Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto [Hardcover]

Gianni Rodari (Author), Antony Shugaar (Translator)

Book Description

Release date: December 6, 2011

A fable for children and adults: a story of life, death, and terrorism—in the grand tradition of Exupéry’s The Little Prince

When we first meet 93-year-old millionaire Baron Lamberto, he has been diagnosed with 24 life-threatening ailments—one for each of the 24 banks he owns. But when he takes the advice of an Egyptian mystic and hires servants to chant his name over and over again, he seems to not only get better, but younger.

Except then a terrorist group lays siege to his island villa, his team of bank managers has to be bussed in to help with the ransom negotiations, and a media spectacle breaks out . . .

A hilarious and strangely moving tale that seems ripped from the headlines—although actually written during the time the Red Brigades were terrorizing Italy—Gianni Rodari’s Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto has become one of Italy’s most beloved fables. Never before translated into English, the novel is a reminder, as Rodari writes, that “there are things that only happen in fairytales.”

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gianni Rodari gave free rein to his imagination, with inspired panache and gleeful lightness. At the same time, he had a precise and meticulous love for detail, for rich and exact language, and so all of his inventions are set in a very concrete world with real form and action.”
—Italo Calvino

"Making a comedy out of a terrorist kidnapping is tricky stuff, but this book for both children and adults is a daring highwire act that works. In the shocking tradition of Roald Dahl, this hilarious Italian fairytale is peppered with scuba diving suits, submachine guns and custom sports cars. At times antic with goofy buffoonery, at times grisly with uncomfortable realism—Rodari has a sense of comedy that smacks of the Marx Brothers, but with a darker, post 9/11 edge more in keeping with the grimmer satires of South Park." —Shelf Awareness

 "If Roald Dahl had rewritten The Picture of Dorian Gray to include a gang of 24 bandits and a giant balloon, the result might have been Rodari's wonderfully improbable novel..." —Publishers Weekly

"Lamberto belongs to that family of comic writing that glories in the full spectrum of the absurd." —LA Review of Books

"If you are looking for a book that transports you, that contains details you will return to for years to come, and that you may, someday, give to your children, it’s this one." —The Lit Pub

"Stuffed with amusing characters and off-the-wall events, Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto evokes a texturally rich setting that skillfully weaves together satire and fantasy. You’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy this young adult fairy tale from Italy." —Fiction Advocate

"Making a comedy out of a terrorist kidnapping is tricky stuff, but this book for both children and adults is a daring high-wire act that works." —Nick DiMartino, Shelf Awareness

"It may seem like grisly stuff for a children’s book, but Rodari mixes magic with terrorists and tabloids and manages to come out with something altogether wonderful, and sure to please young and old alike." —Flavorwire's 10 New Must-Reads for December

"Give yourself up to this insightful tour guide, and you might just find yourself confronting the absurdities of your own life." —New York Journal of Books

"Rodari's story is, to say the least, unpredictable..." —The Complete Review

"Absurdities abound but never overwhelm, this is satire of the highest order." —Largehearted Boy

"Hilarity ensues in a story that retains the wonder and delight of Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth or Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince." —Barnes and Noble (Long List pick)

About the Author

Gianni Rodari (October 23, 1920–April 14, 1980) was an Italian writer and journalist, most famous for his books for children. The recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1970, Rodari is a household name in Italy among educators and parents, not to mention children, and is considered by many literary historians to be the country’s most important writer of children’s literature in the twentieth century. Influenced by French surrealism and linguistics, Rodari advocated poetry and language play as a way to recover the rhythm and sound of oral tradition and nursery rhymes. He is the author of The Grammar of Fantasy, a classic manual for teachers, as well as many books for children.

Antony Shugaar is an author and translator. Among his recent translations are Everybody’s Right by Paolo Sorrentino, Bandit Love by Massimo Carlotto, and Sandokan by Nanni Balestrini.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Melville House (December 6, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935554611
• ISBN-13: 978-1935554615
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 7.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #740,643 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterwork... December 22, 2011

By Alan Napier

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm not sure what makes one book get read while another, greater book, languishes on the back shelves, but if you like P.G. Wodehouse, if you like beautifully written (droll) humor, if you like absurdity in the cause of a smile, you will love Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto. All that I find disappointing is that there are no other ebooks available from this author. I have well over 2000 ebooks and this is, by far, the most fun I have had between the covers...so to speak.

Ciao

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read December 28, 2011

By buzzbeauty

Format:Hardcover

Lamberto, Lamberto, Lamberto by Gianni Rodari is an Italian children's fable first published in 1978. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to Lamberto, a 93 year old Millionaire with over 24 life threatening ailments, and his loyal butler Mr. Anselmo. I enjoyed the connection these two characters had. You could tell from reading that Lamberto is a bit eccentric and that Anselmo is more straight lace and in a sense keeps Lamberto on his toes.

As we go further into our reading we learn that after meeting with an Egyptian mystic Lamberto hires servants to recite his name nonstop, as he was told this would cure his illnesses. At first this work seems to be in vain, but as the story progresses we see Lamberto actually recovering from his illnesses. And before long he is up and moving as if he were never ill. Everything seems to be going well for Lamberto until his greedy nephew arrives and seems to bring a slew of trouble to his ailing uncle.

I have to admit I enjoyed reading this story. It was hilarious and at times you find yourself actually identifying with Mr. Lamberto. If only having our names recited nonstop could cure illnesses, I believe every human being would hire over a hundred workers to say their name. Even though I loved Lamberto, my favorite character in this book has to be Mr. Anselmo. I love that he is so loyal to Mr. Lamberto and that he has his best interest in mind. We should all be so lucky to find a friend like Mr. Anselmo. Overall, this book was a joy to read and if you ever have time to sit back and enjoy a good read, I would definitely recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical January 17, 2012

By Michael Scott

Format:Hardcover

Sheer brilliance. Made me want to learn Italian well enough to read it how Rodari wrote it. I absolutely loved it and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to have a good time while reading. You'll be glued to it for sure.