Another Between the Covers rec! I did enjoy the story, which is sort of classic Stephen King-esque, but the writing and characters felt a bit light, although that might be the translation. And there was a frustrating lack of resolution - I know that was intentional, because the nine year old narrator never found out what was going on with the little boy in the hole, but I still needed answers! I feel like this would be a good text to study in class - chock full of themes about fear and trust and growing up, and only 200 pages. ( )

Molto, molto bello.
Una storia avvincente, toccante e che riesce a coinvolgere intensamente, raccontata peraltro anche in maniera impeccabile.
Voce narrante un bambino di 9 anni, Michele, che si troverà a vivere una vicenda terribile destinata a cambiargli per sempre la vita. ( )

I'm with the reviewers that found the movie better. That's not usually my opinion of other books/movies. The ending was more complete in the movie also. ( )

Proprietario: Cristina Bolelli
Prestito: Fiorillo ( )

Billed as a psychological thriller. However, I really didn't find this to be true. I found this book tedious and the plot, from the perspective of a 9 year old boy, quite unbelievable. The story got weaker as the book progressed. The ending was a big disappointment and I felt cheated. A book I would not recommend. 200 pages ( )

An excellent read. Surprisingly good for a school text. ( )

I’m Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti is a coming of age story, a suspense-thriller and a tale of shattered innocence. I was drawn into this story immediately by first the setting, the hot dry summer of 1978 rural Italy, and then the story of a group of children wandering the countryside on a hot afternoon who discover a deserted farmhouse. One of these children, nine year old Michele, uncovers a secret so immense, it is beyond his immediate comprehension.

The author has captured the actions and thoughts of a child who has stumbled into a dangerous adult situation that he doesn’t understand. Throughout the book, the child’s confusion, his not being able to separate the fantasy from the truth, keeps the reader on edge. As the boy learns more about the situation and how the adults around him react, he realizes that he can longer ignore the facts and he needs to act immediately placing himself in extreme danger.

I’m Not Scared had all the elements that I enjoy in a book. The story unfolds at a fast pace and builds to an exciting climax. Although a short book, the author supplies some beautiful descriptions and the story never felt particularly rushed. His portrayal of a nine year old’s inner thoughts felt absolutely authentic, and reading of innocence lost with no expectation of redemption made this a very dark read that I devoured as well as introducing me to an author that I fully intend to read more of. ( )

Különös hangulatú regény, magával sodró, szinte letehetetlen - sajátságos gyermeki nézőponttal. A döbbenetes az, hogy nem ítéli el a körülötte lévő felnőtteket és mer a szíve szerint cselekedni. Egy gyermek igazságérzete, dilemmája két ígérete között. A befejezés meglepő, de logikus, itt van az alkalom az erkölcsi tanulságot levonni - mindenkinek a saját kora, neme, tapasztalata és beállítódása szerint. ( )

The book was easy to read and I finished it in one day. I was let down by the ending, I wanted to know what really happened and why but didn't get any answers. I can perhaps understand why: the story was told through the eyes of Michele, but still...I hate finishing a book and not getting any answers. ( )

Well, he may not be scared but call me utterly terrifed. I find it hard to believe the book could be better or even equal to the film which I've seen twice and I wasn't any less scared the second time.

I must confess that I've done no more than flick through the book and check the odd scene here and there. Sorry, book, but the visual spectacle of the film simply outdoes in spades anything you can do in words.

The first thing I wanted to do when I saw this film was give it to my father. It was a story of what his life would have been like if my grandfather hadn't made the decision to leave Calabria for something better - Australia, as it happened. Since my father bitterly resents his childhood, I thought it might do him good to see how bad it might have been.

But I couldn't make myself do this. I was plain scared of how terrified he would be. I was scared of the demons it would awaken inside him.

See the movie if you can, it's brilliant. And don't be put off by my terror. It is also sweet and gentle, and a lovely reflection on childhood. ( )

Well, he may not be scared but call me utterly terrifed. I find it hard to believe the book could be better or even equal to the film which I've seen twice and I wasn't any less scared the second time.

I must confess that I've done no more than flick through the book and check the odd scene here and there. Sorry, book, but the visual spectacle of the film simply outdoes in spades anything you can do in words.

The first thing I wanted to do when I saw this film was give it to my father. It was a story of what his life would have been like if my grandfather hadn't made the decision to leave Calabria for something better - Australia, as it happened. Since my father bitterly resents his childhood, I thought it might do him good to see how bad it might have been.

But I couldn't make myself do this. I was plain scared of how terrified he would be. I was scared of the demons it would awaken inside him.

See the movie if you can, it's brilliant. And don't be put off by my terror. It is also sweet and gentle, and a lovely reflection on childhood. ( )

Well, he may not be scared but call me utterly terrifed. I find it hard to believe the book could be better or even equal to the film which I've seen twice and I wasn't any less scared the second time.

I must confess that I've done no more than flick through the book and check the odd scene here and there. Sorry, book, but the visual spectacle of the film simply outdoes in spades anything you can do in words.

The first thing I wanted to do when I saw this film was give it to my father. It was a story of what his life would have been like if my grandfather hadn't made the decision to leave Calabria for something better - Australia, as it happened. Since my father bitterly resents his childhood, I thought it might do him good to see how bad it might have been.

