Let The Games Begin - Tapa blanda

The new Italian word for talent is Ammaniti. * * The Times * * Exuberant and audacious. * * Observer * * A master storyteller. * * Guardian * * Ammaniti's novel is both riotous and astute. You start off desperate for an invite to the party, and end up very glad you're in bed reading instead -- Amy Adams * * Stylist * * This is a wonderfully ironic and entertaining book, thanks to its lively cinematic dialogues and constant references to current society. We are projected into a circus of vaguely familiar events, and the finale offers hope for true social, political and personal development through radical change -- Emilio Ippolito * * Independent * * Ammaniti's satire is delivered with a broad brush but it hits the mark all the same, and he's clearly having a lot of fun at the expense of his characters, delivering up debauchery on an epic scale. It's easy to see why this outrageous novel has been a hit with readers in Italy, and I think Ammaniti can expect plenty more sales over here too -- Doug Johnstone * * Big Issue * * Supremely ridiculous, yet brilliant * * Curious Book Fans * * The novel takes twists and turns only a master of his craft can meld with such skill. ... The Italian vocabulary makes some paragraphs beautifully lyrical and his structure makes for comfortable reading. ... Burn the rule book and revel in absurdity * * Utter Biblio * *

WARNING: Contains Satanic cults, intoxicated supermodels, Olympic refugees and man-eating hippos The world might be in the throes of a global recession but when an author on the brink of despair, an enigmatic musician, a supermodel and a Satanic sect meet with the cream of Italian high society at the home of a Roman property tycoon, the world outside the mansion's walls is soon forgotten. There's going to be one hell of a party. And you've got a VIP ticket. Ammaniti's latest baroque masterpiece is an invite to the party to end all parties. But what mayhem will ensue when the games begin? With all the verve of The Bonfire of the Vanities and Glamorama, this calamitous, supercharged and wildly enjoyable novel pulls no punches in its satire of the excesses of modern life.