Tow #16- IRB/ "The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, and the World's Greatest Piece of Cheese"/ Paterniti

To some, the greatest nonfiction pieces are the ones that don't seem like nonfiction reports, but like other genres. Nonfiction's negative connotation makes it unappealing to some, and any time it can be made more fictional, the better. Michael Paterniti' memoir The Telling Room is one of these books that becomes more fictional, though in reality, it's nonfiction.

Paterniti does this throughout the book, but especially later on, through the use of footnotes. From the start, the footnotes offer historical background, the author's opinions, and any other information that doesn't need to be included in the actual text of the memoir. But as the story of Paterniti and the cheese unfolds further, the footnotes become the more nonfiction aspect of the book, and the official text more a retelling of the cheese-maker, Ambrosio's, story. Paterniti's writing also becomes very descriptive as he begins to share Ambrosio's tale. Previously in the book, the Paterniti uses descriptions to characterize himself and other people in the memoir; later, he uses it to explain his characterization and development of the setting, as if he left parts out and is making the story clearer. It has an interesting effect, and makes for a definite transition in the story between dialogue and Paterniti's thoughts.

Over all, the book has a somewhat dramatic, whimsical feel, as if the author simply wants to entertain his readers. However, there are also moments when he shares what he has learned, maybe with the hope he can convey this knowledge to others and make his writing mean something. It makes an otherwise fun and "non-serious" memoir become more professional and is a credit to Paterniti as a writer because of how it creates a tone of importance. Maybe the readers are meant to feel like they've done something both enjoyable and thought-provoking with their time by reading this book. Whatever the reason, The Telling Room is more than just a nonfiction book- it is the story of part of someone's life, and makes its readers feel connected to the story. While it talks about an experience, it is an experience in an of itself.