La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales
Please welcome Dianne Hales, author of the new book La Bella Lingua, which I’ve already told you about when we discussed my favorite False Friends.
Well today is La Bella Lingua‘s release date, and I have to tell you, this book is fabulous!
I got my copy two weeks ago–and flew through it in a weekend. I plan on reading it again.
For anyone who has been enchanted by the always beautiful, often frustrating Italian language and tried to grasp its basics as well as its intricacies, Dianne’s tales will not only ring true but also comfort you.
From obscure word etymologies to entertaining anecdotes, La Bella Lingua will keep you turning pages, nodding along in agreement, laughing, and even learning–I picked up quite a few new words myself.
And the writing? A sheer pleasure. Truly.
A *must* for any lover of the Italian language, this book assolutamente warrants five espresso cups out of five.
What’s that? You’d like a copy for yourself?
Well FIVE lucky Bleeding Espresso readers have a chance to do just that.
Simply leave a comment on this post at or before 11:59 p.m. (Italy time), May 19, and I’ll draw FIVE names at random as winners.
**UPDATED: For those of you in Italy who were wondering how to find a copy, you can order the book through Webster.it for €22,37 and shipping is free!
Benvenuta Dianne!
Never did I—a sensible woman of sturdy Polish peasant stock—expect to become madly, gladly, giddily besotted with the world’s most luscious language. But on a mostly mute maiden voyage to Italy in 1983, Italians had talked constantly to, at, and around me. Yearning for a few words to offer in return, I decided to study their language.
My first teacher was an intense young woman from the Abruzzi who had recently moved with her new American husband to San Francisco. She insisted that I repeat an Italian sentence that translated into “I am going into the corridor to smoke a cigarette.”
“But I don’t smoke,” I objected.
“Italians smoke,” she countered.
“Signora, questa frase è importante.”
“It’s not important to me,” I persisted. “I am never, ever going into a corridor in Italy to smoke.”
She sighed. I changed the subject and asked her what she missed most about Italy. “La piazza,” she said as wistfully as if it were the name of a loved one left behind. After a few seconds, she added, “La domenica.”
“Sundays?”
“When you go to Mamma’s.” She began to sob. Shortly thereafter she packed up and returned to Italy.
My next teacher, an aspiring actress who taught Italian to local children, displayed picture books of baby ducks and puppies. When I balked at learning ninnananne (lullabies), she handed me off to her father, who taught Italian at the local community college. Tony, a trim Neapolitan who biked over the hills to my home, would break into arias, dropping onto one knee to serenade me with “E lucevan le stelle” and “Che gelida manina.”
Soon I was a goner, inebriated with Italian’s sounds, lovesick for its phrases. My next classroom was a Sausalito bungalow festooned with so many cherubs and hearts that I thought of its voluptuous owner as la mia Valentina. A Romana (and professional chef) of indeterminate age with henna hair and a full figure Italians might describe as abbondante, she served me delectable merende (snacks) and juicy tales of long-ago lovers.
Crossing the line from tourist to scholar, I decided I was ready to study in Italy. However, the first teacher I had arranged to study with developed a leg cramp while swimming off the Amalfi coast. A Sicilian prince sailing nearby swept her onto his private yacht—and then into a castello by the sea, She never again gave lessons—or, for all I know, decamped from her royal digs. I had better luck at a private school in a Renaissance villa in Assisi, where a faculty of striking young women did indeed excuse themselves to smoke cigarettes in the corridor.
The professor who headed the school complimented my grammar but grimaced at my accent. I must have looked crestfallen, for he hastened to assure me that this was “un problemino,” a teeny tiny problem. All that I had to do, he explained, was talk with more Italians. And so I did.
Returning to Italy every year, I improved my Italian in the most tried-and-true way: by tripping over my tongue and learning from my mistakes. At Camponeschi, our favorite restaurant in Rome, the waiters giggled when they overheard me describe the wonderful view from our terrace of the roofs of Rome. Instead of the masculine tetti (roofs, pronounced tet-tee), I had used the feminine slang tette (tits, pronounced tet-tay).
The madly ambitious idea of writing a book about a language other than my own grew out of a fiction-writing group I belonged to for several years. I wrote a rather prosaic novel called Becoming Italian about the adventures of a group of students, interspersed with notes on the language. Character, plot, and dialogue didn’t much interest me; writing about Italian was the most fun I’d ever had with a word-processing program.
I found the perfect collaborator in Alessandra, a Romana who migrated to the United States years ago and who taught me Italian the way Italians learn the language—through fairy tales, comic books, epic poems, classic novels, operas, folk songs, movies, newspapers, and hours and hours of chatting (chiacchierare) in Italian. I began each session with a mantra: “Sono italiana, sono italiana, sono italiana. “I am Italian, I am Italian, I am Italian.” I must see with Italian eyes, Alessandra would remind me, hear with Italian ears, speak with Italian rhythms.
“How would you say, ‘Give me a kiss?’” Alessandra asked one day.
“Dammi un bacio,” I replied, somewhat taken aback by the query.
