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Title: I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti, Jonathan Hunt ISBN: 1-84195-297-4 Publisher: Canongate Books Pub. Date: February, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.91 (22 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A boy's passion and courage
Comment: Niccolo Ammaniti's "I'm Not Scared" is a small wonder. Told in a pulsating, dramatic fashion it is the story of a boy, Michele, who risks everything to save another boy his age, Filippo, as the circumstances surrounding Filippo change. Ammaniti's book is one where the children bear the maturity and the adults are rendered needy of care.
"Im Not Scared" is a tale of the heart. The reader roots for Michele at every turn and watches him as he battles his own fears only to turn them into a breathless triumph. The author beautifully gives a picture of the wheat fields of southern Italy and the "aliveness" of a small town that would otherwise be described as sleepy. Distances and time are presented in a desirably vague way, increasing our imagination of the bravura of Michele.
The one downside is the English translation by Jonathan Hunt. (no relation to me!) It is obviously translated into "British English" so many of the words and phrases are confusing. A better translation for Americans would have made the read a little less jumbled and more satisfying. Still, "I'm Not Scared" is a book not to be missed and can easily be a treasured read of an evening.
Rating: 5
Summary: Enthralling and Beautifully Written
Comment: I have just finished reading this book, I couldn't put it down, it absorbed me from the very first page. The voice of the protaganist reminded me of "To Kill A Mockingbird" as did the relationship between Michele and his sister Maria. I thought this was a beautifully written book. I've never been to Italy, but I felt myself there with the characters - I could see and smell the surroundings - both beautiful (the hills and corn fields) and the suffocating (hole where Phillipo is held and the pig sty). The characters were beautifully crafted and very believable. I really loved this story. I have mixed feelings about the ending - part of me would have preferred Ammaniti to spoon feed us an end that tied up all the strings and told us exactly what became of the characters: the other part of me enjoys grappling with an ending that requires thought and imagination. We can at least be sure that Michele survives his final ordeal as the book is narrated by the adult Michele.
I highly recommend this book - please read it.
Rating: 3
Summary: A Painful Read but Redeeming in Some Ways
Comment: I'm sorry to say that I will not be able to join the enthralled voices in reviewing this title. This book is a book I never would have chosen to read on my own, and I only did so at the request of a friend. That understood, here are my thoughts:
- The flow of the book was smooth and easy to read.
- The suspense of plotline naturally drew me in, though that is one of the easiest (cheapest) ways to keep your readers interested.
- The book is incredibly short with big words and alot of spacing. Though it is 200 pages, I read it in about 7 hours in one day, and I'm not a very fast reader.
- The writer indulged in some unnecessary (I think) glimpses of children's explorations of sexuality.
- The main character, Michele, is definitely endearing, especially with how he treats his sister, loves his parents and endangers himself in order to help in a disturbing situation. The writer is adept at writing a realistic 9 year old boy's perspective.
- The "disturbing situation" about the kidnapped boy Filipo is heart-wrenching. Not only does the author capture the painfulness of the situation in a subtle, understated manner, he also explores the psychological suffering of all involved. It's ugly, but it's an unfortunate reality.
- One reviewer has commented on biblical themes. While he has found some very specific parallels that didn't occur to me (except the Lazarus example the boy mentions), there is a quiet pervading sense of Providence that the author is kind enough to never destroy. As the boy believes in God and as so many things are allowed to happen by "coincidence," you get a sense of a providential hand guiding these poor young boys in overwhelming circumstances.
- The end didn't bring much closure. Some people don't like too much closure because it's not realistic. However, in this case, all the writer would have to do is write a few more lines to let you know how things turn out. After all I went through emotionally in this, I really feel like closure would have been merited.
- I did not like the author's final treatment of Filipo. I got the sense that Filipo didn't matter so much to him except as a tool for Michele's character development. Such treatment of characters in desperate situations (though fictitious) seems like a sign of poor writting to me.
With all these factors taken together, I would rate this as a solid 3 stars (maybe 3.5 stars).
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Title: Io Non Ho Paura by Niccolo Ammaniti ISBN: 8806142100 Publisher: Distribooks Inc Pub. Date: June, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Sea of Memory: A Novel by Erri De Luca, Beth Brombert, Enrico de Luca, Beth A. Brombert ISBN: 0880016787 Publisher: Ecco Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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Title: The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh ISBN: 1841953830 Publisher: Canongate Books Pub. Date: March, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: Fontamara by Ignazio Silone, J. Rawson ISBN: 0719006627 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: January, 1988 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Late Mattia Pascal (Eridanos Library) by Luigi Pirandello, William Weaver ISBN: 0941419444 Publisher: Marsilio Pub Pub. Date: May, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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