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I'm Not Scared
The international bestselling novel “of childhood innocence lost in rural Italy [is] a gripping read … a deft masterpiece with never a false note” (The Guardian, UK).A BBC Two Between The Covers Book Club PickSouthern Italy, 1978. In the midst of a relentlessly hot summer, as the adults stay inside tending to their own business, six children explore the scorched wheat fields that enclose their tiny Italian village. When the gang find a dilapidated farmhouse, nine-year-old Michele Amitrano makes a discovery so momentous that he doesn’t dare tell a soul. It is a secret that Michele doesn’t fully understand, yet it will force him to question everything and everyone around him, and will bring his innocent world toppling down. Both “an exquisite parable” and a tense thriller, I’m Not Scared has become a contemporary classic in Italian literature, read and celebrated the world over (Daily Telegraph, UK).
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
621 people are currently reading
15736 people want to read
About the author
Niccolò Ammaniti
41 books1,745 followersNiccolò Ammaniti was born in Rome in 1966. He has written three novels and a collection of short stories. He won the prestigious Italian Viareggio-Repaci Prize for Fiction with his bestselling novel I'm Not Scared, which has been translated into thirty-five languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,195 reviews
November 19, 2024
إزاي بتكتب كدة؟
إزاي بتعرف تخطفني كدة؟
إزاي خلتني أعيط كدة و في رواية تانية خلتني أضحك من قلبي كدة؟
إزاي عرفت تعبر عن مشاعر الأطفال كدة و عرفت تبين قسوة الكبار كدة؟
إزاي بتخليني أجري وراء الصفحات كدة بس قلقانة وخايفة وأنا بقرأ كدة؟
إزاي قصتك تبان عادية كدة بس في نفس الوقت عميقة كدة؟
وبجد يعني ،إزاي عرفت تبين قسوة هذه الدنيا ببساطة كدة؟!
مفيش إزاي...فيه أمانيتي😍
ودة لوحده يفسر كل دة:)
إزاي بتعرف تخطفني كدة؟
إزاي خلتني أعيط كدة و في رواية تانية خلتني أضحك من قلبي كدة؟
إزاي عرفت تعبر عن مشاعر الأطفال كدة و عرفت تبين قسوة الكبار كدة؟
إزاي بتخليني أجري وراء الصفحات كدة بس قلقانة وخايفة وأنا بقرأ كدة؟
إزاي قصتك تبان عادية كدة بس في نفس الوقت عميقة كدة؟
وبجد يعني ،إزاي عرفت تبين قسوة هذه الدنيا ببساطة كدة؟!
مفيش إزاي...فيه أمانيتي😍
ودة لوحده يفسر كل دة:)
January 6, 2024
- رواية ستبدأ بها وبعد قليل ستنتبه انك اصبحت في منتصفها بكل سهولة! ذلك عائد لعدة عوامل اولها السرد بأسلوب مبسّط، الوصف اللطيف، الأحداث البسيطة المتلاحقة، الحميمية، الحنين لذلك الزمن (فقد اختفى هذا الزمن مع جيل الآي-باد الحالي)، والترجمة الرائعة لأحمد الصمعي.
- الرواية تستعمل تقنية الصوت الواحد، على لسان الطفل لكنه ليس الرواي العليم المتمكن من الاحداث والفاهم لما يجري، وبذلك جنحت الرواية صوب عالم المراهقة والطفولة! واذا كان ذلك القصد فقد ادّت دورها بطريقة جيدة. الوصف الإنطباعي كان ممتازاً لكن تكراره وتوسّعه افقد الرواية بعضاً من قيمتها.
- التناقض الذي بنيت عليه الرواية بين عالمين او جيلين (الكبار والصغار) كان جيداً ورؤية الموضوع من زاوية الطفل ذي التسع سنوات الذي تتنازعه المحبة والخير من جهة والخيال و"الكرتون" من جهة اخرى واوامر اهله من جهة ثالثة وضغط اصدقائه من جهة رابعة وافكاره الخاصة من جهة خامسة كان جميلاً بالفعل.
- النهاية كانت خادعة ومطلقة، اتفهم ان تترك هكذا، لكنني توقعت نهاية مغايرة، نهاية تتركنا في عالم الطفولة.
- الرواية تستعمل تقنية الصوت الواحد، على لسان الطفل لكنه ليس الرواي العليم المتمكن من الاحداث والفاهم لما يجري، وبذلك جنحت الرواية صوب عالم المراهقة والطفولة! واذا كان ذلك القصد فقد ادّت دورها بطريقة جيدة. الوصف الإنطباعي كان ممتازاً لكن تكراره وتوسّعه افقد الرواية بعضاً من قيمتها.
- التناقض الذي بنيت عليه الرواية بين عالمين او جيلين (الكبار والصغار) كان جيداً ورؤية الموضوع من زاوية الطفل ذي التسع سنوات الذي تتنازعه المحبة والخير من جهة والخيال و"الكرتون" من جهة اخرى واوامر اهله من جهة ثالثة وضغط اصدقائه من جهة رابعة وافكاره الخاصة من جهة خامسة كان جميلاً بالفعل.
- النهاية كانت خادعة ومطلقة، اتفهم ان تترك هكذا، لكنني توقعت نهاية مغايرة، نهاية تتركنا في عالم الطفولة.
April 9, 2019
Due sorprese.
Sorpresa in negativo: sin dall'inizio sembra di leggere la sceneggiatura del film. Nel libro mi aspettavo di trovare un po' più di sostanza narrativa e anche una scrittura un po' più articolata di quella che si richiede a una semplice sceneggiatura. E invece devo accettare il fatto che ci sarà una trama non particolarmente sviluppata attorno all'idea centrale – che è comunque buona – e un qualche svarione tra punteggiatura e congiuntivi. Quest'ultimo appunto trova tuttavia una motivazione che si collega alla sorpresa in positivo.
Sorpresa in positivo: è narrato in prima persona. La voce narrante è proprio quella del ragazzino protagonista, o meglio è lui da adulto che ricorda le vicende dell'estate '78, e ricordando si ri-cala con franchezza nei panni di sé stesso novenne: e con mia grande sorpresa devo ammettere che il tutto si regge in piedi. Come ha giustamente osservato @Roberto, l'autore riesce a reggere per un libro intero il punto di vista del ragazzino attribuendogli ingenuità autentiche e senza alcun bisogno di farlo apparire "piacione" agli occhi dell'adulto lettore e senza alcun bisogno di fare apparire il suo mondo come un mondo fatato e visto attraverso occhiali colorati di rosa, ché tale l'infanzia non è, semmai è un'idea che se ne fanno certi adulti quando hanno dimenticato del tutto l'infanzia e l'hanno sostituita con quella cosa plasticosa che ci viene mostrata nelle pubblicità. La pulizia e la sincerità di questa narrazione stanno nel fatto che non vuole sorprendere ad ogni costo. Quoto anche @ferrigno perché ha centrato il punto: "personaggi reali, niente forzature, sarcasmo sotto controllo, qualunquismo sotto controllo".
Per quanto conoscessi già la storia sin dall'inizio, e di man in mano che andavo avanti nella lettura notavo i tantissimi punti di contatto con il film e le rarissime divergenze, l'intero racconto si è lasciato comunque leggere tenendo ben deste attenzione e curiosità, più il piacere di rivivere – sentendola letteralmente sulla pelle - una calda estate afosa e trovare molto ben ricostruita l'ambientazione della minuscola frazioncina composta di quattro case isolate immezzo ai campi.
Paragoni: tra questo e Come Dio comanda, ho certamente preferito questo, più spontaneo e meno cavilloso: la scrittura è sì scarna quasi da sceneggiatura, eppure a paragone dell'altro è più romanzo e meno criminal minds. Mi ha anche ricordato con piacere i libri di Luca Gallo in tema di infanzia/giovinezza (Come l'insalata sotto la neve e Prossima fermata trambusto).
