With all the wonderful reviews this book received, I couldn't wait to read Matthew Spender's "Within Tuscany." I am very disappointed. The narrative lacks focus and cohesion - it is not well-written. The reader does not get a true feeling for Tuscany. The author is stuck on relating tales of the sad and macabre. I had hoped that as a sculptor and artist, the author would be able to put into words all the beautiful, singular qualities of Tuscany and the Italian people. Sadly, this is not the case. I guess the best way to sum up this book is to say it lacks joy and warmth, which to me are essential elements of Tuscany. Spare yourself the agony (and the pricey shipping and handling charges).

I found "Within Tuscany" in the travel section of a bookstore and bought it because it was about Italy. I actually ended up enjoying it mostly because of the quirky life of the author-artist -- or perhaps more correctly, the reflections of an artist about his past several years of living in a particularly attractive place.

He apparently has or had female companions along the way. There's a wife, maybe, and some daughters (pictured in the book in a mid-seventies photo wearing clothes their mother made), and a friend Vittoria with whom he spends a great deal of time. He describes his life style as "alternative" which I take to mean not exactly traditional Italian.

Mathew Spender is English, and like fellow travlers in Tuscany, he relates amusing cultural incidents. He describes several notable friendships with individuals from various classes and backgrounds, one of whom dies two-thirds through the book. I believe he is a sculpter. His descriptions are physical and three dimensional, but he also plays his clarinet in the village band. Throughout the book he recalls his visits to a few notable places in Tuscany and shares his experiences at those places, but you would have to know the places to follow his writing completely.

Spender's writing reminds me a bit of John Mortimer's in "Summer Lease" as it's both sweet and sad. His observations about folks in various stages of life's sorrows and joys are touching. Spender also has an artists comprehension, absorbing and conveying what is going on around him.

Influenced by the title alone, I bought this book a few months before travelling through Chianti a couple of years ago. Although it is in no way an ordinary guidebook (i.e., hotel and restaurant recommendations, who slept where and when), it offered more insights into the people and culture of the region than anything else I have ever read. In fact, a highlight of our trip was finding the little church near Radda that contains Spender's crucifix. Also, his speculation on Shelley's death was provocative, to say the least.