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The Wager

by Donna Jo Napoli (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 304 ratings · 90 reviews

Don Giovanni was oncethe wealthiest and handsomest young man in Messina.Then atidal wave changed everything. When a well-dressed stranger offers him a magical purse, he knows he shouldn’t take it. Only the devil would offer a deal like this, and only a fool would accept.

Don Giovanni is no fool, but he isdesperate. Hetakes the bet: he will not bathe for 3 years, 3 months,...more

Hardcover, 272 pages

Published April 27th 2010 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (first published April 22nd 2010)

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Jul 27, 2011 Anila rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, galleys-are-win, bucket-books, not-for-the-sensitive

What do you do in the way of personal hygiene?

My bet is that most of you probably shower or bathe at least every other day, if not every day. You wash your hair and your body, maybe your face; depending on personal preference, you may or may not shave. You probably dress in clean clothes, and likely you do laundry at least once every month at the outside. Maybe... minimum one haircut per year. And you probably comb your hair on a regular basis.

If you've been camping, you know what happens when...more What do you do in the way of personal hygiene?

My bet is that most of you probably shower or bathe at least every other day, if not every day. You wash your hair and your body, maybe your face; depending on personal preference, you may or may not shave. You probably dress in clean clothes, and likely you do laundry at least once every month at the outside. Maybe... minimum one haircut per year. And you probably comb your hair on a regular basis.

If you've been camping, you know what happens when that routine is interrupted. After one day, you're noticeably more greasy; after two or three your hair starts to feel heavy and hotter than usual; etcetera.

Now imagine not doing any of that for more than three years.

That's Don Giovanni's situation in this book and boy, is it ever hellish. Then again, maybe he's lucky, because he's in that fix after making a deal with the devil and at least he hasn't yet lost his soul, right?

The thing is, his soul is constantly in danger. See, here's how it works: the devil got bored, so instead of demanding Giovanni's soul in a straight-up trade, he thought he'd have some fun with the man. There's still a soul in balance, but the devil only gets it if Don Giovanni fails - oh, and the mortal loses the magical money-granting purse that tempted him into this deal in the first place. This raises all sorts of questions. Is swimming washing? Does it count if someone else bathes him? What about getting caught out in the rain - even if he knew the rain was coming and waited for it?

This book could have so easily been moralizing and annoying and everything mature readers get annoyed by, but it was not. The most important thing, I think, is that even from the beginning when he is still wealthy and immature, Don Giovanni is likable enough. This is vital, though, because if he had been absurdly horrid the reader might not have pitied him in his misfortune. If he had mistreated his servants, been absurdly lecherous, or displayed any other major flaws but pride, he couldn't have been a hero. But right after the tsunami that ruined his life, he goes down into the streets of Messina to help with the wounded. He isn't a cad - just a young, privileged man who doesn't understand the world as well as he might. And even when he becomes a beggar, he notices the beauty of the world and he comes to appreciate the simple life. There is goodness in him, and that is what made the book. This is, after all, a fairy tale; it has to end happily, and that means that for the ending to be satisfying, the protagonist has to be sympathetic.

Speaking of fairy tales, there was one 'twist' that won't be much of one to anyone with a passing familiarity with archetypes and such, but it's still sweet.

Now that all that character stuff is out of the way, here is why this book got five stars. And believe me, I didn't want to give them; I've been trying to trim my average rating and so this book had to pry each and every star from my clenched, miserly hands.

It did that by making me think about something that I take for granted. Now, maybe this is a product of the situation I've grown up in, which has been a fortunate one, but I don't put much thought into cleanliness as a privilege, nor into the power it has in a social context. When you don't have to worry that much about being clean and well-groomed, you don't consider the alternative - unless you're Donna Jo Napoli, apparently, who's put a great deal of thought into both the physical and social repercussions of being absolutely filthy. Even though Don Giovanni has unlimited funds, it doesn't make life very easy for him - he doesn't run afoul of any "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" signs, but it becomes abundantly clear that money is not the only thing necessary to function in society. It's an interesting contrast, actually - something we rarely think about set next to something we spend far too much time thinking about. Cleanliness is an instinct, as anyone who's ever watched an animal groom themselves knows, but it is also part of human culture.

