You heard me. I’m not scared ….. just slightly terrified! I have allowed myself to be persuaded to host a live author Q&A session on the fabulous World Literature Forum on January 14 2009 at 20:00 GMT! And that despite never having a read a word by Signor Ammaniti. Serves me right for posting an enthusiatic something on the lines of “A recommendation from Michael Dibdin is a must read for me!”.
“I’m not scared”, the first Ammaniti novel to be translated into English, won the Viareggio Award in 2001. There’s no blurb from Dibdin on the cover of this one, but, if you’re going to start something, best start at the beginning ….
… i.e the front cover, which reflects the scorching heat of a southern Italian summer. The bicycle adds the impression of carefree days spent exploring. And that ‘s true for the protagonist, Michele Amitrano,who is passing his summer holidays wandering the fields and farms and hills of his neighbourhood, spending time with his school friends. It’s not entirely carefree, though. There is rivalry and bullying, the ever-shifting allegiances of childhood, and the need to look out for the pesky younger sister. But time passes tolerably enough until one day, while exploring an abandoned house, Michele stumbles on the scene of a crime that seismically shifts his world.
Gradually an understanding emerges of what he has found and, with it, the undeniable involvement of most of the adult population in his 5-house community – including his parents. How is a child to cope with the resulting conflict between love for his parents and doing what is right? How can he reconcile his loving parents (which they undoubtedly they are) with the ruthlessness of their criminal activity?
At times the situation seems surreal and I did wonder whether the story was simply a dark fantasy. The contrast between the simple language of a child and the complexity of the situation lends a parable-like aura to the narrative. Yet the tale is real enough with the denouement capitalising in a highly-emotive and octane-fuelled way on the tensions between parent and child that have simmered throughout most of the novel.
Michele may not have been scared, but my heart was hammering 14 to the dozen.
There is also a beautiful movie by Gabriele Salvatores that has the same name of the novel. I strongly adivse you to watch it, even though now the ending is spoilt for you.
This is usually considered a Young Adult Novel in Italy, wuite terrifying, isn’t it?
Hello!
Very Interesting post! Thank you for such interesting resource!
PS: Sorry for my bad english, I’v just started to learn this language 😉
See you!
Your, Raiul Baztepo
Hi !! 😉
I am Piter Kokoniz. oOnly want to tell, that your blog is really cool
And want to ask you: is this blog your hobby?
Sorry for my bad english:)
Thank you!
Your Piter Kokoniz, from Latvia
Welcome, Piter. Thanks for the compliment.
Yes, that’s exactly what this blog is, a hobby. It started out as a notebook – one that I could not lose but admittedly, the blog and Lizzy are beginning to take on a life of their own. I’m enjoying the journey as much as anyone!
And no apologies needed …. you speak better English than I do Latvian. How do you say “Happy Reading”?