You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
i was really craving a story set in italy, specifically during summer and this novel gave me exactly that so i am happy! the way the author describes nature, rome and the characters' actions is just wonderful, it was really immersive. the only thing i was struggling with was that this is so clearly written by a man during the 60s, the male main characters are all losers (in a bad way) and the female characters couldn't have been written by anyone but a man but in the end i still enjoyed reading about leo and arianna's adventures.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. I’ve never explored Italian literature until now, so that alone drew me to the book (which, oddly enough, I found in an airport bookstore in Albania). The characters reminded me of Italian versions of those from The Great Gatsby, but the writing was so different - alternating between the poetic, the ironic, and the almost-unintentionally comedic. This is a treasure - thank you to all the publishers and translators who repeatedly rescued it from obscurity over the years.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I understand how many compare this to “Catcher in the Rye” and compare the author to Truman Capote. I see some comparisons to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” too. The writing of this book captivated me. I wanted to underline so many sentences and the powerful truth behind them was easy to connect with. This book took me back to my time in Rome. I know people like this and it feels very European to us, Americans. And while I don’t find the characters lovable and don’t understand how people can live their lives in this way, I enjoyed this. It’s a quick read with an honest tone filled with flawed characters.