“No, no, no,” she chastised gently, explaining that the combination of “n” and “b” strikes an Italian ear as molto brutta, so I must run them together into an “m.”
“Dammi umbacio!” I dutifully repeated, although this phrase seemed even less likely to enter my conversations in Italy than excusing myself to smoke in the hallway.
I was wrong. One of the many Italians who coached me in their language asked for a kiss (and, yes, he said umbacio) the first time we met. When I pulled away, he added the irresistible kicker, “But I’m 87!”
In time all of Italy became my school house, and virtually all the Italians I met enthusiastic (and patient) tutors. In contrast to the French, who praise an impeccable speaker for having une langue châtiée, which literally means a punished tongue, an Italian friend gave me the highest of compliments when he said that my Italian had progressed from being involto (rolled tight, like cannelloni) to disinvolto, as loose and easy, in his words, as a lasagna noodle.
La Bella Lingua–a true opera amorosa, a labor of love—chronicles my idiosyncratic journey through (arguably, I concede) the world’s most loved and lovable language. I have cherry-picked the liveliest parts of Italian’s history and the golden eras of its literature, art, music, movies, and culture.
In its pages, you will meet the people, visit the places, read the words, behold the paintings, hear the music, taste the meals, and watch the movies that taught me the greatest of Italian secrets: how to make the soul smile.
——-
Thanks so much Dianne!
Remember to comment for a chance to win a copy of La Bella Lingua!
130 Beans of Wisdom to “La Bella Lingua by Dianne Hales”
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Michelle Fabio is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer living in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy and savoring simplicity one sip at a time.
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Today, my husband and I would have been four days into a two week vacation in Italy where I would have been taking advantage of every opportunity to practice my Italian. However, four weeks ago, I fractured my leg and we had to postpone our trip. I certainly hope to read La Bella Lingua before our rescheduled vacation, hopefull, in September or October.
Oh no! I hope you’re healing well…and reading lots of great books
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… No e` bello quel che e` bello, ma e` bello cio` che piace!…. and Italy has everything.
Congratulations to Dianne
Alessio’s last blog post..Sexting Scandal Led to Suicide
Best of luck Alessio!
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This book sounds like a must-have. Well, maybe that and a gorgeous Italian to chat to. Perhaps a glass of Brunello as well. Provanti!
Magari, Sarah…maybe next giveaway
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The book sounds fantastico! I have been struggling, trying to learn italiano for years. Three visits to Italy later and weeks and weeks of Wednesday night study groups, and I am still struggling. All 4 of my grandparents were born in Italy. Unfortunately, no one ever taught me to speak the language. Che piccata!
Indeed, Carmen! Best of luck
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My daughter has just been accepted on a one year exchange with a college in Italy, near Milan.
This would be a lovely present for her while she is waiting.
Definitely! Best of luck!
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Sounds like a great book – just caught your blog, hope I’m not to late to enter the draw!
Either way I shall become a new visitor to your blog, keep up the good work!
Jay’s last blog post..St Albans Cathedral
Great to see you, Jay! And best of luck in the drawing
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Yay, I am not too late. I have been enjoying Dianne’s blog and enjoyed reading her story on how she learned Italian. It has encouraged me to break out my Italian grammar books again and get back to studying, something I have been very lazy about the past few years.
girasoli’s last blog post..“painted”~ PhotoHunt
Best of luck!
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Ooo! I read about this book during my hiatus – not sure where, but I am dying to read it. How exciting!
I just blogged about another wonderful book today on my blog.
jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..It is a truth universally acknowledged that a bibliophile must be in want of great summer reading…
Looks like a great book too, Jen! Thanks for sharing
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I’ve been reading Dianne’s blog and enjoy it very much. I haven’t taken any Italian lessons, but intend to. I love to listen to it so much I watch an Italian television program from the 80s just to hear them! They talk so fast I doubt my ability to ever become proficient.
You’ll get there, Nan! Keep listening
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I’ve been lurking in Borders waiting for this book! I’d really like to read it. Oh, and please post more pics of the goats!!
Hee hee…best of luck, Andrea! And more goat photos are coming
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This looks fantastic! Cannot wait to read it. I once tried to learn Italian by labeling everything in my home. It sure got some odd looks!
Kalee’s last blog post..Pet Peeves
Hah, I bet! Hope it helped you at least
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Ciao tutti,
I, too have been learning l’italiano. At our local community college, going on 5 years now. I find that it takes me forever to do il compito/homework because I (like to) get lost searching for the meaning of one word, which leads to another word and yet another. I’ve just recently discovered Dianne’s blog and am enjoying the depth and range of her approach to la bella lingua. Grazie mille.
I can understand that, Adrienne…there are *always* new words to learn
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Oh Oh pick me!
well it is highly unlikely i’ll be picked – how many thousands of comments do you have??!!! Anyway I would love to read this book. Need some inspiration to improve my own Italian. Does your ‘prize draw’ include Italy dwellers or is the post too bad to be used?
