Ten by Andrej Longo

Image


Title: Ten
Author: Andrej Longo
Translator: Howard Curtis
Publisher: Harvill Secker, Random House UK
ISBN: 978-1846556173
Genre: Crime, Short Stories
Pages: 160
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5/5


Now to talk about a very unusual book which I finished reading a couple of days ago. It was full of impact, full of horror, and anticipation and at the same time, struck the right chords. It is also quite hard hitting in most bits and pieces. After all, “Ten” by Andrej Longo is a mix of the Ten Commandments and the Mafia. The action takes place in Naples, where the ten stories are centered.

Each story is based on one commandment and of course the Mafia is a part of each of them, which is the basis of this book. The stories are interlinked which again is what happens in most books of this nature. Naples is central to every story, which only helps the reader in understanding the landscape of the place and its nuances and culture. The stories are about regular people who are just caught in their lives and want better – for which they will go to any lengths.

The stories are different and yet at the core of it – the savagery of humans and the humanity as well shines through. So on one hand, there is a son who has to make a tough choice when he comes to terms with his mother’s illness to a teenager who wants to grow to become an adult a little too soon and gets caught on the wrong side to an abused girl who finds comfort in a stuffed toy. Each story is different and linked and at the same time makes you wonder about the fragility of human life.

What I loved about the stories is that the stories do not lose their essence from translation. Howard Curtis has done it again with this one. I remember reading “Lovers” by Daniel Arsand and “The Threads of the Heart” by Carole Martinez with same enthusiasm as I lapped this one, and of course those two were also translated by him. Andrej Longo as it is clear from the translation writes brutally and almost makes you jump from your seat in anticipation of what is going to happen next. The element of thrill and literary fiction is difficult to find at times, but he does it effortlessly. At times all I wanted was the stories to be a little longer; however each story hit the right spot. I would definitely recommend this to readers who want to read a short and yet full-of-life collection of stories.

Link:

Buy Ten from Flipkart.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

25 Kickass and Interesting Facts About Boxing

Image
25 Facts, We should Know about our Favorite Boxers around the world. The tips and tricks they use to show us the awesome fight matches.   So here is Kick Ass facts about the top Wrestlers. 1. John L. Sullivan, the fighter from the overly manly man meme, fought in a bare-knuckle boxing match that lasted 75 rounds before he won. Sullivan died from a heart attack on February 2, 1918. When Sullivan was buried, the ground was frozen so hard that they had to blast out the grave with dynamite. Jake Kilrain, who served as a pallbearer, said, “Old John L. would have approved.” –  Source 2. George Foreman has made more money selling his grills than for his boxing career in which he was a 2-time heavyweight champion. –  Source 3. As a child Muhammad Ali was refused an autograph by his boxing idol, Sugar Ray Robinson. When Ali became a prizefighter, he vowed never to deny an autograph request, which he honored throughout his career. –  Source 4. Thai prisoners are released ea
Read more

Yes, E-Wallets are better than cash: How to setup and use e-wallets.

Image
There is chaos on the street, in the banks, ATMs and petrol pumps. We expect the scene to remain the same for coming days or weeks. But there is an easy way out of this, especially for all those who have a smartphone. Tuesday, November 8, was a usual day till about 8pm in the evening when PM Modi said that  Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes will cease to be legal tenders from the midnight in India. That was the midnight of November 8. What followed that decision, presumably made to fight black money, has been a blurry slideshow of long queues outside ATMs, petrol pumps and just about everywhere. While many smartphone users are aware of mobile wallets and are probably using them, many are not. And even those who are using mobile wallets probably don't know all the uses of these apps at present. If a mobile wallet like Paytm is used to its full potential, you will not even need to carry cash, except for some situations. If you think it is an overstatement, keep on reading
Read more

25 Interesting Facts About Mushrooms

Image
1. Long before trees overtook the land, earth was covered by giant mushrooms. 2. John Hopkins University conducted a study of mushrooms with 36 college-educated adults (average age of 46) who had never tried psilocybin nor had a history of drug use. More than two-thirds reported it was among the top five most spiritually significant experiences in their lives. 3. There is an edible mushroom that grows in the wild that tastes nearly identical to chicken/fried chicken called Laetiporus. 4. There is a 2400 year old giant “honey mushroom” in Oregon, covering 2200 acres, slowly killing off the trees in the forest. It is the largest living organism on the planet. 5. Psilocybe tampanensis, a psychedelic mushroom species, was found once and never again in Tampa, Florida in 1977, and all of today’s widely circulating tampanensis mushrooms are the descendants of that original specimen. 6. Gili Trawangan is a small island in Bali with predominantly Muslim population. There is har
Read more