Set Me Free tells the tale of an Italian prisoner that falls into a predictable decline until he eventually joins the prison's drama troupe. Here he learns of Shakespeare's Tempest and the transformative power of a good story.
At first, I found the writing overly simple, but I grew to really enjoy it as the book went on.

Set Me Free is the story of how Shakespeare saved Salvatore Striano’s life. Salvatore, an Italian prisoner who grew up in a gang in Naples, discovers a love of reading and theatre while in prison which completely changes his life. The story shows what Salvatore was like before he discovered reading. I enjoyed this part of the novel. I found his explanations of the prison system interesting. By showing his life before reading and then the changes in his life as he starts to read and then after a love for reading has developed we are able to see his growth as a person.

While I enjoyed watching the growth of Salvatore there were a few things that made this a difficult reading for me. The writing was very simple. This book is a book in translation and I don’t know if the simple writing is the author’s style or translation. The narrator had a very self righteous manner and there were way to many pages of personal opinions. There were also a lot of instances where it felt like he was bragging about all the people who looked up to him which turned me off. The author had good points to make. I just prefer not to be lectured when I read a book but to figure things out on my own.

I did love reading about how much Shakespeare means to the author. He has the ability to get way more out of Shakespeare than I ever have. He knows how to apply characters in Shakespeare’s plays to his life and is able to learn from them which I find very admirable.

I, unfortunately, could not resonate with this book. I kept it down a few pages in. I do believe it will be someone else's favorite in a short span of time, I do wish it was mine as well. :)

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review some time ago but due to several circumstances hadn't come around to reading and reviewing it earlier.

Unjustly so as it turns out, because it is a waste to leave this little gem unread on your ereader, iPad or traditional bookshelf. It turned out to be a really interesting and well written book.

The name Salvatore Striano didn't ring a bell for me until I started reading the book, which is actually the real life story about his capture and imprisonment in Spain and later in the Rebibbia jail in Rome.
Striano was a small time Cammorista from an early age who fled to Spain but in the end was discovered and send jail. After the relatively moderate regime in the prison in Madrid he is send to the infamous Rebibbia prison in Rome where at first he has difficulty adapting, until he joins the prison's theatre company, which is a turning point in his life.
At first they play a piece by the Italian writer Eduardo de Filippo, and Sasá as he is called turns out to be a really talented actor.
when the prison librarian lends him the complete works by Shakespeare he has really found his destiny and he doesn't rest until the next play they perform is the tempest by Shakespeare.
In the end the theatre and his love for Shakespeare really sets him free and on the path of a successful actor. That's when I remembered why the name Salvatore Striano sounded so familiar, among others he played a role in the film Gomorra.

The book is really beautifully written. I received the English version from the publisher but I am very curious how the Italian version "sounds"and I think I will have a peek at the Italian version as well.

Full credits for this book

Salvatore Striano is the well-known Italian actor who appeared in the films and television shows, Gomorra and Cesare deve morire (based on William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar).

Salvatore was involved in a gang in the street violence and drug dealing in the Spanish quarters of Naples, carrying pistols. He was in prison when he first discovered William Shakespeare and was suggested to join the prison troupe.

This story was about the changes in Salvatore’s behaviour. There was also betrayal and forgiveness.

I applaud the actor’s true biography and hope to see the new Shakespeare’s plays in the Italian versions.

Caesar 13

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Shakespeare has long been seen as a literary genius but can his work be redemptive and transformative? According to the author of this memoir, Salvatore Striano, it can. In this translation of his book from its original Italian, Striano tells how his life of crime and membership of a gang called the Hotheads leads to his incarceration for various offences. He is looking at 14 years in a maximum security prison with nothing to get him through the day.
After a bereavement Striano turns to prescription drugs to get him through and it looks as though he will spend the rest of his sentence high as a kite, until a fellow inmate entices him to join the prison theatre group. To his sincere surprise Striano is a natural. He is able to give himself entirely to the performance. It is wonderful to see how this man who has lost all hope, who has spent a lifetime at war with himself and others, opens up, surrendering himself to the power of literature. Once he starts he cannot stop and his deepest affection is for Shakespeare – his performance as Ariel in The Tempest is devastating as he plays a character shackled but promised freedom.
Striano’s testimony makes a strong case for prison reform. His participation in theatre led him to literature and from then his involvement as a positive force for change within the prison was set. He comes up with numerous initiatives to improve conditions, to improve the prisoners and to improve himself. Prison as rehabilitation is demonstrated as better for everyone – if the prisoner is rehabilitated they are far less likely to reoffend and far more likely to be able to contribute to society. This is an extraordinary work. Striano is upfront about his crimes, about the person he was and the realities of prison life but has written an inspirational work about change and the cleansing, transformative power of literature.

