Scan barcode
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
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
3.0
This is an intriguing murder mystery and a social commentary on Rome's diversity and immigrant population.
alisonannk's review
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
ninetalevixen's review
3.0
Maybe 4 stars? I have really mixed feelings about this book.
I can certainly see why we were assigned to read this book as a precursor to academic discussions on tolerance, diversity, inclusion, etc.; and in terms of both themes and prose it's not at all like any book I've read. (This is probably going to be a pretty lengthy review since we'll be graded on participation in the aforementioned discussions, so I want to thoroughly note my initial reactions for future reference.)
So first, the prose: if you read each chapter as a transcript of the POV character's police statement/reaction to the murder, it works pretty well. There are tangents and clear bias and colloquialisms that differ with their varying cultural backgrounds, and while it's not exactly technically precise (lots of comma splices) it flows as good conversation should. There's also a lot of "I'm not a racist, but" sentiments that turn most of the characters into caricatures — fitting in a satire, but a little disappointing to a reader like myself who likes character-driven narratives. Lots of misinformation and, yes, everyday racism contribute to the conflict.
The murder mystery aspect is, in my honest opinion, totally minor; the story reads as more "slice of life" with the plot as a backdrop rather than a driving force. Only in hindsight does it strike me that we're supposed to see all the inhabitants of Piazza Vittorio as suspects; I was a little caught up in their very loud opinions of each other (particularly Amedeo) and of immigrants in general.
I'm going to try not to focus so much on the characters' personality so much as beliefs, because I have a feeling that's what's important here. So, what I found psychologically (?) fascinating is how you can only really figure out the truth of the situation by comparing multiple accounts, each of them biased in different ways but offering contrasting views that reveal different parts of the puzzle. The internalized prejudices are quite interesting considering so many of these characters are themselves immigrants; on top of that, the north/south "feud" within Italy just makes matters even more complicated. Since their cultures were such important aspects of who they were (you could even call it the defining factor), I personally couldn't relate to any of them, even Amedeo and his fairly openminded propensity for getting along with all his neighbors: a kind smile amidst all the hatred and judgment.
I can certainly see why we were assigned to read this book as a precursor to academic discussions on tolerance, diversity, inclusion, etc.; and in terms of both themes and prose it's not at all like any book I've read. (This is probably going to be a pretty lengthy review since we'll be graded on participation in the aforementioned discussions, so I want to thoroughly note my initial reactions for future reference.)
So first, the prose: if you read each chapter as a transcript of the POV character's police statement/reaction to the murder, it works pretty well. There are tangents and clear bias and colloquialisms that differ with their varying cultural backgrounds, and while it's not exactly technically precise (lots of comma splices) it flows as good conversation should. There's also a lot of "I'm not a racist, but" sentiments that turn most of the characters into caricatures — fitting in a satire, but a little disappointing to a reader like myself who likes character-driven narratives. Lots of misinformation and, yes, everyday racism contribute to the conflict.
The murder mystery aspect is, in my honest opinion, totally minor; the story reads as more "slice of life" with the plot as a backdrop rather than a driving force. Only in hindsight does it strike me that we're supposed to see all the inhabitants of Piazza Vittorio as suspects; I was a little caught up in their very loud opinions of each other (particularly Amedeo) and of immigrants in general.
Spoiler
Plus, it's ultimately resolved very quickly; there wasn't much to indicate that she was the culprit but the motive, compared against all that dogs-are-superior-to-immigrants fanaticism, is certainly established.I'm going to try not to focus so much on the characters' personality so much as beliefs, because I have a feeling that's what's important here. So, what I found psychologically (?) fascinating is how you can only really figure out the truth of the situation by comparing multiple accounts, each of them biased in different ways but offering contrasting views that reveal different parts of the puzzle. The internalized prejudices are quite interesting considering so many of these characters are themselves immigrants; on top of that, the north/south "feud" within Italy just makes matters even more complicated. Since their cultures were such important aspects of who they were (you could even call it the defining factor), I personally couldn't relate to any of them, even Amedeo and his fairly openminded propensity for getting along with all his neighbors: a kind smile amidst all the hatred and judgment.
supersabs's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
calabrag's review
This was the Cornell University new student/community reading selection for this year. I picked one up because there were piles and piles of them at the public library, and I thought I might want to attend one of the discussion events. I still might; this was an interesting read, but its resolution was much less complex and ambiguous than I was expecting.