And the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World

Beautiful writing in the last chapter. A long read to get there with a few enjoyable phrases along the way to remind the reader this is the same author of one of the best books ever written, All the Light We Cannot See.

Very well-written story of Americans in Italy via opportunity to study. It would seem to me that the joy of this trip would have been more evident. Trying to adapt would be very hard with these little ones, but the author did choose it.

Beautifully written remembrances/ diary of a precious time in Doerr's life. Written with intelligence, warmth and scholarly observations for anyone who may want to visit Rome or remember a time when they once were there. His writings about raising the babies will warm your heart.

Exquisitely written journal of Doerr's year in Rome as a scholar and new father of twins, he brings the fullness of his experience to life with descriptions that are a paean to language itself. To read this is to see, smell, taste, hear, feel Rome; to know the joys and concerns of a new father; to fall in love with language.

Excellent, memorable memoir from a developing [and now very successful] writer who will achieve greatness as the years roll by. One can see the seeds of what is to come scattered throughout this book by the gifted author, Anthony Doerr. The personal story is engrossing, entwined with Doerr's descriptive ode to the eternal city of Rome.

If you love traveling to or reading about Rome, If you enjoyed Doerr's recent award-winning All the Light We Cannot See, and if you appreciate beautiful writing, you will want to read this memoir about the author's year in Italy with his wife and twin boys. I'm one of those people who generally speed read through dreams and description, but I found myself lingering and even highlighting whole paragraphs of Doerr's exquisite prose. This book was a delight from first page to last as it combines history, theology, literature and insights into the Italian soul. Read it of you like travel or books or babies; It made me want to pack my bags, although I'll leave the babies for some one else.

I read this after reading his phenomenal "All the Light We Cannot See." I was curious about how he does research and juggles his personal life and professional life. The book didn't disappoint me. I feel I know him, and will look forward to future books.

One of the most delightful experiences to hear about his life as a writer in the city of Rome and sharing the surprising and unexpected experiences with his wife and young twins. His writing is so poetic and moving, to be a parent with infants going through their development stages in a fascinating foreign country. I listened to it twice and it was a very rich experience.

Anthony Doerr can flat do it. I enjoyed this book very, very much. I have spent considerable time in Rome and from my experience he captures the romantic and poetic soul of the city. The book is not a tourist guide to the best places to see nor does it delve into the city's history to any degree. It is more an artistic, insightful view of one of the world's most intriguing and beautiful cities by a skilled, sensitive and at times humorous writer. By coincidence I spent, during one visit, two months very close to the Janiculum Hill/Trastevere area where he and his family lived for over a year. His description of the area is spot-on and it was a joy to read his take. If you have a friend going to Rome for the first time, by all means, give her this book to read.

Anthony Doerr can flat do it. I enjoyed this book very, very much. I have spent considerable time in Rome and from my experience he captures the romantic and poetic soul of the city. The book is not a tourist guide to the best places to see nor does it delve into the city's history to any degree. It is more an artistic, insightful view of one of the world's most intriguing and beautiful cities by a skilled, sensitive and at times humorous writer. By coincidence I spent, during one visit, two months very close to the Janiculum Hill/Trastevere area where he and his family lived for over a year. His description of the area is spot-on and it was a joy to read his take. If you have a friend going to Rome for the first time, by all means, give her this book to read.

Doerr has a magnificent eye for detail and ear for rhythm. He engagingly transmits his astonishment at the many layers and riches of Rome. The interspersed episodes of parenting twin baby boys keep the narrative close and real. A gem!

Doerr is a great writer, incredibly descriptive with wonderful use of language. But you better enjoy stories about raising babies too, because his experience rearing twins takes a major portion of the text.

The author does an excellent job of sharing the emotional, physical, and other sensory experiences of moving to Rome with very little notice and a very young family accompanying him. I enjoyed the storytelling from the perspective of the seasons, which is seldom done when describing life in Rome. This story was personal for me since my mother, a Romana, was born and raised there. Having spent considerable time in Rome, I could see and smell and hear the events as he described them. What a wonderful opportunity for the author and a beautiful tribute to life in Rome and Italy.

Excellent. I am discussing All the Light we cannot see for our Literary Group and this book was the perfectintroduction to Anthony Doerr. His descriptions and language is so poetic and I learnt to love h throughFour Seasons in Rome. Highly recommended. It is an excellent read

Anticipating a trip to Rome in the future, this book caught my eye. Really enjoyed it. The author brought Rome alive, along with the adventures of his young family as they got used to being four instead of two--and in a foreign country at that! What an adventure! Thanks for sharing.

Thankfully a quick read. I liked the author's writing but the book seemed like it was a travel book on Rome or a parenting book but didn't really succeed at either for me. He mentions many Roman sites but if I hadn't been there before I'd have learned little about them. He often talks about the beauty of Rome during to its long history but I found it hard to quite grasp exactly why he was so smitten by it. And as another device I really mentioned, one learns virtually nothing about his wife. Overall I'm left confused about the intent of the book.