I had high hopes for this book; it's quite close to meeting my expectations. The premise is interesting and I enjoyed the characters. Unfortunately, I think it needs another round of editing. It's a little clunky at points. I'm not sure if this is a result of the translation process or if it is this way in Italian as well. Overall I am planning to recommend it to people who are avid fans of the theater, but given its current state will likely refrain from doing so to a broader audience.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review of this book from Text Publishing & Netgalley! The translator of the book did a wonderful job, as it didn’t feel at all like it was translated!

This is a story about an Italian prisoner that tells us how the prison system works, all the unfairness in it, and this is also a story that tells us how a person can still turn up good into a bad environment, and I was very happy that I witnessed that change from one chapter into another.

The way it was written was quite good, even though at times it felt a bit blunt and boring. Shakespeare was used in the book a lot, and sometimes he was overused and was in places where he shouldn’t have been. I believe that Shakespeare had influence over Sasa, but not as much as the theatre itself. I believe it was the theatre that made Sasa free, and not Shakespeare in particular. At the end of the day, I actually think that Sasa made himself free… Sometimes you only need a little push and nothing more.

I loved Sasa’s character, and I loved the way he sees life. I love how he sees the positive in all the negative, and besides all, he still wants to be a better person. We are all human, and we all make mistakes, and sometimes people know they made mistakes, regret them and want to become better. That is exactly what Sasa did, in an unfair environment.

I thought the prison was presented a bit unrealistic, as we all know what happens inside, and as much as Sasa wouldn’t hurt anyone if not necessary, almost 90% of the other inmates would – on regular basis. This was a little fact that annoyed me a bit. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read another book from Salvatore Striano.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The transformation that the author experienced as he became a part of a performing group and then as he delved into Shakespeare was enthralling. I also learned from the interaction between the different inmates. There was a strong mentoring relationship between the author and an older inmate that I found challenging and so hopeful.

Prison memoirs are not abundant, and one which channels the characters of Shakespeare while addressing misery, contrition, and redemption are one of a kind. From that unique perspective, the author captures the reader’s attention and ultimately, sympathy. This is a story of atonement, of owning mistakes of the past, but refusing to allow the future to be defined by the same.
Sasa, the writer, takes us through his prison experience, with enough detail to know he was a criminal “bad character” from about age 14. This path led to a life of substantial crime, and the eventual capture, conviction and sentencing. His writing about prison life reveals the stark reality of loneliness, fear, and insatiable craving for freedom. At his lowest point, he is persuaded to participate in a theatre troupe and sees it as a means to have more mobility within the confines of the maximum security wing where he resides. The slow awakening of his finer instincts, mainly his passion for Shakespeare, his desire to learn and to grow where and how he can is inspiring to read. The isolation of prison becomes community, and he transitions from a lone figure to a leader of this community.
Salvatore Striano has written his heart onto the page, and shared his inner struggles effectively. Not only has he transformed his own life, but offers to readers the story of how he struggled and succeeded.

[Congrats to the translator : this book has been successfully translated in a most readable style.]
I have read many books about Italians in prison, but none like this where the inmate himself is telling his story.
And what a story - quite different from the 'norm', this is a progression of positive changes : it really is possible!
No-one is beyond redemption, & in this case it comes in the most surprising of ways.
There are moving moments - when a prisoner reveals he cannot act being in love as he has been in prison since the age of 18, & never experienced a loving relationship with anyone. Or the writer's state of mind on losing his mother - criminals are sons, too...
It is surprising to find that a book about a gang criminal imprisoned for his crimes, turns out to be a heartwrenching journey of hope. This helps us to remember that prisoners are also humans - we need to identify with them, & search for the real person hidden inside the bad behaviour. If they had been given different opportunities, different examples, early in their life...what a different outcome there may have been.
I knew that Shakespeare has universal appeal - I have read of his popularity amongst Indian students - but am still amazed at his power to touch the soul of an unschooled Italian, & literally change his life.
A book written from the heart, & reaching the heart : well worth reading! May we learn compassion for those who have been following the only path which seemed possible to them, & always remember : 'there but for the grace of God go I.'

I've been into Shakespeare retellings lately, and anything involving Shakespeare. So I don't know if I enjoyed this more because I've had a bee in my bonnet for the Bard or what, but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I added it to my wish list of books to purchase for my personal home library.

I really liked how this was written as Striano had a great lyrical prose style. The story was told in a way that was well done and it was a very addicted story to follow. I couldn't put it down and just wanted to know what happened next. The use of the theatre was a great tool as it is one of my main passions and Striano utilises it in a way that shows how things like drama therapy can help as a rehabilitation tool.