Naples Declared

A Walk Around the Bay

By: Benjamin Taylor

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

It is a city of seemingly irreconcilable opposites, simultaneously glorious and ghastly. And it is Ben Taylor’s remarkable ability to meld these contradictions into a whole that makes this the exciting and original book it is. He takes his stroll around the bay with the acute sensitivity of a lover, the good humor of a friend, and the wisdom of a seeker who has immersed himself in all aspects of this contrapuntal culture. His curiosity leads him to many byways, both real and metaphoric, and his passion for this ancient city and its people becomes, in his graceful prose and amusing anecdotes, irresistibly contagious.

©2012 Benjamin Taylor (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What a ride through an amazing city.

What made the experience of listening to Naples Declared the most enjoyable?

A poetic, articulate, and entertaining journey through history exploring one of the most amazing cities in the world.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Naples....the most fascinating of characters!

What about Edoardo Ballerini’s performance did you like?

He was able to enhance the poetic nature of the writing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, easily.

Any additional comments?

It is so refreshing to read real travel literature, something of a rarity these days.

Terrible

I recently listened to Mr. Taylor's memoir ("A Hue and Cry") and thought that it was wonderful, so I was excited to listen to his book on Naples.

This was a mistake on my part.

I had to stop listening to Naples after suffering through 1.5 hours of it. It was so slow moving and rambling. Mr. Taylor is without doubt an erudite writer, but his constant use of Italian phrases was annoying (this book was printed in English, not Italian). The book is neither a travelogue nor a history and its organization follows no logical course. If you want to find out about the history of Naples there are far better books. It you want to get a travel guide for Naples, use Fodor's. In fairness to Mr. Taylor, it is difficult to write glowingly of Naples - I have been there and the city is nothing but filthy and run down. Garbage sits in the streets. It is a true cesspool.

The narrator reads the book as if he is reading to preschoolers. He has an affected habit of raising the lilt in his voice at the end of every sentence (Mr. Taylor, who narrated 'Hue and Cry', is an outstanding narrator and perhaps his voice reading this book might have helped.