Η πύλη της κόλασης

by Laurent Gaudé, Κλαιρ Νεβέ (Translator), Εύη Σιούγγαρη (Translator)

Ύστερα από μια ανταλλαγή πυροβολισμών στη Νάπολη, ο Ματέο βλέπει τη ζωή του να καταρρέει. Το αγοράκι του σκοτώνεται. Η γυναίκα του, η Τζουλιάνα, τον εγκαταλείπει. Ο ίδιος βυθίζεται στη μοναξιά και, τη μια νύχτα μετά την άλλη, μέσα στο άδειο ταξί του, περιφέρεται άσκοπα στους δρόμους της πόλης. Κάποιο βράδυ όμως, παίρνει μια παράξενη πελάτισσα η οποία, για να πληρώσει την κούρσα, τον κερνάει ένα ποτό σ' ένα μικροσκοπικό καφενείο. Εκεί, ο Ματέο θα γνωριστεί με τον καθηγητή Προβολόνε, άτομο ιδιόρρυθμο, πολυμαθές αλλά και εκκεντρικό, που έχει αλλόκοτες ιδέες για την ύπαρξη της Κόλασης. Και που ισχυρίζεται μάλιστα πως μπορεί κανείς να κατεβεί εκεί κάτω...

Ο Λοράν Γκοντέ πραγματεύεται το ζήτημα της απώλειας και αντιπαραθέτει στον θάνατο έναν από τους πιο δυνατούς μύθους της ιστορίας της ανθρωπότητας, την κάθοδο στον Άδη. Κινούμενο πότε στο φως και πότε στο σκοτάδι, συναρπάζοντας και αιχμαλωτίζοντας τον αναγνώστη, το καινούργιο του μυθιστόρημα μας μεταφέρει σ' ένα ταξίδι, όπου ο χρόνος και το πεπρωμένο υποκύπτουν μπροστά στη θέληση να επανέλθει στη ζωή ένα αγαπημένο πλάσμα.

Genres: France, Fiction, Roman, Fantasy, School, French Literature, Horror

199 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2008

About the author

Laurent Gaudé est un romancier et dramaturge français. Après avoir été nommé pour le Prix Concourt 2002 avec La mort du roi Tsongor, il a gagné ce prix en 2004 pour son roman Le Soleil des Scorta.

He studied theater and has written many dramatic works, among them Onysos le furieux, Cendres sur les mains, Médée Kali, and Le Tigre bleu de l'Euphrate.
In 2002 he was shortlisted for the Prix Goncourt for La Mort du roi Tsongor. Two years later, he won the prize for his novel The Scortas' Sun (French: Le Soleil des Scorta).

Reviews

[°°°·.°·..·°¯°·._.· ʜᴇʟᴇɴ Ροζουλί Εωσφόρος ·._.·°¯°·.·° .·°°° ★·.·´¯`·.·★ Ⓥⓔⓡⓝⓤⓢ Ⓟⓞⓡⓣⓘⓣⓞⓡ Ⓐⓡⓒⓐⓝⓤⓢ Ταμετούρο Αμ · Rating 5 out of 5]

_Η αγκαλιά του διαβόλου ανοίγει στη Νάπολη_

«Ας ακουστεί το γέλιο σου μέχρι εκεί κάτω κι ας ζεστάνει όσους μας λείπουν».

Μετωπική επίθεση στο θάνατο με οδηγό το διάβολο και τοπογράφο τον Άδη επιχειρείται σε αυτή τη μακάβρια και βαθιά συναισθηματική ιστορία.
Η δαντική κωμωδία και οι μύθοι του Ορφέα μας οδηγούν με απόλυτη ακρίβεια στην ξεχασμένη πύλη της κολάσεως στη βέβηλη και ιερή Νάπολη.

Ένα εξάχρονο αγοράκι χάνει με βίαιο και άδικο τρόπο τη ζωή του και οι γονείς του έρχονται αντιμέτωποι με την πιο τραγική εκδίκηση της ανθρώπινης μοίρας, πρέπει να ζήσουν καταραμένοι και στοιχειωμένοι με την απώλεια του παιδιού τους.
Η σχέση τους καταστρέφεται και ο καθένας ξεχωριστά βιώνει το αναπόδραστο μέσα στο έρεβος της δυστυχίας.