A cavallo tra le due sorprese, mi ritrovo con il solito mea culpa: non avrei dovuto vedere il film, per potermi gustare un po' di più il libro. Sarebbero un po' meno di quattro stelle, per la facciata arrotondo agevolmente in eccesso.
January 5, 2022
This book was Niccolò Ammaniti's English language translation debut in which, during a sweltering hot Italian summer, a group of children go off together, when one of them finds what he believes to be a corpse! This discovery leads to something altogether possibly worse(!) as Ammaniti explores the vagaries of childhood with its shifting friendship alliances sometimes caused by casual betrayals, with the mix of helplessness and earnest audacity with which children confront adult situations. A nice idea, that could have been so much more compelling and 'deeper' than it is here. 5 out of 12.
2004 read
2004 read
December 4, 2017
"الوحوش غير موجودة. الأشباح والإنسان الذئب والساحرات جميعها خرافات لتخويف الأغبياء مثلك. ينبغي أن تخاف من العِبَاد لا من الوحوش."
ما إن بدأت بقراءة هذه الرواية حتى شعرت بأن فيها شيئًا يشبه السحر يشدّني إليها بقوة. فعدت بذاكرتي إلى تلك الأيام التي كنت فيها بسنّ ميكيلّي أميترانو وأصدقائه، طفلة تعدو وسط حقول القمح مع رفاقها الصغار، وكنّا ما إن ندخل الحقل الواسع، حتى تأتي الجدّة "أم غازي" فتركض خلفنا لتطردنا من حقلها! كم كنّا نخافها! فتتقطّع أنفاسنا من الجري هروبًا منها! واتذكر "محمد" ابن الجيران الذي كان أكبرنا سنًا والشهير بأنه "كذّاب" فيتفنّن بإخافتنا من قصص الأشباح والجنّيين! واتذكر حين ذهبت إلى محل الألعاب ورفضت أن اشتري "باربي" واشتريت كرة قدم لونها برتقالي، منتفخة على آخرها، صلبة وقاسية، ورائحتها بلاستيكية قوية، كنت أحتفظ بها داخل شبكتها حتى لا تُخدش أو تتلف! يا الله! كم كانت مخاوفنا عظيمة من وحوش اخترعها خيالنا، أشباح تحت السرير، وحوش الليل، الغولة، العجوز الشريرة، الحشرات العملاقة التي تسكن باطن الأرض...! كنًا نعتقد بأن الشر يتمثّل بهذه الكائنات فقط! كم كُنّا أبرياء!
كهذا هم الأطفال! يرون العالم بعيون ملوّنة بريئة، لا يعرفون حقيقة أن الشر يمكن أن يختفي وراء وجوه بريئة باسمة، وجوه أشخاص قد نحبّهم وقد يعنون لنا كل العالم! يعجز خيالهم البريء عن فهم وإدراك وتصوّر "الشر". يقفون عاجزين عند اكتشاف أن الشخص الذي يعني لهم العالم ويحاول أن يعلّمهم وينصحهم بالسلوكات الجيّدة، يقترف أشنع الأفعال! كيف يمكنهم أن يفهموا دوافع تلك الأفعال! كيف يمكنهم أن يستوعبوا تناقض الإنسان! يا لشقاء الأطفال ويا لقسوة الإنسان!
رواية بديعة، أشبه بسمفونية موسيقية جذّابة ومؤثّرة، تأسر حواسك، برقتها وقوّتها وعُمقها وبما تحمله من كل المعاني.
...
October 21, 2009
I'm not sure how to describe this book. Is it a shattering of innocence, a coming of age story, a mystery, a suspense novel or is it all of these? I was drawn into the story immediately by the short terse prose, the descriptions of the countryside and the dialogue and actions of the young children in the story. Ammaniti, has captured with accuracy the actions and thoughts of a child who is caught in an adult situation. As the reader you are viewing the events from the eyes of nine year old Michelle and you feel the same confusion and detachment that he does when placed in a situation where an incredible event is occuring. As he learns more and sees more from the actions of his parents and the other adults around him be begins to understand what is really happening and can no longer remain detached. He can no longer remain neutral, he must act. The book moves along at a quick pace and ends in a nail biting climax. This was a good story with beautiful detail and a realistic portrayal of a nine year olds reactions and thoughts. I really enjoyed this book.
July 7, 2023
„Piantala con questi mostri, Michele. I mostri non esistono. I fantasmi, i lupi mannari, le streghe sono fesserie inventate per mettere paura ai creduloni come te. Devi avere paura degli uomini, non dei mostri.“
February 19, 2024
This is the type of "thriller" that works for me. The kind that's only a thriller by way of its plot propulsion (the same way No Country for Old Men is a thriller), not by any of the typical genre tropes.
It's 1978 southern Italy, in a poor desolate town, and the narrator is a 9 year old boy who is about to have a brutal coming of age. Adults aren't necessarily good, or safe, as it turns out. Even the ones you're supposed to trust the most.
Ammaniti captures childhood, particularly summer childhood, that time spent on bicycles and with kids thrown together because they're all in the same neighbourhood. The heat, the flies, and soon, the danger.
It moves quickly, and it's short, too, so it's something that can be read in one sitting, if you find yourself in its grip. The ending felt a bit... amputated? Abrupt, or something not quite working, given the narrative voice (an older man telling the story of what happened in his childhood). Something a little too unresolved, though entirely believable.
The writing is good, though, and immersive. The nightmare sequence in which Jesus shakes Lazarus to life will stick with me, along with the hot dusty bicycle rides, and the tick-covered dog.
It's 1978 southern Italy, in a poor desolate town, and the narrator is a 9 year old boy who is about to have a brutal coming of age. Adults aren't necessarily good, or safe, as it turns out. Even the ones you're supposed to trust the most.
Ammaniti captures childhood, particularly summer childhood, that time spent on bicycles and with kids thrown together because they're all in the same neighbourhood. The heat, the flies, and soon, the danger.
It moves quickly, and it's short, too, so it's something that can be read in one sitting, if you find yourself in its grip. The ending felt a bit... amputated? Abrupt, or something not quite working, given the narrative voice (an older man telling the story of what happened in his childhood). Something a little too unresolved, though entirely believable.
The writing is good, though, and immersive. The nightmare sequence in which Jesus shakes Lazarus to life will stick with me, along with the hot dusty bicycle rides, and the tick-covered dog.
November 5, 2024
Жестокий мир Никколо Амманити, где детство омрачено преступными взрослыми. Рассказчик - девятилетний мальчик, по возрасту его можно было бы отнести к категории ненадёжного рассказчика, но он верно понимает суть вещей, он пытается делать добро по мере своих детских сил. Он защищает толстую девочку Барбару от жестокого "наказания", придуманного заводилой Черепом, несносным мальчишкой, старше Микеле на три года, и на этом основании доминирующим в их компании. Герой пытается помочь, а затем спасти несчастного Филиппо, жертву киднэппинга, причем одним из похитителей является собственный отец рассказчика. Но, мне кажется, психологический конфликт между желанием спасти чужого мальчишку, ставшего ему другом, и любовью к отцу, а Микеле, очевидно, любил его, раскрыт недостаточно глубоко. Финал трагичный, но от него веет кинематографическим эффектностью, мелодраматичной пронзительностью, нежели состраданием к судьбам и желанием разобраться в потаённых глубинах причин и следствий. Для меня так и осталось непонятным, почему ребенка украли - какой был мотив? Неужели была такая нужда в деньгах (вроде по описанию, семья хоть и была бедной, но на подарки детям денег хватало, острой, искажающей человеческие ценности нищеты не было), или отец изначально был бандитом, членом мафии и не мог отказаться. Мотив похищения непонятен. Также неясно, откуда такая страсть к истязанию, зачем жертву держать в яме, приковывать за ногу? Рядом ведь был заброшенный дом. Автор пытается выстроить параллели с библейскими сюжетами, Филлипо часто называет Микеле ангелом, но до конца эти параллели не выстроены, не домыслены.
