Too Much Tuscan Sun: Confessions Of A Chianti Tour Guide
Product ID: 48701252
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Over the past several years, "the American in Tuscany" has become a literary subgenre. Launched by the phenomenal success of Frances Mayes's Under the Tuscan Sun, bookstores now burgeon with nimble, witty accounts of this clash in cultures-Americans trying to do American things in Italy and bumping against a brick wall of tradition. Before this subgenre exhausts itself, it's only fair that we hear the other side of the story-that of a native Tuscan and of dozens of Americans who have stormed through his life and homeland, determined to find in it whatever they are looking for, whether quaintness or wisdom, submission or direction. There is no one better to provide this view than Dario Castagno. A Tuscan guide whose client base is predominantly American, Dario has spent more than a decade taking individuals and small groups on customized tours through the Chianti region of Tuscany. Reared in Britain through early childhood, he speaks English fluently and is therefore capable of fully engaging his American clients and getting to know them. Too Much Tuscan Sun is Dario's account of some of his more remarkable customers, from the obsessive and the oblivious to the downright lunatic. It is also a primer on Tuscany--its charms and its culture. Structured around a typical Tuscan year, Dario takes us through the sights, smells, and sounds of Chianti during each of the twelve months, including the festivities and pageantry that accord with the season, most notable the Palio-the bareback horse race that consumes the social energies of the people of Siena for all of July and August. Dario also intersperses an account of his own life and times-that of a transplanted British "little lord" who learns to love the wilds of Chianti; of his discovery and adoption of abandoned peasant farmhouses; of his apprenticeship in the wine industry; and of his arduous transformation from bohemian layabout to thriving Tuscan guide. But the bulk of the book is devoted, with humor and affection, to the Americans he has met-the vain, the silly, the ignorant, the ambitious, the horny, the condescending, the charming, and the outright pathological. Some of them have made his life hell and live in his nightmares; others became lifelong friends. Review: Great, Fun Book! - If you love to travel and want to laugh, this is a great book and a fast read. I've given it also as gifts to several people who loved it equally. Review: Can't get enough Tuscan Sun - My only problem with this book is that I read "Too much Tuscan Wine", also from Dario Castagno before I read this earlier written book. The growth of Dario as an author and story teller was so obvious in reading his latter book before the former. Too Much Tuscan Sun was very good. Easily readable for both veteran travelers to Tuscany as well as those looking for an initial life changing vacation. It gives a humorous depiction of the different types of tourists, and what they expect of a tour guide when contracting for his services, as well as a very thoughtful discussion of how differently Europeans and American's view the world. Start with his first book and read them in order. You will not only appreciate the latter stories better by having the background of the earlier books, but will also appreciate the growth of this wonderful author.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,185,268 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,132 in General Europe Travel Guides #1,208 in general Italy Travel Guides #3,000 in Travel Writing Reference |
| Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 186 Reviews |
G**A
Great, Fun Book!
If you love to travel and want to laugh, this is a great book and a fast read. I've given it also as gifts to several people who loved it equally.
K**S
Can't get enough Tuscan Sun
My only problem with this book is that I read "Too much Tuscan Wine", also from Dario Castagno before I read this earlier written book. The growth of Dario as an author and story teller was so obvious in reading his latter book before the former. Too Much Tuscan Sun was very good. Easily readable for both veteran travelers to Tuscany as well as those looking for an initial life changing vacation. It gives a humorous depiction of the different types of tourists, and what they expect of a tour guide when contracting for his services, as well as a very thoughtful discussion of how differently Europeans and American's view the world. Start with his first book and read them in order. You will not only appreciate the latter stories better by having the background of the earlier books, but will also appreciate the growth of this wonderful author.
B**N
Colorful and Clever
Bought this for friends who were heading to Italy having been loaned a copy by a friend. It's a fun read that is colorful and clever, and it artfully pokes fun at American tourists. At the same time, it seemingly engages in hyperbole to the point of occasional distraction and telegraphs punch lines. Worth reading, but slightly disappointing because of the parts that just aren't believable.
A**R
The Truth about too much Tuscan Sun
As someone who has worked for almost a decade in the tourism industry in Tuscany, reading this book was like chatting with a friend. I know some have been off put by Dario's descriptions of Americans in particular, but I could add a few chapters of my own that'd mirror his exactly. Because I know these tales so well and have lived so many myself, I did truly enjoy the chapters about Dario's personal life and his adventures around Chianti. The last chapter absolutely moved me. Overall this was a wonderful read - and for those traveling to Tuscany in the future, it's also a great guide as how NOT to act - your tour guides will appreciate if you take note of the frustrations here!
M**Y
Quick trip to Tuscany
This book is a humorous look at the making of a small-group tour guide from the Chianti area, along with a collection of stories about his (mostly American) clients. The reader may roll his or her eyes at the antics of somec clients (really, 5" heels for a walk through an ancient castle and vineyard), but the author pokes fun gently and we all recognize the discomfort that can occur when traveling outside our normal cultures, and the odd behaviosr that can result from it. In addition, this is a good look at the famed Palio race from the point of view of someone directly involved. A good read and travel guide.
R**N
Such an enjoyable and honest impression of Italian tourism.
I've now been to Italy nine times. My first time was about a year after Robert Rodi's epilogue is dated and we were in this same region of Chianti for a wedding in Siena. I've not been back there yet but now I would love to and to have Dario show me around. I dare say I'd be a lot more accommodating than some of the tourists discussed here. (I get bugged by the same things.)
J**M
Very Enjoyable Read...
Clearly the people who trashed this book either do not have a sense of humor or were looking for another typical Tuscan tour guide. Sure Dario has a view of many American tourists that many won't want to hear, but frankly I agree with him. As an American who regularly travels to Italy, I'm constantly amazed by the stupid things American tourists do, and their inability to embrace Italian culture (isn't that one reason to go?). Dario points out these things in a very humorous way, and I enjoyed his book. My wife and I had dinner with him last year, and we both found him to be an incredible storyteller who easily brought the history of Chianti and Siena to life.
C**F
Interesting info on Tuscany, but kind of slow
While this book explains a lot about Tuscany, I found it kind of boring. It could have been a lot shorter.
M**Y
Fantastico.
I discovered this through other reading and it is a brilliant read, if you are interested in the region or just want a good read, this is the book for you.
R**D
Five Stars
Great but late
S**H
Good
It gives short stories from a guy who worked as a tour guide. It's very funny and the author is a good story teller. It's an easy read.
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