There was a time when I was hearing about this book literally once a month, and I thought there was no way it would live up to that sort of praise. Well, I was wrong. It really is that good. Highly, highly recommended.(less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, cover-appeal, history-fiction

Actual Rating: 3.5

The Wager is an interesting concept for sure: the Devil makes a deal with Don Giovanni to not bathe, change clothes, shave, comb his hair, or cut his hair for three months, three weeks, and three days. Just a little challenge. Don Giovanni gets a magic purse, too, so he won't go completely insane.
Have fun!
Napoli does a fantastic job of making Don Giovanni's life miserable for that three-three-three. She paints a realistic picture of what that time frame can do to a person who's...more

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Feb 22, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adultfiction-womenwriters, teenfiction, squeaky-clean-fiction

This teen book seems more like a squeaky-clean adult retelling of the Don Giovanni tale. (Which I unfortunately thought was Don Juan for several chapters of novelization). I mean it mentions sex, but there isn't any in it.

Young 19 year old Don Giovanni is born to privilege during the 12th century. A giant tsunami wipes out all of his wealth, his debts are called in and he becomes a poor man over night. He, who never had to work before, works hard to earn his bread and perhaps a place to sleep....more

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Nov 06, 2011 Mara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairytale-retelling

The Wager is based off of an old Sicilian fairy tale, so you can assume that Don Giovanni actually does make a bargain with the devil. But that is as far as this book goes toward supernatural/magic content.

It has been a long time since I've read one of Donna Jo Napoli's books. I remember most of her stories with fondness and a little frustration toward her characters. Don Giovanni is aggravating, but The Wager is one of those tales where you don't particularly care for any of the characters (exc...more The Wager is based off of an old Sicilian fairy tale, so you can assume that Don Giovanni actually does make a bargain with the devil. But that is as far as this book goes toward supernatural/magic content.

It has been a long time since I've read one of Donna Jo Napoli's books. I remember most of her stories with fondness and a little frustration toward her characters. Don Giovanni is aggravating, but The Wager is one of those tales where you don't particularly care for any of the characters (except Cani, his dog). You read it out of curiosity, and you finish it out of curiosity. I didn't care what happened to Don Giovanni, I didn't particularly feel sorry for him, and I didn't dislike him, either. It was very difficult, for some reason, to attach to Don Giovanni in any manner.

Which may partially by why this is a book that is difficult to get through. But it isn't the only reason. The Wager is not a book you should read while you are eating a meal, or if your stomach is empty. The whole premise of the story is how Don Giovanni copes with not bathing, changing his clothes, or combing his hair for three years, three months, and three days. Donna Jo Napoli likes detail, and when a story's premise is about someone who doesn't bathe for that long, you can imagine where her detail focuses. Dirt. Filth. Stench. The resulting effect on a person's physical health when they don't wash. It would turn anyone's stomach. On top of that, the devil finds various ways to make Don Giovanni's filth increase, and there is a particular incident that is really disgusting. I had to stop reading because my stomach was so hungry, and it was turning to a degree that threatened to make me physically sick.

That, unfortunately, isn't the only content. Don Giovanni loves women, and everyone seems to give themselves freely to him. While there are no actual sexual scenes, there is lots of alluding to past relationships, as well as pleasant feelings compared to physical, intimate contact with a woman. Most of this is in the beginning of the book, and it isn't terribly explicit, but it is worth noting.

The Wager was an interesting story, but I don't think I'll buy it, and I certainly won't read it again. Definitely not for weak stomachs.
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Aug 29, 2011 Lia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: retellings

The tale of the man who makes a deal with the devil: Endless wealth in return for never washing himself or his clothes for years. The man gets very dirty. Then he gets dirtier. And sick in yucky ways. And finally, he makes it through and has a very fast happily ever after.

This book has some serious disconnect between the reader and the main character. It seemed like the book was being written as a fable or fairy tale, as in "there once was a man who ..." but then, it was a novel. So, it just we...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stayed up through the night to read this. Starts ordinarily enough, with a not-quite-unlikeable central character whose sudden descent into poverty tests his wits and his will to live. The story picks up well before Don Giovanni's meeting with the Devil, though--it's not giving anything away to mention that, since the book's summary makes it clear this is part of the plot--and one quickly becomes invested in watching Don Giovanni's progress as he learns, for the first time, what things really co...more Stayed up through the night to read this. Starts ordinarily enough, with a not-quite-unlikeable central character whose sudden descent into poverty tests his wits and his will to live. The story picks up well before Don Giovanni's meeting with the Devil, though--it's not giving anything away to mention that, since the book's summary makes it clear this is part of the plot--and one quickly becomes invested in watching Don Giovanni's progress as he learns, for the first time, what things really cost.