But I couldn't make myself do this. I was plain scared of how terrified he would be. I was scared of the demons it would awaken inside him.

See the movie if you can, it's brilliant. And don't be put off by my terror. It is also sweet and gentle, and a lovely reflection on childhood. ( )

I was expecting something quite different from this and I'm not really sure I enjoyed it when I figured out it was going to be quite different. It was a bit too relentlessly dark and violent for my tastes.

Terrific Coming-of-Age
Review of the Canongate paperback (2016) translation of the Italian original "Io non ho paura" (2001)

Karan and I first saw the film version of this book back in TIFF 2003, and as luck would have it Karan found the book version recently as well. The film was very striking at the time and left a strong after-affect. The book is just as well done. ( )

This book really held my interests, I found myself on the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. In fact, I finished the book in one setting. I am not usually a big fan of suspense thrillers, but there was something about Michele that made me care about him and what he was going through. It was different than anything else I have read and I would read other books by this author. ( )

I picked this book up at a yard sale a couple of years ago and then, upon noticing the "Translated from Italian" bit, put it on the shelf and never thought of it again. I don't know why, but I have this inane aversion to translated things, often picturing them as old and dry and lacking any flourish. How wrong I was! I loved this book -- I loved the imagery and depth of the characters (ah, flourish!), the realistic portrayal of Michele's feelings and behaviors as a nine-year-old harnessed with an unimaginable burden. From the first page to the unexpected ending, this novel kept my attention and persuaded me to view translated literature in a more respectable light. Now to check out the movie... ( )

I liked the simplicity of this, the way the prose transports you to a tiny village community in Italy where you can feel the dust and smell the grass and yet doesn't include long descriptive passages. Seen through the eyes of a nine year old boy, it's a story of grinding poverty and inequality in a community with something rotten at its very heart. Cleverly, the author allows the reader to grasp what is going on without the narrator getting the true picture. I somehow had a feeling, as it gathered pace towards its conclusion, that it was winding up to drop me at the moment of the very highest drama, but let's face it there are books where you can forgive that. ( )

This was one of those uncomfortable stories that I'm not at all sure I even want to finish once I start reading, but since it was such a slim book I carried on with it. It was cringe worthy, but the writing wasn't the best or the worst I've encountered. I can see why it was turned into a movie because it read more like a screen play than a novel. ( )

Fantastic novel that conjures up the heat of a southern Italy summer when children are the only people out during the day time. The story telling is excellent and the book is hard to put down as you first wonder about the secret Michele has found out and as the details emerge you wonder how the novel will end. The tension is stunning. ( )

I struggle to describe this 225 book without giving anything away, so I'm going to be a little vague here:

In the heatwave of 1978, 9 year old Michele discovers some chilling secrets while playing with his friends in rural Italy. The reader follows his transformation from innocence to horrible realism.

I didn't take to the novel at first. I found the atmosphere stifling and didn't like any of the characters. But by page 70 I was gripped by this unusual story. For most of the book, I had no idea what would happen next.

Because it got off to a slow start and then ended in a flabby manner, I'm only giving it 3.5 stars. The middle part of the book, however, was excellent.

Recommended for: Despite my middle-of-the-road rating, I actually recommend this one quite highly to most readers. I expect I will remember it for a long time. ( )

A novella in length, this story is a fast read. It is written by an Italian author and translated by Jonathan Hunt. The story is set in Acqua Traverse, in Italy. It is in the midst of a very hot summer with no rain. The youth, Skull, Salvatore, Maria, Michele, Remo and Barbara hang out together. Skull is the oldest, making decisions and challenging the others with forfeits. Michele decides to take Barbara's forfeit. He discovers a secret. It is his secret. Michele is afraid of monsters, but his dad has told him there are no monsters, only be afraid of men, they are the only ones that can hurt you. The narrative is in the voice of a nine year old boy who is facing his fears. ( )

It is the hottest summer on record, and a group of children in a tiny impoverished hamlet in southern Italy amuse themselves with games and roving the countryside on their bikes, while the adults stay inside to escape the heat. 9-year old Michele is somewhere near the middle of the hierarchy of this group. On one of their excursions, the kids discover an abandoned farmhouse in a secluded valley. On a dare, Michele goes into the farmhouse, where he discovers a body. He tells no one, and as the days unfold the facade of adult morality which has protected Michele begins to crack. Michele's creeping loss of innocence is brilliantly conveyed, as he is placed in unbearable circumstances, with no one to trust.

This coming-of-age novel realistically portrays the innocence and horrors of childhood. The landscape shimmers to life. And, as in life, it accepts that there are no easy answers, as it ends on an ambiguous but tragic note.
Recommended. ( )

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. ( )

I seem to be going against the general trend, but overall I didn't like this book. I enjoyed Michele's voice and the author's ability to evoke the hot, oppressive summer that the township was suffering through. However, the plot was tedious and the ending predictable. I never took to Filippo and felt the relationship between the two boys underdeveloped. Having said this, I would still like to see the movie to see how the directors' handle the book. ( )

I can only imagine what it must be like for a little boy, to discover a terrible secret while playing with his friends.
And then not to tell anyone, live with it, keep the secret.
Only to find out after some time, that the people you need to ve able to trust the most are in on it al.

I admire Michele's courage. ( )