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Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through The Historical Underbelly Of Europe (2014)

by Tony Perrottet(Favorite Author)

3.42 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1299150241 (ISBN13: 9781299150249)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Broadway Books

review 1: There's something so gently hilarious about taking one's family on a tour of Europe looking for naughty places. And he's my kind of parent: he has his own interests, he doesn't worry too much about what he's "exposing" his kids to (and therefore they take everything in stride and will hopefully grow up with an actual appreciation of the variety of tourism), and he knows they're mostly little urchin monsters rather than precious blessings. Except for the part where they're always annoying other patrons. He could have a better handle on that.The combination of travelogue and history writing is great. It's academically honest and has many good moments of the surge of joy from the archives--when you find something you knew existed and weren't sure you could find. When you... more find something you never even knew existed but is so, so perfect. And the whole process wherein you have to be polite, persistent, and extremely well-prepared to win people over. And then when you do, the real work begins.I really rooted for this guy to get into the places on his list. Marquis de Sade's chateau now privately owned by Pierre Cardin? No problem! Erotic art in the Pope's bathroom IN VATICAN CITY? Awesome. I find his premise interesting, that even if places have changed or moved on that there's something worthwhile in visiting the site of former "great" events--that you can feel something still there. It makes a certain kind of sense, and the idea of a layered history in any city--literally layered, one on top of the next, or one behind the next--is true and worth exploring as a tourist.I enjoyed the travel part of this book because he had such a positive attitude about those bumps in the road that inevitably happen on a trip--the hotel is bad or not what you expected, there are too many people, you don't get to do everything you wanted or it's not what you expected when you do. He seemed to have a very good approach to all of that (having 3 months instead of 2 rigidly structured weeks would help, too). And then when you get home, you remember the awesome details and the discomfort sort of fades away or becomes funny or a little anecdote that sweetens the story. Better to duck into a cafe and have some nibbly bits and a drink rather than trudging around and feeling miserable. Make the best of it. You can sleep when you're dead.
review 2: Pay no mind to my stars -- I never set a standard 1-5 rating, haha.This book was a fun little travel romp. It was less about the actual erotic history and more about his adventures in trying to find things. He talked a lot about his family, about travelling, about their lodgings, etc. while interspersing it with seedy anecdotes about old perverts. It was fun. I wouldn't recommend it to people who wanted the actual history of these events, but it was a fun travel memoir with enough interesting tidbits to get you started on more books about the subject (i.e. he goes to Paris and talks a bit about the belle epoque so if that peaks your interest you can find more detailed books about that era in the back index).Good for summer and/or if you are planning a European vacation! less

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