I miei stupidi intenti

‘There are many ways to praise a magnificent book. But there is only one way to praise I miei stupidi intenti (My Stupid Intentions): read it, read this novel in a state of grace.’ Marco Missiroli. This is the long life of a stone marten, told in its own words. Among the trees of the woods, the grassy hills, the underground burrows and the countryside subjugated by man, the story of an animal unlike any other unfolds. Archy is born on a winter’s night, together with his brothers: his mother’s mate has been killed, and she finds herself having to raise them alone. The animals in this book talk, use plates for food, crockery, tables, beds, light fires, but their world remains a struggle for survival, harsh and ruthless, as nature itself is. They are driven by necessity and instinct, the strongest dominate and those who lose must fend for themselves. It is precisely because she senses her son’s weakness that the mother trades Archy for a hen and a half. His new owner is called Solomon, an old fox full of secrets who lives on top of a hill. These changes will turn Archy’s life upside down: stolen loves, the daily cruelty of life, the present and the past will manifest themselves before his eyes with incredible force. Between terror and wonder, with the relentless passing of the seasons and the sting of new desires, mysteries and secrets will unfold between his paws. Archy will become less and less animal, a silent miracle in the forests, an anomaly. In contrast, within the pages of this book, the miracle of a compelling narrative accompanies the reader into a dimension that is no longer human, just when it confronts them with the essential questions of our being men and women. I miei stupidi intenti is an ambitious and lucid novel, written by a young man of only twenty-five. It is a sign of hope and of the future for those who live by books.