The New York Times Book Review - Alison McCulloch
Uh oh, here comes another one of those colorful curmudgeons who drop pearls of senior wisdom on their way to a new lease on life. Cesare certainly fits the stereotype, but he's funny, interesting and grumpy enough to stay on the winning side of the formula.
Siegener Zeitung
‘A book that touches the heart...wonderfully honest, ingenious, quick and tragic.’
bookoxygen
‘Poignant...[with] moments of touching eccentricity.’
Italien Magazin
‘A wonderful novel about ageing – ironic and light-footed.’
Daily Mail
‘Sad, funny, wise and unblinkingly honest, this is truly wonderful.’
TripFiction
‘The Temptation to be Happy is that very rare thing - a book that can make you both laugh and cry... Marone's undoubted skill [is] demonstrated in some beautiful lyrical passages.'
World Literature Today
‘Marone’s characters, irreverent and absurd, embark on adventures they had ceased to allow themselves to imagine in this darkly comedic take on ageing.’
Il Mattino
‘This novel owes its success largely to Lorenzo Marone’s wonderful character Cesare Annunziata, and to the funny and paradoxical fact that this is an excellent coming-of-age novel whose protagonist is over seventy years old.’
Daily Telegraph
‘A charming tale.’
New York Times Book Review
‘Uh-oh, here comes another one of those colourful curmudgeons who drop pearls of senior wisdom on their way to a new lease on life. Cesare certainly fits the stereotype, but he’s funny, interesting and grumpy enough to stay on the winning side of the formula.’
Mail on Sunday
‘Immensely charming... Uplifting and very much on the side of life.’
Corriere della Sera
‘Lorenzo Marone is the new voice that literature needs.’
Reading Magazine
‘An impressive literary feat...a charming tale of opportunities taken and missed.’
Northern Echo
‘Packed with dark humour, the writer's embodiment of a near-octogenarian is an impressive feat.’
Wochenspiegel
‘Comic, ironic, sarcastic descriptions that will make you smile but will also make you take a deep look at life in old age.’
La Stampa
‘A toast to real happiness!’
Daily Mail
‘Sad, funny, wise and unblinkingly honest, this is truly wonderful.’
The New York Times Book Review
Uh-oh, here comes another one of those colorful curmudgeons who drop pearls of senior wisdom on their way to a new lease on life. Cesar certainly fits the stereotype, but he’s funny, interesting and grumpy enough to stay on the winning side of the formula.
From the Publisher
Italian author Lorenzo Marone’s main character in THE TEMPTATION TO BE HAPPY is the seventy-seven-year-old widower, Cesare, who lives rather aimlessly until he receives a new neighbor he cannot help but investigate. Marone’s characters, irreverent and absurd, embark on adventures they had ceased to allow themselves to imagine in this darkly comedic take on aging.”
— World Literature Today
"Sad, funny, wise and unblinkingly honest, this is truly wonderful."
—Daily Mail (UK)
NYTBR
Uh-oh, here comes another one of those colorful curmudgeons who drop pearls of senior wisdom on their way to a new lease on life. Cesar certainly fits the stereotype, but he’s funny, interesting and grumpy enough to stay on the winning side of the formula.
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Lorenzo Marone creates an oddly wonderful protagonist in 77-year-old widower Cesare Annunziata. Arthur Morey’s performance puts flesh on Cesare’s cranky bones. Cesare lives alone and likes it. He avoids connection with everyone, even his own daughter. His only intimate contact comes from an occasional liaison with Rosanna, a nurse/sex worker. Then, Emma and her sketchy husband move into a nearby flat, and Cesare’s life changes. Always believable, Morey captures Cesare’s transformation from a depressed, sarcastic, aging recluse with grim observations on life to a man with a purpose and the possibility of a future. Morey keeps a wide range of emotions under control, providing sweetly understated moments. Funny, engaging, and truthful, Marone’s novel is made even better by Morey’s narration. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
