'No one should go to Venice without reading this book.' Blueguides.com 'No book as thoughtful, perceptive and humane on Venice...has appeared since William Dean Howells wrote his Venetian Life in 1886.'
Jonathan Keates Times Literary Supplement 'More cerebral than most Venetian travelogues or fictions...Coles clearly has ample knowledge but also the wit to have travelled light.'
Caroline Jackson ... Read moreThe Spectator 'Eloquent.' The New York Times 'A riveting account of ordinary life in an extraordinary place, packed with charming anecdotes that will have readers hooked on Venetian life.'
Woodburn Independent 'The Politics of Washing is a readable memoir, at times funny, enjoyable, and feels very real.' Luxury Reading 'A funny, humbling tale of one family's attempt to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world.' Cayocosta72 Book Reviews Paul White, deputy vice-chancellor, University of Sheffield, is reading Polly Coles' The Politics of Washing: Real Life in Venice (Robert Hale, 2013). "Coles' background is in teaching and anthropology, and she recently moved with her family (including her Italian husband) to Venice. Here she brilliantly unmasks the prejudices and idiosyncrasies of the Venetians themselves, as well as mass tourism's impact on the city. Coping with Italian bureaucracy is never easy, but the added complexities of formal and informal rules governing life in a city that is slowly dying as a real place of residence are fascinating. Recommended for anyone about to visit or revisit Venice: I've been there many times and I now see the city in new ways."
Paul White Times Higher Education Show Less