Visit Italy by Book This Summer With Author Susan L. Schwartz ’88
Schwartz, Princeton’s first Italian major, just published A Guide to Drinking in Venice
As Princeton’s first Italian major, Susan L. Schwartz ’88 believes it was destiny for her first book to be dedicated to Italy. Upon sharing the news, her professor, Pietro Frassica, recalled the day she came into his office and triumphantly declared, “I would like to write my senior thesis on Venice.”
Thanks to his support and friendship and that of professor Gaetana Marrone-Puglia, Schwartz has always felt part of una famiglia in Princeton’s Italian department in East Pyne. After Princeton, Schwartz further explored Italian literature at the University of Cambridge. Today she lives in London, working as a drinks and travel journalist and interviewing people in the spirits industry for her Lush Life podcast.
Her latest book is A Guide to Drinking in Venice. Schwartz says Venice reveals much of itself through its bars and cafés, and she set out to explore how the city shaped drinking culture through its coffee, wine, beer, cocktails, and spirits scenes. The book lists the best spots in Venice for those and provides recipes to make them at home.
With summer soon upon us, PAW asked Schwartz to choose three books for readers who start thinking about la dolce vita when the weather turns warm. She suggested these.
By Donna Leon
Perfect for the summer are the novels of Donna Leon, especially her Venetian Commissario Brunetti series. Sadly, most tourists view Venice as a Disney-esque, decaying city to visit for two days and then off to the next place. Leon introduces us to a living and breathing Venice filled with excitement, gossip, intrigue, and, in this case, murder! She reveals the rhythms of everyday Venetian life, from crowded vaporetto rides to long lunches overlooking the lagoon at some of Venice’s local restaurants. Take notes for your next trip.
The Leopard (Il Gattopardo)
By Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
You may not have heard of this novel, but its most famous line is instantly recognizable: Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga come è, bisogna che tutto cambi. (If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.) I encountered this wonderful novel while studying Italian literature at Princeton, and it has remained one of my favorites. In both the original Italian and its English translation (I would suggest the classic Archibald Colquhoun translation, but ask Professor Frassica), you can feel Lampedusa writing with such heartfelt beauty and elegance about a time long gone.
Set during the unification of Italy in the late 19th century, it follows the aging Sicilian Prince Don Fabrizio resisting his world which is slowly disappearing. Few novels capture Italy at this time so eloquently. The 2025 Netflix series of the same title is a gorgeous and fun watch (although not true to the novel), and the 1963 classic film directed by Luchino Visconti starring Burt Lancaster and Claudia Cardinale is a must. (Just ask Professor Marrone-Puglia!)
Harry’s Bar: The Life and Times of the Legendary Venice Landmark
By Arrigo Cipriani
With equal parts memoir, gossip, and lesson in what makes an institution, Arrigo Cipriani mixes the perfect cocktail of a delicious summer read. No bar embodies Venice more than Harry’s Bar. The son of its famous founder, Giuseppe Cipriani, Arrigo writes about the origins of the legendary hotspot with a wink and a nod to how his father created one of the most celebrated gathering places in the world. Artists, writers, aristocrats, movie stars, and tourists alike have all sipped its famous Bellini, many of them Princeton grads, I am sure, but probably the most famous being F. Scott Fitzgerald 1917.
For those seeking a career in hospitality, let this book show how the perfect setting, the perfect cocktail, and always remembering a guest’s name and favorite table can transform an establishment into an icon.
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