Δεν υπάρχει χειρότερη κατάρα,δεν μπορεί να εξομοιωθεί με κανέναν πόνο,κανέναν εφιάλτη,τίποτα πιο οδυνηρό και σπαρακτικά αδιανόητο,όλα τα δεινά μαζί με την απόγνωση και την απελπισία ενώνονται,τρώνε σάρκα και ψυχή άσχημα και βίαια,όταν δυο άνθρωποι γονατίζουν μπροστά στον τάφο του παιδιού της.

Το ρίγος της βάρβαρης απώλειας σκίζει ψυχές. Τα όρια της ανθρώπινης φύσης ξεπερνιούνται και τότε όλα μπορεί να συμβούν!

Μετά απο το τραγικό γεγονός η μητέρα διαλέγει τη λήθη. Βουλιάζει στη λάσπη της δυστυχίας,εγκαταλείπει ότι αγάπησε,οδηγείται βίαια στην τρέλα και την αυτοκαταστροφή.
Ο πατέρας θέλει να θυμάται. Διαλέγει τη μνήμη ως παρηγοριά στον αδηφάγο πόνο του,όμως δεν μπορεί να διαχειριστεί το ψυχοφθόρο θανατερό και αποφασίζει να εκδικηθεί.

Ίσως,να είναι αληθινή η σκιά της ιστορίας που θέλει τη μνήμη να είναι η μοναδική επικοινωνία και η έσχατη επαφή ανάμεσα στους ζωντανούς και τους νεκρούς.

Ίσως, πράγματι όταν χάνουμε έναν δικό μας άνθρωπο του δίνουμε μαζί εκεί που θα πάει ένα κομμάτι απο τον εαυτό μας για συντροφιά. Αυτά τα κομμάτια μας μένουν για πάντα κρεμασμένα στους αιμοσταγείς θάμνους. Είναι στην πύλη της κόλασης και δεν κάνει να περάσουν στην πόλη των νεκρών.

Ίσως,οι ψυχές στην κόλαση να ζούνε και να ζεσταίνονται ανάλογα με το φως που εκπέμπουν,το οποίο τροφοδοτείται απο τη νοσταλγία των δικών τους ανθρώπων.
Οι ψυχές φωτίζουν και χαμογελούν και κλαίνε απο χαρά όταν τις θυμόμαστε τρυφερά.
Άλλες πάλι,κλαίνε και αδειάζουν,εντελώς διάφανες πέφτουν στο κενό,τις τρώει το απόλυτο κενό γιατί κανείς πια δεν τις σκέφτεται.

Αν κατέβουμε στη χώρα των νεκρών θα διασχίσουμε τον Ποταμό των δακρύων γεμάτο ψυχές που στριγκλίζουν πριν παραδοθούν στη χειραγώγηση του Θανάτου αδιάφορες και υπάκουες.

Θα συναντήσουμε διάφορες καταστάσεις ακαθόριστου τρόμου πριν φτάσουμε στην καρδιά του Βασιλείου του Άδη,εκεί που ο θάνατος στοιβάζει τις ψυχές.

Και θα καταλήξουμε στο Κάστρο των Νεκρών στην καρδιά της κόλασης,εκεί που επικρατεί η απόλυτη παγερή σιωπή που διαπερνάει,ανασαίνει,πατάει και αισθάνεται τα πάντα.

Όταν ακούσουμε τα ανατριχιαστικά βογγητά,τις κατάρες,τα έντονα ουρλιαχτά πόνου και βοήθειας θα έχουμε φτάσει στη «σπείρα των νεκρών». Είναι η πορεία των σκιών σύμφωνα με το φως που εκπέμπουν λίγο πριν οδηγηθούν στον «δεύτερο θάνατο». Στο κέντρο της σπείρας υπάρχει το έρεβος του απόλυτου κενού. Εκεί εξαφανίζονται για πάντα οι ψυχές δίνοντας τη θέση τους σε νέες αφίξεις.


Η «πύλη της Κόλασης» είναι ένα βάρβαρα υποβλητικό βιβλίο και σίγουρα δεν ενδυκνείται για αναγνώστες που δεν αντέχουν το ψυχρό και θανατερό συναισθηματικό σύμπλεγμα του τραγικού.

Συγκλονιστικό ανάγνωσμα -κυρίως για όσους είναι γονείς ή για αυτούς που πιστεύουν στην αιώνια αγάπη-αφιερωμένο στους νεκρούς που κάποτε υπήρξαν στη ζωή μας με όποιον βαθμό οικειότητας κι αν είχαμε και μας μεταβίβασαν λίγο απο τον εαυτό τους.

Βασίζεται σε μια συγκλονιστική ιστορία ανάμεσα σε μύθο,φαντασία-πραγματικότητα και στορία.

