About The Book

In Let the Games Begin, internationally best-selling author Nicoló Ammaniti, winner of the prestigious Strega Prize, fuses a riotous dose of anarchic absurdity with a clear-eyed critique of contemporary society caught in a narcissistic spiral of longing and striving.

The novel begins on the night of the most decadent party of the century. A rags-to-riches real estate magnate has planned an over-the-top weekend safari for a who’s-who of celebrities at his sprawling residence in Villa Ada. Starlets, politicians, soccer stars, and intellectuals all turn up to rub elbows. Among them is a neurotically charming author, struggling to write his next literary tome and pining for renewed recognition. In an unexpected turn of events, he crosses paths with the Wilde Beasts of Abaddon, a satanic sect scheming to ruin the evening’s festivities in order to go down in history as a world-famous cult. What was intended as the most spectacular féte of the year quickly descends into apocalyptic chaos. In this satirical tragicomedy, Ammaniti reveals a side of modern culture riddled with superficiality and vulgarity that nourishes our deepest dreams and insecurities.

Praise

“Brilliant, smooth, neurotic, and at times scathing.” —Le Monde

“Ammaniti has constructed a novel you will not easily forget, rescuing the genius of Federico Fellini to mix chaos, social criticism, and chronic human frailties. . . . A fast-paced, fevered comedy.” —El Mundo

“A bittersweet book where you laugh knowing that there really isn’t anything to laugh about.” —La Repubblica

“This book pulls off a rare feat: an action-packed but well-paced satire populated with characters rather than caricatures.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] raunchy, satirical romp.” —Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus series