The Hoax of the Little Virgin in Via Ormea — Amara Lakhous

A Turin journalist must investigate when a local girl is allegedly assaulted by two Romani boys in this farcical whodunit for fans of Alaa Al Aswany.

Bittersweet, like any self-respecting Italian comedy, The Prank is a Pirandellian exploration of identity in today's multicultural, polyglot societies. Lakhous draws inspiration from everyday reality, describing his approach to writing as “total literature,” a term he has adapted from soccer's “total football.” He plays in attack, describing in this work the realities of an Italy of the future with colorful characters portrayed in limpid but lively prose.

Praise for Amara Lakhous

“French and British literatures have long been enriched by the biculturalism of authors like Tahar Ben Jelloun, Amin Maalouf, Gaitam Malkani, and Monica Ali. With talented new writers like Lakhous, Italy is closing the gap.” -- New York Times

“As a novelist of culture clash, Lakhous has the faculty to maintain colorful voices with the luxury of introducing political themes as instantiations of character.” -- Bookforum