Οι πύλες της κόλασης εδώ ανοίγουν και υποδέχονται μόνο όσους τολμάμε μια κατάβαση στον Άδη και στο συλλογικό ασυνείδητο.


Καλή ανάγνωση!!
Κολασμένους ασπασμούς!

[Irou Li Cherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τελειώνω το βιβλίο..Κοιτάω το ρολόι. Έχει πάει αργά. Πηγαίνω ήσυχα στο δωμάτιο του "κοντού". Κοιμάται από ώρα. Κουλουριάζομαι πλάι του. Η ανάσες που βγαίνουν από αυτό το μικρό πλάσμα με αποκοιμίζουν..
Η ζέστη είναι ανυπόφορη. Ξυπνάω μούσκεμα. Ανοίγω τα μάτια μου και μία σκέψη έχει καρφωθεί στο μυαλό μου. Τώρα ξέρω! Ντύνομαι βιαστικά και βγαίνω έξω. Θα είναι το πιο ζεστό βράδυ των τελευταίων ετών εδώ στη Νάπολη, είπαν χτες στις ειδήσεις. Δεν με νοιάζει. Τρέχω. Ξέρω που πρέπει να πάω. Τώρα ξέρω τον δρόμο!
Φτάνω σε δευτερόλεπτα. Παίρνω τον κατήφορο. Γύρω σκοτάδι. Τον βλέπω. Θα τον αναγνώριζα ανάμεσα σε χιλιάδες σκιές. Τρέχω. Του πιάνω το χέρι.
-Μπαμπά σε βρήκα επιτέλους.
-Εδώ ήμουν πάντα.
Η ζωή και ο θάνατος. Δύο κύκλοι. Δεν τέμνονται, δεν εφάπτονται σε κάποιο τυχαίο σημείο. Αντιθέτως περιπλέκονται αιώνια σαν τα κλαδιά της λυγαριάς στο πρωτομαγιάτικο στεφάνι.
Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο:
"Γιατί λέγατε ότι η ζωή και ο θάνατος είναι πιο αλληλένδετοι απ' ότι νομίζουμε;"
"Γιατί αυτή είναι η αλήθεια... Η σημερινή κοινωνία, ορθολογιστική και ωμή, είναι απόλυτα πεπεισμένη πως όλα τα σύνορα είναι αδιαπέραστα, τίποτα όμως δεν είναι τόσο λαθεμένο. Δεν είμαστε είτε νεκροί είτε ζωντανοί. Σε καμία περίπτωση..Τα πράγματα είναι απείρως πολυπλοκότερα. Τα πάντα συγχέονται και επικαλύπτονται...Οι αρχαίοι το ήξεραν.. Οι κόσμοι των ζωντανών και των νεκρών επικοινωνούν..."
Ο Λοράν Γκοντέ έγραψε αυτό το βιβλίο για να ευχαριστήσει τους νεκρούς του, με μία σημείωση στην πρώτη σελίδα "Ας ακουστεί το γέλιο σου μέχρι εκεί κάτω κι ας ζεστάνει όσους μας λείπουν." Δεν θα μπορούσα να συμφωνήσω περισσότερο.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received and advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.

The nice people at Gallic books sent me an email asking me if I would "Fancy a Trip to the Underworld" and asked me to consider reviewing this book. I confess that I wasn't sure about this one, but I do like Gallic and they have provided a constant stream of books that I love by authors that I am unfamiliar with but have now become favorites. Despite my hesitation, I gave it a try and hoped that this novel wouldn't turn out to be one of those allegorical mind-benders that just made my brain hurt.

Wow, was I wrong.

The underworld is painfully (and geographically) real as are the terrible circumstances that bring our protagonist Matteo to its bronze gates. His six year old son Pippo is killed in the cross fire of a gang fire fight and his sudden and violent death drop Matteo and his wife Giuliana down an elevator shaft of grief which destroys their relationship and leaves them reeling with violent thoughts of violence and revenge. Matteo reaches out to Guiliana but she is unavailable to him and instead gives him an ultimatum--bring me back my son or kill his murderer.

Matteo sets out on a mission of revenge but instead winds up meeting up with other lost souls, also seeking comfort, and finds a professor who tells him, in all seriousness, that the gates to the underworld are real and that he can direct him to their location. With a faithless priest seeking redemption by his side, he enters the underworld with the intention of dragging Pippo back into the world of the living.

