyed this book! I also learned so much that I did not know about my culture. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Conversation, which include some insightful proverbs. Italians have always been a very proud and self-reliant people, as summarized in the wise and timeless Sicilian-American proverb - "Cu s'aiuta Diu l'aiuta" (God helps those who help themselves). I also enjoyed the list of words that were adapted from English (p.45) with the Italian dialect and morphological tones. Really nice book!

Very ineresting and insightful look at Italianj American's and their colorful superstitions, charming as they often are. Reminded me of another favorite I-A book I recently read, Eleven Days in August, by Amatore Mille.

Through interviews, journals, and other primary sources, the authors have compiled the most comprehensive collection of Italian-American folklore to date. The data comes from both rural and urban communities and the authors pay special attention to regional differences within Italy. Included are proverbs, songs, games, folktales, foodways, superstitions, medicine, and many other topics that any Italian-American will appreciate.

If you've ever wondered why you can't eat chicken on New Year's Day or why a pregnant woman should have her food cravings satisfied, this book will answer all your questions and more. Well-organized and clearly presented, Italian-American Folklore will help generations of Italian-Americans better understand their own traditions and culture and offer explanations some may have thought were long lost.

"ITALIAN-AMERICAN FOLKLORE", BY Frances M. Malpezzi and William M. Clements is an all inclusive analogy of Italians encompassing proverbs, songs, games, folktales, superstitions, and ... generational variations of those ideals.
I knew that there was of course, a wide chasm between Italians from various localities, especially ...those of the South and, those of the North. However; I had no idea just how wide and deep that chasm really was.
The book is divided into 10 basic chapters. Each chapter covers a major facet of the Italian culture and the reader will soon come to learn that the chasm separating even similar phrases and stories is as great and varied as the separation portrayed by Northern and Southern Italians.
I found the chapters (sections) on Customs, Folk Supernaturalism, and Folk Medicine the most intriguing of all, especially those subjects dealing with various symbols, and... the fear of the supernatural curse of "Malocchio" (Evil eye). Much of the Italian beliefs in Folk Supernaturalism and Folk Medicine parallel with that of the Hispanic culture here in the Southwest.
The authors further devote a great amount of time to various games, songs, and even the world of Italian food.
The book is well structured, and the writing, interviews, and explanations are easy to follow even for someone...who is not Italian. The book does not however, go into any in-depth academic information, but will leave the reader just enough to enhance the need for further study in the subject matter should they care to follow up with additional readings. This is a good book to take along with you for a relaxing read or, to keep in your library as an enjoyable and easy accessible reference.

A little dry in the style but good info for those of us who are doing research into our cultures.