The Gorodets Publishing House has made a real gift to cinephiles by publishing in Russian the first novel by the outstanding Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, “Everybody’s Right.” Although it is not about cinema, it is saturated with it down to the...
Twelve years after its original release, Paolo Sorrentino’s novel “Everybody’s Right” is being published in Russian. And, of course, it’s about Italy and love. About his native Naples. About himself—if in veiled form. The protagonist here is the singer Tony Pagoda, an egoist and heartbreaker, a patriot who never misses a chance to grumble about how his country has changed, even when he is thousands of kilometers away from it.
The connection between the book and cinema
The prototype for Tony Pagoda is Tony Pisapia, a character played by Toni Servillo in the film “One Man Up,” which was Paolo Sorrentino’s feature film debut.
His face behind blue-lensed Ray-Bans and his red wig served as my guide when creating Tony Pagoda.
And this is only the first in a series of references to the Italian filmmaker’s own work. As you read the story of a man trying to reinvent himself in distant Brazil, fans of the director will spot winks from the author here and there. Some of them, so to speak, are given in advance. For instance, the social parties in the novel “Everybody’s Right” evoke the spirit of “The Great Beauty,” and certain episodes of the hero’s youth exactly replicate events from , even though both of those films were released much later than the book.
On December 15, Netflix released Paolo Sorrentino’s new film “The Hand of God,” filled with the director’s life experience. We tell you about another work of art by the contemporary Italian
Open material
How does Sorrentino the writer differ from Sorrentino the director?
Like the Italian’s films, the book “Everybody’s Right” is full of colorful characters: from the protagonist’s laconic concert manager Jenny Aphrodite, who always knows what to say, to the charismatic Italian immigrant who can take on a dozen Brazilians in a fight.
These people and their destinies significantly influence the formation of the main character. Although they don’t drive the plot (plot here is a relative concept), they are a crucial component of it. From their personalities, readers can glean a lot: learn about the Italian way of life from the inside, and assess the attitude toward religion, sex, patriotism, and success.
— The concert was good, but remember one thing, Tony: success… success is shitting on everyone, — says Frank Sinatra and laughs like an alcoholic.
Like the Italian’s films, the book “Everybody’s Right” is full of humor. There is a whole chapter dedicated to Tony Pagoda’s “acquaintance” with Brazilian cockroaches (they even earned a spot on the cover). For the author, these creatures become a metaphor for the existence of some people and a way to poke fun at them.
Paolo Sorrentino’s wit is evident in almost every dialogue, every description of a new character or event. Even an attempt to drive a bat out of the house turns into a comedy of errors and a precursor to the loss of innocence!
A significant difference between Sorrentino the writer and Sorrentino the filmmaker is that here he has more room to express his thoughts. Many chapters in the novel are streams of the author’s consciousness, an account of his attitude toward the most diverse aspects of life, be it football or cheating on an unloved wife.
So what is the novel “Everybody’s Right” really about?
About love. What else. But not the saccharine kind that dozens of movies with Meg Ryan were made about. Though it couldn’t do without excessively emotional Italian passions. No. Love, according to Sorrentino, is the ability to value the people around you, the knowledge that every moment matters, whether you’re in your native Naples or the overseas jungles of Brazil, whether you’re in bed with the most stunning woman in the world or on the shore with your old friends.
Yes, those who say that the book “Everybody’s Right” turned out to be about everything and nothing will be right. It lacks a coherent plot (the move to Brazil mentioned in the synopsis occurs well past the middle of the narrative), but it is full of chaotic thoughts. However, if you have ever watched a Sorrentino film (and you probably have if this book caught your interest), you will get exactly what makes people love the Italian creator.
Comments
0No comments yet.
Sign in to join the discussion.