C'est Pour la Vie ou Pour un Moment? by Nadine Trintignant

C'est Pour la Vie ou Pour un Moment? by Nadine Trintignant

is a beautiful, wonderful, sensual account on her existence close to the beloved actor Jean-Louis. This book is published by Bouquins Memoires.

Nadine, very well introduced in the world of cinema has always worked in the field with big personalities. She became good friend with Jacques Prevert: Jean-Paul Belmondo, remembers, was a funny and sunny man: Alain Delon beautiful.

What attracted the most the mind of Nadine, avid reader, was also the talent, so she tried to choose directors in grade of inspiring her. 

Her biggest love has been the one for Jean-Louis. A sensual, beautiful love, of two souls and bodies who had decided to spend some of their existence together. The title of this book says all.

The first times were incredibly intense: Nadine after a while became pregnant, although she decided for an abortion because her stability at work wasn't great and Jean-Louis had still to build his own career. 

The second time she kept the baby: that baby would have been Marie born in 1962. 

Jean-Louis worked a lot in Italy.The first time he afforded to Rome was for filming with Dino Risi and Vittorio Gassman. Nadine and Jean-Louis were both in love for Rome. Nadine tells that they had an apartment close to Trinità dei Monti: a spectacular view. She remembers the galant words of Dino Risi, and her affection in general for a warm city like the italian capital is.

The problem between Nadine and the husband began when Jean-Louis started to cheating her a first time. Nadine and Jean-Louis had spoken of this eventuality: in case, the partner had to confess to the other one the sin. And Jean-Louis confessed, although, he said, it was just a story of...being a man. Women, to his point of view, were different. Nadine appeared furious. Women can cheat like men: she had men close to her interested but she strongly refused to do that.

If Nadine was loyal with Jean-Louis, Jean Louis, when possible continued to betray her, although he also sent her wonderful, sensual love-letters, of a love that appeared so real, felt, strong, endless, in grade of absorbing completely his mind. 

After a while, the couple had another daughter, Pauline. Pauline was sweet, and tender and she asked for constant attention, writes Nadine. Jean-Louis was filming again to Rome and they had picked up a wonderful apartment close to Trinità dei Monti: again. She couldn't ask for anything else. Happiness was real. Then one day, the horror: a terrible fact dilaniated the couple and Marie. Pauline died abruptly at just nine months. They rushed to the hospital but doctors couldn't be helpful for the baby. 

Nadine writes that once a child dies a part of the existence of a person is gone forever, because life become senseless. 

Nadine added also that she hasn't returned anymore in that apartment in Rome because memories of what happened have been too painful.

The couple thought also of adopting a child although later there was the arrival of a third baby, this one a male, Vincent, born in 1973 and the joy of this mother!

With the time, although Nadine could not physically resist to the passion that she felt for Jean-Louis, once she discovered that again and again the husband cheated her, decided of accepting the court of Alain Corneau.

They became lovers: Nadine continued to love, in a very different ways these two men before asking for the separation. The situation that caused the event was a letter read for casualty written by her husband to her but not sent.

Nadine decided to re-start a different existence. Life, after all was good, more than good. Jean-Louis appeared like an important memory, while the rest of her children were giving her joy and happiness.

Then, one day, in Vilnius, it was 2003, Nadine and Jean-Louis's world turned again upside down. Again  because of one of their children. Marie was brought to the hospital in very bad condition. 

When Nadine re-met the ex-husband, she understood something: they were two people who didn't have anything in common anymore, children apart.

Nadine searches for these two children gone too son, continuously. They are in her heart, they don't never abandon her and her thoughts are constantly for them. Her big consolation is Vincent: with his companion he has had Tomer, a wonderful kid, similar to the first Jean-Louis she fell in love with, characterially.

And Jean-Louis?

He recently fell sick with cancer and previously his body was destroyed by diabetes. When he discovered to be sick, he told that his existence would have continued as if still healthy. Now, admits that being so sick has been a choice. The meeting with him has been touching. The fear of dying, sufferances experienced and that children gone too soon, before their parents...

