“Never Mind” is the first in British novelist Edward St. Aubyn’s acclaimed five-volume series about the life of centerpiece character Patrick Melrose (“Bad News,” “Some Hope,” “Mother’s Milk,” and “At Last” followed over two decades). Here, Melrose is a 10-year-old boy cruelly ignored by his mother and sexually abused by his father, all of it wrapped around a dinner party in Provence. When one character … Continue reading Never Mind

The other day, I faced a dilemma. My reserved seat on the train was exposed to a corrente, or freezing draft. My inner American told me to stay put; an assigned seat was where I had to stay. My inner Italian said: “Who cares about the reservation. Get out of the draft.” End result: As soon as I found a non-drafty empty seat, I took it. … Continue reading Meridional Woman

With a general election quickly followed by the arrival of a new pope, Italy and the Vatican have been on front pages of newspapers the world over. These are local events (Italians think they own the Vatican), but their international repercussions seem to make non-Italian media become what Italians call invadente; sticking judgmental noses into local matters. Foreign commentators, particularly German, British and American ones, act … Continue reading Parenting Italy

For those who insist old jokes are the best jokes, Sicilian writer-director Roberto Andò’s film plays off a number of familiar ones: identical twins, mistaken identity, the wise fool. During a national election campaign, Enrico Olivieri (Toni Servillo), the leader of a party with more than a passing resemblance to Italy’s Partito Democratico, goes AWOL. He’s tired and disillusioned, trapped in a role he no … Continue reading Viva la Libertà

Commentators in Italy and abroad have expressed near-universal surprise and incomprehension regarding the outcome of Italian national elections. The party that was widely expected to win, a center-left grouping led by veteran Pier Luigi Bersani of the Partito Democratico (Democratic Party), was all but overtaken by a rightist coalition led by disgraced former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, including the old tandem of the People of … Continue reading Wag the Dog

Many friends ask me what I, an Italian resident for more than 20 years, think about the Italian elections, whose definitive results will be out Tuesday. I wish some foreign commentators would ask me too. Italian politics and society are so complex I wouldn’t dare predict an outcome — although many less familiar with the country than I don’t have such qualms. Unlike me, few … Continue reading The Vote

Every country has its paradoxes. In the United States, the same people who say the constitution protects life-in the form of fetuses-also say it protects the use of automatic weapons whose only purpose is to kill humans very fast. In Italy, the constitution’s first article reads: “Italy is a democratic Republic, founded on work.” When courts force employers to rehire fired embezzlers or saboteurs, this … Continue reading Cancer of the Coin

Italians can finally see “Girlfriend in a Coma,” a documentary produced by former Economist editor Bill Emmott and London-based journalist and filmmaker Annalisa Piras. Released in late 2012, it became media fodder when Rome’s contemporary arts center pulled a planned screening, citing so-called par condicio, equal treatment media laws, ahead of coming Italian national elections. Though widely seen as yet another attack on former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, … Continue reading Bill’s Friends

“What is good for Fiat is good for Italy.” Debatable as that old saying may be, it’s certainly true that understanding Fiat is vital to getting to the heart of Italy today. And in that sense Jennifer Clark’s book is essential. The morbid relationship between the Turin-based carmaker, founded by the Agnelli family in the early 20th-century, and Italy’s economy and politics, was last probed … Continue reading Mondo Agnelli: Fiat, Chrysler, and the Power of a Dynasty

Italy will hold national elections in late February. Sadly, party maneuvering continues obscuring a host of urgent problems including tax evasion, wasted public funds, widespread corruption, and a stagnant society. Though most voters insist they’re weary of the same old storylines and same old faces, they also tend to ignore novelty. Take Fare per Fermare il Declino (“Work to Stop the Decline”), a fast-growing grassroots movement lead … Continue reading Rider and Elephant