I have a healthy skepticism regarding modern adaptations of fairy tales; they usually exhibit a tremendous lack of imagination on the part of the author, who apparently could not suspend disbelief sufficiently for the original tale to work its magic. Modern authors seem to think that folklore and fairy tales are not "real" enough, and that making them "edgier" (usually through the liberal addition of explicit sex, violence, or foul language) will make the stories sufficiently dark to appeal to current audiences. While this lack of imagination doesn't exactly surprise me, it does disappoint me, as do most of the adaptations. Of all the modern versions of fairy tales that I've read--and I've read quite a few--Angela Carter is the only author I've encountered who really understood her source material. Her adaptations are so ingenious and so insightful that it's probably not fair to hold other authors to such a high standard.

"Bearskin"--or in this instance, the Sicilian variant, "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna"--is one of those stories that requires considerable imagination for the reader to understand the full horror of the events. So the guy can't take a bath: big deal! That's one of the areas where Ms. Napoli excelled; without overblown language, she paints a clear and awful picture of just what happens to a human body that never gets cleaned, is always covered by the same filthy rags, and does not have sufficient protection from the elements. She talks about what it's like to be such a pariah that even a purse full of gold can't buy a room and a civilized meal; she talks about the effect of that rejection on a person's mind.

Don Giovanni learns, even before his meeting with the Devil, what poverty and violence are like; those lessons help him survive the conditions of his wager. Dirty, matted, stinking, forced to live on the margins of human society, he risks losing his humanity himself. Like other heroes before him, it is the company of a "lesser" being--a dog, in this case--that keeps Giovanni human, both by providing company and a non-human Other for Giovanni to compare himself to. (The obvious comparison here to Robinson Crusoe, where a human being performs that function, makes me hate that novel even more. But I digress!) To Napoli's credit, Giovanni's dog, Cani, is never anthropomorphized, yet still becomes a real character in his own right. To Giovanni's credit, his relationship with Cani helps him learn to care about someone other than himself; he takes joy in watching Cani transform from a starving, terrified cur to a loyal, intelligent companion. This, and not his suffering through physical hardship, is the real beginning of Giovanni's redemption.

Napoli tells us, early in the book, that Giovanni doesn't know what things cost. He learns, though, and once he learns what poverty is, and what it means to care about someone other than himself, he uses his endless supply of money to help as many people as possible. Napoli doesn't present Giovanni as a saint, although saints are dangled in front of us throughout the text; maybe Giovanni is a saint after all, but a dirty one, who misses his old luxuries and who, at one point, nearly throws his soul away in exchange for sex. Giovanni helps others because he realizes that it makes him happy; he gives because it's the only way he can be close to people and remain part of human society. His generosity is no less legitimate for all that. Giovanni has a soul.

The writing is excellent here, with none of the pandering and drama that I've come to expect in current novels. There were no single-sentence paragraphs, pendulous with overwrought significance; there were no sentence fragments. Ms. Napoli relied on genuine writing skill and good storytelling to create an emotional response in her readers, rather than resorting to tricks. I do feel like the denouement was a little rushed, and therefore a little forced, even though the author had tried to establish a background for it well in advance. That impression might not survive a re-read, however.

This is, basically, a very high quality book. The characterization is excellent, the plot is engaging, the writing a pleasure to read. The author understands and respects her source material (and given that the book is dedicated to fairy-tale scholar Jack Zipes, this is really no surprise). I am left wondering what it means for a book to be designated YA, or for a book to be a genre book. To my shame, I have some snobbery about both, apparently, because when I encounter a book like this--and some of my favorite books are genre books, and most of my favorite books are for young readers!--I think of it as transcending genre, or transcending the intended audience. I wonder how many readers didn't encounter The Wager because of preconceived notions about what books are for what audiences, or because publishers have very firm ideas about that stuff themselves and market accordingly. I wonder whether the author herself wrote with a YA audience in mind, and what it means that she turned out something any engaged reader, teen or adult, might enjoy. Genre is a tricky thing; it can be helpful, but is it ultimately meaningless?

