Let the Games Begin (Audible Audio Edition) Rupert Degas Niccolò Ammaniti Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Books
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It's the night of the most decadent party of the century. A rags-to-riches real estate magnate has planned an over-the-top weekend safari for the who's-who of celebrities at his sprawling residence in Villa Ada - once a public park, now the largest private home in Rome. Starlets, politicians, soccer stars, and intellectuals all turn up to rub elbows. Among them is a neurotically charming author struggling to write his next literary tome and pining for renewed recognition.
In an unexpected turn of events, he crosses paths with The Wilde Beasts of Abaddon, a satanic sect planning to ruin the evening's festivities in order to go down in history as a world-famous cult. What was intended as the most spectacular fête of the year quickly descends into apocalyptic chaos. In this satirical tragicomedy, Niccolò Ammaniti, winner of the prestigious Strega Prize, reveals a side of modern culture riddled with superficiality and vulgarity that nourishes our deepest dreams and insecurities.
Let the Games Begin (Audible Audio Edition) Rupert Degas Niccolò Ammaniti Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Books
Ammaniti is at it again, with a social satire that skewers elites of all flavors: political, cultural, culinary, athletic, you name it. For my money, he is the unrivaled master of this game in our time. As with his other books (especially, As God Commands/The Crossroads), class division and hypocrisy are central. His sympathies are clearly with the fallen working classes, notwithstanding any Satanist leanings. Truthfully, in Let the Games Begin, unlike in Ammaniti's other books available in English translation, most of the characters are caricatures, with the exception of the two "protagonists," Ciba and Saverio/Mantos. [For example, who could ever forget Quattro Formaggi in As God Commands?] In alternating chapters, the story follows these two: Ciba, a successful (though never successful enough!) writer and Saverio/Mantos, a wannabe provincial high priest of Satanism whose day job is, miserably, to sell furniture for his father-in-law. Their paths cross when Ciba attends the party-of-the-century thrown for all of Roman celebrity by a real estate baron who has managed to obtain a public park and turn it into a luxury, private Safari-land. Mantos and his cohorts agree to temp for the party's caterer so they can kidnap and sacrifice a former heavy metal diva who has committed the mortal sin of converting to popular music. Don't ask. In fact, forget the whole silly plot. Although amusing, it is largely beside the point. The point is to show us what we have become. Ciba appears to be conflicted, but do his self-awareness and value conflicts redeem him in any way? The climactic scenes take place at this mega-party, set in a (real) Roman park, Villa Ada, that (fictionally) was privatized by corrupt politicians. According to the Acknowledgements (presumably written in 2009), Villa Ada truly is "in a terrible state of decay. One of the last green lungs of a metropolis smothered by smog and stunned by noise is about to die." Well, rest assured, Ammaniti will let nature take a little revenge before it bows out. Bottom line: this book is a fun read, a kind of wild ride, and Ammaniti's finger is still firmly on the pulse of western society (though, in 2009, still pre-crisis?). As he says "See you next time." Yes, he will.Product details
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Let the Games Begin (Audible Audio Edition) Rupert Degas Niccolò Ammaniti Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Books Reviews
I love all this guy's books! They need to translate more European fiction into English. This was a fun read.
Writing humor/satire is difficult. Black humor can be even trickier to make sure that the reader is understanding that it's humor, and dark. The fact that Niccolò Ammaniti is being translated probably isn't helping him at all. But bottom line - I found nothing redeeming in this book at all.
According to the Goodreads description, the book "fuses a riotous dose of anarchic absurdity with a clear-eyed critique of contemporary society caught in a narcissistic spiral of longing and striving." Ummm. If I had read that first I wouldn't have even bothered trying to read the book in the first place.
There's a party in the works, for the biggest names of the biggest name celebrities. It is show-off time and everyone will want to be there in order to prove to everyone else that they are the top celebrities. And it will be a chance for people to show off a bit and to rub elbows with those who are higher up the celebrity scale.
One party-goer, Fabrizio Ciba, is a celebrity writer. He's struggling to write his next book, likely to be a hit just based on his name. But he can't get his work to flow and that tends to prompt him to being a little more neurotic than usual. In his plans to attend this major soirée Ciba encounters a satanic group who plans to crash the party and bring society's upper crust down.
I suspect that a large part of my disorient here is a basic cultural difference. I could not identify with anyone in the book. If we're satirizing something, it works much better if I'm familiar with those being satirized. Nothing about these people strike me as the elite society/upper crust. These people are all buffoons - stereotypes that aren't even particularly strong stereotypes.
And of course there is plenty of sex among the heathen elite. But the leader of the Satanic cult raping women - who enjoy it! - is really off-putting.
I don't recommend this book unless you are already a huge fan of the author in which case, well, maybe you'll like this one, too.
Looking for a good book? Maybe it's the cultural difference? Maybe it's the translation? But <em>Let the Games Begin</em> by Niccolò Ammaniti is a struggle to read and even more difficult to enjoy.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
"Don't judge a book by its cover". For the first time in my life, this saying applies.
Unlike his "I'm not scared" it did not draw me in, on the contrary. Do read the entire sample first. And if you like it, good for you! If not, get his "I'm not scared". It is infinitely better and definitely worth it.
Ammaniti is at it again, with a social satire that skewers elites of all flavors political, cultural, culinary, athletic, you name it. For my money, he is the unrivaled master of this game in our time. As with his other books (especially, As God Commands/The Crossroads), class division and hypocrisy are central. His sympathies are clearly with the fallen working classes, notwithstanding any Satanist leanings. Truthfully, in Let the Games Begin, unlike in Ammaniti's other books available in English translation, most of the characters are caricatures, with the exception of the two "protagonists," Ciba and Saverio/Mantos. [For example, who could ever forget Quattro Formaggi in As God Commands?] In alternating chapters, the story follows these two Ciba, a successful (though never successful enough!) writer and Saverio/Mantos, a wannabe provincial high priest of Satanism whose day job is, miserably, to sell furniture for his father-in-law. Their paths cross when Ciba attends the party-of-the-century thrown for all of Roman celebrity by a real estate baron who has managed to obtain a public park and turn it into a luxury, private Safari-land. Mantos and his cohorts agree to temp for the party's caterer so they can kidnap and sacrifice a former heavy metal diva who has committed the mortal sin of converting to popular music. Don't ask. In fact, forget the whole silly plot. Although amusing, it is largely beside the point. The point is to show us what we have become. Ciba appears to be conflicted, but do his self-awareness and value conflicts redeem him in any way? The climactic scenes take place at this mega-party, set in a (real) Roman park, Villa Ada, that (fictionally) was privatized by corrupt politicians. According to the Acknowledgements (presumably written in 2009), Villa Ada truly is "in a terrible state of decay. One of the last green lungs of a metropolis smothered by smog and stunned by noise is about to die." Well, rest assured, Ammaniti will let nature take a little revenge before it bows out. Bottom line this book is a fun read, a kind of wild ride, and Ammaniti's finger is still firmly on the pulse of western society (though, in 2009, still pre-crisis?). As he says "See you next time." Yes, he will.
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