Sicilian Odyssey

Nonfiction, Travel, Europe, Italy, Adventure & Literary Travel, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Sicilian Odyssey by Francine Prose, National Geographic Society
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Francine Prose ISBN: 9781426209086
Publisher: National Geographic Society Publication: June 15, 2011
Imprint: National Geographic Language: English
Author: Francine Prose
ISBN: 9781426209086
Publisher: National Geographic Society
Publication: June 15, 2011
Imprint: National Geographic
Language: English

A blending of art and cultural criticism, travel writing, and personal narrative, Sicilian Odyssey is Francine Prose's imaginative consideration of the diverse cultural legacies found juxtaposed and entangled on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. She writes of the intensity of Sicily, the "commitment to the extreme," where the history is more colorful, the sun hotter, the cooking earthier, the violence more horrific, the carnival more raucous, the politics more Byzantine than other places on Earth, and how much the island can teach us about the triumph of beauty over violence and life over death.

Prose examines architectural sites and objects and looks at the ways in which myth and actuality converge. Exploring the intact and beautiful Greek amphitheaters at Siracusa and Taormina, the cathedral at Monreale, the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina, and some of the masterpieces of the Baroque scattered throughout the island, Prose focuses her keen insight to imagine them in their own time, to examine the evolution and decline of the cultures that produced them, and to deconstruct powerful responses each evokes in her.

Illuminated by the author's own photographs, Sicilian Odyssey brings exotic and enigmatic Sicily to life through the prism of its past.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A blending of art and cultural criticism, travel writing, and personal narrative, Sicilian Odyssey is Francine Prose's imaginative consideration of the diverse cultural legacies found juxtaposed and entangled on the Mediterranean island of Sicily. She writes of the intensity of Sicily, the "commitment to the extreme," where the history is more colorful, the sun hotter, the cooking earthier, the violence more horrific, the carnival more raucous, the politics more Byzantine than other places on Earth, and how much the island can teach us about the triumph of beauty over violence and life over death.

Prose examines architectural sites and objects and looks at the ways in which myth and actuality converge. Exploring the intact and beautiful Greek amphitheaters at Siracusa and Taormina, the cathedral at Monreale, the Roman mosaics at Piazza Armerina, and some of the masterpieces of the Baroque scattered throughout the island, Prose focuses her keen insight to imagine them in their own time, to examine the evolution and decline of the cultures that produced them, and to deconstruct powerful responses each evokes in her.

Illuminated by the author's own photographs, Sicilian Odyssey brings exotic and enigmatic Sicily to life through the prism of its past.

More books from National Geographic Society

Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Woof! 100 Fun Facts About Dogs by Francine Prose
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Gallop! 100 Fun Facts About Horses by Francine Prose
Cover of the book The Generals by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Receding Tide by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Inside Animal Minds by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Angry Birds Playground: Rain Forest by Francine Prose
Cover of the book The Blue Zones of Happiness by Francine Prose
Cover of the book National Geographic Extreme Weather Survival Guide by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Doomsday 2012 by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Angry Birds Playground: Question and Answer Book by Francine Prose
Cover of the book National Geographic Readers: Las Hormigas (L1) by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Mysteries in Our National Parks: Night of the Black Bear by Francine Prose
Cover of the book 88 Natural Remedies by Francine Prose
Cover of the book How to Be the World's Smartest Traveler (and Save Time, Money, and Hassle) by Francine Prose
Cover of the book Treasury of Greek Mythology by Francine Prose
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy