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gsnaith's review against another edition
4.0
This book reads like Italy feels... It is rich, sunny and full of exquisite detail. It will bring you to tears with it's summer tinted nostalgia and poignancy.
Anyone who has had any dealings with Italy or Italians who recognise in this book, an extended love letter to the contradictory country.
Grazie.
Anyone who has had any dealings with Italy or Italians who recognise in this book, an extended love letter to the contradictory country.
Grazie.
vroobooks's review against another edition
5.0
For an English class I had to choose from a list of books for a presentation and I am glad i decided on this one. Sitting on my balcony on a rainy day, reading about sun, sea and spaghetti made me want to pack my suitcases.
Mr Harrison talks about the first two years he spent in Italy. He talks about, for example, the carabinieri, traditions, traffic, Italy's skill to make an conversation entrily with gesture and of course- the food, and describes these aspects in an honest, true and most of all hilarious way. I have never laughed so much while reading a book.
Five stars, I absolutely loved it.
Mr Harrison talks about the first two years he spent in Italy. He talks about, for example, the carabinieri, traditions, traffic, Italy's skill to make an conversation entrily with gesture and of course- the food, and describes these aspects in an honest, true and most of all hilarious way. I have never laughed so much while reading a book.
Five stars, I absolutely loved it.
mountain_adventures's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
This was a fun read by an Australian that fell in love with an Italian woman and decided to move to Puglia (don't pronounce the g,) Italy. The sprinkling of Italian through out the book was fun and great for language learning.
baleypetersen's review against another edition
4.0
>>Original post: http://thereadersbookblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/head-over-heel-chris-harrison.html
I love to travel. I'm not sure when it started, but for as long as I can remember, I have felt the urge to wander the world. While I have seen a great many wonderful places, there is always somewhere new to experience for the first time. Since I can't actually afford to spend my money on travel, I read about it instead. Head Over Heel: Seduced By Southern Italy took me to one of the places I have longed to see, and am now more eager than ever to visit.
Chris Harrison met Daniela in a pub while both were vacationing in Ireland. It seems ludicrous to imagine that such a meeting could result in true love, but Head Over Heel is Harrison's love story. It's hard to say whether Italy is the backdrop for this romance, or if the romance is the setting for Italy. Chris does the unimaginable by leaving his Australian life to be with Daniela in Italy. What seems like a doomed idea from the very beginning, turns out to be a wild adventure filled with colorful landscapes and characters. Chris narrates his adventures in Italy, from the exciting newness of the small, seaside town of Andrano, to the dull days spent working in Milan. As Chris learns the complicated processes of becoming an Australian living in Italy, his love for the country waxes and wans, while his love for Daniela pushes him to pursue a future with her.
Having moved to another country for a short time, I am well acquainted with the challenges of learning a new country, trying to make it your own. Something as simple as buying a loaf of bread or finding an ATM can be exhausting and result in a complete meltdown. Harrison easily describes the challenges without reserve, illustrating the often humorous situations that foreigners find themselves in. There is so much comedy in error that the humor of this story is inherent. Even if you've never left your hometown, it's hard to deny a giggle when Chris describes his future mother-in-law, scolding him for owning underpants in any color other than white. The absurdity of Italy's many law keepers and their failure to protect Italy's many ridiculous laws, are described as a joke to Italians, and by the end of this book, I sympathized.
Harrison brought his story to life in such a way that I also fell in and out of love with Italy. The foods, the people, the climate, the silly laws and superstitions, the dirty politicians, the helpful communities... Everything that Harrison describes is stimulating and exciting. I can't imagine reading this book and not wanting to see Southern Italy.
Rating: $$$
ARC received courtesy of Nicholas Brealey Publishing
I love to travel. I'm not sure when it started, but for as long as I can remember, I have felt the urge to wander the world. While I have seen a great many wonderful places, there is always somewhere new to experience for the first time. Since I can't actually afford to spend my money on travel, I read about it instead. Head Over Heel: Seduced By Southern Italy took me to one of the places I have longed to see, and am now more eager than ever to visit.
Chris Harrison met Daniela in a pub while both were vacationing in Ireland. It seems ludicrous to imagine that such a meeting could result in true love, but Head Over Heel is Harrison's love story. It's hard to say whether Italy is the backdrop for this romance, or if the romance is the setting for Italy. Chris does the unimaginable by leaving his Australian life to be with Daniela in Italy. What seems like a doomed idea from the very beginning, turns out to be a wild adventure filled with colorful landscapes and characters. Chris narrates his adventures in Italy, from the exciting newness of the small, seaside town of Andrano, to the dull days spent working in Milan. As Chris learns the complicated processes of becoming an Australian living in Italy, his love for the country waxes and wans, while his love for Daniela pushes him to pursue a future with her.
Having moved to another country for a short time, I am well acquainted with the challenges of learning a new country, trying to make it your own. Something as simple as buying a loaf of bread or finding an ATM can be exhausting and result in a complete meltdown. Harrison easily describes the challenges without reserve, illustrating the often humorous situations that foreigners find themselves in. There is so much comedy in error that the humor of this story is inherent. Even if you've never left your hometown, it's hard to deny a giggle when Chris describes his future mother-in-law, scolding him for owning underpants in any color other than white. The absurdity of Italy's many law keepers and their failure to protect Italy's many ridiculous laws, are described as a joke to Italians, and by the end of this book, I sympathized.
Harrison brought his story to life in such a way that I also fell in and out of love with Italy. The foods, the people, the climate, the silly laws and superstitions, the dirty politicians, the helpful communities... Everything that Harrison describes is stimulating and exciting. I can't imagine reading this book and not wanting to see Southern Italy.
Rating: $$$
ARC received courtesy of Nicholas Brealey Publishing
caitles_2022's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, I was a little disappointed. I found this book incredibly hard to finish because I was just not as engaged as I thought I would be. Although there were moments that I found funny and loved the descriptions of Italy and it’s people.
stephend81d5's review
3.0
funny memoir/travelogue around Italy by an Australian who meets an Italian girl called Daniela with one L in Dublin and becomes a romance where the author moves to southern italy
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