First published in France in 1954, Jean Giono's tale describes his journey to the land whence his father's people came. A most reluctant traveler, Giono nonetheless discovers a strange beauty not only in such traditional sights as the palazzos and canals of Venice but in people and objects usually ignored or forgotten: wistful waiters, suspicious hair dressers, pugnacious men of God, recalcitrant coffee machines, telescopic umbrellas, and abandoned field machinery. Giono's world is one where a street gathering that seems to verge on revolution is in reality a stamp collector's market, and where inept municipal musicians can suddenly offer Mozartian joys.An Italian Journey is also a meditation on the author's development and a manual on how to achieve happiness. Giono is conscious of Italy's obvious beauties -- the fine monuments, the lyrical landscapes -- but his gift is apprehending the joys squeezed from the dark side of life -- from dull skies, grim facades, muddy fields, and the tedium of the autostrada. Laden with anecdote and history as well as the author's exploration of self, An Italian Journey is a masterpiece of travel literature.