The underworld is vaguely Dantesque in terms of the fact that the souls are in torment, but Gaude's underworld is much more like the Greek Hades. The inhabitants of the underworld are "shades" whose main suffering seems to be a unrequited desire to return to the land of the living and there apparently is no true heaven or hell. I won't go into more detail because to do so would be to spoil the pleasure of the discovery. Suffice it to say that Gaude's underworld is a very interesting and profound place with fascinating locations.

Gaude's background is theatrical and it shows in this novel. In theater it is always all about the characters and this novel is very theatrical in that respect. You ache for these poor souls. The pain is relentless and it is impossible to not be moved by their suffering. However, I also found the plot, especially when we venture past the gates of the underworld, to be thrilling. Gaude is a wonderful writer with great style and depth.

I am pretty sure that this book will show up on my 2017 favorites list.

5 stars.

[SueLucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual take on grief and remorse, and a very effective one. Matteo feels responsible for his son’s death and jumps at the chance to see if he can locate him in the underworld. He finds that ‘Hell’ is a place of no comfort, where the dead are constantly reminded of their mistakes and missed opportunities - much the same as Matteo’s life has become since his son died. His journey takes him through the different stages the dead experience before they are snuffed out for good. I was particularly taken with the concept of the Spiral of the Dead - a mechanism where spirits move inexorably towards oblivion at the centre of the whirlpool, their inner light dimming, some faster than others depending on how long they are still remembered back in the land of the living. I defy anyone to become at all engaged with any of the characters, they are so sketchily drawn, but their purpose is to lead us on the journey and that is a work of great ingenuity (and not too gruesome, which I found a relief).

Review copy courtesy of Gallic Books via NetGalley, many thanks.

[Aaron Nash · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 and a half stars.

Sometimes when you read a book it just doesnt do it for you. This was one of those times. It isnt bad, but i just found myself bored with it. The characters werent all that good to read about and for a relatively short book many times i found that it dragged.

The premise itself is interesting though and the descriptions of hell were really smart.

It was Good but not great.

I received a copy of this from netgalley and these are my thoughts.

[Misandra Fondacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sublime, un livre coup de poing dans les tripes, une merveille de poésie urbaine à la dimension mythique.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma relation avec Laurent Gaudé avait plutôt mal commencé. J'étais une collégienne qui avait perdu le goût des livres lorsqu'on m'a mis La Mort du Roi Tsongor entre les mains, et j'ai détesté. Je suis restée avec ce goût amer jusqu'à il y a quelques mois, quand l'une de mes amies me conseille Le Soleil des Scorta, et me réconcilie définitivement avec l'auteur.

Avec La Porte des Enfers, je retrouve le style vif et rythmé de Laurent Gaudé, une écriture poétique, un univers unique. Ce roman est lourd, d'une tristesse infini. Un roman où j'ai ressenti physiquement le poids de l'absence et du manque d'un être aimé perdu. Mais qu'est ce que c'était beau, wow.

Je garde mes réflexions pour la réunion book club prévue, et je vous laisse le bonheur de découvrir ce récit certes, éprouvant, mais d'une infinie beauté

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy courtesy of NetGalley and publisher, Gallic Books, in return for an honest review.

This is a strangely unnerving little book, blending a story of loss and vengeance with elements of magical realism and questions about the nature of life and death. Gaude powerfully depicts the impact on Matteo and his wife, Guiliana, of their son’s death. Matteo is consumed by guilt, constantly reliving the day his son was shot and wondering about “the minute microscopic changes that could have altered the course of events”. Guiliana’s response is implacable anger – at the man who killed their son, at the sympathy of friends and relatives, even at God for allowing it to happen – becoming like some avenging angel or heroine of Greek tragedy. Her challenge, “Bring me my son, Matteo. Bring him back to me” sees Matteo embark on a Dantesque journey. A thought provoking read that I admired rather than loved.

See my full review at https://whatcathyreadnext.wordpress.c...

[Milda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something magical about Gaudé’s books. It’s not sweet, it has it’s brutal moments, deals with death. But oh my... there’s something in this mixture that captivated and does not let me go until the end. And I always wish his books were longer.

This story got me because of a sample, that told a magical moment about a coffee maker. But then it brought me as far as underworld. It was sad and unexpected and I hoped for a different turn in the story. But Gaudé does not give you what you hope for and he gives you the opposite or unexpected and you end up loving it even more.

Someone described Gaudé’s books as being very theatrical and I cannot find a better word.

