Stefano Benni (All press)
- May 5 2008
Library Journal: "Benni again unveils his Italian brand of magical realism for readers of English, this time demonstrating a decidedly more political slant than what featured in his previous novel, Margherita Dolce Vita." - Feb 17 2007
The New York Times: "Thanks to Stefano Benni and his translator, Antony Shugaar, we have a renewed appreciation of the imagination's ability to free us from our increasingly mundane surroundings." - Jan 6 2007
The Sunday Telegraph: "Just the thing to wake you from wintry hibernation, this book is a firecracker. The world of Margherita Dolce Vita jumps from the page into three-dimensional life, fizzing with wit and wisdom." - Jan 3 2007
The Guardian: "As loyal readers of Stefano Benni might expect, his new novel is a lively, whimsical and furiously contemporary satire, which can and should be enjoyed on its own merits." - Nov 29 2006
The Sun (New York): "In his Italian best seller "Margherita Dolce Vita," Mr. Benni takes advantage of the child's given naivete and sensationalism, to create a world of magical realism." - Nov 27 2006
The Daily Telegraph: "This novel - seamlessly translated by Anthony Shugaar - sets the violent forces of technology and consumerism against the lyrical pragmatism of a teenage girl." - Nov 21 2006
The Written Nerd: "Holy cow, this is an amazing book. It's New Fabulist, anti-capitalist/consumerist, witty and youthful, contemporary and terrifying." - Nov 15 2006
People: "The adorable, chubby, brainy young Margherita, has a moral that’s a hilarious bit of social commentary." - Nov 9 2006
Elle: "The themes of urbanization, modernization, and nostalgia for “the good life” [Benni] allegorizes here will resonate with American readers—and his pitch-perfect heroine will translate as hilarious and marvelous in any culture." - Oct 30 2006
San Francisco Chronicle: "Once you've sampled 'Margherita Dolce Vita,' Fo's support makes perfect sense." - Sep 20 2006
Booklist (starred review): "Benni’s seriocomic vision of the drastic consequences of unchecked consumerism, environmental decimation, and End Times mania is at once fantastic and believable, delightful and chilling." - Sep 5 2006
Publishers Weekly: "That Margherita's is an allegorical war for modern, suburbanizing Italy's soul—indeed for la dolce vita—won't be lost on U.S. readers: Benni is sly and spiky in his satire." - Aug 24 2006
Kirkus (starred review): "This inventive satire stars 15-year-old Margherita, as charismatic, though far wiser, than British author Sue Townsend’s popular creation Adrian Mole."