Read this book if you search for an inspiring reading, plenty of sincerity; if you like the star-system but you don't search for that news, but for real people, living the torments of an existence. Nadine opens her heart to the reader and she does it with tenderness, humanity and as a femme first of all, a word that in french means the globality of a woman: mother, lover, wife, maitresse, girlfriend.

The cover is absolutely fabulous. I love the complicity in the eyes of Nadine, and the sweetness used by Jean-Louis with her wife.

Highly recommended book.

I thank Bouquins for the physical copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori

Wikipedia pictures.

Green Pass required for Books of Dogs Emporium Customers

 After several weeks of closing imposed by the new and rampant wave of Omicron in our region, the Emporium of Books for Dogs today re-opened its doors to

the people interested in buying used items.

Open every Wednesday and Saturday mornings, in the Emporium you will find the most diversified things.

Books for Dogs considers sacred second-hand books, but with the time opened to many other endless items, like DVDS, games, clothes, things for your home, like blankets, hot battles of water, decorative vases, greetings cards, frames, glasses, plates, cups, peluche, jewelry, clothes. The store contains a lot of what it is sold, but I warmly recommend all of you of joining the newsletter published sometimes by Angela Nutt with the latest updates, new dogs adoptions, and big things, like cars, beds, sofas, furniture of various genre that, for obvious reasons can't be seen in the emporium.

Located in via Cibo, there are many affectionated faces that you can see everytime the store is opened: it's a little, diversified community the one created by the ladies of the Committee and that enjoy to gravitate in the Emporium. Most of them  are there because book-lovers, other ones for curiosity, or for trying to see if in the continuous new arrivals there is that stroke of luck that can make their day a happy one.

Recently the ladies of the Committee have decided that they will require also the Green Pass for whoever want to enter in their emporium. 

Anna Maria Polidori 

A Treasury of Christmas Miracles True Stories of God’s Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury

A Treasury of Christmas Miracles

True Stories of God’s Presence Today by Karen Kingsbury is a book plenty of short, inspiring tales for living the proper Christmas's period with a touch of magic and...miracle when possible. Karen Kingsbury knows how to touch the heart of people and also in this book she presents to her readers beautiful stories that will remain with close in their heart. There are stories of sick people because of cancers, another more light, of a kid searching for big champions, another focuses on the loss of a person and the miracle of Christmas...Roses.  There are angels protagonists of the good end of some stories.

In each tale you will be reassured: there will be a good end for the protagonists of the story. In all these cases protagonists are strong believers, people who trusting the action of God are inspired and driven by Him.

Highy recommended book.

I thank Faithwords for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

 

Most Unimaginably Strange An Eclectic Companion To The Landscape Of Iceland by Chris Caseldine

 Most Unimaginably Strange

An Eclectic Companion To The Landscape Of Iceland by Chris Caseldine is a new and stunning book published by Reaktion. Pretty articulated, this book spans through history and actuality; through the scientific history  of Iceland that can't be by-passed, because it's the main topic of interest of the country and its legends, sagas, minerals, studies and stunning places to visit.

Iceland: a country where people, also strangers, foreigners were and are attracted by the unique differences that they found and find there but mainly by scientists passionate because this country is still in perennial mutation.

Why these strong mutations when the rest of the countries in the world knows a stability earned thanks to million of years of mutations? Iceland is a sort of new land; old just 1,8 million of years, it is an extreme land where the panorama changes rapidly and is never the same one in certain areas because of the presence of many vulcanoes, little, in grade of mutate the face of the places interested. 

Man lives a good relationship with nature: animals are less stressed than our ones. A place, iceland, with cordial people and an extreme but absolutely unique experience for whoever wants to afford there. 

The author writes at some point: "The prisms through which we have been able vicariously to view the Icelandic landscape provide us with what the geologist Marcia Bjornerud describes as ‘a clear-eyed view of one place in Time, both the past that

came before us, and the future that will elapse without us’. Iceland represents our past, the formation of lands, seas, places, something that we wouldn't comprehend anymore if not going there, where everything is still young and can permit to scientists of discovering what happened in our lands million of years ago as well.

