Il Milione

ماركو پولو، فرزند هفده ساله ى نيكولو پولو، تاجرى ونيزى است كه بيشتر به قصد سياحى (و بعداً به منظور سفارت) پايش به چين باز مى شود و با حيرت شاهد دربار پر هييت خان مغول "قوبيلاى قاآن" مى گردد. خان مغول، همچون كودكى هشتاد ساله كه حوصله اش سر رفته و پيوسته به دنبال چيزهاى جديد است، از اين مسافران غريب ش Leggi tutto

I find it interesting how Marco Polo's description of the Middle East of more than 700 years ago is pretty much a reflection of the way it is today. That is to say, in thrall to the same old tribal passions. Sad, that. The text is perhaps most remarkable for its narrator's incuriousness. We know the Leggi tutto

ChronologyIntroduction & NotesFurther ReadingA Note on the TextMaps --The Travels List of AbbreviationsAppendixNotesIndex

I loved it. He was lying most of the time about India, however... I mean, it's hot here in the tropics, but boiling eggs in the river? And dog-headed people?? But they were such colourful and entertaining lies. 😊

Che viaggio! Più di un mese di lettura... del resto Marco Polo ci ha messo poco meno di vent'anni, quindi tutto sommato è andata bene... A Marco Polo, grandissimo personaggio, viaggiatore straordinario, autore di una delle opere più importanti della storia, voto 5 su 5, e anche più! Al Milione, o Lib Leggi tutto

Marco Polo, fue uno de los personajes que más admiración despertaban en mí cuando era niño (recuerdo cierto programa de televisión en forma de dibujos animados que relataba sus aventuras, el nombre se me ha ido), quizá la leyenda más que el personaje histórico en sí mismo. Muchas veces había oído ha Leggi tutto

Fin XIII siècle, Venise est cité état à l’influence immense, qui s’étend jusqu’à la mer noire en passant par Constantinople. Ses comptoirs commerciaux et sa supériorité navale lui permettent de faire le monopole sur le commerce avec le monde musulman, à travers lequel l’Europe se fournit par toutes Leggi tutto

While this book can be fascinating and highly amusing, it is also extremely repetitive, fictitious, and at times, downright boring. I'm glad I read it, but I wish I had read a different translation. According to the translator of this edition, other people cut out the repetitive parts and the narrat Leggi tutto

What a bunch of superstitious people those Idolaters and Saracens are. They are always appealing to their astrologers and magicians when faced with issues to resolve. They’re nothing like nor as worthy as the ‘blind Shoemaker’ who poked out his own eye in order not to lust within his heart at a woma Leggi tutto

It took me forever to finish this. A massive book of facts without flesh. It was like reading a phonebook -- dry, repetitive, lacking depth and in need of a good editor. And every so often, you'd come across odd statements like this: "But, now that we have embarked on this topic, we have had second t Leggi tutto