September 9, 2011
A real horror. Evil is committed in pursuit of the "good", the victims are innocent and young, their innocence lost in the most painful way possible, and the story ends without any expectation of redemption or happiness for anyone.
And what a unique and brilliant narration! The author inhabits the mind of a nine-year-old boy and tells the story like a real nine-year-old. Reminded me of Esther Freud's "Hideous Kinky" but with really something extraordinary: it doesn't take Niccolo Ammaniti whole paragraphs to jolt his readers. He does it with just one or two short sentences, often when his fictive boy narrator makes a wrong perception of something (which at first seemed real). Then all that the boy has heard, felt and seen he ties them up in the end, like a bundle of hard wires, then hits you with it in the head leaving you dazed.
Now thank me for not giving away the plot which, by itself, had it even been badly presented, would have netted five stars from me.
And what a unique and brilliant narration! The author inhabits the mind of a nine-year-old boy and tells the story like a real nine-year-old. Reminded me of Esther Freud's "Hideous Kinky" but with really something extraordinary: it doesn't take Niccolo Ammaniti whole paragraphs to jolt his readers. He does it with just one or two short sentences, often when his fictive boy narrator makes a wrong perception of something (which at first seemed real). Then all that the boy has heard, felt and seen he ties them up in the end, like a bundle of hard wires, then hits you with it in the head leaving you dazed.
Now thank me for not giving away the plot which, by itself, had it even been badly presented, would have netted five stars from me.
April 6, 2019
نيكولو أمانيتي اسم أدبي إيطالي جديد على القارئ العربي
(طبعاً هذه مشكلة القارئ العربي وليست مشكلة أمانيتي)
لم يترجم له حتى الآن سوى روايتين, ولكنهما تكفيان لإدراك أنه واحد من أهم الأصوات الأدبية الإيطالية المعاصرة.
"أنا لا أخاف"
رواية تُروى على لسان أطفال من وجهة نظر أطفال لتحكي عن عالم الكبار غير المفهوم لهم بعد, ذلك العالم الذي سيتعرفون عليه بالتدريج وبكل القسوة والرعب الممكنين
عالم الكبار القبيح, هذا هو العالم الذي يصفه أمانيتي, كل شيء فيه قبيح, حتى الطقس الجاف والحار, المستغرب في أوروبا ولكن لا ننسى أن إيطاليا دولة متوسطية
متى نفقد براءتنا وننساق وراء هذا العالم الغريب والطاحن؟ عالم الكبار القبيح؟
هل يوجد وقت محدد للجميع؟ أم أن لكل شخص وقته الخاص؟ أم أننا على الحقيقة نولد كلنا هكذا, بشراً لا يملكون براءة الملائكة الخيالية على الإطلاق ولا حتى لمدة ساعة واحدة؟
أمانيتي يكتب بلغة بسيطة عن أحداث تبدو بسيطة, يكتب ببساطة وانسيابية, ولكنه في عمق ما يرويه ليس بسيطاً على الإطلاق
فالحياة الحقيقية... ليست بسيطة .... ليست بسيطة أبداً
(طبعاً هذه مشكلة القارئ العربي وليست مشكلة أمانيتي)
لم يترجم له حتى الآن سوى روايتين, ولكنهما تكفيان لإدراك أنه واحد من أهم الأصوات الأدبية الإيطالية المعاصرة.
"أنا لا أخاف"
رواية تُروى على لسان أطفال من وجهة نظر أطفال لتحكي عن عالم الكبار غير المفهوم لهم بعد, ذلك العالم الذي سيتعرفون عليه بالتدريج وبكل القسوة والرعب الممكنين
عالم الكبار القبيح, هذا هو العالم الذي يصفه أمانيتي, كل شيء فيه قبيح, حتى الطقس الجاف والحار, المستغرب في أوروبا ولكن لا ننسى أن إيطاليا دولة متوسطية
متى نفقد براءتنا وننساق وراء هذا العالم الغريب والطاحن؟ عالم الكبار القبيح؟
هل يوجد وقت محدد للجميع؟ أم أن لكل شخص وقته الخاص؟ أم أننا على الحقيقة نولد كلنا هكذا, بشراً لا يملكون براءة الملائكة الخيالية على الإطلاق ولا حتى لمدة ساعة واحدة؟
أمانيتي يكتب بلغة بسيطة عن أحداث تبدو بسيطة, يكتب ببساطة وانسيابية, ولكنه في عمق ما يرويه ليس بسيطاً على الإطلاق
فالحياة الحقيقية... ليست بسيطة .... ليست بسيطة أبداً
March 18, 2019
Di Ammaniti e dei suoi adolescenti disadattati ho già detto altrove tutte le mie perplessità.
Ma in questo libro i disadattati sono gli adulti, mentre i bambini crescono stando insieme, sperimentando gerarchie, piccole sopraffazioni, quando ancora non si chiamavano bullismo , prepotenze e tradimenti, ma anche sfide, solidarietà, amicizia.
Il mondo tra pari molto simile a quello della mia infanzia, passato nella noia che ci faceva inventare giochi demenziali o meravigliosi, ma in tanti, tutti insieme, con appresso i fratelli più piccoli che arrancavano e si facevano giocare "in insalata"...tanto non contavano! mentre ora sono sempre soli, chiusi nella loro stanza, a parlare con amici virtuali, o costretti a sfinenti attività tutte predisposte da adulti con la loro presenza ingombrante e imprescindibile.
Sicuri di aver loro costruito un mondo migliore?
Ma in questo libro i disadattati sono gli adulti, mentre i bambini crescono stando insieme, sperimentando gerarchie, piccole sopraffazioni, quando ancora non si chiamavano bullismo , prepotenze e tradimenti, ma anche sfide, solidarietà, amicizia.
Il mondo tra pari molto simile a quello della mia infanzia, passato nella noia che ci faceva inventare giochi demenziali o meravigliosi, ma in tanti, tutti insieme, con appresso i fratelli più piccoli che arrancavano e si facevano giocare "in insalata"...tanto non contavano! mentre ora sono sempre soli, chiusi nella loro stanza, a parlare con amici virtuali, o costretti a sfinenti attività tutte predisposte da adulti con la loro presenza ingombrante e imprescindibile.
Sicuri di aver loro costruito un mondo migliore?
February 2, 2024
‘Ik ben niet bang’ van Niccolò Ammaniti (uitgeverij Lebowski) begint als een vriendelijk verhaal, met een wedstrijdje tussen kinderen, verandert na een paar bladzijden in een prachtige, maar gruwelijke film. Film, jawel: zo beeldend komt dit boek op je af. Of je wil of niet, je verhuist lijfelijk naar het ontieglijk kleine gehucht Acqua Traverse, en je wordt deelgenoot van de angsten en verlangens van het hoofdpersonage Michele. Je huivert en geniet tegelijk. Vertaald uit het Italiaans door Els van der Pluijm.
July 8, 2024
"Monsters don't exist. It's men you should be afraid of, not monsters."
3.5 stars — A tense and propulsive coming-of-age thriller about lost innocence and that transformational moment in every child’s life when monsters and myths are slowly supplanted by even deeper and darker fears of the potential depravity within other human beings.
Nine-year-old Michele is bicycling through the golden wheat fields of rural southern Italy with his baby sister and friends on an unusually hot summer day when they stumble across an abandoned, dilapidated house hidden away in the forest. When he’s dared by the leader/bully of their group to go explore what's inside, Michele makes a shocking and horrific discovery that forces him to reevaluate everything he’s ever known or been raised to believe.
Elevating this a notch or two above most coming-of-age tales is a unique, staccato first-person narrative voice that takes us inside the naive and imaginative mind of a child with an uncanny authenticity that few authors ever achieve.
It's a fitting follow-up to my recent Mark Twain re-reads, perfectly capturing both the wonder and terror of childhood. The fears and superstitions, the sexual curiosities, the shifting alliances and class divisions among friends, and most consequentially, the disillusionment that comes with discovering that your parents and other "grown-ups" are also complex and deeply flawed human beings.
