oddio...non so... Adoravo Benni, ma...che razza di finale! c'è qualcosa che non quadra più nella sua vena. il libro è spassoso, ha alti momenti di coinvolgimento...ma poi sembra quasi l'abbia scritto un'altra persona. bah

http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2014/06/europa-challenge-update.html ( )

VOTO: 8,5Non è il migliore di Benni ma è valido anche questo. Molto scorrevole. Come al solito il punto di forza dello zio Stef sono i personaggi. Margherita è ironica e realista, Eraclito un grande. Ma anche la trama mi è piaciuta. Però probabilmente finisce un po' troppo di colpo. ( )

This is a rather strange book. I really enjoyed the first 90% or so...a very satirical look at consumerism, admixed with a nice dose of conformity, and a dollop of Fascism...all written in a very amusing style from the perspective of an intelligent young girl watching it all happen in her neighborhood.

It lost me a bit in the final 10%. The book's arc is a gentle curve from light-hearted and funny toward somber and funny. However, just before the end, that gentle curve became a screechingly hard turn toward a dark story from which all humor disappeared. I found it jolting and it lessened my enjoyment of the book.

I suspect this is just personal taste rather than a flaw in the writing. I've had this reaction before, often in a certain style of European novel, and I've come to the conclusion that it's just a literary manner I haven't learned to appreciate...kind of like liver or sweet potatoes. If you read the blurb and it sounds interesting, give it a try. Benni and Shugaar certainly had me smiling through most of it. ( )

This eccentric book follows the protagonist, an even more eccentric teen-age girl, into her investigation of a mysterious, sinister family that has moved next door. The new family, comprised of members echoing from the depths of the Uncanny Valley, are chic and wealthy. They tempt Margherita's family away from their simple, pleasant life in favor of new technology and material things. This is an odd book, and it's difficult to label it with any conventional genre. That's why I adore it. ( )