ETA: Also, I would hope that after reading this book, most folks would think twice about turning their nose up at the "smelly homeless guy," or reconsider whether or not it really is easy for a person without a home, social connections, or money to keep their clothing and body clean. (less)

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Apr 01, 2011 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, to-buy

This was a great take on a deal with the devil. Although Don Giovanni begins the book as a handsome, selfish, wasteful boy whose inherited wealth is quickly squandered, he ends it as a generous patron of the arts and a philanthropist. After a tidal wave in Messina in 1169 wipes out the collateral for his massive debts, Don Giovanni is reduced to a life of begging and hard labor. He shows surprising good humor and optimism in his change of fortune, but he longs for his old life. Who wouldn't? A h...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don Giovanni's life of over-indulgence changes in an instant when his sheep flocks--his primary source of income--are wiped out by a freak tsunami. Forced out of his opulent home, he quickly learns about being hungry--and being shunned as a beggar. The Devil offers him a deal he can't refuse: He can't bathe himself, change his clothes, or cut his hair for three years, three months and three days, in exchange for a purse that produces all the money he needs whenever he asks it to. As he gets dirt...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Karen Ball rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-challenge

A retelling of a traditional Sicilian fairy tale -- and this is not a Disney fairy tale AT ALL. Don Giovanni was orphaned at 13, and is now a handsome young lord with lands, a castle, servants, and everything he wants. All he thinks of is his own enjoyment, until Mount Etna erupts, bringing earthquakes and a massive tsunami that wipes out everything Don Giovanni owns. Homeless and penniless, he wanders from place to place until he meets the Devil, who offers him a deal: Don Giovanni will receive...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Napoli's fairy/folk tale retellings have always been among my favorites, so even though I didn't know the tale this one was based on, I was willing to dive in and take a chance.

When I finished this, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I knew I liked it, but couldn't quite articulate it. And it wasn't that I was so in love with the story that I was left wordless.

I think I've finally figured out what I liked about this story: it was allowed to grow on me. Everything about this book is a slow build...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: italy, fairy-tale

Donna Jo Napoli's most recent book is a worthwhile addition to the ever-growing number of fairy/folk tale retellings for teens that have been published over the last decade or so. Napoli herself has written a number of novels in this genre, including YA versions of Rapunzel (Zel), Cinderella (Bound), and Beauty and the Beast (The Beast), among others.

The story of The Wager is likely to be less familiar to most readers than those named above. Don Giovanni, a young Sicilian nobleman, seems to have...more Donna Jo Napoli's most recent book is a worthwhile addition to the ever-growing number of fairy/folk tale retellings for teens that have been published over the last decade or so. Napoli herself has written a number of novels in this genre, including YA versions of Rapunzel (Zel), Cinderella (Bound), and Beauty and the Beast (The Beast), among others.

The story of The Wager is likely to be less familiar to most readers than those named above. Don Giovanni, a young Sicilian nobleman, seems to have it all. He's the most handsome young man in the town (and well-known for his skill as a lover), he's well-educated, having been groomed to one day be an advisor to the king, and he's rich. But when an earthquake and tsunami caused by the eruption of Mount Etna destroy not only the city of Messina but all Don Giovanni's wealth, he is reduced to stealing and begging on the streets. When a stranger offers him a magic purse that will produce an infinite number of gold coins, Don Giovanni realizes it must be the devil in disguise. But the devil doesn't want his soul; instead he demands the youth's beauty. For three years, three months, and three days, Don Giovanni must not wash, change clothes, shave, or comb his hair. If he does, he will forfeit his soul. Of course, Don Giovanni accepts the wager.

We 21st century Americans are so obsessed with being clean and free of body odors that I never gave much thought to what would happen if a person didn't wash for an extremely long time. Of course we all know the person would be dirty and smell bad. But I never thought about the other problems that Napoli describes in gruesome detail, such as sores which fill with pus, boils, and insects which work their way inside and on top of his body.

As time passes, no human will come near him as he wanders around different regions of Sicily; only his faithful dog, a stray who attaches himself to Don Giovanni on the road, remains loyal. Giovanni is unable to tell anyone why he refuses to change clothes or bathe, and people think he is mad. But in Palermo, he uses his magic purse to buy a palazzo, where he is able to pay to hire servants to tend to his needs (although they don't come too close). Soon he opens his house to all the needy of the area, and even the king hears of his largesse.