This had the brisk, breezy pace of a light summer vacation read, but with just enough Gothic Lite elements to keep a dark and twisted reader like me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next.
3.5 stars — A tense and propulsive coming-of-age thriller about lost innocence and that transformational moment in every child’s life when monsters and myths are slowly supplanted by even deeper and darker fears of the potential depravity within other human beings.
Nine-year-old Michele is bicycling through the golden wheat fields of rural southern Italy with his baby sister and friends on an unusually hot summer day when they stumble across an abandoned, dilapidated house hidden away in the forest. When he’s dared by the leader/bully of their group to go explore what's inside, Michele makes a shocking and horrific discovery that forces him to reevaluate everything he’s ever known or been raised to believe.
Elevating this a notch or two above most coming-of-age tales is a unique, staccato first-person narrative voice that takes us inside the naive and imaginative mind of a child with an uncanny authenticity that few authors ever achieve.
It's a fitting follow-up to my recent Mark Twain re-reads, perfectly capturing both the wonder and terror of childhood. The fears and superstitions, the sexual curiosities, the shifting alliances and class divisions among friends, and most consequentially, the disillusionment that comes with discovering that your parents and other "grown-ups" are also complex and deeply flawed human beings.
This had the brisk, breezy pace of a light summer vacation read, but with just enough Gothic Lite elements to keep a dark and twisted reader like me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next.
May 11, 2014
Despite its title, I’m scared and so is Michele, the 9-year-old narrator of this suspenseful story. It’s fast paced and wild, and you can’t help but be pulled in immediately and with full heart and soul.
Ammaniti knows how to create a grim story that has a loveable, heroic boy at its center. And he knows how to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. The book is scary, but addictive. It reads like a nightmarish fairytale. There’s good versus evil all over the place. There’s one small good guy against a slew of big bad guys. And Michele is constantly being exposed to terrifying situations. For example, I died (along with Michele) when his mother insisted that a scary and gross old man would be sharing Michele’s tiny bedroom.
Michele stumbles upon a criminal secret and then spends his time frantically trying to help right the wrong. There is much urgent bike riding as he crashes through the wheat fields in the sweltering heat in Italy. We’re routing for him the whole way, but we share his fear that things could get uglier at any second. And they do, repeatedly. Michele is scared, but he’s also brave and determined to make things right, hindered again and again by the evil adults who hold the power.
Michele’s innocence, combined with the impact of the horrific discovery, affect his perception of reality. He begins questioning everyone’s motives and the basic goodness of people. In a minor scene, when he sees his friend dunking her dog in a disgustingly murky pond, he thinks she is killing him. Michele rescues the dog, and the girl insists she was just trying to wash off ticks. Always the helper, Michele then proceeds to remove the ticks. (Ammaniti gives us the gross and graphic details; and we keep watching, the same way we keep watching a car accident.) But was she really trying to kill the dog, or was Michele just being paranoid? Did he save the dog’s life, or was he merely a friend who helped remove some ticks? Ammaniti is a genius at setting up such ambiguous realities.
I have four complaints. First, I didn’t think this book was quite as tight as “Me and You,” but that’s only because I’m not a fan of scenery (and I know many people will argue that describing the setting was necessary in order to create the right atmosphere). Second, the translation was poor in the first half of the book. In several cases, the translator used the Italian word instead of the English equivalent—it seemed more a sign of laziness than lack of skill, since some words seemed like they would be easy to translate. Third, even though the ending was clever and dramatic, I thought it was too abrupt. I would have liked more closure. Fourth, I had trouble buying the fact that there was a whole slew of bad guys—including people you would expect to be good guys. I’m just not sure that worked.
I give it a 4.6--I knocked off a tenth of a point for each of my four complaints. It’s darker than “Me and You,” but that didn’t stop me from loving it. Wait till you learn about “wash bears.” I hope more people discover this author; he’s a gem.
Ammaniti knows how to create a grim story that has a loveable, heroic boy at its center. And he knows how to keep you sitting on the edge of your seat. The book is scary, but addictive. It reads like a nightmarish fairytale. There’s good versus evil all over the place. There’s one small good guy against a slew of big bad guys. And Michele is constantly being exposed to terrifying situations. For example, I died (along with Michele) when his mother insisted that a scary and gross old man would be sharing Michele’s tiny bedroom.
Michele stumbles upon a criminal secret and then spends his time frantically trying to help right the wrong. There is much urgent bike riding as he crashes through the wheat fields in the sweltering heat in Italy. We’re routing for him the whole way, but we share his fear that things could get uglier at any second. And they do, repeatedly. Michele is scared, but he’s also brave and determined to make things right, hindered again and again by the evil adults who hold the power.
Michele’s innocence, combined with the impact of the horrific discovery, affect his perception of reality. He begins questioning everyone’s motives and the basic goodness of people. In a minor scene, when he sees his friend dunking her dog in a disgustingly murky pond, he thinks she is killing him. Michele rescues the dog, and the girl insists she was just trying to wash off ticks. Always the helper, Michele then proceeds to remove the ticks. (Ammaniti gives us the gross and graphic details; and we keep watching, the same way we keep watching a car accident.) But was she really trying to kill the dog, or was Michele just being paranoid? Did he save the dog’s life, or was he merely a friend who helped remove some ticks? Ammaniti is a genius at setting up such ambiguous realities.
I have four complaints. First, I didn’t think this book was quite as tight as “Me and You,” but that’s only because I’m not a fan of scenery (and I know many people will argue that describing the setting was necessary in order to create the right atmosphere). Second, the translation was poor in the first half of the book. In several cases, the translator used the Italian word instead of the English equivalent—it seemed more a sign of laziness than lack of skill, since some words seemed like they would be easy to translate. Third, even though the ending was clever and dramatic, I thought it was too abrupt. I would have liked more closure. Fourth, I had trouble buying the fact that there was a whole slew of bad guys—including people you would expect to be good guys. I’m just not sure that worked.
I give it a 4.6--I knocked off a tenth of a point for each of my four complaints. It’s darker than “Me and You,” but that didn’t stop me from loving it. Wait till you learn about “wash bears.” I hope more people discover this author; he’s a gem.
April 22, 2018
My second book from Nicolo Ammanati. The first was "Me and You". "I'm Not Scared" was able to rectify my complaints about the first (lack of believability, focus on only one character's development, rushed story and rash examinations of important issues), but things I was impressed by in "Me and You" fell by the wayside here (insightful emotional examination, keeping the reader's interest, no unnecessary scenes).
"Spine-tingling"? I hate to say this (because I love his writings, I really do, but neither of the books I have read by him have all the components necessary for that really good book), but not so much. I lost interest a few different times. I feel like the suspense waned as the book continued, with not much explanation for different events, except that Michele was unable to learn everything from the secretive adults.
Believability? That a group of men in a small town, one of which is our narrator's father, together manage to kidnap a nine year old boy for ransom? Yes, likely it has happened before. That they are all mostly good people? Certainly. That the wives are mostly in on it and if not condoning, have accepted it? Maybe not so much, but given the time period, yes. And it is the extremely rare but very possible events that make the best fiction. After all, real life has the best stories. One could never make some of that stuff up.
The book was good, but not great. Pacing issues, character depth focused almost entirely on the narrator (understandable, as it is not an omniscient voice, but makes the important point that this particular story may have been better served if it were), and, most importantly, anticlimactic. I was very upset with the ending. The vagueness of it, the ridiculousness. It left me feeling cheated.
"Spine-tingling"? I hate to say this (because I love his writings, I really do, but neither of the books I have read by him have all the components necessary for that really good book), but not so much. I lost interest a few different times. I feel like the suspense waned as the book continued, with not much explanation for different events, except that Michele was unable to learn everything from the secretive adults.
