Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

A tedious book - I really wanted to like it, but the pedantic and moralistic tone the author used prevented me to do so. Doesn't surprise me, though, as this is the tone most 21st century italian authors seem to adopt while writing.

The Catholic School by Eduardo Albinati is set in the halls and corridors of San Leone Magno, Italy, in the late 1960s and the 1970s. It is a prestigious school, education only the rich and powerful. The book explores the world of those prestigious students, some of the most influential teachers as well as the structures of power in modern Italy. Just like in many schools across the globe, Catholic and otherwise, the legacy of abuse continued for decades, centuries even and this novel was no exception. The author here explored the legacy of abuse, the crimes of the Italian bourgeoisie, and the systematic coexistence of sex, violence, and masculinity in their bourgeoisie world. This piece of work was beautifully translated, very well written, however I did find it to be excessively drawn out in parts. It followed three wealthy former pupils who commit a heinous crime. They torture, rape and finally murder two women. This novel was based on the Circeo massacre which rocked the whole of Italy at the time. It explored the criminal underbelly of the privileged classes and how deception and underhand play featured so prominently in their daily lives.

The Catholic School by Eduardo Albinati is set in the halls and corridors of San Leone Magno, Italy, in the late 1960s and the 1970s. It is a prestigious school, education only the rich and powerful. The book explores the world of those prestigious students, some of the most influential teachers as well as the structures of power in modern Italy. Just like in many schools across the globe, Catholic and otherwise, the legacy of abuse continued for decades, centuries even and this novel was no exception. The author here explored the legacy of abuse, the crimes of the Italian bourgeoisie, and the systematic coexistence of sex, violence, and masculinity in their bourgeoisie world. This piece of work was beautifully translated, very well written, however I did find it to be excessively drawn out in parts. It followed three wealthy former pupils who commit a heinous crime. They torture, rape and finally murder two women. This novel was based on the Circeo massacre which rocked the whole of Italy at the time. It explored the criminal underbelly of the privileged classes and how deception and underhand play featured so prominently in their daily lives.

Heavens, this is an impressive book! Over 1200 pages long and based on a real life event, where two girls were kidnapped and tortured, with one of them dying. Three young men were arrested and tried for their murder. They had all attended a private catholic school, one which the author also attended. The rape and murder takes up only a tiny part of the book, just a few pages. The rest is a wide ranging reflection on (mainly) the nature of masculinity. And it is immensely wide ranging. The classics are referenced extensively along with modern writers and contemporary culture. In some ways the book reminded me of Tolstoy and Hugo, in that the story narrative takes second place at times to essay like reflections on life.

So, impressive as it is, is it a book I loved? No, I can't say I loved it. I was intimidated at times by its size and scope but also I wondered whether you perhaps have to be Italian (it is a translation from Italian) to fully appreciate it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

"If a girl puts on airs, rape will unmask her. If a woman gets uppity, if she denies or concedes herself to too many men, then rape will put her back in line. If she likes solitude, or fun, or books and concerts, or if she goes around without an escort in the illusion that she is indenpendent, autonomous, or if she is too demanding because she wants to be loved and understood, then rape will make it clear to her just where she was wrong. When it's time to give her a lesson, rape is always handy"

I would describe this as a novel only in the loosest, most postmodern of ways. I would also say that if you come to this on the back of the blurb expecting a fictional narrative centring on the crime, then you might have a long wait. Through 1200 pages what Albinati delivers is a discursive analysis and assessment of the connections between violent masculinity and Italian culture: the church, 1970s Italian politics which saw neo-fascism face up to the left, patriarchy and class.

The opening set in an elite private Catholic school reminded me stylistically of Proust: the meandering thoughts process that is stimulated by something and then runs with it - but the madeleines here are far less charming.

Wide-ranging (Marx, Freud, Lucretius just for starters) this veers towards polemic in places, though the story pierces through intermittently. I was especially reminded of the literature on Roman masculinity (i.e. classical Rome) with its emphasis on virility (literally manliness in Latin), and its concomitant relationship to concepts of power and impotence.

Once I'd let go of conventional story-telling expectations, I found this compelling, intelligent and almost hypnotic. And how refreshing to find a man tackling the topics of rape and toxic masculinity without either apology or a kind of slippery embarrassment - especially in relation to what is still a macho culture.

This certainly won't be for everyone but I found it epic, honest and, yes, admirable. Think a long (long) fictional essay that engages with big questions with no flippant, easy answers.

I couldn’t read this because it was grammatically all over the place and didn’t feel like it had been proof read.