Admirers of the British writer Tim Parks might find his latest nonfiction book, “The Hero’s Way” (Norton, 384 pages, $27.95) a surprise. For 40-odd years he has written about his adopted country, Italy, almost always from the point of view of the stranger who has chosen to live there but who continues to notice the things they do differently.

His latest novel (last year’s “Italian Life”) uses Italian words as chapter titles, making the point that certain words express concepts that can be understood only by long immersion in Italian culture. The viewpoint is understanding, affectionate even—but one senses an ironic and occasionally caustic detachment.