Saving Rome

I wrote yesterday about how external elements (temperature, mood, health) can affect the way we perceive a city when we’re traveling.

While waiting for our plane to board in Montreal, I picked up a copy of Saving Rome, by Megan Williams, a Canadian born writer and journalist who lives in Rome. I hadn’t heard of her or her book but I got curious and I bought it anyway. I am very, very glad I did. It’s one of the best collection of short stories I’ve read in a long time, with great insight and characters – a lot of them expats living in Rome. I was touched, surprised, I laughed out loud and I couldn’t help but read numerous passages to Blork who has now started to read the book.

I’m not a very « romantic » person and I don’t like to idealize the places I visit, even when I’m a tourist. « Saving Rome » gave me a good sense of what it would be like to drop everything and move to Rome tomorrow morning: not easy! But even with its realistic views, the stories managed to show admiration and attachement for a city full of charm and contradictions. No need to know Italy or plan on travelling there to appreciate this book. I hope it gets the recognition (and sales) it deserves!

And it really made me want to write, which is always a sign of my enthusiasm for a book…

By Martine

Screenwriter / scénariste-conceptrice

3 comments

  1. the world continues to shrink. i have in my Inbox an invite to Megan’s book launch next month(that I can’t go to, since I’m now in Montr�al). am glad you said you liked it. i’ve been contemplating getting it myself (if only to expand the writers-i-know book collection) — now i have more than enough good reason!

  2. Sounds interesting. I’ll have to check it out to see how much it relates to my experiences. Plus it sounds like it’ll help my writing once I finally get around to commiting those memories to paper.

  3. Andi: Small world indeed! I thought about you as I was reading it and told myself that I would suggest it to you when we come back!

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