Light in the Ruins
January Book Selection–Book discussion on Monday, January 20, 2014
Set against an exquisitely rendered Italian countryside,
The Light in the Ruins unveils a breathtaking story of moral paradox,
human frailty, and the mysterious ways of the heart.
–http://www.chrisbohjalian.com
By
Chris Bohjalian
About the Book
Chris Bohjalian: The Light in the Ruins
Reviews
The Boston Globe: 'The Light in the Ruins' by Chris Bohjalian
Discussion Questions
ReadingGroupGuide: Discussion Questions
Explore the Art Mentioned in the Book
Dante Meets Beatrice at the Ponte Sainte Trinita by Henry Holiday
Bohjalian, Chris (2013-07-09). The Light in the Ruins (Vintage Contemporaries) (pp. 69-70).
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Sacrifice of Isaac by Caravaggio
Bohjalian, Chris (2013-07-09). The Light in the Ruins (Vintage Contemporaries) (p. 93).
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
The Kiss by Francesco Hayez
Bohjalian, Chris (2013-07-09). The Light in the Ruins (Vintage Contemporaries) (pp. 135-136).
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Source: St. Mary's Press
"Actually talked about the Statue of Liberty, which, like many Tuscans, he considered
to have been inspired by Pio Fedi’s memorial for Giovanni Battista Niccolini in Santa Croce.
Thought Fedi should have gotten more credit."
Bohjalian, Chris. Light in the Ruins. 1st. Ed. Doubleday, 2013. 121. eBook.
The Chimera of Arezzo, Bronze Etruscan Art found in Arezzo,
one of the 12 most important Etruscan cities
The Chimera of Arezzo (Getty Villa Exhibitions)
“At night, when no one’s there, the dancers and the musicians on the walls come to life and there’s a glamorous ball.
Sometimes their lights are so bright I can see the glow from my bedroom.”
Bohjalian, Chris (2013-07-09). The Light in the Ruins (Vintage Contemporaries) (p. 29). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Related History & Information
Inside Tuscany: Civitella's Day of Infamy
"I remember hearing about that massacre in the autumn. When they started telling me what I had missed. The massacre wasn't all that far from Mone Volta and Trequanda."
Bohjalian, Chris. Light in the Ruins. 1st. Ed. Doubleday, 2013. 147. eBook.
Fresco of an Etruscan musician with abarbiton,
Tomb of the Triclinium, Tarquinia
"...Heydenreich had undermined his superiors wherever possible and prevented the worst of the pillaging, even protecting Bernard Berenson's collectioin inthe Villa I Tatti from Herman Goring."
Bohjalian, Chris. Light in the Ruins. 1st. Ed. Doubleday, 2013. 154. eBook.
"The new Badoglio government initially pledged its loyalty to Berlin but by early September had surrendered to the Allies. Within days the Germans had occupied Rome, rescued Mussolini from the ski resort in the Apennine Mountains where he was being held prisoner, and reestablished a puppet Fascist government with Il Duce as the figure head."
Bohjalian, Chris. Light in the Ruins. 1st. Ed. Doubleday, 2013. 158. eBook.
"The last hill was the steep climb to Castelmuzio...From the summit on the far side of Castelmuzio, he would be able to see his beloved Villa Chimera and the cedars that marked the entrance and dotted the hillsides."
Bohjalian, Chris. Light in the Ruins. 1st. Ed. Doubleday, 2013. 221. eBook.
Other Novels about World War II in Tuscany
Restoration by Olaf Olafsson
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
A 30 Second Introduction