Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Let the Games Begin cover art

Let the Games Begin

Written by: Niccolò Ammaniti
Narrated by: Rupert Degas
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $25.24

Buy Now for $25.24

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

It's the night of the most decadent party of the century. A rags-to-riches real estate magnate has planned an over-the-top weekend safari for the who’s-who of celebrities at his sprawling residence in Villa Ada - once a public park, now the largest private home in Rome. Starlets, politicians, soccer stars, and intellectuals all turn up to rub elbows. Among them is a neurotically charming author struggling to write his next literary tome and pining for renewed recognition.

In an unexpected turn of events, he crosses paths with The Wilde Beasts of Abaddon, a satanic sect planning to ruin the evening’s festivities in order to go down in history as a world-famous cult. What was intended as the most spectacular fête of the year quickly descends into apocalyptic chaos. In this satirical tragicomedy, Niccolò Ammaniti, winner of the prestigious Strega Prize, reveals a side of modern culture riddled with superficiality and vulgarity that nourishes our deepest dreams and insecurities.

©2009 Niccolò Ammaniti, English translation copyright Kylee Doust, 2013 (P)2013 Bolinda

What the critics say

"Sometimes warmhearted, sometimes shockingly offensive, and much of the rest of the time very funny, Ammaniti’s new novel is like a rich, delicious stew.... This book pulls off a rare feat: an action-packed but well-paced satire populated with characters rather than caricatures." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Niccolo Ammaniti has constructed a novel you will not easily forget, rescuing the genius of Federico Fellini to mix chaos, social criticism and chronic human frailties... A fast-paced, fevered comedy... Ammaniti is the most gifted writer of his generation." ( El Mondo)
"Brilliant, smooth, neurotic, and at times scathing." ( Le Monde)

What listeners say about Let the Games Begin

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.