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Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily
In 1986, love drew Theresa Maggio to Favignana, an island just off the coast of Sicily. There the young journalist encountered the mysterious world of the tonnara-the ritual trapping and killing of bluefin tuna in the Mediterranean Sea-and the mattanza, the stunning, bloody climax of the fishing season when the huge fish are wrestled from the sea and killed. Mattanza is the riveting story of Maggio's annual return to witness this timeless struggle between man and the sea. An alluring blend of memoir, history, and travelogue, Mattanza documents an insular and exotic world where the tonnara continues according to ancient ritual even as modern fishing methods edge it towards extinction.
- GenresTravelNonfictionItaly
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 31, 2007
This book is far cry from the standard "I went to Italy and all the men hit on me" memoir that so often comes from female writers' personal experiences on the boot and its island. Maggio deals with the issue of an oppressive patriarchy and crippled economy through the lens of a dying way of life--that of the mattanza, the ritualistic slaughter of tuna on the small island of Favignana. She is admittedly obsessed and infatuated with her subject, but it does not keep her from looking at it with a clear and occasionally critical eye.
Her writing is tight and cleanly descriptive; I loved her other book as well, Stone Boudoir, her travelogue about the tiny towns in the island's interior, but I feel that this book is much more suited to a general audience, especially fans of well-written non-fiction.
Her writing is tight and cleanly descriptive; I loved her other book as well, Stone Boudoir, her travelogue about the tiny towns in the island's interior, but I feel that this book is much more suited to a general audience, especially fans of well-written non-fiction.
February 4, 2019
I'm just a bit of an italophile (and my friends collectively gasp), with roots in Sicily and a love for the misunderstood island from being able to visit a number of years ago, so when I found this slice of life from the dying traditions department, I knew I had to pick it up. I was, mostly, not disappointed.
The thing of this book is, it's not truly a history text. It's more of a memoir, more of a travelogue, but nevertheless approached with an eye toward the truth, toward the past. Maggio earns trust as a journalist shining light on the tradition of the tonnaroti, or tuna fishermen, but she writes this book on her earned friendship. We get a little of Sicilian tradition, a smattering of history, but largely an in-the-moment view of an ancient art, written by someone both within that group yet also from the outside. Maggio is not born into a tonnara, but it captured her heart and embraced her.
This both makes the entire thing more readable (there is a narrative going on throughout, not just a history) and also a bit less than expected. There maybe should have been a bit more history, but with so many characters who know the past by heart, who can recite rais after rais, who remember what it was like two, three owners prior, this history is also built in. That feels pretty classically Sicilian. With the emotional ties being built among the men for the reporter/author, it allows the reader to also feel that emotion (keeping the necessary slaughter of the fish from becoming clinical or superfluous... the narrative approaches it by the passion and pain of tradition, and the vitality of earning a living). However, this is also where the few lapses occur. Maggio adds a chapter on Sicilian superstition and "magic," which is unstuck in time from the rest of the narrative. The interlude chapter after the stay in Favignana which makes up the bulk of the text also feels a bit disjointed.
Overall, though, the book made me want to go back, maybe not for hard labor on the seas, but certainly for the beautiful coasts, unique towns, and fresh sea air and seafood. 3.75
The thing of this book is, it's not truly a history text. It's more of a memoir, more of a travelogue, but nevertheless approached with an eye toward the truth, toward the past. Maggio earns trust as a journalist shining light on the tradition of the tonnaroti, or tuna fishermen, but she writes this book on her earned friendship. We get a little of Sicilian tradition, a smattering of history, but largely an in-the-moment view of an ancient art, written by someone both within that group yet also from the outside. Maggio is not born into a tonnara, but it captured her heart and embraced her.
This both makes the entire thing more readable (there is a narrative going on throughout, not just a history) and also a bit less than expected. There maybe should have been a bit more history, but with so many characters who know the past by heart, who can recite rais after rais, who remember what it was like two, three owners prior, this history is also built in. That feels pretty classically Sicilian. With the emotional ties being built among the men for the reporter/author, it allows the reader to also feel that emotion (keeping the necessary slaughter of the fish from becoming clinical or superfluous... the narrative approaches it by the passion and pain of tradition, and the vitality of earning a living). However, this is also where the few lapses occur. Maggio adds a chapter on Sicilian superstition and "magic," which is unstuck in time from the rest of the narrative. The interlude chapter after the stay in Favignana which makes up the bulk of the text also feels a bit disjointed.
Overall, though, the book made me want to go back, maybe not for hard labor on the seas, but certainly for the beautiful coasts, unique towns, and fresh sea air and seafood. 3.75
January 26, 2025
What a great book about the ritual of the tuna harvest and its modern challenges endangering its continuance.
March 22, 2025
Who knew a book about tuna fishing would be so spiritual?
March 3, 2009
This book transported me to a place and life that is vastly different from my own. It was a pleasure to read, and while horrifying at times, I found myself identifying with the beauty of the ritual.
I just reread this book for my Book Club since it's been years since I first picked it up. It really gives you a sense of the town, the people, and the traditions that have carried on for hundreds of years. It makes me want to visit the sun and sea of Sicily.
I just reread this book for my Book Club since it's been years since I first picked it up. It really gives you a sense of the town, the people, and the traditions that have carried on for hundreds of years. It makes me want to visit the sun and sea of Sicily.
July 13, 2008
Theresa's interest in the island of Favignana and relationship with people of Favignana seemed uninteresting to me, in comparison with the mattanza -- the historic annual hunt for bluefin tuna. I didn't find her personal experience and insight especially engaging, nor the book especially well written.
October 27, 2009
GREAT BOOK!!!! This book is about fishing, Sicilian society and rituals, history, and being an outsider priveleged to observe a culture that is fading away. Maggio is a very descriptive writer, making it very easy to visualize the landscape of the island, the harbor full of fishing boats, etc. A quick read, I wish it had been longer.
July 26, 2008
Not nearly as good as it should have been. The mattanza, the annual fishing of tuna in the sea of Sicily, is epic and deserved to be treated with more respect. Instead this is a kind of personal journal of an American woman in love with a Sicilian man.
April 28, 2011
Super interesting story about the ritual fishing of the blue fin tuna dating back from ancient imes. The book also provides a great depiction og the the Scilians who have been involved in the tuna fishing and canning industry. The book is well written with great photos.
July 20, 2009
A very nice travel memoir :)
October 11, 2009
The mattanza is a dying art with ecological implications. Worth a read.
July 1, 2013
Funny, but I loved this book- one of all time favorites - fell in love with Sicily!
April 8, 2014
Fantastic! It makes you feel like you are right there in Sicily
February 16, 2016
a single woman goes on a wonderful adventure. Learn lots of history and a lifestyle most of us know nothing about.
Read
August 4, 2012Fishing, fishing and more fishing. Pure enjoyment in the sun.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews