- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; First Edition edition (Mar 9 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1554680301
- ISBN-13: 978-1554680306
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14.2 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 454 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #258,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Quill & Quire
Former National Post columnist (and daughter of beloved CanLit icon Carol Shields) Anne Giardini has hit her stride with her second novel. While her debut, The Sad Truth About Happiness, may have been praised, it suffered from an overabundance of description – as though Giardini couldn’t quite decide which sentence was the best choice, and so used them all. There’s little of that in her sophomore effort, which clips along at a brisker pace. Nicolo Pavone is a good Italian-Canadian boy: he goes to church a few times a week, respects his parents (with whom he still lives, despite the imminent end of his twenties), works hard as a personal trainer, and keeps his nose clean. In essence, he’s boring, and bored. He knows there’s something more that he should be doing with his life, but he hasn’t quite figured out what, and is just going through the motions until something presents itself. Over the course of the novel, Nicolo discovers the direction his life should be taking, mainly by carefully observing his friends and family. The secondary and tertiary characters in Advice for Italian Boys are more than mere props; their stories are so enmeshed with one another that any attempt to separate them would be impossible. Any one of these characters could serve as a viable protagonist, and Nicolo’s story takes centre stage without undermining any of the others. With one notable exception: Giardini employs the matriarch of the Pavone family, Filomena, as a mouthpiece to dispense much of the wisdom that guides Nicolo, though her proverbi often make sense to no one but herself. Her own story is as important to the narrative as Nicolo’s, though it doesn’t receive the same amount of attention. This is a shame. The glimpses of Filomena’s life are enchanting, and it would have been a boon to the novel if Giardini had taken that storyline further. However, this small quibble does little to distract from the fact that Advice for Italian Boys is a pleasure to read, with an abundance of lush imagery and a range of fully fleshed characters.
Book Description
Anne Giardini's first novel, The Sad Truth About Happiness, garnered international praise for its beautiful story and rich, complex characters. Now, Giardini returns with a warm and witty novel about a young man discovering the difficulties and joys of finding his own way in the world.
Nicolo Pavone is the middle son in an Italian-Canadian family. His younger brother is a law student on the path to a brilliant future. His older brother is married and hides secret ambitions. Nicolo, however, still lives at home, working as a trainer at a gym, saving his money and respecting his parents and his nonna, Filomena. But he knows that this easy living can't last forever. Life beckons -- if only he knew which direction to take.
Everyone, it seems, either has advice for Nicolo or needs advice from him. Dad advises university; Moms says marry and settle down. His brothers, his friends and his clients have their own ideas. But Nonna believes she alone discerns Nicolo's true heart and nature, and that her advice is all the guidance her grandson requires. By mining the collection of sayings and proverbs she has brought with her from the old country, Nonna believes she can ward off all evil from descending upon her brood. As she dreams, and schemes, she begins to discern what each member of the family needs most, including, finally, herself.
Anne Giardini explores our most significant relationships and decisions -- how we choose our families, friends, work and partners -- and how we choose to live in the world. A deeply rewarding book about the life-long process of understanding ourselves, Advice for Italian Boys explores the delicate balance of what are born into and what we eventually become.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Saturated with golden light,
By CC Writer (Vancouver Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Advice For Italian Boys (Paperback)
Giardini's book is the rare modern book that leaves one feeling enveloped in love, in a way that love actually functions in the world - with care, lots of unwanted, and amusing only if you are detached, advice, and a tender, deeply observing eye. The book takes the first quarter to really hit its stride and then carries assuredly right to the last page.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but not great,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Advice For Italian Boys (Paperback)
It was an average novel...I guess I appreciated it more living in Toronto as that`s where it`s set. One does get a better insight into the Italian community, especially the new immigrants and their offspring.
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