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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
This title has been on my book shelf for YEARS and one of my New Year's Resolutions is to read all the books on the first shelf of the book case in my living room...so here we go!
I picked this book up at a yard sale a couple of years ago and then, upon noticing the "Translated from Italian" bit, put it on the shelf and never thought of it again. I don't know why, but I have this inane aversion to translated things, often picturing them as old and dry and lacking any flourish. How wrong I was! I loved this book -- I loved the imagery and depth of the characters (ah, flourish!), the realistic portrayal of Michele's feelings and behaviors as a nine-year-old harnessed with an unimaginable burden. From the first page to the unexpected ending, this novel kept my attention and persuaded me to view translated literature in a more respectable light. Now to check out the movie...
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Kidnapping
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying
Wasted on me. Written from the p.o.v. of a child is far for my favourite because of the usual clichés: no one listens to the kid, the kid reckons it'll manage on its own. Two out of two here.
The subject is far from mainstream but the writing is utterly unremarquable, bland even. In my own language I can blame the translator, here I cannot judge.
The subject is far from mainstream but the writing is utterly unremarquable, bland even. In my own language I can blame the translator, here I cannot judge.
Confesso di non aver mai visto il film, non so se avrebbe influenzato il mio punto di vista. Mi è piaciuto? Sì. Quanto? Non so esattamente. L'espediente di narrare la storia dal punto di vista di un bambino non è nuova, è una sfida (sempre) e devo dire che Ammaniti qui riesce abbastanza bene nel bilanciare un punto di vista che, ormai, è lontano ai lettori più adulti con la credibilità (il fatto principale raccontato da Michele è una cosa tragica, criminale e forse il punto di vista innocente di Michele lo attenua un po'?). Il finale è un po' aperto, perciò potrebbe non essere gradito a molti - in genere, a me non danno troppo fastidio, ma qui è sembrato proprio come un "arrivo qui nella storia e pianto il paletto" (rivisitazione di un detto del sud Italia). Un buon libro, una buona lettura.
Terrific Coming-of-Age
Review of the Canongate paperback (2016) translation of the Italian original [b:Io non ho paura|151633|Io non ho paura|Niccolò Ammaniti|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345927249l/151633._SY75_.jpg|1185887] (2001)
Karan and I first saw the film version of this book back in TIFF 2003, and as luck would have it Karan found the book version recently as well. The film was very striking at the time and left a strong after-affect. The book is just as well done.
Review of the Canongate paperback (2016) translation of the Italian original [b:Io non ho paura|151633|Io non ho paura|Niccolò Ammaniti|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345927249l/151633._SY75_.jpg|1185887] (2001)
Karan and I first saw the film version of this book back in TIFF 2003, and as luck would have it Karan found the book version recently as well. The film was very striking at the time and left a strong after-affect. The book is just as well done.
Completely captivating and devastating. I wish we learned more about the mystery boy and how he connected them all together. A bit of a cliffhanger ending...