King William seeks Giovanni's help to build a new cathedral--Monreale (an actual cathedral and one of the great monuments of Sicily, whose construction began around this time). In gratitude, the king offers Giovanni the hand of his sister. Can Giovanni beat the devil at his own game--and win the wager, allowing him to wed when his sentence is up...and live happily ever after with his beautiful bride?

The Wager is a re-telling of a traditional Sicilian folk tale, Don Giovanni della Fortuna. While the story is not historical fiction in the strict sense, I would call it "historical fantasy,"; although there are supernatural elements in the story, the author has also set it in a very specific time and place (Sicily in 1169), and filled the tale with the kind of attention to historical detail that we would expect to find in well-written historical fiction.

This book delves into many themes we find in folklore, such as the true meaning and importance of beauty, and whether money really leads to happiness. In many ways this folktale echoes some of the themes of Beauty and the Beast in the transformation of the main character; here, as Giovanni becomes more and more sub-human, through his filth and stench, he becomes more and more human in his compassion, charity, and love for others. In the beginning of the novel, Giovanni is not a very sympathetic character; but as he becomes more and more physically repulsive, to himself and others, the reader is drawn into his story and can't help but empathize with Giovanni's loneliness and hunger for human contact.

One aspect of this novel that I found particularly enjoyable was the manner in which Napoli captures in words the many flavors of Sicily, in all its multicultural splendor, including mouth-watering descriptions of the international Sicilian cuisine, the cacophony of languages, the different religions--Muslim, Christian, and Jewish, and even the landscapes.

While we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, I'd like to draw attention to the dramatic red and black design of the cover; it's a great fit for the dark nature of this story.
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Sep 29, 2011 Nenia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2010s, magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, historical-wotsits, twice-upon-a-time, ya-baby-ya, are-you-afraid-of-the-dark-yet, reviewed, medieval, crème-de-la-crème, originality-rocks

After I read "The Wager" I took a nice, long shower because some of the descriptions in this book made me feel unclean. Not violated, but unclean -- like I hadn't taken a bath in a while. This is one of those books that really makes you appreciate things you probably take for granted, in this case, bathing, the luxury of maintaining personal hygiene, and having fresh clean clothes to change into.

In this retelling of Don Giovanni, the selfish but not necessarily "evil" per se Don loses everything...more After I read "The Wager" I took a nice, long shower because some of the descriptions in this book made me feel unclean. Not violated, but unclean -- like I hadn't taken a bath in a while. This is one of those books that really makes you appreciate things you probably take for granted, in this case, bathing, the luxury of maintaining personal hygiene, and having fresh clean clothes to change into.

In this retelling of Don Giovanni, the selfish but not necessarily "evil" per se Don loses everything in the wake of a violent tsunami. After wallowing in poverty and self-pity for a couple months, he encounters the devil, who then presents him with a Faustian bargain: all the money he could ever want, in exchange for not bathing for three years, three months, and three days.

When I first saw that summary, I was kind of like, "Meh." I mean, it's not like he got changed into a fly or something like that. But as I read the book, I became more and more engrossed because of how Donna Jo Napoli portrayed the physical and psychological repercussions of being dirty. Bodily fluids are a way of human life: imagine working up a sweat and not being able to wash it off, getting lice and not being able to wash your hair, spilling things on your clothes and not being able to change them. And what if, God forbid, you mess your pants?? It's difficult to portray reality as horrific convincingly, but my God, I'm going to have nightmares about this book for a while...

I really liked Don Giovanni's transformation. I liked how he was forced to weigh how much importance money really had -- and how there are some things that money really CAN'T buy. Likewise, I liked how his situation made him more sympathetic to the plights of the peasants he didn't really have much respect for in the beginning (although he didn't actually scorn them outright).

That's another cool thing about this story. He's not like Cusco in Emperor's New Groove, where the MC is just so abysmally self-centered you're like, IhatehimIhatehimIhate him. Don Giovanni falls within the normal bounds of selfishness but he isn't a complete jerk, either. He's one of those annoying people who you don't really want to *hate* because you know you've seen them in some of their better moments. Like, when his town gets hit by the tsunami, he tries to help out some of the villagers (before realizing the extent of his own misfortunes which admittedly distracts him from the plights of others).