Believability? That a group of men in a small town, one of which is our narrator's father, together manage to kidnap a nine year old boy for ransom? Yes, likely it has happened before. That they are all mostly good people? Certainly. That the wives are mostly in on it and if not condoning, have accepted it? Maybe not so much, but given the time period, yes. And it is the extremely rare but very possible events that make the best fiction. After all, real life has the best stories. One could never make some of that stuff up.
The book was good, but not great. Pacing issues, character depth focused almost entirely on the narrator (understandable, as it is not an omniscient voice, but makes the important point that this particular story may have been better served if it were), and, most importantly, anticlimactic. I was very upset with the ending. The vagueness of it, the ridiculousness. It left me feeling cheated.
December 8, 2015
A poignant coming of age story about the loss of innocence of a rural Italian boy.
The tale is told with enough balance as to be emotionally and intellectually engaging without being overly sentimental.
The style comes across as so effortless and the plot is so well handled, that one almost feels as if this could very well really have happened, which makes the chilling and ironic conclusion feel even more shocking and resonant.
..and since truth is stranger than fiction, who knows, perhaps it did happen; and in a certain sense, it did. The novel is apparently partly based on real-life historical events that took place in 1970's Italy.
Although the events that take place is the stuff of crime fiction and thrillers, it's given a fresh 'take' by being told from the point-of-view of the young protagonist who finds himself initially 'outside' the events that eventually rob him of his innocence and introduce him into the harsh world of adult reality.
What makes it really stand out from your general run-of-the-mill thriller though, is the insight that Mr Ammaniti shows into the psychology and souls of the characters he brings to life in this deftly-told novel.
Ammaniti poignantly brings to life the mind of an innocent child through the protagonist's initial interpretations of events; and it is a stomach-churning and heart-wrenching process to travel with young Michele into the realization of what is actually going on.
The tale is told with enough balance as to be emotionally and intellectually engaging without being overly sentimental.
The style comes across as so effortless and the plot is so well handled, that one almost feels as if this could very well really have happened, which makes the chilling and ironic conclusion feel even more shocking and resonant.
..and since truth is stranger than fiction, who knows, perhaps it did happen; and in a certain sense, it did. The novel is apparently partly based on real-life historical events that took place in 1970's Italy.
Although the events that take place is the stuff of crime fiction and thrillers, it's given a fresh 'take' by being told from the point-of-view of the young protagonist who finds himself initially 'outside' the events that eventually rob him of his innocence and introduce him into the harsh world of adult reality.
What makes it really stand out from your general run-of-the-mill thriller though, is the insight that Mr Ammaniti shows into the psychology and souls of the characters he brings to life in this deftly-told novel.
Ammaniti poignantly brings to life the mind of an innocent child through the protagonist's initial interpretations of events; and it is a stomach-churning and heart-wrenching process to travel with young Michele into the realization of what is actually going on.
December 28, 2013
Set during the heat wave in the summer of 1978, in rural Italy nine year old Michele and his friends pretty much have the countryside to themselves. The parents stay in and try to alleviate the heat in whatever ways they can. Michele is only concerned about today, like most children and does not yet think about the wider picture, world events or other things that have affected his town. His only concern is having to drag his little sister everywhere, his friend Salvatore and the unelected leader of the group who can be very cruel. Yet one day, an top of a hill and in a old house everything for Michele will change in an instant.
Almost from the beginning, I felt a palpable tension in this book, the heat, the barren countryside and the short sentences all added to this feeling. I found this to be a gripping read of lost innocence as what Michele finds causes him to mistrust those he previously trusted the most, even his own father. By the ending things have happened that cannot be undone and I was left thinking, what a heavy price there was to pay for trying to do the right thing. I was so proud of this little boy for going the extra mile for what he thought was right. Rather short novel but awfully though provoking.
Almost from the beginning, I felt a palpable tension in this book, the heat, the barren countryside and the short sentences all added to this feeling. I found this to be a gripping read of lost innocence as what Michele finds causes him to mistrust those he previously trusted the most, even his own father. By the ending things have happened that cannot be undone and I was left thinking, what a heavy price there was to pay for trying to do the right thing. I was so proud of this little boy for going the extra mile for what he thought was right. Rather short novel but awfully though provoking.
January 5, 2023
Ödüllü, Can Yayınlarından, İtalyan edebiyatından bir roman. Ergen yaş grubu için iyi bir roman, hepsi bu. Neden bu kadar güzel çevirisine rağmen 20 senedir ikinci baskıyı yapamadığını okuyunca anladım.
March 2, 2024
"ينبغي أن تخاف من العباد لا من الوحوش"
قراءة مشتركة مع صديق عزيز
رحلة مع الأدب الإيطالي ، رحلة هادئة ممتعة، مختلطة ببراءة الأطفال وفضولهم ورغبتهم الدائمة في الإكتشاف والبحث. رواية بها عالمان : عالم الصغار ببراءته وباندفاعه الحيوي، وعالم الكبار الذي فقد براءته وحماسه الحيوي .
الرواية تدور حول الطفل ميكيلي الذي يعيش في حي صغير به أربع بيوت فقط
لديه اصدقاء يلعبون معًا يتسابقون في الجري والخاسر يحكمون عليه حكمًا ، وفي يوم ما سيحكم على ميكيلي حكم سيقوده إلى اكتشاف شيء خطير ، ومثير ويقول الكاتب أنه جاءت إليه فكرة هذه الرواية عندما مر بالسيارة وسط الحقول بين بازليكاتا وبوليا، لاحظت فيها صعوبة العيش بالنسبة إلى الأطفال في مكان مثل هذا وسط أربعة منازل فقيرة لا تمر بها طرق رئيسية ولا يصل إليها حضارة ،عالم صغير ومهمش ومنسي .
الرواية ستنتهي منها سريعاً
أفضل شيء في الرواية هو أني كنت بفرح مع ميكلي وبزعل معاه ، بتوتر معاه لما يبقى متهور وبخاف معاه لما بيبقى رايح يعرف السر اللي هيتكتشفه ، بصراحة رواية كأن اللي كاتبها طفل ، قدر يرسم ملامح الطفولة، رغباتنا ، نظرتنا لأبونا وأمنا على أنهم أبطال ومثاليين ومش ممكن يغلطوا ابدا ،وشخصية طفولية جوانا كلنا ،كان نفسي بس النهاية تكون مختلفة ، رغم أنها نهاية مؤثرة ولكن أول مره كنت بتمني أن رواية تخلص نهاية سعيدة زي الأفلام الأبيض وأسود 😭😭♥️♥️♥️
ولكن لازم تقرأوها ، أنا حبيت الأدب الإيطالي خلاص والكاتب له رواية تانيه"آخذك وأحملك بعيدًا" هقرأها قريب
تمّت 25/2/2024 📖🤎
قراءة مشتركة مع صديق عزيز
رحلة مع الأدب الإيطالي ، رحلة هادئة ممتعة، مختلطة ببراءة الأطفال وفضولهم ورغبتهم الدائمة في الإكتشاف والبحث. رواية بها عالمان : عالم الصغار ببراءته وباندفاعه الحيوي، وعالم الكبار الذي فقد براءته وحماسه الحيوي .
الرواية تدور حول الطفل ميكيلي الذي يعيش في حي صغير به أربع بيوت فقط
لديه اصدقاء يلعبون معًا يتسابقون في الجري والخاسر يحكمون عليه حكمًا ، وفي يوم ما سيحكم على ميكيلي حكم سيقوده إلى اكتشاف شيء خطير ، ومثير ويقول الكاتب أنه جاءت إليه فكرة هذه الرواية عندما مر بالسيارة وسط الحقول بين بازليكاتا وبوليا، لاحظت فيها صعوبة العيش بالنسبة إلى الأطفال في مكان مثل هذا وسط أربعة منازل فقيرة لا تمر بها طرق رئيسية ولا يصل إليها حضارة ،عالم صغير ومهمش ومنسي .
