Here we have two instant classics. The “Change Your Life” claim is certainly a bold one, yet it pales in comparison to the audacity and pure, entertaining shock value of Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano and Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. Although these are completely different tales (Gomorrah about the Neapolitan mafia a.k.a. the Camorra, Shantaram about an Australian convicted fugitive named Gregory David Roberts who finds himself at home in the wild Bombay criminal underworld), both are nonfictional, autobiographical accounts that exude a passion and energy rarely seen even in fiction.
Gomorrah: The personal account by Naples native Roberto Saviano (who, since the novel’s release, has lived under constant police protection) exposes the shocking reality and relevance of Italy’s vast and globally-dominant organized crime regimes. Focusing on the Camorra (known locally as The System), the organized crime syndicate that dominates Naples and the surrounding province of Campania (analogous to the Cosa Nostra of Sicily and the ‘Ndrangheta of Calabria), Gomorrah reveals first-hand how the Camorra’s absolute economic and criminal dominance within the region has created a society and way of life unimaginable in most Western countries, characterized by constant and brutal violence and total submission to “The System” (no coincidence that Campania has one of the highest murder rates in the world). Far more advanced and economically powerful than your typical criminal organization, the Camorra dominates not only all criminal activity in the region (from drug-dealing to international arms dealing), but actually derives the majority of its revenues from legitimate businesses in “Clan”-dominated industries such as waste management, construction, development, and even high fashion. The Camorra’s revenues represent 4% of Italy’s entire GDP; the local governments in Naples and the surrounding area are dissolved on average once every six months due to Camorra infiltration. And this is just The System’s effect on the national/state level; the true insanity and gripping shock value of this autobiographical tale are derived from Saviano’s personal experiences and accounts, which reveal the overbearing and suffocating presence that the Camorra imposes upon every citizen of Campania, challenging the world to offer a solution or even just evidence that “The System” isn’t imperishable. Saviano’s effusive and in-your-face literary style is unlike anything you’ve ever read, conveying beautifully the Wild West/Romantic mentality of southern Italy. Along with making you dearly appreciate life and freedoms we all take for granted in the US or any other Western country, in Gomorrah Saviano personally and forcefully calls to your attention the dire plight of southern Italy and its age-old interdependence with the mob. Recently made into a dramatic motion picture by Italian director and namesake Matteo Garone.
Shantaram: Page 1: Gregory David Roberts arrives in Bombay after fleeing Australia as the most wanted man in the country (he escaped from prison during a 20-year sentence for a series of armed robberies). Mr. Roberts has had a rough past: “I’d robbed banks, and dealth drugs, and I’d been beaten by prison warders until my bones broke. I’d been stabbed, and I’d stabbed men in return. I’d escaped from a hard prison full of hard men, the hard way – over the front wall. Still, that first encounter with the ragged misery of the [Bombay] slum, heartbreak all the way to the horizon, cut into my eyes. For a time, I ran onto the knives.” Though clearly cut from a different mold than your typical life philosopher and soul-searching poet, Roberts immediately establishes himself as a versatile, gentle, and emotionally enlightened individual – all the while continuing his criminal career as a smuggler, counterfeiter, and gunrunner. Offering poignant insights on love alongside a well-written account of the fascinating Bombay criminal underworld, Shantaram reads like a novel yet is too tangible and factually rich to be fiction.
“It took me a long time and most of the world to learn what I know about love and fate and the choices we make, but the heart of it came to me in an instant, while I was chained to a wall and being tortured.”
And for some Noise Porn:
Everyday Struggle – Notorious B.I.G. & Frank Sinatra
8/10
Boulevard of Flashing Lights (Kanye West vs. Green Day vs. Oasis) – Party Ben
7.5/10
Bits & Pieces – Junior Boys
8/10
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TDOV was lucky enough to go see Ratatat ball out last night in LA, and felt that a correlated post would be an appropriate tribute to their musical artistry. Enjoy a few key remixes (buy the original cds!).
Anyone not living under a rock has heard MIA’s ubiqituous song Paper Planes, so there’s no need to really explain its awesomeness. Here’s a taste of some different takes on the clash-driven ode to guns and money