All in all, great read. I'm never gonna take bathing for granted again.(less)

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May 21, 2010 Tessa Joy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. After Don Giovanni’s country is ravaged by a volcano eruption, an earthquake, and a tsunami, the wealthy and handsome youth discovers he has no more money. He is reduced to a beggar wandering the country for work, food, and shelter. An early storm arrives in September causing work and food to stop coming. During this time, the devil disguises himself as well dressed man and seeks Don Giovanni out. He offers Don Giovanni his wealth again, but there is a stipulation. Don Giovanni must not wash him...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: based-on-fairy-tale, folklore-storytelling, historical, italy, ya-fiction, wagers, devil, pride

In 1169, Don Giovanni, is a handsome young man, rich beyond belief. Then the unthinkable happens...a major tsunami destroys his home, his fortune, and his livelihood. He still has his good looks, but nothing else. When a mysterious, dark figure offers him a chance to regain all he has lost, he accepts The Wager and agrees to these rules: You cannot wash yourself, change your clothes, shave your beard, comb your hair. You cannot wash yourself, for three years, three months, and three days. How h...more

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Dec 03, 2010 Stevecrandell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, grades-9-and-up

This may be Napoli’s most earthy, mature and powerful folk adaptation to date. The setting is 11th century Sicily. Napoli paints a stunning view of the land, its cuisine, and Latin-Arabic culture.

This is not the Don Juan/Don Giovanni of operatic fame. But there are strong parallels in Giovanni’s free-spending womanizing. Here, he suffers his fall early. The eruption of Mt Etna triggers a tsunami that wipes out his only hope to repay his crushing debts. Giovanni enters a deal with the Devil: unl...more

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Feb 05, 2011 Peggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Don Giovanni is a wealthy, handsome young man who has everything, including great pride, until a tidal wave wipes out everything he has. As a beggar, he learns how hard life can be and how badly the poor are treated. He makes a wager with the devil that he can go 3 years, 3 months, and 3 days without washing or changing his clothes. As a foul, filthy beggar covered with sores, he learns to appreciate what is really important in life--simple food, friends, a warm place to sleep. He also learns th...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Andrea Talarico rated it 3 of 5 stars

I chose Donna Jo Napoli’s “The Wager” for my traditional literature category. Based on a very old Sicilian fairy tale, it tells the story of the haughty Don Giovanni as he loses all of his power and wealth. In the beginning, Don arrogantly tells a mysterious servant that he owns the sea since he can see if from his castle window, because he owns everything as far as the eye can see. Shortly thereafter, Mount Aetna erupts, bringing total devastation to the town but mostly to the Don, who loses hi...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: donna-jo-napoli, fairy-tale, my-favorites

The Wager, by Donna Jo Napoli, is a retelling of Don Giovanni, or Bearskin. The story opens with Don Giovanni living in ancient Sicily among his many friends, servants, his good looks, and of course his enormous wealth. All of this changes when a tidal wave hits Italy and he loses everything. While immersed in poverty he is approached by a stranger offering him unlimited wealth if he will only not bathe or change his clothing for three years. Knowing that this is the devil, Don Giovanni knows t...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was in the YA section but I don't really see most YA liking it. It was a retelling of the Don Giovanni legend and I don't think many young adults would be interested in reading about a man who couldn't clean himself for 3 years. The writing was sort of simplistic and "fairy tale" sounding, but I got past that after awhile. It takes places in the 1100's so life was kind of crude. Thus, some of the descriptions of bodily functions and such were also crude. I would have given more stars if the...more

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Jun 25, 2010 GraceAnne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Napoli takes the story of Bearskin, sets it in Sicily, and proceeds in her mesmerizing fashion to talk about the glories of sea, sky, and forest, art and the art of food, at the same time as delineating just what happens to a body that is not washed or clothes that are not changed for three years, three months, and three days.
Don Giovanni is a young, rich wastrel who loses everything. The devil promises him a return to untold riches if he does not wash or groom himself or change his clothing for...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli (2010)

This book was shortlisted for the 2010 Cybils which is why (as a round 2 judge) I read it.

I liked The Wager enough to finish it but it wasn’t great. I didn’t hate it but I can’t put my finger on what made it a book I didn’t hate if that makes sense.

