Carlo Ginzburg's The Cheese And The Worms

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The Cheese and the Worms The Cheese and the Worms is a book based upon the documentation of an Inquisitional case and execution. It attempts to display the life of an unique miller during the counter reformation. The author, Carlo Ginzburg, is an italian history writer who was written many dissertations and books based upon ancient religion and history. This book’s entire substance is based upon records of an investigation case upon a man named Domenico Scandella, his confessions, and the books he mentioned. The point of this book is to show that you didn’t have to be of noble birth, or in the church to be educated, and to show a glimpse of the lower class during the counter-reformation period. The novel itself is about a miller in the …show more content…

For example, if you get a book title you’ll probably get it’s latin name as well. If Menocchio quotes something, you won’t only get the quote and why it was controversial, but you’ll also get an excerpt from the source of the quote. Sometimes this adds to the main point but more often it distracts and draws attention from what the author is saying. The author has a tendency to ramble about subjects and at times it can make readers unsure of if this story is focused on Menocchio or the world he lived in. Many readers may prefer only to learn about the people and the world during this time, or only about Menocchio and his interesting ideas, but when the author tries to combine to two; well it can get confusing. All together the Cheese and the Worms is a brilliant book about an utterly unique man that, if not for his tragic investigation and death, we would’ve never known about him. The author told us about the world and the man Menocchio in it, why he is so important to understanding this time, and also just about the unique man himself. The notes, the sections, and the vocabulary all come together to make a fantastic investigation into life during the Reformation

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