Let the Games Begin
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
You are invited to attend the most decadent fete of the century. Italian high-society and international celebrities are gathered at Villa Ada, once a sprawling public park, now the largest private home in Rome. The host, a rags-to-riches tycoon, has planned an extraordinary wild animal safari—the party to end all parties.
Among the guests is Fabrizio Ciba, a neurotically charming author struggling to write his next great literary tome in order to rebuild his reputation. In an unexpected turn of events, he crosses paths with a beautiful, enigmatic pop singer and the Wilde Beasts of Abaddon, a fledgling satanic sect planning her demise in exchange for global fame. The world outside the mansion gates is soon forgotten, and all rules of civility are broken. What was intended as the most spectacular night quickly descends into apocalyptic chaos as the excesses of modern life are indulged to extremes. What mayhem will ensue once the games begin?
Internationally best-selling author Niccolò Ammaniti strikes a masterful balance between farce and tragedy as he brings a rapturous dose of anarchic absurdity to this portrait of a status-obsessed, self-indulgent society. A calamitous, supercharged, and wildly enjoyable satire, Let the Games Begin will surprise, delight, and frighten.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Sometimes warmhearted, sometimes shockingly offensive, and much of the rest of the time very funny, Ammaniti's (I'm Not Scared) new novel is like a rich, delicious stew with a few pieces of spoiled meat included for good measure. Saverio Moneta is a Satanist whose sect, the Wilde Beasts of Abbadon, is in trouble after shrinking to just four members, including the plump Roberto Morsillo (nicknamed "Murder") and "Zombie," who has digestive problems. Silvia, the fourth member, joins up after escaping from being buried alive by the group. Saverio's solution to their diminishing numbers is to concoct an ambitious plan involving Larita, a singer who recently had a religious conversion. Meanwhile, Fabrizio Ciba, a popular author, is having trouble writing the great novel he knows he's capable of. When he and the Beasts meet at one of the most lavish parties modern Rome has ever seen, any number of things can happen and they do. This book pulls off a rare feat: an action-packed but well-paced satire populated with characters rather than caricatures.
