Italy Fever: 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair with Italy [Hardcover]

Darlene Marwitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2000

Memoir and Pre-Travel Companion. Marwitz departs from her architectural background and succumbs to the pleasures of Italy---all year long, newewing her post-forty spirit by following a passion and by indulging in engaging (and often humorous ways) to feed an Italy fever. She shares old and new ideas and humble experiences to help readers discover, interpret, and incorporate "pieces" of Italy into their own lives. From talking to a map of Italy on her walls to learning finger counting in Italian, from collecting old postcards of Venice and Rome to sampling gelato combinations and calling it "research," from craving the music of Andrea Bocelli to overdosing on Verdi and Puccini, from stalking used bookstores for Italy-looking and -sounding titles to marathon movie weekends via video---she is smitten, even obsessed with all things Italian.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A delightful guide for the Italophile armchair traveler." -- Giuliano Hazan, author of "The Classic Pasta Cookbook" and "Every Night Italian"

"A delightful taste of 'Italian nectar' . . . Darlene Marwitz celebrates la dolce vita on every page." -- Michael J. Gelb, author of "How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: 7 Steps to Genius Every Day" and "The How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci Notebook"

"A wonderful treasure of fun, inventive ideas on enjoying your passion for Italy especially when you're at home. Lots of books to read and things to do that I'd never thought of in my 25 years of living and travelling in Italy! An engaging portrait of a true Italy fanatic who reflects on how her Italian experiences have enriched the quality of her life." -- Margaret Cowan, author of Your Guide to 82 Decadent Cooking Holidays in Italy

From the Inside Flap

"After twenty years of marriage and against my better judgment, I finally convinced David to use his virgin passport and our frequent flyer miles to celebrate a special anniversary in the country of cypress-fringed roads and blood-orange sunsets.

As soon as he agreed, however, my heart began fluttering with anticipation---but not for the reason you might expect. It wasn't that I was already daydreaming of a tangled Tuscan romance in a country villa. Instead, I was struck by the thought of David trying to pack his clothes for his first trip abroad."

She had first traveled to Italy as a graduate student in architecture. She captured images of Roman ruins and historic Renaissance buildings and absorbed the sensuous landscape of rural Italy. And that's when it happened---the beginning of her love affair with a foreign country.

Now, more than ten years later, Darlene Marwitz renews her post-forty spirit by following a passion and indulging in engaging (and often humorous) ways to feed her Italy fever. She shares old and new ideas and humble experiences to help readers discover, interpret, and incorporate "pieces" of Italy into their own lives.

From . . . talking to a map of Italy on her walls to learning finger counting in Italian, from collecting old postcards of Venice and Rome to sampling gelato combinations and calling it "research," from craving the music of Andrea Bocelli to overdosing on Verdi and Puccini, from stalking used bookstores for Italy-looking and-sounding titles to marathon movie weekends via video---she is smitten, even obsessed, with all things Italian.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Portico Press (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966499824
• ISBN-13: 978-0966499827
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,841,908 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

While a graduate architecture student in historic preservation studies, Darlene's passion for Italy was ignited by her first trip to Italy. Following a teaching assistantship and coursework in England one summer, she boarded a train with a friend for Barcelona and then on to Vicenza where she arrived one hot August evening. From the moment of arrival, she was smitten by the world of Palladian villas and palazzi and the sensuous landscape of rural Italy.

Following the writing of ITALY FEVER: 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair With Italy, Darlene continues her fever, her passion for all-things-Italian through her Website and companion blog, provided news and tidbits of books, music, and movies for lovers of Italy across the world.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn, Laugh & Plan to Visit Italy !, January 31, 2000

By 

Nicky Westhead (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italy Fever: 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair with Italy (Hardcover)

As a Brit and European traveler, upon reading Italy Fever - I learnt, laughed and am inspired to plan a trip to Italy! I love the way Darlene Marwitz blends both her experiences and perceptions of travel in Italy, with captivating history and facts. Darlene's descriptions of traveling with her husand, David, are vivid - I felt as if I was there with them along the journey!

Darlene's enthusiasm and attention to details about all aspects of Italy are unique - we share the same love of films that show Italian countryside and culture (Recommended viewing "Tea With Mussolini" and "Enchanted April").

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Christmas gift, November 30, 1999

By 

chuck kirkpatrick (Nashville Tennessee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italy Fever: 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair with Italy (Hardcover)

Only an architect could be so descriptive. From domestic arguments with her husband to describing quirky happenings in Italy, Marwitz brings you to the event.

I enjoy reading upbeat travel writers who don't complain, but take their travel destination as it is and make the very best of it. Marwitz is never dull. She makes the best of the unexpected.

The book made me laugh as I reflected on some of my own experiences in Italy. The book is insightful and nearly addictive.

Great Christmas gift whether one has travelled to Italy or not. Too funny and well-written to pass up.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Catch the Fever, August 8, 2000

By 

Celia (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italy Fever: 14 Ways to Satisfy Your Love Affair with Italy (Hardcover)

Italy Fever is a fine book which captures the flavor and essence of Italy and all things Italian. Darlene Marwitz takes us along with her on her Italian journeys; she tells us how she enticed her non-enthusiastic husband along on an anniversary trip by calling it an excursion to see the factory where his bike came from(!)and tells us of experiences, byways, and adventures she encountered on this and other trips. When she's not traveling to Italy or plotting her next trip, Marwitz tells us how she eases her Italy fever by eating gelato, planting Italian vegetables, seeing Italian movies, reading Italian books, perusing Italian websites....and gives specifics for all of these. For armchair travelers, frequent travelers, and those in between, her book will evoke the spirit and flavor of a country which for centuries has intrigued so many.