‘Noto’ by Adriano Sack

‘Noto’ by Adriano Sack is la dolce vita, love, death, friendship, grief, laughter. It evokes so many emotions, both good and bad. But it's mostly hopeful.

Konrad is back in Sicily, specifically in Noto. He and his partner Adriano built a vacation home here, with their best friends right next door.

But this time, Konrad is alone. More or less. He is carrying some of Adriano’s ashes with him. And Adriano’s voice. Adriano died suddenly and tragically, and Konrad is not yet ready to let him go. His trip to Sicily is an attempt to figure out what to do with his life now that Adriano is gone.

The starting point, Adriano’s death, is sad. Yet, the author artfully addresses all the emotions. There are few books that make me laugh so much while reading them! The essence of Sicily also seems to be captured well.

Unfortunately, this book is only available in German for now.

CW: substance abuse, environmental issues