In Sicily by Norman Lewis

In Sicily Reviews

• 
  Paul

  Sicily is an island that Norman Lewis grew to love after he first visited there during the war. He married the daughter of a Sicilian Mafiosi and returned many times over a sixty-year period. The mafia was the theme of his first book on the island and this one is dedicated to a journalist, Marcello Cimino, killed by a bomb. This book is an account of his return to the island in the late 1990s and is partly a love letter to the place and partly a lament to the current state of affairs. He nostalgically looks back to the past and happy times spent on there, revisits old haunts and catches up with friends all over the island.
  
  At this time the mafia is still a significant force in the island and by travelling around with the locals, he comes across their nefarious activities. However this is a time of change; their iron grip, along with that of the church and landowners under the feudal system is beginning to lessen. But if you know where to look, you can still see ancient rituals that predate even the Roman period.
  
  There is something about Lewis’s writing that makes this a please to read. He has a falcon’s eye for detail and has the language to paint an evocative scene of the places he visits in just a few sentences. Kind of wish I had read The Honoured Society before this, but I still have that treat for another day.
• 
  Jeanette (Ms. Feisty)

  Norman Lewis writes of Sicily:
  "[T]his is a Mediterranean island where the majority of public happenings are seen in one way or another to be bizarre."
  No question, it's a weird place. The book is an overview of Sicily's peculiarities, with special emphasis on how and why the Mafia ("the Honoured Society") was able to flourish there. Much of the Mafia's success was directly related to the extreme poverty of most of the island's inhabitants.
  
  Lewis' subtle wit is conspicuously missing from this selection, hence my removal of one star. I have no other complaints. The book was thoroughly fascinating and informative.
  
  Although apparently unconfirmed, I found this tidbit from page 62 particularly interesting:
  "An investigator into the origins of the word mafia was of the opinion that it dates back to the Norman conquest of the island and is derived from ma fia--the 'place of refuge' of Arab peasants of the times, when they were rounded up for slavery on the invaders' new estates."
  
• 
  Charles Dee Mitchell

  "To an old Sicilian hand, as I believe myself to be, this is a Mediterranean island where the majority of public happenings are seen in one way or another to be bizarre."
• 
  Josef Horký

  Spíš než na Sicílii samotnou, na krásu její přírody, prudkost větru a sytou barvu moře, se Lewis zaměřuje na drobné "zvláštnosti" lidu, který tenhle půvabný ostrov nazývá domovem.
  
  Takže jo, více než polovina je o Mafii.
  
  Ale i tak jsem se ve výsledku poměrně bavil a ledacos dozvěděl a připomněl si (zase jednou), že se tam chci někdy vrátit.
• 
  Elena

  This was the first Lewis that I read. While I did not appreciate the fact that so much of the book is about the mafia, his capacity to reach the heart of the puzzling Sicilian's character is commendable. He's a gifted observer and his accounts of Sferracavallo procession, Palermo's historical buildings, or even Provenzano's portrait are all worth a read.
  I'd consider giving half a star extra had he written 'Mazara del Valo' with 2 L and 'Superenatallo' Superenalotto as they should be.
• 
  Jrobertus

  Lewis’s father-in law was a Sicilian although he lived in London. The author spent a lot of time in Sicily, during WWII and at intervals thereafter, including his 1998 trip to finish this book. It is not a history of the island, but a personal remembrance of his experiences there. Lewis is a very polished writer and this narrative has a wonderfully rich literary feel. He describes the rugged landscape, the weather, but mostly the people. Most are impoverished, superstitious, uneducated, and under the thumb of the Mafia. Indeed, much of the book tells stories of Mafia rule and the failed attempts by the central government to bring lawlessness under control. In spite of the poverty and violence, Lewis loves the place with its almost unfathomably deep history from Greeks through Romans, Moors, Crusaders, and you name it. Travel in the hinterland, and even the cities, is tough. When there are roads, they seem to be tiny lanes jammed with cars and the accommodations are Spartan, if they don’t actually fall on you. Still, Sicily is exotic and I greatly enjoyed armchair traveling with this superb guide.
• 
  Hilary

  While this doesn't match up to the magnificent "Naples '44", Norman Lewis's prose is always a pleasure to read: "The sea appeared here as a surprise a mile or so beyond this enchanted spot. It came theatrically into view from the top of a sand dune ... and we watched as a shallow wave unrolled like silk all along the shore reaching to within thirty yards of where we stood then withdrawing with a faint rustle of sand". You could almost be there!
  
  His affection for Sicily shines through every page of this book but Sicily is, of course, synonymous with the Mafia and that makes for some uncomfortable reading. What is never in doubt is the warm-heartedness of the Sicilian people, especially the poor in the countryside - those who haven't fled elsewhere of course.
  
• 
  Philip Girvan

  Norman Lewis provides a captivating account of Sicily's physical charms as well as its grim history. It soon becomes apparent how closely intertwined Sicily is with Lewis's own history. His fondness for the island and its inhabitants is made clear on every page of this beautifully written book.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Jeremy

  This one missed the mark for me. I loved his South East Asian travelogues, especially Burma, but this one wandered all over the place, was hard to follow and left me with the feeling that he was writing about Sicily because he had been there and it was expected of him. Disappointing.
• 
  Stephen King

  A wonderful compilation of stories from Norman Lewis who first visited Sicily in WWII, whose father in law was Sicilian and completed his reportage in his 90’s. Covering mafia trials, family life and history this is a short and enjoyable read.
• 
  Alex Stöckli

  Für mich ein bisschen zu Mafia-nah.
• 
  Evan

  A better title would have been "The Mafia in Sicily"
• 
  Les Dangerfield

  3.5 I’m a big fan of Norman Lewis’s writing. This book is a collection of his recollections of Sicily which hadn’t already appeared in his other books. Interesting but holds together rather loosely.
• 
  Tomek

  Interesting to read a "modern" book from Lewis - all his previous books I've read were from 40ties-50ties. One thing does not change tho - it's still a great read!
• 
  Zachary Mezz

  A brief but extremely rich look at Sicilian culture. Particularly noteworthy is Lewis's examination of how the Mafia was almost crushed under Mussolini and rebounded once the Allies landed.
• 
  Ross Whamond

  lovely insight into a time and place,which changes,but appears to be the same.
• 
  Bruce

  Lewis is always good. This one reviews the strange customs of Sicily circa 1950's, especially the daily impact of the mafia on life and general saturation of corruption.
• 
  Bart Van den Bosch

  Not much of a travelogue, more some anecdotal background on how the mafia is just a part of normal Sicilian life.
• 
  Janita Willems

  Geweldige beschrijving van Sicilie en invloed van de mafia