Customer Reviews

The Wager

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed much about this book, but particularly the craft that went into the prose. Napoli knows the power of the short sentence and uses it to good effect, especially in the first few chapters where she puts on a virtual clinic in short sentence usage. To flesh out a fairy tale and make make believe real is no easy task, but Napoli seems to revel in this kind of writing. The story and characters quickly become "real" after a surreal(ish) opening, and the author is not afraid to jar the reader with gritty images that are far from fairy tale, making this a book that refreshingly does not try to kiddie things up to protect the Innocent Child reader. Not that there is anything overly alarming in the novel, but there is also nothing overly cloying.

Essentially, this is a coming of age story, where the main character must learn (the very hard way) to leave his immature, selfish, adolescent ways behind and become a caring, charitable, selfless adult. A timeless tale, then, with mythic power, made even more powerful by the higly crafted and precise prose.

Don Giovanni had grown up accustomed to a lavish lifestyle, complete with a castle, exquisite foods, servants, and extravagant parties. Although he lost his parents at a young age and missed them terribly, he liked to think that he carried on with their values, especially their generosity, love of the arts, and carefree ways. All that changed, however, when the earthquake struck and an enormous tidal wave decimated the city, including every source of Don Giovanni's wealth and support. Overnight, he had become destitute.

As a beggar, Don Giovanni experienced months of intense hunger, cold, physical pain, hard labor, and humiliation. When a handsome stranger came his way and offered him a magic purse that could produce an unlimited amount of gold coins, Don Giovanni had trouble resisting, despite his gut feeling that he was dealing with the devil. Surely the ability of that purse to meet his material needs would be worth the discomfort of satisfying the devil's one condition: Don Giovanni could not bathe, shave, comb his hair, or change his clothes for three years, three months, and three days.

Adapted from the folktale Bearskin, this novel shines as a delightful blend of exciting action, nauseating revulsion, and meaningful reflection. Thoroughly entwined in the plot is the importance of economic incentives in influencing the decision-making process not only for Don Giovanni, but also the assorted characters who cross his path. Be forewarned, though, that with its emphasis on Don Giovanni's steady physical decline into filth, decay, and putrefaction, this book is certainly best left for those readers with strong stomachs.

Unfortunately, I'm squeamish.

The premise is interesting enough - a spoiled, arrogant aristocrat must live without bathing or grooming for 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days in exchange for unending wealth (and bragging rights for outsmarting the devil. Always a plus).

I should've known at that point, I probably wouldn't want any details of how that played out. Because the author is not stingy with the details... And it's pretty disgusting. My tummy turned several times while reading.

I also found the book to be too dark for my tastes... The teeny tiny pockets of brightness in the book, the moral lessons, the character development... I don't know. I wasn't able to appreciate them because I was so sad while reading.

And the ending felt too rushed to be worth the emotional, and nauseating ride (I could've used copious detail then!!!). Not one of my favorites, wouldn't recommend it.

I picked up this book as Napoli is one of my favorite authors. The cover was a little...stranger to me but nonetheless I scooped it up. I was not disappointed! Beautifully written, and wonderfully crafted. Napoli has the magic of writing on her side in this book. I am a big fan of the old fairy tales and have started reading 'new' versions by different authors a few have left me disappointed, but this was definitely not the case. I read through it so quickly but it kept me wondering what was going to happen next and an sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat feeling. If you Love fairy tales I suggest you pick this one up. Remember just because one person didn't like it, doesn't mean you will feel the same!!

Always give the benefit of a doubt.

Semper Fi!

I absolutely loved this book, it was such a good story and you really fell in love with the main character. He has so much depth, you really got to know and fall in love with him throughout the story. There was the perfect amount of description and the story was quite unique and extremely entertaining.

The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli (2010)

This book was shortlisted for the 2010 Cybils which is why (as a round 2 judge) I read it.

I liked The Wager enough to finish it but it wasn't great. I didn't hate it but I can't put my finger on what made it a book I didn't hate if that makes sense.

I wasn't familiar with the story of Don Giovanni (an Italian folk tale) before reading this so it was interesting to find a new fairytale but it felt very clinical and I never really connected with any of the characters or events. The ending felt very abrupt and compressed and yet it felt like the book took too long to get to the wager which was the main event of the book.

I liked the Beauty and the Beast undertones in the story but it ultimately just didn't grab me.

Some parts of the book also just really nagged me. It's 1169 in Messina, Italy. Why does Don Giovanni keep wondering who he was kidding? Was anyone at the time speaking that way?