[audiobook]

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this up to a point. Gaudé writes so well, so fluently and so empathetically that his exploration of how grief and loss undo couple Matteo and Guiliana after the death of their son is both haunting and very moving. But I just couldn’t buy into the central premise of the book that there exists some sort of mythological underworld with access from our own world and the events that transpire in that cross-over from one world to the next didn’t work for me. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting and compelling tale and one that has stayed with me.

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 2 out of 5]

What began (I thought) as a Neapolitan revenge story shifted into a more sinister key, with visions of the afterlife more horrifying than anything in Virgil or Dante. I found the plot almost incoherent, and fairly sickening – despite (at mid-book) a somewhat enjoyable cast of disreputable characters, including a café owner who can craft a coffee for any mood or occasion. I need a cup now to chase this story from my mind. Death comes as the end, said Agatha Christie, and we can only hope she's right.

[Lora Milton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is translated from French and set in Naples, which could be an interesting combination, only the translation seems a little dry. Part of this is because some chapters are written in present tense, which I assume is true to the original. It might work better in French, but I had a very hard time getting into the plot.

Sometimes it would start to get interesting, then I would lose track of what was supposed to be happening. Eventually it became clear that a child had been killed and his mother wanted the father to track down the killer and murder him in revenge, but killing a man in cold blood is not as easy as it sounds.

In the process of trying to satisfy his wife's need for revenge, Matteo, the father, meets some interesting characters and finds himself examining some of life's deeper questions. An invitation from an unusual priest to visit the underworld leads Matteo on an adventure he didn't bargain for.

Although it took a while to get into this story, it certainly had some interesting aspects. Depictions of the underworld are always of interest and the characters were a strong point. The ending comes full circle and everything fits into place eventually, but it's the sort of story you would have to read twice to get the full benefit of what's going on.

[Rita Andrade]

Fiquei rendida à escrita de Laurent Gaudé logo nas primeiras páginas. A forma como optou por iniciar esta narrativa teve o condão de "me agarrar" logo.
Um tema tão duro poderia ter sido abordado de diversas formas. O autor optou por introduzir uns laivos de Fantasia (Cf. Sinopse) tendo assim, na minha humilde opinião, remexido ainda mais em corações e feridas que nunca cicatrizarão.
Fiquei fascinada pela personagens suis generis que Gaudé criou, ganhando um carinho especial por Matteo.
Apesar de apenas poder tentar imaginar o que seria perder um filho, a leitura d' "A porta dos Infernos" foi um murro no estômago.
Acredito que para leitores Pais esta seja uma leitura aterrorizante e dolorosa, de tão amarga que é.
"Tiro o chapéu" a esta obra. Tão dolorosa e angustiante. Não creio que ninguém lhe consiga ficar indiferente, independentemente da sua história pessoal/familiar.

04-09/05/21

[La_mariane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hell's Gate" in English.
5 stars, without a doubt!

This book is amazing. It's the second novel by Gaudé I've read, and they both are in my "favourite" shelf, which consists of only 9 books… I have no idea what to write about this book, so I'll just recommend it to everyone, and I'm adding Dante and Virgile to my "want to read" list.

[Silvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gaudè una conferma, sa costruire con potenza drammatica una storia di grande dolore e follia, si percepisce tutta la gamma delle pulsioni umane. L'ambientazione napoletana rende il tutto più vivido ed intenso

[colyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

j’ai adoré, Laurent Gaudé ne déçoit jamais, tema la bête de phrase

[Audrey Verhaeghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Triste histoire sur le deuil et la mort. Reste-t-il un peu de place à l'espoir?

[Mathias Chouvier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Banger (j’avais perdu le livre)

[Kahina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un jeune couple perd leur fils suite a une bagarre des gangs( la scène de la mort m'a fait pleurer) ça aborde l'amour inconditionnel qu'ont les parents pour leurs enfants, la perte inattendu et prématuré d'un enfant et la manière dont ça peut détruire un couple. J'ai adorée c'est tellement unique comme récit et la narration à été au service de l'œuvre.

[Elite Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no hope in this book yet it is strangely life affirming

Although this novel is set in Naples and its surrounding areas the author is French and the book is a translation from his mother tongue. Translated books often lose a good deal in the transition. There are a few wonderful exceptions such as “The Name of the Rose” and “Focault’s Pendulum” by the marvellous, late Umberto Eco and the Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell but by and large it usually pays dividends if books can be read in the original language in the same way that foreign films often benefit from being watched with sub titles instead of a dubbed version. Fortunately, this translation, as far as I can judge, retains all the flavour of the original.

