It’s nice to see you at Reader’s Den! This month we are reading The Human Body (2014), the second novel by author Paolo Giordano and which Anne Milano Appel has translated. You may know his award-winning novel The Solitude of Prime Numbers (2010), which tells the coming-of-age story of two outcasts who overcame traumatic experiences in their early years. In the next couple of weeks, we will discuss trauma from a different perspective. Within this account, we will be looking at the psychological impact of comradeship, family, and war taken on by a platoon of Italian soldiers based in Afghanistan.

Reviews of The Human Body:

“The first page indicates that the platoon’s experience was particularly horrible...but the fact that the mission runs off the rails is almost secondary to the beauty, texture, and acuity with which Giordano captures the day-to-day routines of the soldiers, and their efforts to make sense of both their lives in Italy and their military assignment.” —Publishers Weekly

“As the title suggests, the book is less about military heroism than the devastating human impact of combat. Well-observed and compassionate, this is a memorable look at imperfect people in extreme circumstances.” —Kirkus

So, please join me in reading The Human Body and post below any comments that you may have. Click on the link Part 2 (Questions) to move forward in the discussion.