The meat of the story is about Don Giovanni making a wager with the devil that comes down to his not bathing for three years, three months, and three days to win an infinite amount of money (or lose his soul). He gets worms and lice. Sores sprout all over his body. But what about his nails? The more I think about it the more it drives me nuts that no mention was made in the wager itself as to whether or not Don Giovani could cut his nails. And if it wasn't, no mention was made of how long his nails got over the three plus years.

Having a particular weakness for fairy tales (especially exotic ones), I was eager to read THE WAGER, based on a Sicilian fairy tale. Admirers of stories of the Brothers Grimm might be familiar with another version of this in short story #101, "Bearskin." I enjoy the vibrant scenery and outlandish gallantry in some of these, which take readers far away from anything modern. This involves a luxuriant escapism where there is no need for any logic. And even though the most famous fairy tales are almost irritatingly pleasant, the greater number are dark, even disquietingly so, and often more imaginative. THE WAGER definitely falls into this latter group. It is both bizarre and clever, and makes some worthy statements on good and evil and on the remarkable strength of the human will. It's one of the finest fairy tales I've ever encountered, though it's not for the squeamish or for those looking for a sugary tale.

The story focuses on a wager between the Devil and a noble of Sicily --- and the resultant misfortunes he must be endure. The eruption of Mount Etna in the year 1169 has brought a level of devastation that none on the isle of Sicily are prepared for. Following the initial lava flow, the clash of lava with the cool ocean waters brings forth a giant tsunami that razes the homes of Messina's peasants. Many die horribly, but Don Giovanni is concerned about the loss of his servants and what they do for him. Since the catastrophe, none have come to work, and upon visiting a friend's home, Giovanni discovers that they will not be returning. He has run out of money to pay them, and his "friend" who loaned him funds before intends to repossess Giovanni's things. Destitute, Giovanni is as devastated as others who have sustained minor losses. Emptied of his furniture and his servants, the extravagant manor is of little use. So Giovanni leaves, humiliated, but comforted in the idea that at least he has enough mettle to survive by his own two hands.

Giovanni takes to begging when he must, but prefers to live off the land or to work. He loathes his status, but, almost against his nature, enjoys himself as he travels. He notices the wildflowers and people living freely around him. He eats anything and does so without squeamishness. But once winter hits, there is no food to be had and the streets are lined with beggars. Giovanni, who had only just been happy, is frightened and cheerless again. This lasts until All Saints Day and All Souls Day, when he discovers a menacing man in a stable who relays a tempting offer. He'll make Giovanni extravagantly rich if he's only willing to give up one thing: his beauty. Giovanni knows he's dealing with the Devil but is starving and desperate, and so he accepts the wager anyway. He receives the Devil's satchel in return for three years, three months and three days without bathing. He cannot groom himself or change his clothes. As Giovanni whispers softly to the satchel, it fills with coins. Of course, it is only a matter of time before he will regret this.

In weeks, Giovanni's stench is repulsive. After months, he must seclude himself from everyone. In a year, his skin festers and rots, and he's covered in painful boils and parasites. He's become a mass of putrid filth that barely looks human. No one will come near him save for a stray dog. He may die in this condition, but whenever he's tempted to break the deal, the Devil returns to warn him of what is on the line and to beguile him into giving up. Meanwhile, Giovanni struggles to remain sane in a world that hates him. But as he does this, something amazing happens: Living in misery, he finds friendship with a stray he calls Cani, and learns to see the suffering of others and to think of how he might ease it. He finds that what he wants most now is simple, friendly company. But he can also see that it will be a rare soul who's capable of giving him this.

THE WAGER reads like an old fairy tale, and author Donna Jo Napoli's writing is brilliantly descriptive and rhythmical. What begins as a miserable man's story within the dark, gray drizzle of his life becomes more and more hopeful until the mood finally lifts to become purely triumphant. As Giovanni evolves into a repulsive, hideous creature on the outside, his inner self becomes a beautiful thing to behold. What is so amazing about this is that the change is so gradual as to be almost imperceptible for a while. The book and its messages are cleverly written, and I truly appreciate what Napoli did with what had originally been a bleak ending. Any readers who enjoy fairy tales and can handle the darker variety should really appreciate this amazing, original story.

--- Reviewed by Melanie Smith

Based on an unfamiliar Italian story, The Wager is about vanity, pride and humanity. Don Giovanni foolishly spends all his money and loses everything when a huge wave wipes out his town. Suddenly poor, he makes a pact with the devil - no washing himself for three years and three months, for a wallet that supplies an endless amount of coins. Don Giovanni learns how hard it is to keep a deal with the devil and how difficult it is to tolerate uncleanliness.