It is a story about love but more predominantly it’s one about death. The death of six-year-old Pippo who is caught in cross fire on an Italian street while being hurried along to school, gripping his father’s hand. The effect of little Pippo’s death on his parents, Matteo and Giuliana, can subsequently be experienced in the text which follows the opening sequence. Effectively their lives stop. Nothing in the world matters – not even each other.

A chance meeting with other dark characters leads Matteo to a determination that he can go through the gates of Hell of the title and retrieve his son. He may have failed his wife but he will not fail Pippo. It may be arrogant to suggest it but I feel that no-one who is not a parent can fully understand the love of a parent for a child. It transcends all other types of love and most parents would give their lives for their children. What follows is a descriptive passage par excellence. The underworld in all its glory and the suffering of the souls of the dead.

The novel in a strange way is life affirming even though there is no explanation as to why an innocent six-year-old should be trapped in the underworld. The reader is transfixed by the action which rolls out in front of him and totally suspends disbelief.

There is little joy in the book. Instead there is total grief and endless sadness. It’s not at all uplifting yet it tackles a subject most people would prefer to ignore although it is a wonderful reminder that life is short and transitory and death lasts for infinity. It’s also a fine example of how a relatively short book can also be a great one. The read is well worth the effort and highly rewarding.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story of guilt, revenge and loss set against the backdrop of Naples. The characters are brilliantly portrayed and the concept of portals to the underworld being squirreled away under various cities is handled very well. A really interesting and we'll written short novel.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the earliest Greek and Roman civilisations, people have believed in the idea that hell is an underworld accessible to mortals via special gates on the surface of Earth. It was through these gates that Orpheus travelled to rescue his wife Eurydice and Dante descended through nine concentric circles of suffering in The Inferno.

In Laurent Gaudé’s novella Hell’s Gate, hell is a state of mind as well as a place. It’s the mental torment experienced by Matteo, a Neapolitan taxi driver whose young son is the innocent victim of a gangland shooting. Matteo blames himself. If only he hadn’t harried his child to walk faster when he took him to school that morning. If only he’d listened to the boy’s cries to slow down. If only he’d stopped for a second to tie up his son’s shoe lace. Those seconds would have put his boy Pippo out of danger.

Matteo and his wife Giuliana are consumed by despair at the loss of their son. Matteo’s reacts by driving aimlessly through the darkened city every night, not picking up any passengers, just driving. His wife’s response is to demand revenge to bring ‘some small, fragile solace like a little breath of air on my wounds.” But though Matteo tracks down Cullaccio, the gangland leader responsible for the boy’s death, he cannot bring himself to kill the man. Giuliana leaves their marital home cursing her husband for his weakness and cursing all fathers for failing to protect their sons.

Just when Matteo feels his life has lost all meaning, he encounters the strange Professor Provolone and his revelations that there is a way Matteo can be re-united with his son. It requires him to accept there is an underworld the living can enter and from which they can return. It’s through the Professor’s explanations of the “bridges, intersections, grey areas” connecting the two worlds, that Matteo achieves a degree of peace. Determined to recover his son he descends into the sulphurous underworld through a gate in the port of Naples. His companion and guide is the unstable priest Mazerotti.

The rescue requires priest and father to negotiate multiple obstacles all of which are graphically described. It’s a vision of hell that will be familiar from its many depictions in art, one full of writhing shadowy figures streaming through a diseased landscape. Gaudé’s vision comes complete with giant doors sculpted with “hundreds of faces disfigured by suffering and horror … their toothless mouths forever laughing, dribbling, shrieking with rage and pain”; the Spiral of the Dead, a River of Tears where the dead souls are tossed and beaten as they see their lives pass by and Bleeding Bushes adorned with the scraps of flesh from the souls left in the land of the living.

That the boy is rescued isn’t a surprise because of the structure of the novel. Hell’s Gate actually opens with an adult Pippo hell bent on the revenge his father was unable to execute. It’s 20 years after Matteo’s journey into the underworld. Pippo is now a barista with the uncanny ability to concoct exactly the right blend for each character depending on their mood. Tonight will be his last at the cafe however because he is about to murder his murderer Cullaccio. He approaches his task without fear.

The book thereafter is organised in chapters that alternate between Pippo’s narrative in 2002 and his father’s in 1980. Taken together they offer an exploration of revenge, guilt and a search for salvation. Regardless of whether you believe in hell, the novel Hell’s Gate is an intense and compelling read that seamlessly weaves fantasy with reality.

[Ryan Sparks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, Gallic Books.

