Lost on me by Veronica Raimo

Italian fiction

Original title –Niente di vero

Translator – Leah Janeczko

Source – Personal copy

Veronica Raimo grew up in Rome. She studied German cinema at university and has lived in Berlin since earning her degree. She has translated books from English into Italian and also written for a number of magazines, including Rolling Stone La Repubblica and Corriere Della Sera. She has had several novels and short story collections out. This is her second book to be translated into English. Her brother is also a writer Christian, but it hasn’t yet been translated into English. This on paper when I read the blurbs around the books on the International Booker longlist appealed. I am a Fan of coming-of-age books. I like books that use vignettes as a style of writing. So I was eager to read this and had placed it on the list of books as a break from a couple I wasn’t sure about.

My short-term plan was to take the train to Fiumicino Airport so I could say goodbye to Za— the boy I was dating-who was leaving for Ireland. This was back when Ireland was all the rage and spending three weeks surrounded by drab little towns, the countryside, drizzle, dark beer, and shitty music seemed like something to experience.

It was the first real goodbye in my life. To be perfectly honest, I’d been building up to that moment in my mind since the day we started going out. In fact, I think that was exactly why I started dating him in the first place: so we could leave each other. The thought that hed be leaving the country soon ensured me a misery I could enjoy without the hassle of having to go out and find one myself.

I connected with this as a kid I hitched the length of  england a few times just trying to escape my family life.

Vero is the narrator of our story. She, like the writer herself, has grown up in Rome. The book as I said is told in Vignettes. In fact, it happens that most of the material started as part of a stand-up routine she used to do. I get that from recollections like when she was four, knowing all the Juventas players, we all had little odd things as a kid we could do. Her mother may be a typical helicopter parent constantly wanting contact with her children. Then her father remind me a bit of my stepfather, another day man, but that never quite finishes what he started. Many odd childhood events make you see this as a little tongue-in-cheek and a writer who remembers those funny moments so well. Then I loved the change from Child to adult as she headed out in the world. Like myeself she had spent time in Germany ok she was in Berlin and i was in the small town Kleve. But that first feeling of mishaps and sexual awakenings. The loss of her father reminds me of the loss of my Mum. There is a time when she is turning 40, she wants to let her know, and I have so often wanted to do this since I lost my mum’s mothers and sons and for her Father and daughters.

I love living in other peoples homes. Discovering their books, their records, their sex toys, the orgasms of their neighbors, using their shampoo, drinking espresso from their cups. That sense of alienation that makes me feel like myself. Unlike the saying about the devil and his pots, I’ve always taken “Try putting yourself in someone else’s shoes” literally. I feel good in other peoples shoes, in other people’s clothes. I open unfamiliar wardrobes and slip on whatever’s there. I look at my reflection in the mirror and recognize myself.

Don’t we all love this having a look at other shelves and flipping through their records.

I initially put this down and felt a little underwhelmed, but since I read it, I have a chuckle at this bit and that bit of the book. I realised I actually loved parts of it and the wry humour. In hidsight would be suited for a radio comedy I felt it suit that style as a book it works but this ios a wiork that needs to be spoken and read in a way to fully grab the humour underlying it at times. I get why it is  compared to Fleabag it has a similar humour that shows a rebellious young woman in a way that is a fresh character in fiction we’ve had to many young guys it makes a change to read this sort of coming of age with a female voice at the centre of the book (I’m know thinking god I sound old !) Have you read this or any other books with interesting female narrators at the heart?

Winstons score B solid fun book would like to listen to this as audio imagine the humour would come over more than in my voice if that makes sense