الرواية ستنتهي منها سريعاً
أفضل شيء في الرواية هو أني كنت بفرح مع ميكلي وبزعل معاه ، بتوتر معاه لما يبقى متهور وبخاف معاه لما بيبقى رايح يعرف السر اللي هيتكتشفه ، بصراحة رواية كأن اللي كاتبها طفل ، قدر يرسم ملامح الطفولة، رغباتنا ، نظرتنا لأبونا وأمنا على أنهم أبطال ومثاليين ومش ممكن يغلطوا ابدا ،وشخصية طفولية جوانا كلنا ،كان نفسي بس النهاية تكون مختلفة ، رغم أنها نهاية مؤثرة ولكن أول مره كنت بتمني أن رواية تخلص نهاية سعيدة زي الأفلام الأبيض وأسود 😭😭♥️♥️♥️
ولكن لازم تقرأوها ، أنا حبيت الأدب الإيطالي خلاص والكاتب له رواية تانيه"آخذك وأحملك بعيدًا" هقرأها قريب
تمّت 25/2/2024 📖🤎
June 4, 2023
Crudo e dolce.
Sembrano due aggettivi che non hanno niente in comune l'uno con l'altro ma che per questo libro legano perfettamente.
Ho trovato questa storia immensamente triste e sincera, piena dell'ingenuità e dolcezza tipica dell'infanzia che cozza apertamente con la tipica crudeltà e mostruosità degli adulti.
Una chicca per la modalità di racconto della storia, la tensione crescente senza però risultare stucchevole.
Mi ha lasciato con un vuoto dentro enorme, con l'impossibilità di non poter fare nulla, se non assistere a questa storia di coraggio e di meraviglia.
Sembrano due aggettivi che non hanno niente in comune l'uno con l'altro ma che per questo libro legano perfettamente.
Ho trovato questa storia immensamente triste e sincera, piena dell'ingenuità e dolcezza tipica dell'infanzia che cozza apertamente con la tipica crudeltà e mostruosità degli adulti.
Una chicca per la modalità di racconto della storia, la tensione crescente senza però risultare stucchevole.
Mi ha lasciato con un vuoto dentro enorme, con l'impossibilità di non poter fare nulla, se non assistere a questa storia di coraggio e di meraviglia.
December 3, 2019
جميل هو عالمنا القاسي المخادع..حينما ننظر إليه بعيون طفل..ربما هذا ما نحتاجه حقا كي لا نفقد الشغف بهذه الحياة...سنجد حتما ما يستحق الحياة لأجله...
كأنها حكاية متصلة برواية آخذك وأحملك بعيدا..هو نفس ذلك العالم الذي يرويه لنا آمانيتي في حكايته..الحياة من منظور طفل صغير...بكل ما تحمله روحه من براءة ساذجة وتوق الي المغامرة..
كأنها حكاية متصلة برواية آخذك وأحملك بعيدا..هو نفس ذلك العالم الذي يرويه لنا آمانيتي في حكايته..الحياة من منظور طفل صغير...بكل ما تحمله روحه من براءة ساذجة وتوق الي المغامرة..
March 31, 2023
“IO NON HO PAURA” è un libro che mi è piaciuto moltissimo!
La trama generale affronta una tematica che non fa certo onore alla storia dell’Italia, in particolare quella del Sud, e che ha visto il suo periodo culminante tra gli anni Settanta e Novanta: quella dei rapimenti per riscatto.
Ciò che ho apprezzato maggiormente in questo romanzo è stata la modalità con cui Niccolò Ammaniti ha deciso di raccontare questo avvenimento.
La figura di Michele, bambino di nove anni, che abita nel minuscolo paesino di Acqua Traverse, è delineata con precisione e in maniera accurata, grazie ad una peculiare caratterizzazione sia della sua personalità che del contesto ambientale, famigliare e sociale in cui si trova a dover vivere.
È lo stesso Michele che espone al lettore il grave episodio che segnerà per sempre la sua vita, scolpendo nella sua giovane ed innocente memoria non solo i ricordi più strettamente legati alle percezioni sensoriali, ma soprattutto i sentimenti, le sensazioni e le emozioni, positive e negative.
Ispira tenerezza questo bambino dal cuore grande, che interpreta la realtà che lo circonda a modo suo, per non soccombere ai mostri che popolano i suoi incubi notturni ma che, con coraggio, impara a tenerli a bada, senza mai stancarsi di sperimentare nuove strategie.
Ma cosa può fare quando si rende conto che i veri mostri non si nascondono nel buio ma sono coloro che incontra tutti giorni alla luce del sole?
Michele dimostra di avere interiorizzato un senso morale ed etico profondo ed assoluto e il finale aperto è quanto più si addice alla “non” conclusione di questa vicenda.
La trama generale affronta una tematica che non fa certo onore alla storia dell’Italia, in particolare quella del Sud, e che ha visto il suo periodo culminante tra gli anni Settanta e Novanta: quella dei rapimenti per riscatto.
Ciò che ho apprezzato maggiormente in questo romanzo è stata la modalità con cui Niccolò Ammaniti ha deciso di raccontare questo avvenimento.
La figura di Michele, bambino di nove anni, che abita nel minuscolo paesino di Acqua Traverse, è delineata con precisione e in maniera accurata, grazie ad una peculiare caratterizzazione sia della sua personalità che del contesto ambientale, famigliare e sociale in cui si trova a dover vivere.
È lo stesso Michele che espone al lettore il grave episodio che segnerà per sempre la sua vita, scolpendo nella sua giovane ed innocente memoria non solo i ricordi più strettamente legati alle percezioni sensoriali, ma soprattutto i sentimenti, le sensazioni e le emozioni, positive e negative.
Ispira tenerezza questo bambino dal cuore grande, che interpreta la realtà che lo circonda a modo suo, per non soccombere ai mostri che popolano i suoi incubi notturni ma che, con coraggio, impara a tenerli a bada, senza mai stancarsi di sperimentare nuove strategie.
Ma cosa può fare quando si rende conto che i veri mostri non si nascondono nel buio ma sono coloro che incontra tutti giorni alla luce del sole?
Michele dimostra di avere interiorizzato un senso morale ed etico profondo ed assoluto e il finale aperto è quanto più si addice alla “non” conclusione di questa vicenda.
November 25, 2019
È ormai lontano il tempo della prima edizione di questo romanzo (2001) così come è, di conseguenza , già datato anche l’omonimo film di Salvatores, vincitore nel 2004 del David di Donatello , eppure mi sento di dire che è un prodotto letterario che ha lasciato il segno: non si è trattato di una meteora nel firmamento delle celebrità passeggere ma, è evidente, ha colto il segno.
Ancora oggi risulta richiesto dal mercato e viene continuamente ristampato, circola nelle scuole e funge da viatico per il passaggio a letture più mature. Soprattutto quando si è a digiuno. Viene letto da persone di tutte le età e molti ne serbano un buon ricordo. Ai ragazzi piace, cattura la vicenda, catalizza la suspense, attrae il linguaggio pulp, mimetico e necessario a rappresentare la miseria di un immaginario paese della Puglia, incastonato in bionde colline ricche di grano e circondato dai terribili anfratti delle più tetre gravine.
Un pugno di case, una strada, Acqua Traverse. Una banda di bambini, adulti allo sbando, il sapore della povertà, quella dove si insinua il malcostume, il guadagno facile, la moda, anche quella, dell’ignobile stagione dei rapimenti. È il 1978. La vittima è Filippo, un bambino del nord che viene catapultato in un buco del sud, lì gettato, in attesa del riscatto. Vittima con lui è Michele che lo scopre casualmente e cerca di capire le ragioni della sua presenza, indagando l’oscuro mondo degli adulti, i veri mostri da temere che detronizzano in un colpo solo tutte le ataviche paure di un bambino di nove anni. È la storia di un legame profondo, non cercato, capitato, che permette però di far luce su tutti gli altri legami, quelli consolidati, quelli creduti certi e indiscutibili. È anche indirettamente il ritratto dell’Italia e dei suoi storici divari. Un piccolo romanzo di formazione consigliato a tutti, soprattutto ai giovanissimi.