I know I'm not the first (and I'm sure to not be the last) person to pick this one up expecting a horror novel. However, don't let the genre deter you from giving this a read. I was pleasantly surprised to find this was not just another author's take on the horrors of hell. Instead, Hell's Gate focuses more on the grief and psychological effects parents go through when losing a child. There's not much to the characters in this novel, though. Each one, to include the main characters, father Matteo and mother Giuliana, were incredibly two-dimensional. I was not in any way attached to them and wasn't necessarily effected by their inevitable fates. If it wasn't for the fact that I myself have children, I don't think I would understand the motivations of the either of them.

That's not to say this made for a bad read. To me, the characters were the only issue, but not anything that ruins the book. The story kicks off on a high note and maintains a high level of excitement throughout. You're made aware (kind of) from the start about what's going, with the details unfolding as you continue the journey. Even with the sequence in hell being a fairly short stint, there is no shortage of action. Gaudé was somehow able to take the aforementioned two-dimensional characters and place them in a unique situation, which made for a truly page-turning story.

Overall, I give this one a solid four stars. I am able to forgive the issue with the characters since this a truly original story told from a unique perspective. I recommend Hell's Gate to anyone that's a fan of a non-horror story tackling the ideas of if life, death, and the after-life.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Underworld doesn’t often make it into the books I read. I used to read Charles Mikolaycak’s exquisite illustrated version of the story of Orpheus and his doomed quest for Eurydice to my students, and of course there is Dante’s Inferno which tells the story of the poet’s journey through Hell, guided by the shade of Virgil. But as Professor Provolone remarks in this novel, the modern world regards such ideas as insane.

Laurent Gaudé’s Hell’s Gate – with its allusion to Dante’s concentric circles of suffering on the cover – is a story of parents driven mad by grief when their eight-year-old only child Pippo is shot dead in the crossfire of a gangland shootout in Naples in 1980. But the story begins in 2002 with an adult Pippo on a vengeful quest. He is a barista par excellence who makes coffee that is just right for however his customers are feeling, but he’s about to abandon his growing fame because he’s going to take his revenge on Toto Cullaccio, the man who shot him and got away with it scot-free. And he’s not afraid of what he’s about to do…

I sip my coffee slowly as the steam rises off it. I’m not afraid. I’ve already been to hell – what could possibly be scarier than that? All I have to fend off are my own nightmares. At night, the bloodcurdling cries and groans of pain come flooding back. I smell the nauseating stench of sulphur. The forest of souls surrounds me. At night, I become a child again, begging the world not to swallow me up. (p.6)

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2017/03/17/h...

[Lynda Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does anyone, ever cope with unendurable loss? For example, of the loss of a child?

This is the tragedy that befalls Matteo and Giuliana Scalfuro, a young couple trying to create as good a life as they can for themselves and their son, Pippi. Unfortunately, gang warfare is very much a part of the mean streets of Naples and unfortunately father and son literally get caught in the crossfire.

The narrator to begin with however is the son Pippi, not Matteo, and Pippi has scores to settle with one other man of respect in particular.

What then, in very special circumstances a soul passed on could return? What if there are places in earth where the veil between the underworld and earthly life is thin enough for miracles to happen?

Actually, the rules governing this underworld for these dwellers under the shadow of Vesuvius is as dantesquely unforgiving those prescribed by the mother Church itself. That does not stop narrator number two, the father, from wishing to go where angels fear to tread once he has an inkling, as he becomes acquainted with a strange demi monde of ladies and other less-than immaculate people of the night, including a somewhat heterodox man of the cloth.

A novel like this could only be written by someone who understands how bereavement can work and how it may come between those who love and are loved. It also asks that basic question on what does lie beyond those moments spent together. The writer also seems to understand Italy and Italian culture, though he is in fact French.

Gothic without tropes and full of melancholy, this short novel could become a small classic in time.

[Daphne Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be a most unusual, yet rewarding story of love and loss,and the overwhelming grief experienced over the death of a child. This book will not suit everyone as it questions religious beliefs, but it is well written and conveys wonderful visual images. It is creepy in its telling yet awesome in all senses of that word.
A young six year old boy is caught up in crossfire between rival gangs and is killed. Matteo his father was present but failed to protect his son. In the following days, he can only share his grief with a retired professor, a public house owner, a priest and a transvestite prostitute, all of whom he meets at a local cafe. After breaking the news of the boy's death to his mother, she gradually becomes twisted and bitter. The local people she curses as they only came to feast on her sadness, the church she curses as they cannot offer her any consolation. The marriage founders and she commands Matteo to bring her boy back to her from the gates of hell if necessary.
What happens next is stunning and miraculous, but a heavy price is paid by both parents. I cannot give away any more of this story.
I initially stumbled over this story, it was confusing with its talk of rebirth, but I am so glad I persevered. It challenges beliefs of revenge and Hell. I found this book brave and haunting ,strangely eerie and unsettling.

