The City of the Living: A literary chronicle narrating one of the most vicious crimes in recent Roman history

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The spellbinding true story of one of the most vicious crimes in recent Italian history

In March 2016, in an apartment on the outskirts of Rome, two "ordinary" young men brutally tortured and murdered twenty-two-year-old Luca Varani. News of the seemingly inexplicable crime sent shockwaves across Rome and beyond. After the crime comes to light, Lagioia begins investigating the crime by meeting with the victim's family and corresponding with one of the killers. It soon becomes clear, however, that to investigate this crime means to descend into the darkest corners of Rome and of the human psyche. Lagioia leads us through a maze of betrayed expectations, sexual confusion, economic grievances and identity crises to locate the breaking point, the point after which anything is possible. Sharp, hypnotic, and devastating, The City of The Living is not just the story of a crime, but of human nature itself: the tension between responsibility and guilt, between the drive to oppress and the desire to be free, and between who we are and who we can become.

Reviews

Psychogeography at its most perceptive. * Financial Times *
The City of the Living is narrative at its best...the kind that breathes life into a crimes case files and brings us disturbingly close to its perpetrators. * Domenico Starnone, Corriere della Sera *
Make no mistake: this is a novel of modern Rome in all its beauty and flaws, and having its roots in true life makes it even more powerful. * Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time *
"An absorbing study of the banality of evil." * Kirkus Reviews *
Outlining the decay of the human psyche with a historic city in the background, The City Of The Living builds to a climactic moment. * Buzz Magazine *
I dont think its possible to praise this book enough. * CrimeReads *
A chilling account of a true crime. it reads like a gripping novel, to the point where youll need to remind yourself that this is a real story. For those who enjoy true crime, crime fiction, or want to learn more about Romes seedier side, The City of the Living will undoubtedly capture your attention. * West Words Reviews *
"Reading some books can be an experience as extreme as the story they tell... This is the case with Nicola Lagioias The City of the Living." * La Repubblica *
"A magnificent panorama of Rome, dark and rotting." * Domani *

Author Bio

Nicola Lagioia is one of Italy's most critically acclaimed contemporary novelists, and has been the recipient of the Volponi, Straniero, and Viareggio awards, in addition to the Strega. In 2010 he was named one of Italy's best writers under forty. He has been a jury member of the Venice Film Festival and is the program director of the Turin Book Fair. Lagioia is a contributor to Italy's most prominent culture pages. He was born in Bari, and lives in Rome.

Ann Goldstein has translated into English all of Elena Ferrante's books, including The Story of the Lost Child, which was also shortlisted for the Booker International Prize. She has been honoured with a Guggenheim Fellowship and is the recipient of the PEN Renato Poggioli Translation Award. She lives in New York.