I pondered for a long time what sense there would be in writing about this novel, because so much has been written, commented on, and discussed. Then I recognized the importance this author has had for me over time, and how much I’ve fallen back in love with his writing, with his magnificent ability to address all aspects of humanity, and then I decided that, at least for me, it will always make sense to...
“FRIDAY RE-VERSO” “You don’t notice love, because it begins when it has already begun..“ If we had read this book at 17, we would have done so with anger and a yearning for revolution; today we read it with melancholy, but beneath the ashes, the revolution still blazes. What has De André always done if not tell us small stories, with little explanation, that prod dormant senses, like that of justice, of humility? Most...
I liked the idea of starting the story of Lucy by the Sea with a rather bizarre image: ping-pong balls crashing into each other. In one passage of the novel, the protagonist recalls a film she saw at school as a girl, focusing in particular on the opening scene: many ping-pong balls bouncing against a blue background, colliding with each other, then separating and returning to their original positions, until they reach a moment of...
Written by Ernesto Florio This review is available only in the original language _______________________________ Lettura impegnativa, ma addolcita, come sempre, dalla magia coinvolgente di Murakami. Anche questa volta gli ingredienti del realismo magico orientale ci sono tutti: personaggi strani che compiono azioni inspiegabili, avvenimenti curiosi e privi di una qualsiasi spiegazione logica, i velati riferimenti alla società giapponese, i gatti e la musica jazz, l’amore adolescenziale, la nostalgia e il destino come motori essenziali dell’esistenza...
On the occasion of Starnone’s new book, now available in all bookstores, I thought it appropriate to recall the novel of hers that has moved me most in recent years: Laces. A book that for me was much more than a simple reading experience: rather, I found myself walking through the four desolate walls of a family that I immediately felt inhabited the same room as me, and emerging a little unsteady, angry and at...
“Only the victors have a destiny. The irrelevant do not, they are deprived of it. They are not recognized.” A challenging read; to be honest, some complex concepts deserve a second period of reflection, which we intend to dedicate to in the future, to catch our breath from the depths of certain concepts. Philosophy, history, theology, and sociology intermingle in the author’s torrent of words, memories, and reasoning. This is not surprising, considering that the...
This book was given to me with a simple dedication: “To those who melted the snow.” Since then, it has become one of those books that you never really leave — that live silently in your heart. And I assure you that it will also melt the snow that perhaps you didn’t know you were carrying around with you. The amazing journey you will immerse yourself in, in fact, will not only be within the...
“FRIDAY RE-VERSO” “And what could not be explained, not even by a fervent imagination, disturbed the necessary order.” This is not a book, but a meeting. First of all, the meeting of the author, Francesca Valente, with her friend and psychiatrist Luciano Sorrentino. Then it is the meeting with a topic, that of mental health, which always creates some problems for public attention: we act a bit like with the mad, we say “yes, yes, it’s...
“The rust of nostalgia scratched between the teeth like sand.” Interesting, and we didn’t expect it. The story surprised us, capable of lighting up and staying alive; a burning soul in the deep waters of the Mediterranean. The story opens with little Farid, a Libyan child who has never seen the sea, and daydreams about the world, as only children can do. The tranquility of everyday life and games is interrupted by the outbreak of...
“FRIDAY RE-VERSO” “…where your body announced […] its presence there, at the mercy of your laborious apprenticeship to the work of the world.” On October 15, 2024, Antonio Skármeta died. Many have seen “Il postino” starring Troisi, not as many have read that masterpiece of humanity and literature that is “Ardente paciencia”, translated into Italian as “Il postino di Neruda”. A few days before Skàrmeta’s death, excited by a chat about that title, we decided...