It's a great priviledge this one: seeing our past thanks to Iceland.

For tourists, the impact of a country like Iceland offers immediately a great emotion because of its visionary land, where volcanic phaenomenon are naturals and where glacial landscapes are close to them.

Unfortunately the arrival of mass tourism, but also of some big productions like Game of Thrones as you will read, brought a lot of problems to a country more fragile than any other one in the Planet, with strong traditions and great respect for its legends.

Technical book as well I know that you'll enjoy this reading a lot! If you didn't know Iceland, you'll start to know this land better than anyone else thanks to Chris Casaldine: if you knew it, you'll learn much much more. Trust me!

Highly recommended book.

I thank Reaktion Books for the copy of the book.

Anna Mara Polidori 

Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I am Anna by Lois Petren

Tales of the Five Enchanted Mermaids Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I am Anna by Lois Petren is a cute story for kids on the importance of kindness. 

Their being kind is important to others, but also paying attention at gestures of kindness it is. 

So, this nice mermaid  will ask first of all to the protagonists of this story, fishes and other creatures of the sea, students, to trying to recognize kindness in others for later being good and decent creatures, giving help. 

But...Who deserve help, first of all? The Planet, our neighbors, our friends, teachers, in this case, whoever you see that he/she is experiencing some difficulties that could potentially be removed thanks to a direct help of someone.

It is a beautiful, cute, and sunny tale this one. Illustrations are joyous, protagonists smiles all the time, the approach is extremely amicable and close to kids: the protagonists of this story are beautiful like kindness it is. 

Experience it: kindness will make you a beautiful, smiling ☺ and happy

person!

Highly recommended book available this next February 17th on Amazon.

I thank the author for the copy of this ebook.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Parfums d'Amour Les Abeilles de Guerlain

 Parfums d'Amour

is a collection of short stories promoted by the Literary Prize Les Abeilles de Guerlain in collaboration with the publishing house Cherche-Midi. An appointment, this one arrived at its seventh edition: new writers expressed their feelings on parfums d'amour this year. 

Submissions have been 700 and several writers, a journalist specialized in the field of parfums and the same CEO of Guerlain picked up what they thought they were the best tales. Twenty in total, you won't find a short tale, similar to another: for sure in each of them there is the strong relationship of people with parfums during their existence. 

Parfums accompanies our life and they, like a song or a movie, are in grade to fix with their fragrances, special moments, creating memories. Parfums are in fact sensorial pictures of special instants: people can rediscover the parfum of a beloved dear person, or of a place, a situation, also after many decades. Stories you'll find here will develop very well this thematic. These short-tales are tender, in love for the sacrality of a gesture, and what it means in terms of time and memories. 

Some examples?

There are many sentimental connections in these tales: there is a parfum rediscovered once the person is adult; there is a tale seen under the perspective of a cheated wife: another one will speak of cemeteries, vampires; an old lady, remembers her past love wearing the parfum that to them meant everything; we will assist at a trial where it is discussed the proposal of a... parfumless society! 

It is also taken in consideration the sensibility of the nose of someone: yes, there are people with a nose more "developed" in terms of parfums and they find also the natural parfum of the skin of a person too strong to them. In a short-tale is discussed the real fragrances of love. A commixtion of rose, cinnamon, champagne and maybe...cigarettes. In Sauf Le Bleu, MaryLaure will write on memories and present including strong decisions after all not taken thanks to the past and its sensoriality. I loved this quote so badly: "Je ne suis pas le bonheur, je suis sa promesse. Je ne suin pas l'amour, je suis son parfum!" Exceptional! 

If you love parfums, if you love the multiform universe of fragrances, and if you love beautiful stories of men and women, this book is for you!

Highly recommended!

Oh: I don't want to forget to tell you that the Literaty Prize Les Abeilles de Guerlain is waiting for you! with their new submissions launched for 2022. The thematic chosen is: Jardin Secret! 