Ancora oggi risulta richiesto dal mercato e viene continuamente ristampato, circola nelle scuole e funge da viatico per il passaggio a letture più mature. Soprattutto quando si è a digiuno. Viene letto da persone di tutte le età e molti ne serbano un buon ricordo. Ai ragazzi piace, cattura la vicenda, catalizza la suspense, attrae il linguaggio pulp, mimetico e necessario a rappresentare la miseria di un immaginario paese della Puglia, incastonato in bionde colline ricche di grano e circondato dai terribili anfratti delle più tetre gravine.
Un pugno di case, una strada, Acqua Traverse. Una banda di bambini, adulti allo sbando, il sapore della povertà, quella dove si insinua il malcostume, il guadagno facile, la moda, anche quella, dell’ignobile stagione dei rapimenti. È il 1978. La vittima è Filippo, un bambino del nord che viene catapultato in un buco del sud, lì gettato, in attesa del riscatto. Vittima con lui è Michele che lo scopre casualmente e cerca di capire le ragioni della sua presenza, indagando l’oscuro mondo degli adulti, i veri mostri da temere che detronizzano in un colpo solo tutte le ataviche paure di un bambino di nove anni. È la storia di un legame profondo, non cercato, capitato, che permette però di far luce su tutti gli altri legami, quelli consolidati, quelli creduti certi e indiscutibili. È anche indirettamente il ritratto dell’Italia e dei suoi storici divari. Un piccolo romanzo di formazione consigliato a tutti, soprattutto ai giovanissimi.
January 18, 2026
LA MATURITÀ INFANTILE
Ciò che inizia come una possibile opera letteraria fantastica pian piano diventa un romanzo sociale, in cui le premesse ambigue si fanno sempre più concrete man mano che la rivelazione graduale ha luogo, tra l'altro perfettamente misurata e sempre più spiazzante.
La storia è ambientata nella campagna del Sud durante l'estate torrida del 1978, e l'autore riesce a dipingere un quadro vivido e suggestivo del paesaggio e degli ambienti in cui si svolgono gli eventi. La narrazione in prima persona ci permette di entrare nella mente di Michele, il protagonista, e di vivere, attraverso la sua prospettiva da bambino, le emozioni e le difficoltà che affronta lungo il suo percorso.
Michele Amitrano, un bambino di nove anni, si trova improvvisamente coinvolto in una situazione terribile e spaventosa. La scoperta di un segreto oscuro lo mette di fronte a una serie di sfide e pericoli che lo porteranno a confrontarsi con la paura e a mettere alla prova il suo coraggio.
Il libro ci porta in un piccolo villaggetto diviso tra il mondo degli adulti, con le loro ambiguità, illegalità e ruvidezza, e quello dei bambini, con le loro dinamiche, le loro paure e i loro rapporti di amicizia. Ammaniti riesce a creare un'atmosfera coinvolgente e piena di suspense, alternando momenti di tranquillità e leggerezza ad altri carichi di tensione emotiva.
Ma ciò che risulta davvero drammatico è la crudeltà degli adulti e dei genitori, la loro immaturità e irresponsabilità davanti ai loro figli. Michele diventa l'unico adulto responsabile, nonostante la sua giovanissima età: dovrà abbandonare in fretta l'infanzia per ritrovarsi in mezzo agli enormi casini combinati dai genitori. E risolverli senza nemmeno capirli del tutto.
Ciò che inizia come una possibile opera letteraria fantastica pian piano diventa un romanzo sociale, in cui le premesse ambigue si fanno sempre più concrete man mano che la rivelazione graduale ha luogo, tra l'altro perfettamente misurata e sempre più spiazzante.
La storia è ambientata nella campagna del Sud durante l'estate torrida del 1978, e l'autore riesce a dipingere un quadro vivido e suggestivo del paesaggio e degli ambienti in cui si svolgono gli eventi. La narrazione in prima persona ci permette di entrare nella mente di Michele, il protagonista, e di vivere, attraverso la sua prospettiva da bambino, le emozioni e le difficoltà che affronta lungo il suo percorso.
Michele Amitrano, un bambino di nove anni, si trova improvvisamente coinvolto in una situazione terribile e spaventosa. La scoperta di un segreto oscuro lo mette di fronte a una serie di sfide e pericoli che lo porteranno a confrontarsi con la paura e a mettere alla prova il suo coraggio.
Il libro ci porta in un piccolo villaggetto diviso tra il mondo degli adulti, con le loro ambiguità, illegalità e ruvidezza, e quello dei bambini, con le loro dinamiche, le loro paure e i loro rapporti di amicizia. Ammaniti riesce a creare un'atmosfera coinvolgente e piena di suspense, alternando momenti di tranquillità e leggerezza ad altri carichi di tensione emotiva.
Ma ciò che risulta davvero drammatico è la crudeltà degli adulti e dei genitori, la loro immaturità e irresponsabilità davanti ai loro figli. Michele diventa l'unico adulto responsabile, nonostante la sua giovanissima età: dovrà abbandonare in fretta l'infanzia per ritrovarsi in mezzo agli enormi casini combinati dai genitori. E risolverli senza nemmeno capirli del tutto.
April 16, 2022
The book began well but the framing device--a childhood story being told by an adult narrator--didn't mesh for me with the peril of its last pages. There are wrenching scenes of a boy's encounter with the brutality of adults, though, and it feels all the more convincing and terrifying because the narrator is not the target.
December 13, 2019
Félelmetes szörnyek márpedig léteznek. Főleg akkor, ha az ember még csak kilencéves. Ha jön az álom, lassan előlopakodnak, és velük együtt kúszik elő a rémület, vörös szemük, éles karmuk elől nehéz menekülni.
De nappal sem sokkal jobb a helyzet. Helyt kell állni a vásott kölyök csapatban, mert aki lemarad, arra kínos büntetés vár, és dacolni az égetően forró, száraz, Dél-Olaszországot bágyasztó nyárral, ami elől még a nagyok is a házak falai közé bújnak. Abba az öt, elszigetelten álló házba, ami a koldusszegény, sivár, reménytelenségbe burkolózó kicsiny települést alkotja.
Amikor aztán egy gödör mélyéről előbukkan a valódi szörnyűség, minden eddigi kötelék elszakad, és a kisfiú egyedül marad a felfoghatatlan titokkal. Borzasztó magány ez, és még borzasztóbb, hogy a szeretett felnőttek tettei érthetetlenné válnak, és ő egyedül találja magát a jó oldalon.
Perzselő nyár, talán Szicíliában, és a maffia ragadozó csápjai, amik megragadják és a bűnözéssel boronálják össze a szegénységet, rettenetes áron kínálva a reményt. A játékot pedig egyik percről a másikra felváltja a küzdelem a dermesztő félelem ellen, hiteles nézőpontból elmesélve, egy szenvedélyes, minden rosszra elszánt mediterrán világ kellős közepén.
Ennek a rövid, de mesterien megírt kisregénynek két olyan erőssége van, ami mindenképpen meg tudja ragadni az olvasót, az egyik a fülledt, bűnben erjedő Dél kiváló ábrázolása, a másik pedig a felnőttek szomorú, kegyetlen világára való riadt gyermeki rácsodálkozás.
De nappal sem sokkal jobb a helyzet. Helyt kell állni a vásott kölyök csapatban, mert aki lemarad, arra kínos büntetés vár, és dacolni az égetően forró, száraz, Dél-Olaszországot bágyasztó nyárral, ami elől még a nagyok is a házak falai közé bújnak. Abba az öt, elszigetelten álló házba, ami a koldusszegény, sivár, reménytelenségbe burkolózó kicsiny települést alkotja.
