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See Naples and Die
When a job comes up in Naples - crime capital of Italy, home of pizza and the Camorra, and crouched precariously at the foot of a volcano - Penny launches herself into the unknown.With her innate curosity and eye for detail, Penny prises Naples open to show us the real city, in all its splendour...and all its depravity. She uncovers a chaotic metropolis where crime and poverty blur with abundant natural beauty and where the shadow of Mount Vesuvius is a daily reminder that life must be lived for the moment.She leads us through the alleyways of the labyrinthine old town, along the sweeping Gulf of Naples and into suburbia. join her to feast on sweet sfogliatelle, get to know the generous locals, fiercely loyal to their city, and cruise along the coast on the back of a vespa.And when Penny meets a Bass player in a local band, she thinks she might have found that other reason to stick around.....
281 pages
First published January 1, 2007
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155 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 17, 2016
This lively, spirited book begins as the author, a young Australian journalist, has been in Italy for three years. Penny moved to Italy from Sydney, loving the country and wanting to find out if she could live there but after three years in Rome working casual jobs she wants a little more permanence in her life.
Enter a job offer in Naples, it is a one year journalism contract which she takes. The job features only casually in the book most of the story is of Penny learning about and exploring Naples, the people she meets, the food she eats. Also it is the story of how Naples has such a dangerous reputation as a dirty city, hazardous to tourists and riddled with Camorra. In true journalism style Penny investigates and writes about the rubbish problem that Naples (apparently) is famous for.
One of the real beauties of the book is the writing style, which was vividly descriptive and largely cheerful. By the end of it I was almost ready to quit my job and move to Italy - or at least buy a plane ticket to see it for myself.
Enter a job offer in Naples, it is a one year journalism contract which she takes. The job features only casually in the book most of the story is of Penny learning about and exploring Naples, the people she meets, the food she eats. Also it is the story of how Naples has such a dangerous reputation as a dirty city, hazardous to tourists and riddled with Camorra. In true journalism style Penny investigates and writes about the rubbish problem that Naples (apparently) is famous for.
One of the real beauties of the book is the writing style, which was vividly descriptive and largely cheerful. By the end of it I was almost ready to quit my job and move to Italy - or at least buy a plane ticket to see it for myself.
February 16, 2009
Not bad, but not good, once again a book that is all about is very thin,,, Naples is an amazing place and the topics the writer introduced were great, but the way it was written it had no beginning no end and no real conclusions.... I expected so much more..
March 19, 2010
I started reading this at the end of 2007 and got about halfway through before I had to return it to the library. Second time around I read the whole thing and it wasn't really worth it!
April 17, 2024
I'd give this 3.5 stars.
This is the follow up to Penelope's book When In Rome. In See Naples and Die, Penelope takes a job in Naples, leaving behind her beloved Rome to throw herself in to the unknown of a new Italian city. She decides to uncover the "real city" of Naples.
Whilst her first book was more about her search for a relationship, chasing a more relaxed lifestyle, and set against the beautiful backdrop of Rome, this book is focussed more so on the actual city of Naples. The people, the places, the culture. She becomes quite fascinated with the Camorra - Naples' mafia, and the Camorra's effect on the city, and she interviews many different locals to help her form her opinion on the city.
But it does have a little romance in it as well. Still chasing a special relationship with someone, she does eventually meet a bass player in a local band whom she thinks might be just the person she's looking for....
Whilst I, once again, enjoyed Penelope's writing, the content for me wasn't exactly what I had hoped the book would be about. Don't get me wrong: I was interested to hear about Naples, but for me, there was too much about the city, and not enough about Penelope and her life in the city, this time. Still a good read though.
This is the follow up to Penelope's book When In Rome. In See Naples and Die, Penelope takes a job in Naples, leaving behind her beloved Rome to throw herself in to the unknown of a new Italian city. She decides to uncover the "real city" of Naples.