I thank Cherche-Midi for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Gloves An Intimate History by Anne Green

Gloves An Intimate History

by Anne Green published by Reaktion Books is an interesting, engaging book for sure! 

Gloves have always existed, or better, the man found ways for covering his hands in particular when there was bad weather or when in battle: but, of course the story of this accessory is more intense, fascinating, and captivating than what we can think at.

Gloves in the past represented honor, identity, status and power, but being a pair, love as well. Emisseries travelled and represented their King wearing his pair of gloves: why this? For giving more strength to the message that they had to communicate.

Gloves were also known in the most remote past. When the grave of Tutankhamun was discovered there was a pair of gloves, as new, in the coffin. I have seen the picture in the book related to them and they are like new! 

Gloves were important also as a good presentation in the after-life and another symbol that couldn't be forgotten in the egyptian tradition. 

Gloves can be stolen to a young girl living them as a portion of that beloved soul: gloves are in the Boccaccio's Decameron and for St. Birgitta, patron of Sweden, gloves had an articulated moral symbolism. If that saint tried to read gloves in a complicated way, St.Thomas Becket's gloves had healed a nun. 

Gloves were important during business: the vendor of a land with witnesses would hand the purchaser a glove filled with the soil of that land: a sign of a good and solid contract, and seriety.

Let's go to Boston now, where lived mr Andrew Eliot pastor of the New North Church: gloves in 1700's were largely used also during the main ceremonies you can think at: christenings, weddings, funerals. Andrew like also his wife during that 32 years spent in the city, had accumulated 2.940 pairs of  gloves! people discovered, surprised, after his death.

Pepys, London, 1660, in his famous diary largely tells stories on gloves. 

It's in the XIX century that gloves had a lot of luck, declined only in the 1960s because of cheap labour provided in Asian countries. 

French people loved gloves and to them they were an important accessory, but the French Revolution put down the Grenoble's glove industry: there were 6254 workers before the revolution, after the revolution, twenty years later, just 2.800.

Gloves with magical touch were described by Rabelais when he told to the reader that "that the vast gloves of his giant, Gargantua, were sewn from the skins of sixteen goblins

and trimmed with the fur of three werewolves."

Beautiful, fun and informative book, plenty of anecdocts from liteature, and curiosities, illustrations, pictures, histories, legends: the one of gloves, for what I discovered, is a magical, magical land of warmth and mystery at the same time.

Surprising!

Highly recommended.

I thank Reaktion Books fot the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Gideon's Gift by Karen Kingsbury

 Gideon's Gift

by Karen Kingsbury is a masterpiece: it is extremely moving. I cried most of the time while I was reading it. You know that I follow homeless's stories with pleasure: this one presented by Karen is a beautiful story plenty of gratitude and goodness in the largest sense of the word.

Earl is a homeless: with a story pretty sad behind, with the time became a man pretty hard and difficult to be reached emotively, because closed to the external world.

Brian is struggling with a complicated existence, because her oldest daughter, Gideon suffers of cancer. She is in remission, but they spent too much money for treatments and celebrating a proper and good Christmas is a mirage.

Gideon, the 8 years old girl sicks, helps her parents in a refectory dedicated to homeless people. No sure why, Gideon thinks that that grumpy Earl deserves some attention and wants to present him something special for Christmas.

Being grumpy, and being so closed, at first Earl won't understand the precious gesture of the kid; a gesture that will change his existence for better.

This story teaches us - I can't tell you more - that sometimes an act of kindness, also received from unknown people, can, sometimes, for someone, make a big difference.  

And let's remember what Gideon repeated several time to Earl: 

"Christmas miracles happen to those who believe."

A beautiful Christmas-Story!

Highly recommended.

I thank Faithwords for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

The Paper Bag Christmas by Kevin Alan Milne

The Paper Bag Christmas

by Kevin Alan Milne is a novel published by Faithword on the importance of the true meaning of Christmas.

What is Christmas if not to staying connected with people less lucky than us?

