A Literary Companion to Rome: Including Ten Walking Tours

by John Varriano

Rome, the Eternal City; it is here, perhaps more than anywhere else, that the visitor is conscious of the echoes of antiquity. Artists, writers, historians, poets--all have included Rome in their travels; and their reactions--whether amazement, adulation, or surprise--have added to the city's allure. James, Isben, Dickens, Goethe, Woolf, and Wilde are among those who have written with passion about Rome, and through them we rediscover a city of grandeur and intimacy, as vibrant and sensual as ever.
Arranged as a series of walks through the city, this book is both an illuminating guide for the visitor to Rome and a delight to read at home for those who love the city and want to enrich their knowledge of it.

Genres: Italy, Travel, Nonfiction

278 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that a lot of writers had passed through Rome on the Grand Tour, but I had no idea how many had written so much about Rome: Byron, Shelley, Keats, but also Henry James, Charles Dickens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Mark Twain. In this newly revised edition of his *A Literary Compansion to Rome* art history professor, John Varriano provides a definitive account of literary sites. These sites include places that authors stayed and worked along with the places they wrote about. He has divided his book into ten walks through Rome, including key passages from the works related to those sites.

As a guide to these walks, Varriano could have provided a little more direction, but as a collection of literary responses to Rome, particularly by writers in English, Varriano has provided an excellent resource.

[Marilyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not at all what I expected--a bit too erudite for me.

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again a good supplement to any guidebook on Rome and like Kahn's book can be used to enrich your Roman Holiday. This is especially true if you have a literary bent.