{"product_id":"9780767927703","title":"La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language","description":"\u003ctable\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\/Contributor(s):\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003eHales, Dianne\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCrown\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e4\/20\/2010\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBinding:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003ePaperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"\"\u003eNEW\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cb\u003eA celebration of the language and culture of Italy, \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua\u003c\/i\u003e is the story of how a language shaped a nation, told against the backdrop of one  woman’s personal quest to speak fluent Italian.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For anyone who has been to Italy,  the fantasy of living the Italian life is powerfully seductive. But to truly become  Italian, one must learn the language. This is how Dianne Hales began her journey.  In \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua\u003c\/i\u003e, she brings the story of her decades-long experience with the  “the world’s most loved and lovable language” together with explorations of Italy’ s history, literature, art, music, movies, lifestyle and food in a true \u003ci\u003eopera amorosa \u003c\/i\u003e— a labor of her love of Italy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the course of twenty-five years, she has studied Italian through Berlitz,  books, CDs, podcasts, private tutorials and  conversation groups, and, most importantly, time spent in Italy.   In the  process the Italian language became not just a passion and a pleasure, but a passport  into Italy’s \u003ci\u003estoria\u003c\/i\u003e and its very soul. She invites readers to join  her as she traces the evolution of Italian in the zesty graffiti on the walls of  Pompeii, in Dante’s incandescent cantos and in Boccaccio’s bawdy \u003ci\u003eDecameron\u003c\/i\u003e.  She  portrays how social graces remain woven into the fabric of Italian:  even the chipper  “ciao,” which does double duty as “hi” and “bye,” reflects centuries of \u003ci\u003ebella figura.\u003c\/i\u003e  And she exalts the glories of Italy’s food and its rich and often uproarious gastronomic  language:  Italians deftly describe someone uptight as a \u003ci\u003ebaccala \u003c\/i\u003e(dried cod), a busybody  who noses into everything as a \u003ci\u003eprezzemolo\u003c\/i\u003e (parsley), a worthless or banal movie as  a \u003ci\u003epolpettone\u003c\/i\u003e (large meatball). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Like Dianne, readers of \u003ci\u003eLa Bella Lingua \u003c\/i\u003ewill find  themselves \u003ci\u003einnamorata\u003c\/i\u003e, enchanted, by Italian, fascinated by its saga, tantalized  by its adventures, addicted to its sound, and ever eager to spend more time in its  company.","brand":"Crown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44218989674751,"sku":"9780767927703","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0452\/0886\/2873\/files\/9780767927703_s600x595.jpg?v=1779818752","url":"https:\/\/massivebookshop.com\/products\/9780767927703","provider":"MASSIVE BOOKSHOP","version":"1.0","type":"link"}