Where else can one learn about the tremendous impact two children's novels - Pinocchio and Cuore (which had 40 print runs in the first year it was published) - had on the Italian language as well as the country's cultural unity, or about the controversial Padre Pio, who was canonized in 2002.
The book serves Hungarian readers well, often offering familiar cultural comparisons. The work of Manzoni is likened to that of the Hungarian writer Géza Gárdonyi, and Cuore is placed side by side with The Paul Street Boys, a popular Hungarian children's novel that also happens to be well known in Italy.
Also included in the "dictionary" are entries on what not to call the WC in Italy, the meaning of certain gestures, popes and pop stars.
Author: Tamás Tarján
