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stefanie's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic black comedy set in Rome, examining present day thoughts on immigration and other topics from a great and diverse range cast of characters.
ttyeds's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
crernst25's review against another edition
5.0
I really like how this book unfolded and revealed information. Lakhous also did a great job of incorporating a diverse set of characters and each one was really well developed in a way that made all of their characters very 3D and relevant to the story. It’s also the first book I ever read in Italian so I’m really proud that I was able to understand it
isabellekooreman's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
farbooksventure's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I cannot believe this, but I think I already found one of my favorite reads of 2022 this early in the year.
On the surface, Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio is a mystery/police procedural story. One tenant has been murdered, another enigmatic tenant (who's loved by all) suddenly disappeared. Sounds like a cut and dry murder case, right? Of course, it isn't. Not only told through a series of witness accounts from various characters around Piazza Vittorio, but in between the accounts, we will also get a glimpse of the missing tenant (named Amedeo) personal diary. What follows is a hilarious satire about how wildly different and biased everyone sees the world & everything around them.
At the heart of it, Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio is a story about identity, prejudice, and immigration. It is also a story about racism, xenophobia, and having a place you called home.
’Amedeo, you were suckled by the wolf!’ By now I know Rome as if I had been born here & never left. I have the right to wonder: am I a bastard like the twins Romulus and Remus or an adopted son?
The racist/xenophobic believe of some characters dial up to 100 in this satire to the point of over-the-top sometimes, but I think it gets the point across.
I would recommend this super short & fast book if you’re looking for a hilarious satire that pokes fun at human fear of “the other”.
obione_tdg's review against another edition
3.0
Titolo sicuramente d'effetto, personaggi realistici, ambientazione che corrisponde alla realta' odierna, elementi purtroppo veri e sempre difficili da accettare. Ottime aspettative per trovare poi una trama molto scontata, paradossalmente di contorno a tutti gli altri elementi: nei tre elementi precedenti, punto di forza del romanzo, gia' si legge come la vicenda deve evolvere ed andare a finire. Romanzo si' abbastanza buono per instaurare una riflessione, magari per chi e' meno al corrente di queste situazioni, ma sostanzialmente mancato.
lauraschl's review against another edition
3.0
This is an intriguing murder mystery and a social commentary on Rome's diversity and immigrant population.
alisonannk's review against another edition
5.0
This short but engaging tale centres around the life and interactions of a character named amadeo.
The book offers a variety of narratives which provide different perspectives and opinions, from neighbours and friends about Amadeo. As you read the book, the tale becomes more complex and forms a sort of mystery - with the neighbours and friends acting as character witnesses for Amadeo. However, all is not what it seems and I found it had interesting messages about discourses surrounding immigration and people from backgrounds different to our own. Many of the characters had prejudices about other characters and made assumptions when we knew the 'truth' from a previous narrator.
Would highly recommend as it is also rather humourous too.
The book offers a variety of narratives which provide different perspectives and opinions, from neighbours and friends about Amadeo. As you read the book, the tale becomes more complex and forms a sort of mystery - with the neighbours and friends acting as character witnesses for Amadeo. However, all is not what it seems and I found it had interesting messages about discourses surrounding immigration and people from backgrounds different to our own. Many of the characters had prejudices about other characters and made assumptions when we knew the 'truth' from a previous narrator.
Would highly recommend as it is also rather humourous too.
lepasseportlitteraire's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
🌟 I read this *amazing* book for my first ever book club, the #translatedgemsbookclub by @translatedgems
🌟 The writing of Amara Lakhous is witty, and WILL make you laugh out loud, literally!
🌟 The story takes place in a building in Rome, where various tenants give their opinion about the suspect of a murder case that took place in the elevator of the building, and while doing so they will also give their unfiltered opinions about immigrants in Italy, Italian decadent economics, mafia, Italian society and most of all how they were surprised to learn that Amedeo (the suspect) is actually an immigrant himself: it is impossible, because you see he speaks such good Italian (🙄)
🌟 As an Italian myself I cannot stress enough how the author of this book is spot on on what I personally see as the main disease of this country: the Italian habit of always blaming “the other”, whether it is the immigrants, or some immigrants rather than other, the Italians from the South, the Italians from the North...
🌟 It also perfectly captures how deeply Italian society is divided and how intolerance and racism runs in this country, division between Italians depending on which region you are from, but also division between good and bad immigrants, depending on how well they “integrated”
🌟 The writing of Amara Lakhous is witty, and WILL make you laugh out loud, literally!
🌟 The story takes place in a building in Rome, where various tenants give their opinion about the suspect of a murder case that took place in the elevator of the building, and while doing so they will also give their unfiltered opinions about immigrants in Italy, Italian decadent economics, mafia, Italian society and most of all how they were surprised to learn that Amedeo (the suspect) is actually an immigrant himself: it is impossible, because you see he speaks such good Italian (🙄)
🌟 As an Italian myself I cannot stress enough how the author of this book is spot on on what I personally see as the main disease of this country: the Italian habit of always blaming “the other”, whether it is the immigrants, or some immigrants rather than other, the Italians from the South, the Italians from the North...
🌟 It also perfectly captures how deeply Italian society is divided and how intolerance and racism runs in this country, division between Italians depending on which region you are from, but also division between good and bad immigrants, depending on how well they “integrated”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism