Assunta: Book 1: Inferno

by Michael A. Greco

Unknown Binding

About the author

My stories start out as ordinary beans. I like to think of them as such.

I don’t know what I have, but I’m compelled to water these beans. Shoots then grow into stems and my beanstalk matures. Sometimes the stems die; the story loses life. Then I travel along my beanstalk and find new stems to explore. Eventually leaves grow and there is a flowering, as the organism that is my story comes to life, and the characters take shape, and I can see them and hear their voices.

Then they grow up and go off and do things I haven’t planned.

The nerve!

That’s how I know I’m getting somewhere.

Reviews

[Morgan Vane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began reading this book expecting to be shocked; after all, depictions of sin and disaster are expected to invoke an emotional response, whether it is condemnation or sympathy or anything in between. Well, I am glad to say that I wasn't disappointed! The book is well-written and the plot flows naturally. The characters are very well-developed and profoundly human in their loves and their flaws. Throughout reading the story, I was alternating between feeling bad about what was happening to them and cheering the disaster on because everyone bloody deserved it! The writing is very compelling and after each page that I turned, I was looking forward to seeing what macabre occurrence would take place next! Maybe it's just me, but the worse it got the more perverse enjoyment I got out of it! Once the book finishes, it leaves the reader wanting for more, wondering what the characters will do in the next installment. I can't wait to see what's coming next!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw that Assunta was a variant of The Divine Comedy, I was in equal parts skeptical and intrigued: doubtful that a modern adaptation would be effective and curious to see how it might be. Greco has done a brilliant job of reimagining The Divine Comedy as a modern concept, with plenty of original twists and additions, too. It is an irreverent depiction of humanity, and I found at times it was difficult to know whether to sympathise with the characters - a testament to Greco's power in writing the justifications of their punishment.

The novel follows the journey of Dan Heritage, a scientist who struggles with questions of science and faith and must try to reach the souls of those he loves. Through this character and his experiences, Greco shows the best and worst of humanity: love and hate, acts of selfless kindness and of utter depravity. Assunta is a very enjoyable read overall, and thought-provoking, too.