Trick

Sharp, succinct storytelling and breathtaking prose combine in this new novel by the author of Ties, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a Kirkus Reviews and Sunday Times Best Book of the Year.

Trick is a stylish drama about ambition, family, and old-age that goes beyond the ordinary and predictable. Imagine a duel between two men. One, Daniele Mallarico, is a successful illustrator who, in the twilight of his years, feels that his reputation and his artistic prowess are fading. The other, Mario, is Daniele's four-year-old grandson. Daniele has been living in a cold northern city for years, in virtual solitude, focusing obsessively on his work, when his daughter asks if he would come to Naples for a few days and babysit Mario while she and her husband attend a conference. Shut inside his childhood home-an apartment in the center of Naples that is filled with the ghosts of Mallarico's past-grandfather and grandson match wits as Daniele heads toward a reckoning with his own ambitions and life choices.

Outside the apartment, pulses Naples, a wily, violent, and passionate city whose influence can never be shaken.

Trick is a gripping, brilliantly devised drama, "an extremely playful literary composition," as Jhumpa Lahiri describes it in her introduction, by the Strega Prize-winning novelist whom many consider to be one of Italy's greatest living writers.

Commended for National Book Awards (Translation) 2018

“Praise for Domenico Starnone's Ties " Ties is...the leanest, most understated and emotionally powerful novel by Domenico Starnone."--Rachel Donadio, The New York Times " Ties is puzzle-like, architectural, a novel ingeniously constructed."-- The New Yorker " Ties is a masterful study of passing time."-- National Post (Canada) "[ Ties ] is as vivid and devastating as anything you will read this year. A slim, stunning meditation on marriage, fidelity, honesty, and truth."-- Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) "Scalding and incisive."-- Library Journal (Starred Review) "An expertly crafted short novel that is charmingly intimate, disarmingly chatty and laced with some walloping surprises."-- Shelf Awareness "Ingeniously constructed."-- Financial Times "Absolutely gripping from start to finish... a really stunning book."--Victoria Hislop, author of Cartes Postales from Greece "Each detail resonates, from the name of the family cat to the idiosyncratic way in which Aldo ties his shoes to his cherished Polaroids. Distinguished by its distinctive characters and clarity of tone, Ties is a gem."--Jane Ciabattari, BBC "A complex and devastating dissection of a relationship, superbly teased apart and considered from all possible viewpoints."-- The Times "A tight tale of domestic carnage."-- The Times Literary Supplement "The story glints and cuts like smashed crystal."--Anthony Cummins, The Guardian "A fine piece of story-telling... there is a feel of legerdemain to it--capturing and conveying a great deal in a relatively small space."--M.A. Orthofer, The Complete Review "Brief, brilliant and unnerving."--Margot Livesey, author of Mercury "A cleverly crafted psychological thriller, this slim, intimate novel deftly undoes contemporary gender constructions as well as timeless notions of truth, fidelity, and sacrifice."--Jennifer Tseng, author of Mayumi and the Sea of Happiness "A superlative novel, Ties offers an x-ray image both of love that is love in name only and of destruction, specifically a home torn apart by something that at first seems to be a tornado but turns out to be Starnone's brilliant writing."-- Il Giornale " Ties is a masterfully crafted synthesis of Starnone's storytelling technique and prose style."--Christian Raimo, Internazionale " Ties is not simply a novel about a couple in crisis, but a work of literature where staged scenes featuring one's unrealized self are propped up by the indestructible scaffolding of marriage."--Daniela Brogi, Le Parole e le Cose”

"One of Italy's most accomplished novelists spins a wonderful story about an elderly illustrator and his four-year-old grandson."

"Trick is a chillingly weird chamber piece - a very tricksy treat."

"Starnone packs a huge amount into a small compass."

"Starnone echoes James throughout, with ghoulish hallucinations, and piercing insights into identity and the shifting perceptions of ageing."

"Superb."

"A sharp observation of two unlikely rivals matching wits and a trenchant analysis of aging, family and art, this deliciously addictive novel is a treat to read."

“Astute and emotionally precise… this remarkably layered work encourages rereading to unearth new and subtle interpretations.”

Domenico Starnone was born in Naples and lives in Rome. He is the author of thirteen works of fiction, including First Execution (Europa, 2009), Via Gemito, winner of Italy's most prestigious literary prize, the Strega, and Ties (Europa, 2017), a New York Times Editors' Pick and Notable Book of the Year, and a Sunday Times and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year.

Jhumpa Lahiri is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of interpreter of Maladies. Her books include The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth, The Lowland, and, most recently, In Other Words, an exploration of language and identity. She is the translator of Starnone's Ties.

" Imagine a duel. A face-off between a man and a boy. Sharp, succinct storytelling and breathtaking prose combine in this new novel by the author of Ties , a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and a Kirkus Reviews and Sunday Times Best Book of the Year. Trick is a stylish drama about ambition, family, and old-age that goes beyond the ordinary and predictable. Imagine a duel between two men. One, Daniele Mallarico, is a successful illustrator who, in the twilight of his years, feels that his reputation and his artistic prowess are fading. The other, Mario, is Daniele's four-year-old grandson. Daniele has been living in a cold northern city for years, in virtual solitude, focusing obsessively on his work, when his daughter asks if he would come to Naples for a few days and babysit Mario while she and her husband attend a conference. Shut inside his childhood home-an apartment in the center of Naples that is filled with the ghosts of Mallarico's past-grandfather and grandson match wits as Daniele heads toward a reckoning with his own ambitions and life choices. Outside the apartment, pulses Naples, a wily, violent, and passionate city whose influence can never be shaken. Trick is a gripping, brilliantly devised drama, ""an extremely playful literary composition,"" as Jhumpa Lahiri describes it in her introduction, by the Strega Prize-winning novelist whom many consider to be one of Italy's greatest living writers. "

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.