Customer Reviews

Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book for the pictures but when I started reading I couldn't put it down. I hate reading and yet I found myself finishing this book in two days. The pictures and stories completely captured every amazing and dysfunctional aspect of Italian culture. From the corrupt Italian bureaucracy to the simplicity of old italian women pulling the heads off chickens, this book is a hundred years of Italian culture in 175 pages. I've spent many summers in Tuscany yet I never found an artist who could capture it on paper like Gayeton has.

Talk about a book that brings you to the heart of a town and captures your heart, Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town does exactly that!

Each of Gayeton's photographs are actually a clever montage/collage of photographs taken over a period of time ranging from seven minutes to several hours. They are so cleverly connected that it is hard to believe the shot isn't just a single shot. The photographs are primarily done in sepia often with overlays of the authors notes, anecdotes, factual information and more. The book also contains recipes.

You truly feel as though you are transported into the town and into a slower way of life. One where you can grab a basket and collect mushrooms or herbs. A life where you and your family can spend hours at dinner eating, talking and laughing because nowhere is more important than where you are now.

If you have read Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun or Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy and were captured by her prose; Douglas Gayeton's Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town will allow you to experience the same admiration and love for Tuscany, but through his marvelous photographs that are coupled with his observations.

I'm ready to pack my bags and move!

What a wonderful pictorial trip through parts of Italy! I love the photo montages and all the commentary. Since I still have family in Italy it just felt like so many of my visits. We would all do well to slow down a bit and enjoy the space around us! Admittedly, it was diffiicult to read the script, but..think slow!! Just enjoy it all.

Lovely journal of the photographer's encounters with weather beaten characters/contadini who maintain precious and ever precarious connections to Italy's agrarian roots. I found the handwritten notes and scribbles over the photos often difficult to read (white print over seppia photos) and distracting from seeing/appreciating the photos. While I loved reading his thoughts about the people and the scene, I wish there was a way to do this a little more subtlely. When there was regular print off to the side of the photographs, it was usually repeated (unnecessarily) in handwritten script again on the photo. I think you need to have some basic understanding of Italian as a small portion of text is not translated. This is a book for people who have spent some time in the Italian countryside, have family connections to the contadini, or are food centric folks.

I received this book as a gift from a friend who lived with me in Italy for a semester abroad. She bought it because we are always talking about how much we miss the slow pace of Italy. It was a perfect gift! I can't wait to read and look through this more, but it includes a lot of photos. The photos capture Italy. Over most of the photos, the author has doodled and written out notes and commentary that really add to what you are seeing. Great book. Very high quality, thick binding and a great coffee table book. I would recommend it.

We saw an exhibition of the art work of Douglas Gayeton when we were in Fiesole last year. To find the work published in a book was a real joy. If you love the real Italy you will love this delightful coffee table book.

Our family currently is sharing our home with Erika, a student from Rome, Italy. I couldn't wait to share this book with her to get her take on it, even though she's from what I would call the central coastal area. It was nice that she could also do a little translating for me too. She whole-heartily confirms that a lot of their conversations back in Italy revolve around gossiping (young and old alike) I guess, small town America is not so different from small town Italy, American politics (she also thinks they should be able to vote right along with us because so many of our political decisions influence Italians), and as expected for a Country known for their foods, most of the conversations center around food. She has a Grandfather who currently lives in Bari (Southern Italy) and he could also add volumes to the "old ways" which in all reality deep down haven't changed much over the past century. Part of the old highways are still the original built by the Romans, and she can't believe the size of our SUV vehicles we drive, for example anything larger than a Chevrolet Malibu would never be able to maneuver around downtown Rome. It is a special treat to have her with us and to learn about her culture as she does ours. I really hope to be able to meet her family one day.

In Slow, you will take a fascinating journey through the heart of Tuscany. The personal handwritten anecdotes combined with the timely and elegant photos Gayeton has created a charming story that celebrates the principles of the Slow Food movement and the people whose lives are devoted to growing, preparing and eating food. A beautiful and treasured addition to your coffee table! It will definitely touch you.

A lot of work went into this book which gratifies the author's wants and needs but it did not speak to me.

If you are a lover of Italy; the Lifestyle, the Beauty, the Food, the People; then this book is a "Must Have" - The entire concept is unique, and the photographs, the intimacy and the "story" are a treasure - There is one big problem with the book: From the very first page (actually from the cover) through each and every page you will be yearning to return "home" to Toscana - A precious personal possession and a perfect gift - Many thanks to Douglas Gayeton...

I highly recommend this book. It is visually very interesting to look at even if you don't feel like reading everything. Very creative, beautiful pictures, a great look at slow life in a Tuscan town. A very beautiful book...