Or 369 pages of misery?
What would you do if you discovered you only had 100 days
left to live? Would you give up work, go
on holiday, spend more time with your friends or family? Would you hang on hoping for a happy ending
or confront the inevitable and book into Dignitas? Would you choose to end your days alone or
surrounded by those whom you love most?
These cheery questions lie at the heart of Fausto Brizzi’s
book and he even provides some blank pages for you to record your answers. If you are unsure, then you can pursue this
line of questioning by following the fictional lead character, Lucio
Battistini, on his one hundred day countdown.
Chapters are numbered 100 to 0 to ensure readers can readily appreciate the
ease with which days can pass, often without (as it often seems in this book)
much happening, and even when those days are numbered.
As you may have gathered, this book is not for those seeking
a light hearted, escapist read. It is neither
a comedy nor a whodunit. It has some
elements of a thriller although the villain is revealed early on (liver cancer,
nicknamed Fritz). There is a love
interest but the plot is very simple, a linear structure propelling us towards
an inevitable end.
Some of the cover reviews are wholly inaccurate, disingenuously
marketing this book as “Hilarious”, “Funny”,
and even “Joyous”. Other descriptions such as “Moving”, “Heart
wrenching” and “Thought provoking” are more truthful and suggest that those
reviewers must have actually read the book.
The cover artwork is
similarly misleading. Images of sandy
beaches, clear blue sea, swimmers, and sunbathers suggest a light hearted
holiday read. Perhaps this was a
deliberate, though undeniably dishonest, ploy to attract readers who might
otherwise be put off by something more profound and thought provoking.
In contrast to the miserable subject matter, Brizzi’s
writing style is dazzling, His voice is like a powerful magnet, drawing fellow
travellers on this hopeless quest. We
experience joy, pain, frustration, love and loss, readily empathising with a
dying man who is essentially unremarkable, being neither especially rich,
famous, good, evil, brave, heroic, plain or quirky. However, he is definitely a man and some of
his actions, thoughts and fantasies may be more relatable to male rather than
female readers.
Fausto Brizzi introduces us to life in Italy, and we learn
that the Italian way is not too dissimilar to that in England. He
effectively paints scenes which, perhaps unsurprisingly given his background as
a screenwriter and film producer, could translate well onto the large screen.
It is impossible to read this book without some
consideration of what living means - in
all its mundanity and unpredictability. Or, what determines happiness - relationships, achievements,
contributions, experiences, pleasure? Pondering
such questions might fuel more mindful living but at the risk of forgoing the
pleasure and relief afforded by more cheerful reads. Indeed, some of our group
deliberately chose not to read this book in favour of more accessible literary
choices.
We reviewed this book at The Angel of Corbridge – a happy
event, enhanced by good service and reasonably priced, great tasting food.
Everyone chose the lamb which was superb.
We unreservedly recommend the restaurant but please note: the book comes
with a mental health warning.
Our next selected read is the second in the Ken Follett Century Trilogy. Another long one which will hopefully reveal what happened next to the characters we followed in June year (see our views on the first in the series, Fall of Giants)
Our next selected read is the second in the Ken Follett Century Trilogy. Another long one which will hopefully reveal what happened next to the characters we followed in June year (see our views on the first in the series, Fall of Giants)
