A review by farbooksventure
Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous

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”.