Sure, Molar, said Mo, and his brother Aaron wouldn't never imagined something like that, when a day of December their parents brought them to the local mall for the Christmas requests: the protagonist of course, Santa Claus. Mo and Aaron were skeptical regarding Santa Claus: no possible that the real Santa would have decided of stopping by in their State, the Oregon but their parents were more than sure: that moment would have been beautiful. And it was, but for different reasons: mr.Ringle was in fact a doctor of the department of pediatric oncology and asked them of joining him as elves, when he would have passed in the department for asking for the gifts that that suffering children would have wanted to receive. Special children, because most of them, unfortunately, wouldn't never left that place, in life. But, all strongly firm of something: that mr.Ringle was seriously Santa Claus!

The two little elves, Mo and Aaron will discover in that universe populated by wagons of sufferance,. new friends and mainly how precious can be friendship and knowledge of other different physical and health conditions.

Extremely touching is the relationship created by Mo with Katrina.

The author writes that that one was "the type of experience that makes you wish Christmas

was celebrated all year long, the kind that makes people forget about life’s imperfections and focus instead on its greatest treasures such as family, friendship, and serving others. For me, it was a defining moment, one that has shaped and molded the very fabric of my soul."

The story is passed, but little Mo, adult and with children, still loves to share portions of what happened to the hospital with mr.Ringle, "his children",  and the importance to believe in magic in our daily existence.

Written with passion.

Highly recommended book.

I thank Faithwords for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

A La Machine by Yamina Benahmed Daho

 I was chatting with Etienne Kern, telling him that I had appreciated his book Les Envoles, the story of Franz Reichelt can't pass unobserved, when I added that my mother is a tailor as well. She still works.

Etienne, so, proposed me the reading of A La Machine

written by Yamina Benahmed Daho. I asked for the e-mail of the author and later I received a copy of the book thanks to Gallimard. 

It was revealing: no, I didn't know, and neither my mother, that the inventor of the sewing machine was Barthélemy

Barthélemy photo credit Britannica

Thimonnier, a french, although, after all it is not so surprising considering the good reputation of France in terms of fashion.

Just...You musn't imagine, reading this book long 160 pages, fireworks or big successes. Barthélemy hasn't been lucky in his meetings and so lived an existence pretty tribulated, and poor, "cheated" by people more sly than him. Yes: also if invented the sewing machine.

Sometimes incidents are real revelations.

Barthélemy in fact lost some portion of fingers one day. This boy studied in a seminary and was a person of culture: later, passionate of the field, became a tailor, but... Imagine...... He would have met difficulties with clients, if they would have noticed his hands, and so the creation of a machine in grade of putting together various part of tissues, became to him crucial.

The author writes: "I imagine une machine imitant les points effectués par la main qui brode. Une machine facilitant l’assemblage des pièces de tissu pour les costumes qu’il fabrique. Une machine pour les tailleurs comme lui mais également pour les couturières."

The tailor imagined a machine in grade of imitating the points added by tailors, and that would have facilitated the assembly of pieces of tissue: a machine for everyone, big names and modest tailors.

The first elaboration was heavy: it was 1829 and Barthélemy was 36 years.

Auguste Ferrand was a guy he will meet along her way, asking for helo. Barthelemy knew that invented something of important, a revolution during a cultural revolution the one brought by progress, but he had also to protect what he had created.

Anyway, they opened a factory where they had to create pants for soldiers with these first examples of sewing machines: people employed were poor ones, or people with disabilities. Paris was not happy of what it was going on, and tailors of big and little brands were terrified by the arrival of a sewing machine in grade to modify, too drastically their works.

What would become their work if a sewing machine will do that?

The factory was burned down. 

Big problems, Barthelemy will be in grade to validate a second invention in 1845 and he will meet again a new man Jean- Marie Magnin, an attorney or a son of some attorney: a man with big ideas: the expansion of the invention in UK and USA.

And it was a success. In London people had the intention of producing these new sewing machine. In USA, Singer will be the first one.

Other troubles along the way for Barthelemy and his family, the real inventor of the sewing machine died poor, and just the wife received a soum of money later, when old and sick. 