Whilst her first book was more about her search for a relationship, chasing a more relaxed lifestyle, and set against the beautiful backdrop of Rome, this book is focussed more so on the actual city of Naples. The people, the places, the culture. She becomes quite fascinated with the Camorra - Naples' mafia, and the Camorra's effect on the city, and she interviews many different locals to help her form her opinion on the city.
But it does have a little romance in it as well. Still chasing a special relationship with someone, she does eventually meet a bass player in a local band whom she thinks might be just the person she's looking for....
Whilst I, once again, enjoyed Penelope's writing, the content for me wasn't exactly what I had hoped the book would be about. Don't get me wrong: I was interested to hear about Naples, but for me, there was too much about the city, and not enough about Penelope and her life in the city, this time. Still a good read though.
July 23, 2022
Yeah.. In principle the idea is good - usual "my first year in ... " adventures, mixed with interviews of many actors involved in social fabric of the fascinating city from all across the society. But..it's dull, plot is pretty boring, interviews not revealing much, and writing tacky at times. I learned about Naples, but the book itself tired me. Only for the fans of naples or expat stories (which I'm both a bit)..
May 15, 2017
Autorka jest idiotką, albo się na taką kreuje (po co?). Odpadłam po drugim rozdziale.
PS. Mieszkanie w innym kraju niż swój rodzimy to jeszcze nie jest wystarczający powód, aby pisać o tym książki.
PS. Mieszkanie w innym kraju niż swój rodzimy to jeszcze nie jest wystarczający powód, aby pisać o tym książki.
June 23, 2018
Great continuation of Penelope Green's experience in Italy, this time about her time in Naples ... looking forward to reading her third book ..
December 4, 2018
See Naples and smile. Thanks Ms Green!
July 21, 2023
Enjoyable.
April 1, 2024
DNF. Ofta this writing does not flow or stay on the same thread in a chapter, it's all over the place. After a few hours of my time I just couldn't anymore. Ugh.
December 28, 2014
This book was no where near as good as the first one. I did enjoy it, but found the history lesson on Naples's underworld to be quite boring, which lasted on and off for the entire book. The different people that the author came across in her travels are the best bits, I just wish there was more of that than what we got.
I do however, look forward to reading the third book some time in the near future.
I do however, look forward to reading the third book some time in the near future.
June 25, 2017
My first Penelope Green book and I enjoyed it so much that I'll be going out to find her other books, maybe I should have read then in sequence? I loved her first hand account of moving to, then settling down in Naples, the snippets of information and history she gives of the city, it's people and the Camorra made it a little easier to understand why Naples has such a reputation. In spite of it all, I still want to go!
November 26, 2010
This was a light and enjoyable read, written by an Australian writer living in Naples. I really enjoyed her insights into Southern Italian culture, the book allows you to take a look further into Neapolitan way of life, behind the crime and camorra. Penelope's experiences were a great escape and I finished the book feeling likle I had travelled some of the way with her.
October 7, 2014
Definitely not as good as her first book, When in Rome. I got very tired of reading about Naples political problems and the book was full of interviews with different people being asked the same questions. Yes easy to read but not as relatable as her first book.
February 7, 2016
Good light read and a behind the scenes look at Naples - the contradictions between rich/poor, poverty/wealth, the Camorra (Mafia), role of the Madonna & mother in the family, the rubbish problem, etc.
September 19, 2010
More fun, read it after a brief visit to Naples and so glad we survived!
March 27, 2012
scared me as I am visiting the city
June 28, 2012
If you have lived in Naples then it would get about 3.5 stars. We lived there around the same time as the author so I was able to relate to the book very much. It was an enjoyable quick read.
April 5, 2014
Interesting read, I enjoyed the writers insights into this wonderful city
start-again-later
August 12, 2017a present from Schnuggi, started, but didn't find the tone, will try again
October 12, 2015
Interesting travelogue - a new city for me to explore in print!
July 3, 2015
My Favourite of all Penelope's books. She is an easy read and always has great tales to tell.
September 3, 2016
Not as enjoyable as her first book. Found it a little hard going in bits.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews