My Italians

by Roberto Saviano

From the international bestselling author of Gomorrah this is a deeply personal and candid portrait of Italy today a place of trafficking and toxic waste where votes can be bought and sold where organized crime ravages both north and south yet also where many courageous individuals defy the system and millions work tirelessly for a better future

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Italy

120 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Roberto Saviano is an Italian writer and journalist.
In his writings, articles and books he employs prose and news-reporting style to narrate the story of the Camorra (a powerful Neapolitan mafia-like organization), exposing its territory and business connections.
In 2006 he wrote his bestselling book Gomorrah, where he describes the clandestine particulars of the Camorra business.

Reviews

[Kate Potapenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a very interesting collection of stories, however to me it had a feeling of being unpolished..
It lacked some kind of a conclusion, be it for every story separately or one overall.
On the positive side it's quite a short and light read, considering the topic and gives you ideas of what can you explore to gather further knowledge on the subject

[Gal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful short stories about life and death in Southern Italy.

[books4chess · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I would like to try tell a never-ending story, the story about the waste in Naples. There are kids sixteen years old, born in Naples, who have never seen their city free of garbage. The emergency has gone on for sixteen years, to the point that even the word 'emergency' is no longer adequate. Because an emergency is a single incident, an exceptional moment. If it's repeated year after year it is no longer an emergency".

Saviano delivered an insightful breakdown of the history of Italy's mafia involvement throughout the country. The breakdown covers the North/South divide, the tragic earthquake in L'Aquila and the knock on effect of cutting corners on resources such as cement, waste issues in Italy, the power of the word of mouth and finally, the ability to buy a vote and how much they go for. Though the book is small, it is mighty in content and facts.

"Osmai Madi, a Macedonian mason, forty-two years old, lived in Poggio Picenze with his family. The earthquake caused his chouse to collapse. Osmai was able to save his wife and one daughter, but lost his other daughter, Valbona. In spite of that, realising there was nothing more he could do for her, he went on to dig for others with his bae hands, to pull others out of the rubble. He saved eleven people."

I thought I knew Italy, notorious for romance, good food and the leaning tower of Pisa. But I did not realise just how deeply the mafia is engrained into the roots of the country down to the thousands of hidden bunkers naked to literally everyone not in the know. That so many innocent citizens die and become sick as direct results of the cost cutting, underhanded deals that lead to unstable structurally corrupted buildings and chemical waste that seeps into the ground and infiltrates the fruit and veg so many of us see imported into our own countries, as local farmers have no choice but to rent out their land for pittance.

"For the first time, the critics stop. Falcone's death does away with the controversy. He becomes a hero. Almost as though death were the only possible evidence of the authenticity of his battle against the mafia. But we must not forget. We must not forget that they slandered him, delegitimised him. When we realise that power delegitimises, let's not fall for it. All we have to do is say: 'this is miud, it doesn't interest me, I won't listen to it'".

The book packs a sweet little punch and shouldn't be underrated for being a mere 111 pages. This true story and partial memoir of Saviano touches on topics many have intentionally avoided, painting a headlight on those who prefer to stay in the shadows. I learnt a lot in a short period of time and am grateful for it.

[Marco Loricchio · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is telling the story of the Italian mafia clans and their influence on the infrastructure. Full of unpredictable discoveries, it aims at illuminating the shadowed world of Italian crime. Informative, provocative and fruitful, the book offers an opportunity to feel the size of the problems that the country is facing.

While I did find the book entertaining and insightful, there are some thinks to be noted. One, is the poor narrative style, that doesn’t allow for a full dive in. The other, rather acknowledgment than a complaint, is that it is a fairly specific topic, and may not be the first choice for you.

Overall, I would advice reading this book only to those, who want to be more aware of the darker side of Italy

[W. Koistinen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this some years ago, and then forgot all about it. Now read it again, and with more knowledge about Italy, its people and ways of life, and especially Southern Italy, I now enjoyed it much more. Italy may seem beautiful at first sight, but their obsession with outside appearance also makes it possible for their country to rot inside. I still like Italy, but this book also made it easier for me to appreciate my own Northern country's obsession with rules and government control. Like Saviano says, those rules are basically there to make people's lives safe and good. All in all, a good read. And fast.

[Luciano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of vignettes written to be presented as indtroductions to episodes by a TV show hosted by Saviano -- so don't expect much depth or nuance. That said, it's an entertaining portrait of that endlessly fascinating country, struggling to overcome the dark shades of its own recent history.

[Chris Bates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book that’s a collection of events that has happened in the Italian underworld, it’s interesting to read but no where near the quality of gomorah, it’s worth a read if you are interested in Roberto savianos work.

[David Jonson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this on a friend's recommendation. Maybe 'Gomorrah' is good, but this was dull to the point I started skim reading the second half.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A realistic portrait of the seedy underbelly of the Neapolitan ghetto. Real, truthful, gritty and fascinating.

[Maisey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of articles on issues facing Italy in the early 2000s by a prominent writer/journalist. He also wrote Gomorrah. Topics such as the mafia, right to die, earthquakes.