I wasn’t familiar with the story of Don Giovanni (an Italian folk tale) before reading this so it was interesting to find a new fairytale but it felt very clinical and I never really connected with any of the charact...more

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Jan 19, 2011 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

A rich young man wakes without any idea as to what his wealth truely is valued at. He suffers though an earthquake and a huge tidal wave that wipes out part of the village and leaves him amongest the poorest of the poor. A stranger makes a wager with him. Don Giovanni is offered unlimited wealth, but he must not change his clothes, bath, comb his hair, or groom himself in anyway for three years, three months, and three days. A wager easily won? Donna Jo Napoli retells the Sicilian Fairytale of "...more

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Sep 24, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read_2010, ya, fairy-tale, historical-fiction

Don Giovanni loves women, wine, and anything else his money can buy. From an outsiders perspective he has it all. Yet in a moment he loses everything, and finds himself making a deal with the devil. In return for an unlimited money supply he can not change his clothes or bath for 3 years, three months, and three days. At first it is easy to stick to the challenge, but Giovanni soon finds that money can't by the one thing he needs. . .

While a little slow to get started once Giovanni makes the dea...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Candace Hinnergardt rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure I was going to finish it. The tone was just to storytellerish to me, and frankly it's hard to do that well and still have the writing be decent, but once I got into the book I really liked it! I really started to feel sympathy for Don Giovanni and wanted the best for him in the end because of how descriptive the author was with his physical deterioration. I wished that Giovanni would have had a final encounter with the devil and that the rela...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Rebecca Ann rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-survival, teen-fantasy, teen-adaptation, favorite-covers

This was an interesting book. It is very gritty and you can really picture Don G's suffering as he spends over 3 years unable to wash himself, groom or change his clothes. It actually get ridiculously disgusting so if you don't have a strong stomach beware. I liked the survival aspect, and how the suffering teaches Don G to become a better person very slowly. This is, at its heart, a christian tale and I think it appealed most to that aspect of my upbringing. You can't have the devil without God...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Kita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: meh, quick-read

So this is my third fairy tale retelling of the year, and it beats the other two in terms of depth and quality of writing by far. However, it was not as good as it could have been. This is a version of Bearskin, in which a poor soldier makes a pact with the devil to have unending riches in exchange that the soldier does not bathe for seven years.
In this retelling, the main character, Don Giovanni, is a rich youth who wastes his money away and makes a pact with the devil when he is left with noth...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Jessica Donovan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore Donna Jo Napoli's books most of the time, so it saddens me to say that this one disappointed me a little.

The story grabbed my attention early on and didn't let go of it for most of the tale. The descriptions were very vivid, and sometimes I couldn't help but feel my own repulsion at (but utmost sympathy for) the character of Don Giovanni. Nearer to the end it got more graphic. These things didn't bother me. The storytelling was absolutely masterful...

Until the end.

I can not t...more I absolutely adore Donna Jo Napoli's books most of the time, so it saddens me to say that this one disappointed me a little.

The story grabbed my attention early on and didn't let go of it for most of the tale. The descriptions were very vivid, and sometimes I couldn't help but feel my own repulsion at (but utmost sympathy for) the character of Don Giovanni. Nearer to the end it got more graphic. These things didn't bother me. The storytelling was absolutely masterful...

Until the end.

I can not tell you how much the ending disappointed me. Everything prior to the (minor spoiler) (view spoiler) was amazing, but everything after it? Terrible! It felt a lot like the author got tired of writing. While the rest of the book was told in great detail, with care, the ending was a rushed summary. It felt like a movie with a lot of skipped scenes, words transposed against a black screen saying "2 Weeks Later" instead of telling the story. I really can't stand shortcuts like that. I read to get a detailed account!!

I want to know: BIG SPOILERS AHEAD, DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE ANY INTENTION OF READING THE BOOK: (view spoiler)

Unfortunately, because of what I felt was an unfinished, rushed, and unsatisfying ending, I dropped what could have been a 5 star book to 3 (probably closer to 3.5). (less)

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Oct 06, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is based on an Italian fairy tale, but Napoli makes it very relevant today. An ambitious young man makes a pact with the devil to become fabulously wealthy on one condition: he must not bathe for three years, three months and three days.

I went from chuckling at his predicament to feeling strong empathy for his demise. Is his goal worth losing friends and family?

Donna Jo Napoli is a very strong writer and she does a great job in writing a Dr. Faustus-type tale for younger audiences.