Italy dwellers welcome…my copy got here just fine, so hopefully that fortuna will continue
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Hello all, Having lived and worked in italy in calabria for over 3 years now, my problem is I have family “che sempre parlare in inglese” and my collegues at work (irlandese) e (inglese) well you can figure, being from an italian family and taught italian at a young age living in rogliano as a child, my italian was great as a kid, and then i had a position vacant for infant school in england so i went back, frightened as hell because, i could not remember english that well, worried that i would forget english, i always remembered saying to my mother, ” I DONT WANT TO TALK ITALIAN NO MORE” and she always said I would regret it.. which brings me to another thing.. Mothers are always right.. arent they?
I am pleased that other people that left comments suffer some of the problems I have with the italian language!, you would of thought by living here i have in incentive to learn it!!!.. buona giornata da calabria! Italia!
Yes we all have, shall we call them, issues with Italian…sometimes it’s just nice to commiserate, isn’t it?
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How did i miss this give away
…I would love to read this book…will look out for it, if I don’t win….!!
anne’s last blog post..To All My Readers and Commenters…….
You’re still in time, Anne! Good luck in the drawing!
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The book sounds so fun! It just made my ‘must read’ list
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, Rebecca!
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Been trying for 5 yrs to speak; can understand, not speak. HELP!!
Well the book might inspire you to do better, but my best advice is to just start talking (a lot!) and making mistakes…it’s the only way to learn!
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Buon Giornio (it is so here, in Canada anyway)
I have never been to Italy, save while being transported through the film, “A Room With A View” or watching Italian-Canadian chef, David Rocco’s “Dolce Vita” and Jamie Oliver’s series in Italy as well, come to that. I would love to get there though – my husband toured Italy with his old girlfriend (she wasn’t OLD, you understand, it was just a long time ago). We’re due a trip to Italia together. For now, your blog will do me for a good hit. I love espresso too!
I’m new here, but I have a feeling you’re going to be seeing a lot of me.
I hope I’m still in time (I realize I’m just under the wire) for your contest. I would love to read “La Bella Lingua”.
Please, if you have any time at all, have a gander at my poetry and miscellany blog and drop me a line.
All the best,
Kat (in Canada)
Poetikat’s last blog post..Roy denies he was offered…
Ciao and welcome! You did make it in time for the contest, so best of luck! I look forward to reading you, but I can’t find your blog
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I just discovered this book and blog yesterday (while not on this site) and got curious. This means I have to submit for this contest, although the competition is stiff at over 120-not even 10% chance of winning
Irene of American in Padua’s last blog post..An Interior View
You never know, Irene! Best of luck
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Hello…hope all is well…I went to Italy for 2 weeks and stayed 4 years….I just took yet another vacation to Rome…I understand completely her passion for all things Italian..I’ve travelled all over the world and visited many wonderful cities in Italy and I also lived in many other countries..however, there is no place like Italy…NO PLACE LIKE ITALY…NO PLACE LIKE ITALY…p.s. the men are full of it and are so handsome and fabulous also…WHEW!!
Hah, well I can’t argue with you there, Melba
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I would love to win this one, I am going to have to go out and buy it. Thanks for the interview.
xo M
Just a bit late for the contest, but it’s definitely worth picking up
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Hi – When I originally commented, it picked up a link to my mail-server rather than my blog address. I tried to correct it, but it would not let me post again.
You should be able to find me now.
Don’t be alarmed by my current post, I write all sorts of poetry–you just need to dig a bit and there’s something for everyone!
Thanks!
Kat
Poetikat’s last blog post..Theme Thursday: Vacation
Gotcha Kat! Thanks for letting me know
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Hi So sad I didn’t win but have found that I can buy it in New Zealand through http://www.fishpond.co.nz. Have ordered my copy. All the best
Oh that’s great, Carolyn! Thanks so much for sharing the info!
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Michelle I have to read this book- I adore the Ital;ian language…wish I spoke better!
I would love to win it- but if I dont Im buying it!
Thanks for this opportunity.
You’re going to love it, Susan!
.-= Susan ´s last blog ..Outdoor Wednesday =-.
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Dianne’s book is wonderful! I share a similar passion for the Italian language and was so excited to find her book and blog and then meet Dianne in person in San Francisco last month! Doubly excited to have been invited to write a guest blog for her blog too. If you are at all interested in learning Italian, Dianne’s book will definitely jump start your journey! Buona lettura! Buoni studi!
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts Melissa!
.-= Melissa Muldoon´s last blog ..• lo stato d’Emergency =-.
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Splendid, thank you, Ciao!
smiles.
Thanks for cominb by, Ellen!
.-= Ellen ´s last blog ..What is it about NYMH? =-.
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They excerpt from the book made me laugh and smile, I know the frustration of learning Italian………..Try being Sicilian toddler immigrating to Canada and speaking only Sicilian dialect. Then going back at 15 and realizing no one speaks like you, they speak Italian Geeze Louise!, I thought that’s what I was speaking. No………. Apparently I was mistaken, and had to learn to speak words in a proper manner not the old way.I also suffer from a linguist defect cannot roll my R’s.Family finds this hilarious.
I ‘d never survive in Scotland either,I was told by my friend Anne of Glasgow.
I definitely buying this book , if only to find someone who like myself
persevered!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Nell
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