Armchair Escapism 26

BOOKS

Paris France, Gertrude Stein

Gertrude Stein was an American living in Paris during the 1920s. She was a prolific writer and art collector, friends with Picasso, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and Matisse to name a few. In this short book, Stein provides an account of her life in the French capital, offering musings of daily life, its connection with history, the city’s unique charms, and what its like living as an American expat in Europe. It reads like a stream consciousness as though we are sitting in a room with Stein as she recounts her witty and profound observations.

Ruins, Amy Taylor

A young couple decided to spend their summer in Athens to escape their monotonous grind and wrench themselves out of their rut. Emma and Julian seem to be on different paths and they rely on their Greek getaway to intertwine their futures once more. One day, they meet Lena, a beautiful young Grecian woman who offers Emma and Julian the chance to explore a new relationship dimension. What begins as an exciting new chapter soon turns into a joint rivalry for control and power. Set against the backdrop of a sweltering summer with the Acropolis looming over the characters, this is a riveting exploration of desire, intimacy and playing with fire.

The Daughter of Siena, Marina Fiorato

In the early 18th century, the Palio horse race in Siena (which still takes place today, every year) is about to commence. The city’s various districts compete against one another for the first prize; rivalries are serious, heated, and even fatal. A young Tuscan girl, Pia Tolomei is in love with a rider from another district whose forbidden feelings have the power of crumbling the shaky foundations of the city’s fabric.

FILMS

Les choses de la vie

In Les choses de la vie (The things of life) Romy Schneider - the iconic German actress who dazzles us in the cult film, La Piscine - plays the passionate mistress of Pierre, a French architect who suffers a violent car crash while driving at a rural intersection. As he lies on the grass in a semi-conscious haze, he reflects back on his life and his complex romantic life torn between his mistress and his loyal wife. 

Boy on a Dolphin

Can there be a better combination than a beautiful Italian actress diving, dancing and dashing through beautiful Greek coastlines? Sophia Loren takes to the screen as Phaedra, a poor Grecian sponge diver who by chance discovers a famous ancient sculpture at the bottom of the sea. To twist her fate, she decides to sell it to the highest bidder who happen to be two Americans; one with honest intentions and the other who wishes to enjoy it for himself. Then men use all their charms and wiles to gain Phaedra’s sole attention but developing feelings muddy the waters. While the film’s plot is loose, the visuals of Loren in the 1950s on the scorching island of Hydra in the height of summer is a sight to behold.

My summer with Irène

Clara and Irene are on the cusp of adulthood in the late 90s but both feel they have missed out on those vital coming of age moments because of years of serious illness. When they meet at a summer camp organised by their hospital, they become instant friends. That summer, they decide to flee south to a remote Sicilian island to break free of their thus far sheltered lives. With their newfound freedom, deep conversations about the future and days exploring the coastal beauty of their island, Clara and Irene become more than just women.