Book Review: The Italians, by John Hooper

The Italians: Hooper, John: 9780525428077: Amazon.com: Books

John Hooper's The Italians (2105, Viking) is a frank and intriguing look at modern-day Italy, it's people and institutions. Hooper brings in an appropriate amount of history into the discussion, enough necessary for an understanding of the modern day society, but mostly keeps his focus on the present tense, which is nice.

A couple chapters turned into a bit of a slog, notably the one about the legal system, and -- surprisingly -- the one about the mafia. How someone can make a subject like the mafia seem dry is kind of beyond me, but in a sense I appreciate Hooper's attempt to deliver only the facts and to put this particular topic, one that often gets blown way out of proportion when associated with Italy, in its proper place as just one small aspect of Italian society.

Oddly, what one comes away with after reading this book is that the Italian people are at once clever, vain, superstitious, egotistical, sensitive, extremely family-oriented, backward, clannish, provincial, ingenious, and doomed. Doomed, that is, to always be looking backward to their former glories as a people, glories which lie in the far distant past.

It's clear that John Hooper is fascinated with the Italian people, but it's not exactly clear whether he actually likes the Italian people or not. One could say that doesn't matter and one could definitely say that's not a requirement for writing a book about them.

In spite of what I would consider a less-than-flattering portrait, I have to admit I can appreciate John Hooper's take on Italy and it's people. Not necessarily because I agree with all of his characterizations (though lot of the book did ring true for me, having spent time in Italy myself and being an Italian American) but because I appreciate his critical view of his subject. As a cynic (and an Italian) I feel more inclined to believe a critical view than a more positive one. Furthermore, I have no interest  in reading a Public Relations book for the country of Italy. Italy scarcely needs that. Despite what Hooper would likely view as a confused, mistrustful populace eating pasta and wearing sunglasses on a slow road to economic ruin, Italy has been for centuries and will always remain a beauty and a fascination for the entire human race. But...I'm biased.

Among the interesting things you'll learn in this book:


  • Why the seemingly innocent children's tale Pinocchio is so beloved by the Italian people and how it sums up something mysterious and deeply pervasive in the character and spirit of the Italians.
  • Why and how Italy's byzantine legal system has crippled its economy for the past 60 years
  • The effects of the political legacy left by WWII and fascism and how it has kept Italy from maturing politically.
  • Much about Silvio Berlusconi and his effect on modern day Italy; if the book is to be believed, he's one of the most influential figures in the country's history
  • Why Italian people love sunglasses so much (and it's not just because they look cool)
  • How the country's violent, fractured history has engendered a culture of provincialism, suspicion, mistrust of authority, and a deep need for privacy.
  • Cool words like furbizia, garbo, menefreghismo, sprezzatura, and how they describe deeply-seated aspects of the collective "personality" of the Italian people

I have only two main complaints about this book:

1.) While there is a lot of great writing and great information in this book, I'd have loved for Hooper to have "distilled" it all into two or three main pillars on which I could rest my new understanding of Italy. After all, 99.99% of the facts and figures in a book like this are forgotten shortly after they're read. I'd have liked Hooper to go a bit further in summarizing what was obviously an extensive amount of study and observation.

2.) There was not nearly enough writing in this book about one of my personal favorite subjects: soccer. As large of a place as calcio occupies in the hearts and minds of Italians, I would think the sport deserved an entire chapter, if not more.

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