- Can you fall in love with a book? Well, I did. "The Investigation " is my 3rd read from Bancarella shortlist of 2017. I gave 5 out of 5 stars. I really hope it wins the Award this year. I read the Italian translation of Benedetta Merlini and publishing by the famous Sellerio Publishing House in 2016. I believe it's the most beautiful novels I've read in such a long time. It's such a beautiful story about freedom, humanity, the survival in the war, the love of literature and books. It is inspired the life and death of the Korean poet Yun Dong-ju and uses some of his posthumously published poems that are presented throughout the book. The story is set in the Japanese prison of Fukuoka in the 40s during the war the Japanese took against the Korean.But I don't want to give too much away. Now that I read it in Italian I will definitely search for the English translation. It's such a beautiful and captivating story, that's not worth telling but reading and feeling each page of it.
- I just finished reading the historical novel about the family of Medici from Florence. It's a story which is part of a trilogy written by the Italian author Matteo Strukul. It is shortlisted for the Bancarella Literary Award . It's the 4th novel that I've managed to read from the Bancarella shortlist. This trilogy has become famous in Europe in less than a year and it's been translated into Dutch, English and Spanish. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. It fallows the lives and adventures of two brothers Cosimo and Lorenzo de Medici from 1429 to 1453, with a bit of a romance. It's an enjoyable read, and a turn page one. What I liked most about the story are the detailed descriptions of places, palaces, pieces of art and the physical descriptions of the characters. It gives so much detail about the city of Florence in the 15th century and its people and customs. However I expected more from the character in terms of language and psychological representation. They seem so flat. I could not relate to any of them neither good nor bad. However if you are interested to know more about the life of this famous family, the construction of Florence and its people, it's a good way to start. Enjoy your reading!
