Always informative, slightly irreverent, deeply interested, Hutchinson sometimes finds life en famille in Rome tedious but...
Giving playful cover to a considerable bit of academic research, Hutchinson wanders with Yankee curiosity and determination through the Vatican and Rome in this guided tour of what he calls the “spiritual and political center of [a] vast international network,” the “visible civic arm of the Holy See.”
Hutchinson, a longtime journalistic Vatican observer, has previously written on gambling and vice, which equips him perfectly for his mission. With irony and humor, he prefaces short chapters with quotes from previous literary commentators on all that is awe-inspiring and inspirational about the Vatican and Rome, and explores the history and present of the Vatican in rich and formal detail. Yet he humanizes the historical aspects of the papacy and reveals centuries of struggle for sanctity and power. He describes the opulence within the sacred walls of St. Peter’s and walks out wondering, “Who dusts all of this stuff?” Or provides an encyclopedic explanation of the various garments worn by bishops and priests of different sects the world over, at the same time noting the abyss that hangs between “smug churchy professionals . . . and . . .the buoyant faith of the hapless pilgrims”—the young believers who flock to this site year after year for a glimpse and a snapshot. The Vatican emerges as a crazy mosaic that has withstood the equally crazy maze of history that brought us here. At last, a richer guidebook lies herein for its deep reverence for the role of religion in history, as expressed by this singular city both in anecdote and document. So Hutchinson walks out of an interview with a papal accountant-type “. . . with the green Consolidated Financial Statement and five black rosaries—not a bad metaphor, I thought, of what the Vatican is like.”
Always informative, slightly irreverent, deeply interested, Hutchinson sometimes finds life en famille in Rome tedious but shares his excitement at discovering the extraordinary world of the Vatican with captivating enthusiasm.Pub Date: June 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-385-48647-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1998
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