[Bo'ness Library Bookgroup · Rating 2 out of 5]

"When his son is killed by gangsters' crossfire on his way to school, Neapolitan taxi driver Matteo is consumed by despair. But just when he feels life has lost all meaning, he encounters a man who claims the living can find ways into the afterlife. And legend says that there's an entrance to the underworld beneath Naples. What if Matteo had a chance of bringing Pippo back from the dead?"

We found it impossible to categorise this book. It isn't Crime, although crimes are committed, and it isn't Horror, although some of it is horrific. It isn't really a book you "enjoy" as the themes of the loss of a child, the ensuing grief, revenge, redemption, and love make for quite painful reading. It is very well written, though of course we read it in translation, and it gave us a lot to think about and discuss. There is a very bleak portrayal of the underworld, very vivid and descriptive, reminiscent of Dante's 'Inferno', 'Pilgrim's Progress', and the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch, some very odd yet likable characters, and the story line is unlike anything we had read before. Our rating of 2 stars is possibly a bit harsh, and as the book is quite short, we would recommend trying this if you like books that are unusual and intriguing.

[Tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Des 3 oeuvres romanesques que j'ai lu de Laurent Gaudé, La Porte des enfers est celle qui m'a le moins captivée. Campée à Naples, l'histoire raconte le meurtre d'un jeune garçon au cours d'une rixe et du destin malheureux de ses parents. En parallèle, le personnage de l'enfant revenu à la vie et devenu adulte venge son père en mutilant son assaillant vingt ans plus tard. Comment est-ce possible? C'est ce que le roman raconte dans le détail alors que le père, aidé d'un vieux curé, va traverser la porte des enfers et ramener son fils du domaine des morts le jour même du grand tremblement de terre de Naples en 1980. Toute cette histoire est vraiment lugubre et émaillée de violence du début à la fin. On y retrouve un des thèmes chers à Gaudé, issu de la dramaturgie : le sens du tragique mais cette fois, porté à l'excès jusqu'à l'invraisemblance. On ne s'attache pas au personnage de la mère, butée dans son malheur. Celui de Grace, transsexuelle par qui toute l'aventure de la porte des enfers arrive au père Matteo, est à peine ébauché. On ne sait pas grand'chose de ce qui motive son engagement dans cette histoire. La description des quartiers pauvres de Naples et de ses banlieues est par contre crédible pour qui a visité un tant soit peu cette région de l'Italie.

[Andy Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not an easy thing to use the supernatural to a good effect in a novel, at least, not to for my taste. Gaude does it really well here. For the concept of Hell there must be a religious slant but Gaude's handling of this is with great expertise. He is a Frenchman writing about Naples in 1980 just before their great earthquake. Several characters from the Church play key roles in the novel, but there is controversy as the priest central to the story offers safe haven to his colleagues who the church has seen it fit to disgrace.

This isn't a murder mystery though it may seem so. Matteo has lost his 6 year old son in a shooting and will do anything to get him back. The novel deals with death and the Underworld, reminiscent perhaps of Dante, but still very much Gaude's own creation. This is a lot better than a crime novel, within its 200 pages there is a lot more going on.

[Dimitris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Συγκλονιστικό μυθιστόρημα με καταιγιστικό ρυθμό αφήγησης σε μια αχλή μυστηρίου και αγωνίας που ολοένα γίνεται πυκνότερη. Πραγματεύεται ένα μέγιστο θέμα, αυτό της απώλειας, παραβάλλοντας ταυτόχρονα τις θεματικές της ενοχής, της μεταμέλειας και της εκδίκησης. Το καλύτερο μυθιστόρημα που διάβασα στο τελευταίο διάστημα και ο αγαπημένος μου νέος συγγραφέας.

ΥΓ. Με την ευκαιρία, ένα ευχαριστώ στον Γιώργο Χρονά για τη σύσταση του βιβλίου σε μια εκπομπή αφιέρωμα για αυτό («Ξενοδοχείο Βαλκάνια») και τον φίλο Αντώνη από την Ολλανδία που είχε την προνοητικότητα να ηχογραφήσει τις εκπομπές -πριν το κρατικό ραδιόφωνο εκπνεύσει εν μια νυκτί- και την καλή προαίρεση να μου τις στείλει.