Novel Summary

The novel is based on an authentic diary, written by a teenager whose tracks were lost years ago, who we will call Emmanuel for convention: the book is set in the early 90s. Emmanuel is a restless teenager, the son of a family of small industrialists from Turin, unable to be content with the lot he has and with a borderline personality that will lead him to have intense and disordered experiences, in search of the "meaning" of Beauty. In this search he overwhelms several characters, including Antonia, his brother Michele's girlfriend, ending up getting himself and her into trouble. The ruthless self-analysis to which the psychologist forces him acts as the common thread of the narration, leading him to a particularly sincere, at times acute and profound, inner excavation.

The first part - "The wind inside"

This audiobook corresponds to the first part of the novel, which covers a very limited but eventful time span: from February to November 1994. The protagonist, Emmanuel, is sixteen years old, but the experiences - at times traumatic - that he is forced to face deeply mark his hypersensitive psyche.

The interpreters

The interpreters are mainly Vincent-Paul Miller, Nicole Del Monaco and Steffan Wilson (plus other interpreters who act as extras).

Musical notes

The protagonist's passion for pop-rock music made the introduction of musical tracks throughout the various chapters inevitable, at least because he and his interlocutors often talk about it. They are mostly period pieces, with the exception of chapter 18 ("Blackout"), which features "Dog Meat Stew" by Conil, a contemporary musician who kindly gave us his permission.

Awards won by the novel

The novel on which the audiobook is based, titled at the time "Michelle K.", was submitted in 2005-2006 to some competitions reserved for unpublished works, winning several awards: Literary Award "Odusia Scouting I Edizione" 2006 (1st overall, Fiction section), Mario Pannunzio Award 2005 (among the 10 finalists in the Fiction section), Fiction Competition "Il nostro bisogno di consolazione" 2006 (second place), In-edita Competition 2006 (among the 20 finalists), Le Nuvole Peter Russell Literary Award 2005-6 (honorable mention), Chiave di svolta Literary Competition 2006 (honorable mention), Donne in vetrina Sibilla Aleramo Literary Competition 2006 (honorable mention), Lettere d'amore Competition Noubs Editions 2006 (Report).