Let the Games Begin

Niccolò Ammaniti

Aug 2013 · Bolinda · Narrated by Rupert Degas

About this audiobook

It's the night of the most decadent party of the century. A rags-to-riches real estate magnate has planned an over-the-top weekend safari for the who’s-who of celebrities at his sprawling residence in Villa Ada ‒ once a public park, now the largest private home in Rome. Starlets, politicians, soccer stars, and intellectuals all turn up to rub elbows. Among them is a neurotically charming author struggling to write his next literary tome and pining for renewed recognition. In an unexpected turn of events, he crosses paths with The Wilde Beasts of Abaddon, a satanic sect planning to ruin the evening’s festivities in order to go down in history as a world-famous cult. What was intended as the most spectacular fête of the year quickly descends into apocalyptic chaos. In this satirical tragicomedy, Niccolò Ammaniti, winner of the prestigious Strega Prize, reveals a side of modern culture riddled with superficiality and vulgarity that nourishes our deepest dreams and insecurities.

About the author

Niccolò Ammaniti is one of Italy's brightest literary stars. His fiction combines tense horror with the blackest comedy and displays a knowing intelligence. Ammaniti's allusions to 1970s film and B-movie schlock place him at the vanguard of Italy's so-called giovani cannibali - young cannibals - who draw variously on kung-fu videos, comics and pop music (Bryan "Ferrari" Ferry) to conjure a disaffected modern Italy.

Rupert Degas is a prolific audiobook narrator with over 200 titles to his name. He has provided voices for over 30 animated films and series including Bob the Builder, The Amazing World of Gumball, Thomas & Friends and The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill. Rupert has performed in many radio series and video games, as well as voicing thousands of commercials and promos. He also sometimes appears on film, TV and stage, most notably in the original London productions of Stones in His Pockets and The 39 Steps – for which he and the team won the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Comedy.