Father Luigi's Chameleon [Paperback]

Tara Isabella Burton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 9, 2003

The priests were faithless, the damned were blessed, the ironies were many, and the comforts were few. The brides were reluctant, the rejected were loved, the idols were demons, and the pitied were strong.-Father Luigi's ChameleonTara Isabella Burton's remarkable first novel, Father Luigi's Chameleon, follows six characters as they face internal struggles during one fateful summer in Italy.The novel, in which this extraordinary eleven-year-old writer explores questions of ethics, values and the nature of love, as well as her unique view of God and the afterlife, was inspired by the often-conflicting philosophies of life she observed growing up in Rome, Paris and New York. Although written by a child, it is not a children's book!Father Luigi's Chameleon is the story of six friends, all living in Rome in the summer of 2002, who retreat to a small island off the coast of Naples in order to come to terms with their own personal demons that are preventing them from achieving happiness. At the root of this, watching over them, is Father Luigi's pet chameleon, Monsieur Amore, who turns out to be more than just a simple reptile in this captivating and thought-provoking modern parable.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tara Isabella Burton grew up in Rome and Paris before moving to New York, where she is currently a student at The Chapin School. She has been writing poetry and award-winning short stories since she was five, often inspired by the contrasts in the cultures that she has lived in.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (April 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595271553
• ISBN-13: 978-0595271559
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,064,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Juvenile, May 31, 2006

By 

SBR "Mike" (Exeter, NH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Father Luigi's Chameleon (Paperback)

While it continues to amaze me that Ms. Burton managed to publish a book at an age when I was still interested in Hot Wheels, her novel is just that--the work of an 11 year old girl. The characters are poorly drawn, the plot is scattered and rarely cohesive, and the themes struggle to convey some deep hidden meaning. I also find it slightly presumptuous for a girl not yet in Junior High to be giving philosophical life lessons. I hope, however, that Ms. Burton remains a dedicated writer, as she clearly has talent; she simply needs the maturity and life experience to back it up.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I Have Read in Ages, April 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Father Luigi's Chameleon (Paperback)

When I found out that an eleven-year-old writer had published a philosophical book, I was skeptical, to say the least. At the urging of a friend, I reluctantly purchased a copy, thinking that I would skim it and put it aside. I was wrong. After the first few pages, I was hooked. I stayed up until 3 am reading it in one sitting. The book is amazing. Not only was the storyline intruiging and the characters believable, but the philosophy of the book really got me thinking about my own life. I would recommend this to everybody, and have already forced everybody I know to buy copies.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely must read for any imaginative person, June 11, 2003

By 

"booklover2003" (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Father Luigi's Chameleon (Paperback)

This is a fascinating and complex work definitely worth taking the time to read at a pace that allows the reader to comprehend and enjoy the author's unique view of matters both religious (especially her "corrections" regarding biblical events and the nature of Heaven) and secular (particularly those relating to love and relationships. While there are a few grammatical and other errors to be expected of a writer this young, which I assume the editors did not correct so as to leave the work intact as the author wrote it, her writing style is more akin to nineteenth century British authors than of contemporary American novelists, and her descriptions of the settings in Rome, Ischia and Paris were superb!