In 1855 anyway was clear to everyone because was official that Barthélemy was the inventor of the sewing machine.

A museum is dedicated to Barthélemy Thimonnier and I recommend to all of you the reading of this book.

Highly recommended! 

I thank Gallimard for the copy of the book. 


Anna Maria Polidori 

 

The Power of -Thank-You Discover the Joy of Gratitude by Joyce Meyer

 The Power of -Thank-You

Discover the Joy of Gratitude by Joyce Meyer is a new book that will be published soon by Faithwords.

I fell immediayely attracted by the title of this book because gratitude matters a lot and the goodness received by the people we know or that we have met along our existence is immensely important and must be remember for sure.

Twelve chapters in total, Joyce Meyer writes that ".... having a grateful heart has more power than we can imagine" adding that "Where goodness flows forth, thankfulness should also flow forth."

Everyone should be grateful when someone offers help, time, or makes a favor. Sometimes we don't feel this gratitude, but it is importan to persist, because gratitude means a lot of things: being content, and not constantly focused on ourselves.

Being grateful doesn't necessarely say that we should ask to God for more richness: God will give us what He wants when He thinks it is the time. Gratitude passes through the acceptance of what we have at the moment: our health, our good life, spent in peace, harmony and goodness.

When you see and read life with the lenses of gratitude, pessimism will fly away forever.

A quote by Gibran says: "The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose."

Do you see the rose or its horns?

Sure, sometimes seeing thorns and not the beauty of a rose is more...tempting and sometimes there are pretty difficult situations that can't let us believe anymore in good things, but once we will understand why there was a lot of sufferance and why our plans hadn't been evidently the one we wanted.

Let's remember also that "those who have received the most help will love the most" adds Meyer because goodness simply can't be forgotten.

In our existence  there are unexpected and unpleasant facts, but also unexpected blessing.

Also the personal story of Joyce Meyer hasn't been sunny at all (I didn't know that) because she was abused by her father and when she run away she didn't meet a great man. It was later that real happiness arrived, with a different stability in all senses.

It's important to use our words wisely, for trying to see the best of the existence, avoiding what it can put us down: gossip shouldn't exist. At the same time it would be important to keep a gratitude journal where to write something everyday: why are you grateful? For sure you will find a lot of reasons for being grateful.

The story of Esther, a Bible's book, the one of a girl who saved a lot of Jewish persecuted because a horrible man Haman, had said to the king that they had to be killed is just another example of great generosity and gratitude. 

Meyer, then reminds the beauty of the past: a past in which there was less, but where people were more rich internally and happy. It is true, I can tell you that. My parents lived with less less less facilities and progress than the ones that there are, and in poverty, but they have always been happy and cheerful. Progress under many ways broke the enchantment and equilibrism created very well and so strickly with nature by people.

Meyer writes: "The world was a fairly nice place when I was younger. Generally speaking, people had good manners, they

helped each other, and life was simple...and I think people enjoyed it then more than most enjoy it now." True.

What it is true, is that in our society we should be thankful for a lot of things and conditions: the peace we have, the freedom we have, conditions not seen by our parents if they were born in the 1920s1930s. They had seen a world war!

I want to close with this quote of the book that I hope will let you think with a gratitude spirit to the existence: "I will forever remain humble because I know I could have less. I will always be grateful because I know I’ve had less."

Beautiful book, grateful for it as well!

Highly recommended!

I thank the publishing house for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

 

The Emporium of Books for Dogs will close for the next two weeks

Considering tht high amount of infected people and the complicated, for using an euphemism, sanitary situation in Umbria,  - - on January the 6th this one the situation 

