Perfection (novel)

This article is about a novel by Vincenzo Latronico. For other uses, see Perfection (disambiguation).
Perfection
Italian book cover
AuthorVincenzo Latronico
LanguageItalian
SubjectPrivilege, Insularity, Authenticity, Relationships, Fulfillment
GenreNovel, Literary fiction
Set inBerlin, Lisbon
Published2022
PublisherNew York Review Books
Publication placeUnited Kingdom, United States
Published in English
2025
Media typePrint, E-book, Audio
Pages125
ISBN9781681378725
OCLC1442322411

Perfection is a 2022 novel by Vincenzo Latronico.[1] It has been translated from Italian into English by Sophie Hughes.[2][3][4] The book has been shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize.[5][6] It was published by New York Review Books, Fitzcarraldo Editions and Text Publishing in 2025.[6][7]

Plot

Millennial digital artists, Anna and Tom, have become expats in Berlin. They moved from a "large but peripheral city in Southern Europe" during Angela Merkel's second term, when Berlin's influence was expanding across Europe.[2] They moved into a 19th-century flat in the trendy Neukölln area. The couple focused on materials that expressed their acculturated tastes, their online identities, and the art and excitement of the city of Berlin itself. Ultimately they experienced an emptiness to their lives as the years passed. They then embarked on a digital nomad lifestyle to Lisbon and then Sicily, only to discover that wherever they go their life is the same. [2][3][8][9]

The novel is a tribute to George Perec's Things: A Story of the Sixties, which shares a similar plot and themes.[3][4][9]

Reception

The novel received positive reviews from critics. Thomas McMullan of The Guardian praised it as "thought-provoking" and praised Latronico's satire, but criticized aspects of the style.[4]

Alice Gregory of The New Yorker praised the execution of the novel and Latronico's commentary.[3]

Sophie Hughes' translation of the novel into English was shortlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize, making her the first translator to receive 5 nominations and the first translator to be shortlisted three times.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Le perfezioni - Bompiani". Bompiani Editore (in Italian). Retrieved 11 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Ruby, Ryan (March 14, 2025). "A Satire of the Expat's Berlin: Utopian, Urbane, Unstable". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Gregory, Alice (March 12, 2025). ""Perfection" Is the Perfect Novel for an Age of Aimless Aspiration". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c McMullan, Thomas (February 8, 2025). "Perfection by Vincenzo Latronico review – an object lesson in hollow hipsterism". The Guardian. United Kingdom.
  5. ^ Marshall, Alex (April 8, 2025). "International Booker Prize Shortlist: 6 Books to Talk About". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2025.
  6. ^ a b The Booker Library (April 2025). "Perfection". The Booker Prizes. Booker Prize Foundation.
  7. ^ "'Perfection' by Vincenzo Latronico, translated from the Italian by Sophie Hughes". New York Review Books. April 10, 2025.
  8. ^ Foresti, Claudia (March 21, 2022). "Le perfezioni". Interni magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Connelly, Irene Katz. (April 2, 2025).The Things They Posted: Empty Aesthetics in Vincenzo Latronico’s Perfection. Words Without Borders.
  10. ^ Creamer, Ella (8 April 2025). "'Mind-expanding books': International Booker prize shortlist announced". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 April 2025.
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