Donna Jo Napoli is a great, vivid writer, who always does her research to make sure her story is in the right historical context. Her stories flow so well, there is hardly ever a plot gap. However, sometimes, it does feel like she is being overly poetic and sometimes it can be a strain on the enjoyment. Also, her endings are always abrupt and never feel like true endings.

A great lyrical storyteller, but I would enjoy more conclusive endings.

Donna Jo Napoli's most recent book is a worthwhile addition to the ever-growing number of fairy/folk tale retellings for teens that have been published over the last decade or so. Napoli herself has written a number of novels in this genre, including YA versions of Rapunzel (Zel), Cinderella (Bound), and Beauty and the Beast (The Beast), among others.

The story of The Wager is likely to be less familiar to most readers than those named above. Don Giovanni, a young Sicilian nobleman, seems to have it all. He's the most handsome young man in the town (and well-known for his skill as a lover), he's well-educated, having been groomed to one day be an advisor to the king, and he's rich. But when an earthquake and tsunami caused by the eruption of Mount Etna destroy not only the city of Messina but all Don Giovanni's wealth, he is reduced to stealing and begging on the streets. When a stranger offers him a magic purse that will produce an infinite number of gold coins, Don Giovanni realizes it must be the devil in disguise. But the devil doesn't want his soul; instead he demands the youth's beauty. For three years, three months, and three days, Don Giovanni must not wash, change clothes, shave, or comb his hair. If he does, he will forfeit his soul. Of course, Don Giovanni accepts the wager.

We 21st century Americans are so obsessed with being clean and free of body odors that I never gave much thought to what would happen if a person didn't wash for an extremely long time. Of course we all know the person would be dirty and smell bad. But I never thought about the other problems that Napoli describes in gruesome detail, such as sores which fill with pus, boils, and insects which work their way inside and on top of his body.

As time passes, no human will come near him as he wanders around different regions of Sicily; only his faithful dog, a stray who attaches himself to Don Giovanni on the road, remains loyal. Giovanni is unable to tell anyone why he refuses to change clothes or bathe, and people think he is mad. But in Palermo, he uses his magic purse to buy a palazzo, where he is able to pay to hire servants to tend to his needs (although they don't come too close). Soon he opens his house to all the needy of the area, and even the king hears of his largesse.

King William seeks Giovanni's help to build a new cathedral--Monreale (an actual cathedral and one of the great monuments of Sicily, whose construction began around this time). In gratitude, the king offers Giovanni the hand of his sister. Can Giovanni beat the devil at his own game--and win the wager, allowing him to wed when his sentence is up...and live happily ever after with his beautiful bride?

The Wager is a re-telling of a traditional Sicilian folk tale, Don Giovanni della Fortuna. While the story is not historical fiction in the strict sense, I would call it "historical fantasy,"; although there are supernatural elements in the story, the author has also set it in a very specific time and place (Sicily in 1169), and filled the tale with the kind of attention to historical detail that we would expect to find in well-written historical fiction.

This book delves into many themes we find in folklore, such as the true meaning and importance of beauty, and whether money really leads to happiness. In many ways this folktale echoes some of the themes of Beauty and the Beast in the transformation of the main character; here, as Giovanni becomes more and more sub-human, through his filth and stench, he becomes more and more human in his compassion, charity, and love for others. In the beginning of the novel, Giovanni is not a very sympathetic character; but as he becomes more and more physically repulsive, to himself and others, the reader is drawn into his story and can't help but empathize with Giovanni's loneliness and hunger for human contact.

One aspect of this novel that I found particularly enjoyable was the manner in which Napoli captures in words the many flavors of Sicily, in all its multicultural splendor, including mouth-watering descriptions of the international Sicilian cuisine, the cacophony of languages, the different religions--Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, and even the landscapes.

This novel is based on the Sicilian fairy tale, "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna." (Some people might be more familiar with the version by the Brothers Grimm, "Bearskin.") Interestingly, the protagonist finds his redemption following a wager with the devil. An arrogant, selfish, and vain man loses everything, and learns about mercy and generosity during three years, three months, and three days of suffering. I couldn't put the book down. My only criticism would be that I felt the ending was somewhat abrupt. Although the book is marketed for young adults, it will be enjoyed by anyone who likes well-done novelizations of fairy tales.