Acquasparta 151 (+5), Allerona 24 (+5), Alviano 28 (+4), Amelia 324 (+13), Arrone 110 (+8), Assisi 1.124 (+65), Attigliano 19 (-4), Avigliano Umbro 122 (+8), Baschi 55 (+8), Bastia Umbra 945 (+51), Bettona 190 (+12), Bevagna 156 (+14), Calvi dell’Umbria 41 (-1), Campello sul Clitunno 92 (-4), Cannara 130 (+9), Cascia 81 (+19), Castel Giorgio 13, Castel Ritaldi 92 (+3), Castel Viscardo 43 (+1), Castiglione del Lago 493 (+74), Cerreto di Spoleto 44 (+2), Citerna 69 (+7), Città della Pieve 232 (+1), Città di Castello 1.088 (+86), Collazzone 158 (+14), Corciano 957 (+18), Costacciaro 37 (-3), Deruta 460, Fabro 155 (-12), Ferentillo 88 (+1), Ficulle 54 (+1), Foligno 1.705 (+82), Fossato di Vico 52 (-5), Fratta Todina 58 (+9), Giano dell’Umbria 51, Giove 23 (-2), Gualdo Cattaneo 160 (+13), Gualdo Tadino 334 (+21), Guardea 49 (+8), Gubbio 976 (+78), Lisciano Niccone 19 (+3), Lugnano in Teverina 52 (+6), Magione 704 (+8), Marsciano 819 (+16), Massa Martana 135 (+2), Monte Castello di Vibio 41 (+3), Montecastrilli 271 (+6), Montecchio 26 (+2), Montefalco 147 (+10), Montefranco 38 (-2), Montegabbione 17 (-2), Monteleone di Spoleto 10 (+2), Monteleone d'Orvieto 57 (+2), Monte Santa Maria Tiberina 40 (+2), Montone 39 (+7), Narni 711 (+74), Nocera Umbra 131 (+4), Norcia 125 (+11), Orvieto 384 (+7), Otricoli 63 (-1), Paciano 15, Panicale 229 (+15), Parrano 11, Passignano sul Trasimeno 209 (+9), Penna in Teverina 25 (-1), Perugia 6.206 (+55), Piegaro 158 (+4), Pietralunga 64 (+7), Poggiodomo 2 (+2), Polino 2 (-1), Porano 41 (+4), Preci 14 (+2), San Gemini 232 (-1), San Giustino 266 (+29), Sant’Anatolia di Narco 11 (+1), San Venanzo 69 (+3), Scheggia e Pascelupo 27 (-1), Scheggino 15 (+3), Sellano 24 (+3), Sigillo 74 (+2), Spello 260 (+24), Spoleto 1.110 (-25), Stroncone 141 (+22), Terni 4.736 (+166), Todi 522 (+38), Torgiano 310 (-2), Trevi 267 (+8), Tuoro sul Trasimeno 91 (+7), Umbertide 356 (+42), Valfabbrica 85 (+4), Vallo di Nera 6 (+2), Valtopina 24 (+2) - - 

and also in the city of Umbertide, the ladies of the Committee of the charity Books for Dogs have decided of closing the emporium

for, at least, two weeks. The scenario portrayed these weeks by the virus, the one described in the books I read on past pandemics like the Spagnola one. Activities remained opened? Great: the virus would have closed them because of the prudency of people as it happened for these ladies, or because a lot of people falling sick couldn't continue to keep opened their structure.

I am afraid that this winter will be long...

Anna Maria Polidori 

Citoyens sous Surveillance by Wolfgang Sofsky

Citoyens sous Surveillance

by Wolfgang Sofsky is a new and brilliant book published by Editions L'Herne.

What is personal freedom and does it exist anymore?

In this book, very clear, and for everyone interested to the topic, Wolfgang Sofsky analyzes every portion of our human being seen with the eyes of our post-modernity, starting with that situations that keep us trapped and spied in a daily base by big companies. 

If in the past the state tried to limiting the freedom of people with methods pretty strong and violents, the current methodology adopted passes through... docility. People are happy to be spied, and in most cases they don't know that they are spied or that they represent a lot in the hands of big companies all happy and cheerful of understand what they like, dislike.  

I guess that no one is imagining that this one is like a big brother: we are controlled  massively in all our various aspects of the existence. Social medias, cameras, cards that can tell to others our likes, where we go, our tastes, favorite food: TV decoders, and what we watch... Maybe most people don't care, but if we would just think for a while at the system created, we would all scream: help! I don't want to be controlled, I want my old freedom. Because the reality is that we are all controlled. 