Amikor aztán egy gödör mélyéről előbukkan a valódi szörnyűség, minden eddigi kötelék elszakad, és a kisfiú egyedül marad a felfoghatatlan titokkal. Borzasztó magány ez, és még borzasztóbb, hogy a szeretett felnőttek tettei érthetetlenné válnak, és ő egyedül találja magát a jó oldalon.
Perzselő nyár, talán Szicíliában, és a maffia ragadozó csápjai, amik megragadják és a bűnözéssel boronálják össze a szegénységet, rettenetes áron kínálva a reményt. A játékot pedig egyik percről a másikra felváltja a küzdelem a dermesztő félelem ellen, hiteles nézőpontból elmesélve, egy szenvedélyes, minden rosszra elszánt mediterrán világ kellős közepén.
Ennek a rövid, de mesterien megírt kisregénynek két olyan erőssége van, ami mindenképpen meg tudja ragadni az olvasót, az egyik a fülledt, bűnben erjedő Dél kiváló ábrázolása, a másik pedig a felnőttek szomorú, kegyetlen világára való riadt gyermeki rácsodálkozás.
May 29, 2016
ذات يوم من أيام الصيف مر "أمانيتي" بسيارته على حقول القمح بين بازليكاتا وبوليا ولاحظ صعوبة العيش بالنسبة للأطفال في تلك الحقول فكانت الرواية.
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في بداية الرواية تحضر الحقول الصفراء، الحقول الصفراء الشاسعة الممتدة، فيكرس الكاتب هذا اللون في مشاهد البداية، الشمس، السنابل، القمح، الطفولة المتعبة، العرق، التحول من مرحلة إلى أخرى من وعي إلى آخر، من إخضرار يانع بريء إلى صفار مريب متردد، من بياض مسالم إلى سواد متوحش، من شر مختلق في قصص الأطفال، إلى آخر قريب من أناس لم نتوقع أن يصدر منهم ما يسوء.
لهذا كان اللون الأصفر له دلالته الموظفة في النص.
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وكمعزوفة لا يمل منها "أمانيتي"' يجلس وحيدا منزو يشد ضفائر الثنائيات كعادته في أعماله، البراءة، التوحش، الطفولة، الكبر، النوايا الحسنة، والخبث، الانحياز للخير، الانغماس في الوحل..ثم ماذا يحضر، يحضر الصيف الملعون عام 1978 ليصهر كل هذا في لوحة يجيد أمانيتي إبهارنا بها، وهكذا بأسلوبه المدهشة، ولغته السلسة، وصوره التي ينجح في نقشها في الذاكرة، يجعلنا الكاتب نضع الرواية جانبا بعد كل فصل لنأخذ جولة لنستوعب الحدث الصعب، والمأزق الذي لانعلم كيف سيكون فرجه.
ولكن بحيوية الأطفال يمسكنا أمانيتي ليدلنا على الحقول، فنقطع المساحة الصفراء دون خوف سياط الشمس الحارقة، لنتسكع خلفه دون خوف الوحشة، والجفاف، والعطش، ليقول دعوا الثقلاء في البيت، دعوهم للساعة السادسة مساء، هناك حدث يستحق أن نخرج في هذه الظهيرة من أجله، فالحقيقة هناك في حفرة صنعها الكبار الأشرار.
الطفولة ستنحاز للخير، ولن تسلم من الضرر والمآسي في هذا العالم الذي يدع قوى الشر تفعل ما تريد.
إنه صيف عام 1978 الصيف الذي ولدت فيه، يجعله "أمانيتي" فرناً للطين الذي خلقه، ليبقى رنانا صلدا بين أيدينا بعد ذلك.
إن هذا الإبداع واقعي وقح، مبهر، نزق، مدهش، جارح،نقله لنا المترجم أحمد الصمعي مراعيا أجواء الطفولة بعيدا عن الابتذال كما يقول، مما جعلنا نفتقر لتلك الأجواء التي حضرها لنا معاوية عبدالمجيد بكل أمانة وفن في رائعة أمانيتي "أخذك وأحملك
بعيدا".
..
أخيرا سنبقى ننتظر ترجمات أعمال هذا الكاتب المدهش كأعياد لا مواعيد لها.
..
في بداية الرواية تحضر الحقول الصفراء، الحقول الصفراء الشاسعة الممتدة، فيكرس الكاتب هذا اللون في مشاهد البداية، الشمس، السنابل، القمح، الطفولة المتعبة، العرق، التحول من مرحلة إلى أخرى من وعي إلى آخر، من إخضرار يانع بريء إلى صفار مريب متردد، من بياض مسالم إلى سواد متوحش، من شر مختلق في قصص الأطفال، إلى آخر قريب من أناس لم نتوقع أن يصدر منهم ما يسوء.
لهذا كان اللون الأصفر له دلالته الموظفة في النص.
..
وكمعزوفة لا يمل منها "أمانيتي"' يجلس وحيدا منزو يشد ضفائر الثنائيات كعادته في أعماله، البراءة، التوحش، الطفولة، الكبر، النوايا الحسنة، والخبث، الانحياز للخير، الانغماس في الوحل..ثم ماذا يحضر، يحضر الصيف الملعون عام 1978 ليصهر كل هذا في لوحة يجيد أمانيتي إبهارنا بها، وهكذا بأسلوبه المدهشة، ولغته السلسة، وصوره التي ينجح في نقشها في الذاكرة، يجعلنا الكاتب نضع الرواية جانبا بعد كل فصل لنأخذ جولة لنستوعب الحدث الصعب، والمأزق الذي لانعلم كيف سيكون فرجه.
ولكن بحيوية الأطفال يمسكنا أمانيتي ليدلنا على الحقول، فنقطع المساحة الصفراء دون خوف سياط الشمس الحارقة، لنتسكع خلفه دون خوف الوحشة، والجفاف، والعطش، ليقول دعوا الثقلاء في البيت، دعوهم للساعة السادسة مساء، هناك حدث يستحق أن نخرج في هذه الظهيرة من أجله، فالحقيقة هناك في حفرة صنعها الكبار الأشرار.
الطفولة ستنحاز للخير، ولن تسلم من الضرر والمآسي في هذا العالم الذي يدع قوى الشر تفعل ما تريد.
إنه صيف عام 1978 الصيف الذي ولدت فيه، يجعله "أمانيتي" فرناً للطين الذي خلقه، ليبقى رنانا صلدا بين أيدينا بعد ذلك.
إن هذا الإبداع واقعي وقح، مبهر، نزق، مدهش، جارح،نقله لنا المترجم أحمد الصمعي مراعيا أجواء الطفولة بعيدا عن الابتذال كما يقول، مما جعلنا نفتقر لتلك الأجواء التي حضرها لنا معاوية عبدالمجيد بكل أمانة وفن في رائعة أمانيتي "أخذك وأحملك
بعيدا".
..
أخيرا سنبقى ننتظر ترجمات أعمال هذا الكاتب المدهش كأعياد لا مواعيد لها.
September 28, 2010
Perfect for the learner, as this is written from a child's viewpoint which means the language is not too precious or over literary and you get to learn some of the earthy expletives (but not the truly disgusting ones) that barely figure in polite beginners' books. On top of that, it is extremely exciting, so tense that you are forced to push on to find out what happens. After the first couple of chapters I blithely ignored all that precious vocabulary that I didn't know and really ought to look up, in order to discover what happens to the little boy that Michele finds hidden in a kind of cave. What is the mysterious connection with his own family? And is the whole village in the know?
April 18, 2019
L'ho letto oggi tutto d'un fiato!!
Mi ha appassionato molto.
Ciò che mi ha colpito e mi è piaciuto di più è stata la capacità dell'autore di calarsi completamente nella mentalità di un bambino di 9 anni che non "capisce" il male che c'è in noi adulti.
Mi ha appassionato molto.
Ciò che mi ha colpito e mi è piaciuto di più è stata la capacità dell'autore di calarsi completamente nella mentalità di un bambino di 9 anni che non "capisce" il male che c'è in noi adulti.
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