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Jan 19, 2012 Sesana rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-love, fairy-tales, fantasy, historical-fiction, medieval, young-adult

Don Giovanni de la Fortuna is an Italian story about a man who makes a deal with the devil. If he refrains from cleaning himself for three years, three months, and three days, he can keep a magical purse that will give him all the money he could ever want. If he breaks the no washing rule, his soul is forfeit. Donna Jo Napoli has written a pretty straight forward interpretation set in late 12th century Sicily. (Which is, if I may rant a bit, not ancient. The term you're looking for, dear blurb w...more Don Giovanni de la Fortuna is an Italian story about a man who makes a deal with the devil. If he refrains from cleaning himself for three years, three months, and three days, he can keep a magical purse that will give him all the money he could ever want. If he breaks the no washing rule, his soul is forfeit. Donna Jo Napoli has written a pretty straight forward interpretation set in late 12th century Sicily. (Which is, if I may rant a bit, not ancient. The term you're looking for, dear blurb writer, is medieval. High Middle Ages, to be exact.)

So, what did Napoli do right? Let's start with Giovanni himself. He starts the book as a selfish and thoughtless young man, but he really isn't a bad person. It's obvious nearly right away that there's a good heart in there, even if he is a bit selfish, something of a libertine, and dumb as a box of hair when it comes to money. If he'd started as a bad person, I couldn't have felt sorry for everything he went through, or been so happy when he beats the devil.

I also have to commend Napoli for not shying away from the grim details of what happens when somebody doesn't clean himself at all for years. It isn't pretty. There's a common, mistaken impression that people in Ye Olden Days didn't wash, but the general reaction to Giovanni by ordinary people will quickly dispell that notion. (Not taking fully immersive baths =/= a lack of washing!)

Why only two stars? Well, part of that is because this is a very straight forward retelling. If you read the version I linked to, you have essentially read this book. That's not as bad as it would be in a much more well-known story, of course. The other thing is that, well, Napoli and I are not meant to be. I've read a few of her books over the years, and there's something about her writing style that keeps her work from really clicking with me. I'm not saying she's a bad writer. I think she's a very good one, and I love that she puts a lot of care into writing these books. She's just not the writer for me.(less)

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Feb 15, 2011 Sensitivemuse rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this book was a great combination between a Faustian deal with a fairy tale mixed in. There is an author’s note provided at the end of the book which explains that the story was based on a Sicilian fairy tale and even goes as far as to summarize the entire fairy tale and what happens to the characters in it. I’d have to say I prefer Napoli’s version of the tale. It’s much more happier and it has a great feel good ending.

The concept of the story was interesting, although it sounded pre...more I thought this book was a great combination between a Faustian deal with a fairy tale mixed in. There is an author’s note provided at the end of the book which explains that the story was based on a Sicilian fairy tale and even goes as far as to summarize the entire fairy tale and what happens to the characters in it. I’d have to say I prefer Napoli’s version of the tale. It’s much more happier and it has a great feel good ending.

The concept of the story was interesting, although it sounded pretty gross that Don Giovanni couldn’t bathe for such a long time. Naturally as the story progresses, he gets tempted to wash and bathe but stays clear of the temptations. What I liked about the book, was suddenly Giovanni finds himself among the “commoners” and not with his peers (his peers in fact, ignore him or treat him like dirt). It’s an eye opener to him as he had the ego the size of a house in the beginning of the book. This provides great character development where he goes from being a selfish arrogant egotistical noble, to a simple man who develops friendships and acquaintances with villagers, peasants, farmers, and street urchins. That being said, I really did enjoy reading about Giovanni and his character development.

There are graphic depictions of how dirty Giovanni is. I mean really really dirty. Like open sores and pustules dirty. It’s gross, but you could say it’s very well written if it gets a reaction from the reader. However the plot is clear and evenly paced and the descriptions of various scenes are excellent and can be pictured easily. I’d also have to say the little twist in the end, where the mysterious artist appears and their identity was revealed, was a nice little surprise and I thought it added a very nice touch to the ending.

I thought it was a great retelling of an old fairy tale and will be looking for more of Napoli’s works. It’s a wonderful plot, Don Giovanni turns out to be likable and it’s great ‘happily ever after’ story. Give this one a try, it’s unique and different and a very enjoyable read.(less)

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About Donna Jo Napoli

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Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction.

Donna Jo has five children. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden and bake bread.

At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to...more

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