While we are walking, while we are working, while we are writing, while we are shopping I imagine us all surrounded by invisible, cages that are limiting in a most fine distinction, we don't know this, our personal freedom.

Sofsky doesn't forget other existentials thematic like sexual appetites, or abuse or use of drugs, that, if in the past were defined in a private sphere, sometimes now they emerge, like also situations of shame that a man can proves for the most diversified reasons. Private sphere is analyzed taking in consideration the entirity of the human being. 

The final chapter is dedicated to the current pandemic and what it meant to us the old freedom: a maskless world. But...Is it a freedom that we realistically lost, that one? No: in this case the one of the masks is a freedom that we have conquered, because, not adopting this method, that must be implemented with social distancing and keeping clean hands, we would all fall sick. Can you see it? We can touch this new freedom: the mask is visible: we put it on our face and the message that amicably we all spread wearing it is the possibility of staying healthy. 

The mask means freedom, kindness, respect: the mask is freedom from illness for us and for our dear ones and strangers that we meet in a daily base.

Our new heroine of freedom, the mask, is keeping us free from this invisible enemy that could theoretically be everywhere and could potentially kill us and the rest of our community: COVID.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! You'll see: you'll love it! 

I thank Editions de L'Herne for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Les Envolés by Étienne Kern

 It's a true story the one told by Étienne Kern in his first book Les Envolés

published by Gallimard. 

A true and shocking story under many aspects, that I still didn't know but that it is at the same time immensely sad and interesting. 

You must know that, the first episode of a death immortalized by a camera was the one of the protagonist of this book: Franz Reichelt. The tragedy in Paris, Tour Eiffel Febraury 4th 1912.

This tailor, Etienne reports his story, afforded to Paris, from Austria for working and he built soon a discreet career working close to the L'Opera. 

Frank shared also a second passion: the one for aviation and it will be this one that brought him to death at 33 years. Franz in fact tried to developed a parachute: several times, dropped puppets, without experiencing a great success. Someone suggested him that maybe it was better to move on with the idea of the creation of a parachute seeing the poor results. What temped him so badly was a prize launched by an association of aviation. Franz could not help himself: he would have tried again and this time parachuting himself from the Tour Eiffel!

That 4 febraury 1912 was very cold, so there wasn't a big crowd of people: yes, of course there were several journalists, and someone filmed what happened to Franz. 

For sure, everyone tried to save the existence of Franz. In particular, when they understood that there wouldn't be any puppets and Franz would have experimented on himself the drop with that big parachute.

People tried also to stop Franz limiting the access to the Tour Eiffel, but nothing, nothing stopped him. He repeated: "Je tiens à l’existence, et je ne tenterais pas l’aventure si j’avais le plus petit doute sur le succès": I did treasure his existence; I wouldn't never risk if it wouldn't be a success.

Etienne with great sensibility writes reporting the final moments of the existence of Franz on the Tour Eiffel underlining that, before the fatal drop, there was still the possibility of a different end: "J’aimerais te laisser là-haut. Au moment où rien n’est écrit" I would want to leave you there. In a moment still undefined, where nothing is written yet" writes Etienne.

The final words that Franz pronounced were, à bientôt! see you soon! and then, great smile on his face, the drop: he died of a horrible death; eyes were petrified by horror, he was broken everywhere: autoptic exams revealed that he died for a heart attack, while he was falling: once arrived on the ground he was dead.

Etienne writes: "Sur Internet, tu occupes une bonne place au palmarès des morts les plus stupides de l’histoire" On the net, you occupy a good space, speaking about the palmares of the silliest departures of all the history. 

Etienne has written a book plenty of delicacy, tenderness, using extreme respect and trying to understand Franz: wishing, at the same time, a writer can just does it, a different end.

Long 150 pages, this book genuine, delicate, compassionate. The tale of Franz's life, brief existence, reminds us the importance of living with great intensity our dreams, adding a bit of caution, sometimes. 

Highly recommended.

I thank the author for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori