L'isola che non c'era [Italian]

By Marco Arcelli

Francesca had always dreamed of leaving by sea, to a far away island that she imagined as a quiet stretch of white sands and green palm trees under blue skies and a perennial sun. Paolo had offered her the chance to move to London. But Britain turned out to be different from their dreams, a cold and hostile island where they would struggle to survive. L'Isola che non c'era is an Italian novel denouncing the frenzied, black-and-white life of bankers in London, focused on ideals defined by others, and promoting a simpler, more colourful life on the Italian Riviera. It is a novel about the gradual realization that every single act of ours, however simple, gives us the chance to choose between good and evil and become one again with God. The realization that each experience, however painful, is the tool to understand the meaning of our lives and the meaning in itself. And that life is beautiful, no matter what it brings.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: Italian
• ISBN: 1439248885
• ISBN13: 9781439248881
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Booksurge Publishing
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Interesting...

I came across this book by complete chance and i'm glad i did... an introspective journey from the gentle dreams of childhood to the harsher reality of adulthood seen thru the lens of search of love and pursuit of spiritual identity. Perhaps the focus on the emotional turbulence and sufferings in love is a smidge too strong and overshadows the deeper philosophical themes. Still a very interesting book for anyone who was born and raised in Genova in the 70s and 80s and has since left... thanks Marco.

Extra from the author

Francesca had always dreamt of leaving by sea, to a far away island that she imagined as a quiet stretch of white sands and green palm trees under blue skies and a perennial sun. Paolo had offered her the chance of her life. But London turned out to be not the island they had dreamt about. L'Isola che non c'era is an Italian novel denouncing the frenzied, black-and-white life of bankers in London, focused on ideals defined by others, and promoting a simpler, more colourful life on the Italian Riviera. It is a novel about the gradual realization that every single act of ours, however simple, gives us the chance to choose between good and evil and become one again with God. The realization that each experience, however painful, gives meaning to our lives and is the meaning in itself. And that life is beautiful, whatever it brings.