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karinlib's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this snarky novel on Moldovan life. Moldova is considered the poorest nation in Europe, and reportedly one of the unhappiest countries in the world.
A rumor is started in Larga (a small village in Moldova) that Italy is paradise on earth, and that anyone can make a fortune even working as a maid in a hotel. Since Italy refuses to give Moldovans visas to enter the country, Moldovans are forced to enter Italy illegally. Politicians, priests and everyday people are trying to find a way out of Moldova.
A lot of fun to read, but also very sad.
A rumor is started in Larga (a small village in Moldova) that Italy is paradise on earth, and that anyone can make a fortune even working as a maid in a hotel. Since Italy refuses to give Moldovans visas to enter the country, Moldovans are forced to enter Italy illegally. Politicians, priests and everyday people are trying to find a way out of Moldova.
A lot of fun to read, but also very sad.
zhelana's review
challenging
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a funny look at the EU and the exclusion of Moldova as a European country. All of the citizens of this one little town want to go to Italy where they think they can get jobs as illegal immigrants. Then they start doing all sorts of ridiculous things to get there from creating a submarine out of scrap metal to declaring a crusade against Italy and trying to March across Europe. Although it was written by a Moldovan author, the book really pointed out all the problems of including a country that is still socialist in the EU - no one would stay there and they'd flood into other European countries. The book was funny but not hilarious. But it just had so many little sub plots of different people trying to make it to Italy in so many different ways that it was a little hard to keep track of. There was even a chapter that was the visa department at the Italian embassy saying that they automatically disallow anyone from Moldova because they assume that they won't leave. I lost track of some of the characters from the beginning of the book and have no idea if we saw them again. Despite only being 200 pages long, this book took me 3 months to read because the chapters were so short and disconnected. Anyway, I enjoyed this book but it's definitely not one of the best books of the year.
mamahest's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-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
3.25
hanntastic's review against another edition
4.0
Global Read Challenge 114: Moldova
An absurdist and satirical look at villagers in Moldova who dream of going to Italy. Though there are protagonists, the story is more about the town of Larga and the mishaps of its inhabitants. It kind of reads like sarcastic folktales. The closest thing I can think to compare it to is stories about the town of Chelm. The blurb is right in that the book is both very funny and very sad.
An absurdist and satirical look at villagers in Moldova who dream of going to Italy. Though there are protagonists, the story is more about the town of Larga and the mishaps of its inhabitants. It kind of reads like sarcastic folktales. The closest thing I can think to compare it to is stories about the town of Chelm. The blurb is right in that the book is both very funny and very sad.
thishannah's review against another edition
I enjoyed this book a lot, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been proofread more carefully. There were a lot of careless errors that distracted me from the story, which is a shame, because it was a fun read otherwise.
absolutazevedo's review against another edition
Unfortunately not funny or captivating enough
dajna's review against another edition
3.0
Non potevo lasciarmi scappare un romanzo in cui l'Italia è presente come terra promessa. E non sto esagerando: ci sono ben due crociate in direzione Roma!
A quanto pare i moldavi sognano di fuggire in Italia, dove anche un cameriere prende 1000 euro al mese, dove c'è da mangiare e in generale un benessere che in patria possono solo sognarselo.
Ma esiste, l'Italia? Perché chi sembra esserci arrivato non è mai tornato per raccontarlo.
I personaggi sono abbastanza assurdi e... cattivi. O disperati: non hanno particolari dilemmi etici nel rubare, truffare, mentire per cercare di raggiungere il proprio scopo, ma ci sono anche alcuni episodi di amicizia e di rispetto da grande romanzo russo.
Mi aspettavo un finale triste, invece rimane aperto abbastanza da farci sperare.
A quanto pare i moldavi sognano di fuggire in Italia, dove anche un cameriere prende 1000 euro al mese, dove c'è da mangiare e in generale un benessere che in patria possono solo sognarselo.
Ma esiste, l'Italia? Perché chi sembra esserci arrivato non è mai tornato per raccontarlo.
I personaggi sono abbastanza assurdi e... cattivi. O disperati: non hanno particolari dilemmi etici nel rubare, truffare, mentire per cercare di raggiungere il proprio scopo, ma ci sono anche alcuni episodi di amicizia e di rispetto da grande romanzo russo.
Mi aspettavo un finale triste, invece rimane aperto abbastanza da farci sperare.
bergenslabben's review against another edition
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75