Four Seasons in Rome
On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
Book - 2007
Documents the award-winning writer's experiences of living, working, and raising twin sons in Rome during the year following his receipt of a prestigious Rome Prize stipend, a period during which he attended the vigil of the dying John Paul II, brought his children on a snowy visit to the Pantheon, and befriended numerous locals. 35,000 first printing.
Blackwell North Amer
Four Seasons in Rome describes Anthony Doerr's varied adventures in one of the most enchanting cities in the world. He reads Pliny, Dante, and Keats - the chroniclers of Rome who came before him - and visits the piazzas, temples, and ancient cisterns they describe. He attends the vigil of a dying Pope John Paul II and takes his twins to the Pantheon in December to wait for snow to fall through the oculus. He and his family are embraced by the butchers, grocers, and bakers of the neighborhood, whose clamor of stories and idiosyncratic child-rearing advice is as compelling as the city itself. This intimate and revelatory book is a celebration of Rome, a look at new parenthood, and a story of a writer's craft - the process by which he transforms what he sees and experiences into sentences.
Baker
& Taylor
The author describes the year he spent in Rome after winning the Rome Prize, including his adventures around the city, life in a foreign but welcoming country, and parenthood as it applies to his newborn twins.
Simon and Schuster
Anthony Doerr has received many awards -- from the New York Public Library, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Library Association. Then came the Rome Prize, one of the most prestigious awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and with it a stipend and a writing studio in Rome for a year. Doerr learned of the award the day he and his wife returned from the hospital with newborn twins.
Exquisitely observed, Four Seasons in Rome describes Doerr's varied adventures in one of the most enchanting cities in the world. He reads Pliny, Dante, and Keats -- the chroniclers of Rome who came before him -- and visits the piazzas, temples, and ancient cisterns they describe. He attends the vigil of a dying Pope John Paul II and takes his twins to the Pantheon in December to wait for snow to fall through the oculus. He and his family are embraced by the butchers, grocers, and bakers of the neighborhood, whose clamor of stories and idiosyncratic child-rearing advice is as compelling as the city itself.
This intimate and revelatory book is a celebration of Rome, a wondrous look at new parenthood, and a fascinating story of a writer's craft -- the process by which he transforms what he sees and experiences into sentences.
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Add a Quote"Every era here, it seems, cannibalizes the previous one; everything is salvaged, recouped, reclaimed" (p68).
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Add a CommentEspecially fun reading for anyone thinking of going to Rome or who already loves Rome. A lovely writer.
A fun frolic through Rome through the eyes of a writer-new father of twins. A simple appreciation of the lifestyle, food and culture that makes a foreign country worth visiting. A good read.
The book evokes Rome successfully. It describes perfectly what it’s like being a foreigner, how at first things pass you by but how, day by day, you cotton on, until you feel a sense of ownership in the end, even knowing that there’s still so much you don’t see or understand.
Lyrical, yes, but also, at times, hilarious. The mesmerizing effect of Rome is balanced by the chaos of twin babies, making for a wonderful mix of humor, history, sleep deprivation, diapers, Empire, ancient wonders, and baby bottles. A great, quick read, light and still poetic. Lovely book.
After reading All the Light We Cannot See, I wanted to read more from Anthony Doerr. This book does not disappoint. Doerr's beautiful writing will inspire you to visit Rome. The book chronicles the year he spent there with his wife and young twins after winning the Rome Prize.
At times, the writing in this portrait of a chaotic and creative time in Doerr's life transported me directly to Rome. There aren't many writers who can sustain long passages of descriptive writing and still keep the reader's attention: this book kept me engrossed throughout. This would be a great choice for people who like to read aloud to each other.
This writer is extraordinary. I yearn to visit Rome now that I have read it through his eyes. He weaves his life with his twins in Rome for one year and extends it beyond to something phenomenal. The writing is frequently almost lyrically stunning. I planned to read his others. Beautifully written.
An intimate portrait of life as a new parent and writer AND temporary expat. Beautifully written.