Una estremecedora mirada a la mala conciencia de un hombre acomodado. En un hospital italiano, Timoteo, un prestigioso cirujano, vela a su hija Angela, una muchacha de 15 años que se encuentra en coma tras un accidente de moto. Embargado por el dolor y los remordimientos, Timoteo busca refugio en las palabras y emprende un desgarrador monólogo en el que se enfrenta a los fantasmas de un oscuro pasado que le sigue avergonzando. No te muevas, el deslumbrante debut de Margaret Mazzantini, ha estado durante más de dos años en las listas de libros más vendidos en Italia y ha atrapado a miles de lectores transalpinos con su lúcida visión de las miserias de la doble moral.

I am waffling between 3 stars and 4 stars.

When I hear that a book written in first-person, such as [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775], is being made into a movie, I wonder how the filmmakers are going to handle it. The story is entirely from Katniss' perspective, and she is telling it, so some of her voice and vision will inevitably get lost in film. I am willing to bet money that the adaptation of Don't Move is better than the book, because there will be less of the voice of Timoteo!

After his daughter is seriously injured in an accident, Timoteo sits outside her operating room and silently tells her of the affair he had the year before she was born. His confession begins with his car breaking down in a sketchy town, where he meets Italia - tired, poor, and unattractive. Although he has a beautiful wife and a successful career as a surgeon, Timoteo is dissatisfied. Upon meeting Italia, his frustration comes to a head and, um, he rapes her. Um, yeah. Definitely not a meet-cute. Despite this, er, questionable beginning, Timoteo becomes sexually obsessed with Italia, and she with him. He must decide whether to continue his comfortable existence with his wife or experience passion and life with Italia.

That sounds like an excellent movie. I can totally see this working as some kind of modern erotic Italian Neorealist piece. The reason I didn't enjoy the book is because I could not stand Timoteo's self-loathing narration of his brutality, selfishness, and cowardice. I guess it comes down to I would rather watch a weasel than read about a weasel.

PS - I am amused that Margaret Mazzantini dedicated this book to her husband. And then he directed and starred in the film adaptation! That's either really sweet or really twisted. ( )

Non ci provare
Una o due stelle, ma anche tre, a uno qualsiasi dei romanzi della Mazzantini? No dai, non ci provare! Sei sicuramente avvezzo a trastullarti con romanzetti rosa scialbi scritti coi piedi, e faresti bene a continuare su quella strada. Suvvia, questo romanzo è di una bellezza sconcertante. Eccheccacchio! ( )

Una mattina Angela ha un incidente con il suo scooter. Trasportata d'urgenza in ospedale, viene identificata da una rianimatrice come la figlia di un suo amico, un chirurgo dell'ospedale, Timoteo. Venuto a conoscenza della notizia, l'uomo ripensa al suo passato e si rivolge con un lungo monologo alla figlia, a cui racconta un periodo della sua vita fino ad allora tenuto segreto: la passione per una travagliata ragazza di borgata, Italia, che lo portò alla rinascita, alla scoperta di sé, quando ormai tutto sembrava non avere più alcun senso. Un amore nato come sfogo orrendo, tramontato quando era sul punto di divenire vita. La morte della donna in seguito a una setticemia causata da un aborto lascerà un vuoto incolmabile in Timoteo, che si vedrà costretto a riprendere la propria strada e tornare alla sua arida esistenza familiare e alla sua vita di facciata. Solo in seguito, la figura della figlia risanerà parzialmente la grande ferita.

How do we value a book we read? What makes us feel that this is an excellent one? Is it The story? Maybe it's the Writing? Perhaps The connection between us and the book?

As far as I am concerned, the book has to touch my emotional place. There are books I admire about writing, the beauty of the idea, but I remain detached. And sometimes some books manage to touch me, and it has nothing to do with pleasure.

This one was written by an Italian writer. The story is simple: a father who is a senior surgeon sits outside an operating room in his hospital, a place where his only daughter is diagnosed with a severe accident. And does what we all do while we are in a state of disaster: thinking about his life, trying to understand the logic of what is happening, feeling guilty about the choices he made.

I find it hard to say that I enjoyed reading the book. There are parts in it that I really felt sick when I read them. But the book didn't allow me to stop reading it, and I still think of it sometimes.

The book is compelling, requiring the reader to think about subjects he doesn't always want to think about. Recommends reading it to non-romantic people with an overly sensitive stomach. ( )