Being an Italian living in the US I was really excited that "The Hummingbird", which won the Italian equivalent of the NBA, was being published in English. Sandro Veronesi is one of our major authors and years ago I read another book by him, Quiet Chaos, which is one of my all-time favorite books. I cannot tell you exactly what makes this book quintessentially Italian but it is. The life story of the main character, nicknamed the hummingbird because of his small size in his youth, told in a non-linear narrative jumping from one point of the story to a seemingly unrelated one years later or prior (mostly in random order, meaning that the reader has to "work" a little bit to put together all the pieces of the story) is at the same time heartbreaking (there are two major heartbreaks in his long life) and hilarious (you will never board a plane again without thinking of one of the characters in tbis book). Only the last chapter, about the future, is a bit "out there" and I would have preferred a different ending but it didn't ruin the book for me. I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in Italian literature or anyone who enjoys disfuctional families stories. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi, is a interesting book. It covers the life of Marco Carrera, the hummingbird, is a very calm, quiet man in a world that is full of chaos. Not only is the world out of whack his life is very trying. He is middle aged and things should be getting easier. But they aren’t.. his sister has died and he is dealing with the grief from the loss. He is the primary caregiver to his parents and his granddaughter because her mom, his daughter can not. His brother isn’t around to help and it is starting to weigh in him. This is such an honest story of family and the commitment we have to them. Marco had to be the one to step up and do it but that fact doesn’t make it easier. As the story progresses there is happiness, sadness, loss, hope and love. It seems like Veronesi was able to capture every emotion. It started out a little slow but I never lost interest in it. The writing is very good and the characters were well developed. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review. This was a 4 star read for me, I hope you enjoy it too.

Marco Carrera is “the hummingbird” capable of maintaining poise and balance even as his life and world rages around him. He lives life to the fullest with an eye forward even as he looks to his next of kin to carry on for him. Being a hero doesn’t always mean huge acts of bravery, but sometimes it is just making it through the difficulties of life intact. Told from multiple viewpoints this book is beautiful and I will encourage my family in Italy to get it to read in Italian as well.

Regarded as one of Italy’s premier authors, Veronesi has detailed the family story of Marco Carrera. Called the Hummingbird because he can remain still and quiet while the world around him changes. He is a stoic but even so he loves life. He seems destined to lose people close to him and ends up raising his granddaughter after his daughter is unable to care for her. I found this a terribly sad book. The letters between Marco and Luisa were the one bright spot.

This is an unusual book that's rather hard to follow due to the jumping timelines and the style of writing. The author seems to interject asides into the story which is jarring. The narrative is confusing and just not the type of book I enjoy reading. I can appreciate the writing, however, and give it 3 stars for that.

Rounded up from 2 1/2. This was the sort of book I couldn't just pick up and read small passages or one chapter of - I had to read big chunks of it at a time in order to keep track of what was going on. It was the story of Marco Carrera's life, full of love and tragedy. He was called the hummingbird by his mother, because he was small for his age as a child. But he also had the ability to stay very still as his world revolved around him - both the happy and the sad parts. The story was told in a number of styles - straight narrative, poetry, and emails - which was interesting. But the book was very wordy, and I found myself skimming many parts in order to get to the action. This would probably read better as a physical book rather than on a Kindle. Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperVia, the author (and translator) for the ARC of this title

This is quite a curious novel It is well regarded and by many famous writers I admire.

The novel is set in Florence, Italy from the 60's to the near future. The plot focuses upon Marco Carrera and ophthalmologist. He is considered a "hummingbird" as he can stay still to an almost supernatural degree amid the complete chaos around him. He has suffered deaths in his close family and has settled down with a wife and child but has a long lost love in Luisa who writes to him from Paris. The tale is told via a variety of narrative styles, including poetry and list. The letters and emails I enjoyed the most.

As it is promoted, the Hummingbird is a story of, "suffering, happiness, loss, love and hope" There is not an actual plot but a series of events in a literary style that will thrill many "great literature' readers. For me, it was hard to enjoy as all of the characters outside of Marco seemed to be foils to just learn more about him. I would have enjoyed a more complex group of characters.

Still, keep in mind that this is the #1 international sensation from a master of European literature, winner of Italy’s Premio Strega! It's worth checking out! #TheHummingbird #NetGalley #Harpervia

If there's anything I've learned from The Fast and Furious series, it's that it's all about family. That's the central theme of The Hummingbird and something I found to be pretty engaging. But like any family, there's that one person you wish you could avoid at all costs; who holds themselves in such a high regard that you wish they would just go away. That's who we unfortunately have to stick with through the bulk of this novel.

Marco Carrera is a narcissistic, misogynistic, sociopath who never really learns or changes his ways and who we have to put up with in all of his grating, self-righteousness. Women are the bane of his existence and they should be lucky he's there to help them along, especially if they go crazy and have to be taken care of.

I feel like this could be an interesting character study, while also having a critical eye of these sorts of people, but it becomes too grating and repetitive in how unlikeable Marco is that sometimes I felt like I needed to force my way through sentences and paragraphs. It's all clearly intentional and I have no qualms with the author or his writing, but I feel this could have been so much more and falls just short of greatness.

Even still, there were moments where clarity started to shine through and shocking revelations came to the forefront which practically begged for change, such as birth, tragic deaths, a plane crash, etc. But just like that family member who won't go away, they double down on themselves and need to be the center of attention. It's interesting from afar but painful up close.

Big thanks to HarperVia and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital copy of this very interesting but frustrating novel.

Translated into English for the first time, this new book from one of Italy's most celebrated contemporary writers tells the story of a man nicknamed the hummingbird for his ability to stay still in the midst of chaos and unfolds forwards and backwards in time as it pieces together the life of a family from the 1960s to the present.

The nonlinear timeline can be challenging for readers expecting a traditional multigenerational saga, but this book uses unconventional storytelling to allow the reader to piece together the life of a distinctive and memorable character through pieces of a puzzle that have to be slowly and patiently put together to be rewarded with a cohesive picture.

This is a book that requires attention, and while it isn't exactly an easy read, it is ultimately a rewarding experience.

Despite being the #1 international sensation from one of Italy's greatest writers of all time, and all of the awe, accolades, rave reviews, and prizes won by this book; despite the fact that family sagas are among my favorite genres, I just didn't like it. It didn't engage me, it didn't move me, and the constant time jumping over the span of six decades drove me nuts. I've read through many of the reviews for the book trying to understand what other's saw that I didn't, but that didn't really alter my opinion.

Obviously, this read was a solid miss for me, and that's ok. Any book ever written has had widely varying opinions about it. Don't let my review keep you from reading this book if it interests you.

My thanks to Harper Via for permitting me to access an ARC of this novel via NetGalley. Publication is set for 1/25/22. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

My apologies to the author. I just couldn't get interested in this story. I did keep picking the book back up but eventually gave up trying to.like it.

This book astounded me in many ways. I rarely enjoy books in which the author plays with the novel's form and usually find such efforts twee, pretentious and just plain annoying. However. Sandro Veronesi has written a gem of a book which tweaks the form, entrances the reader and in the end resonates long after it ends.

Veronesi is considered a national treasure in his native Italy and it's easy to see why after reading The Hummingbird. The story of ophthalmologist Marco Carrera draws the reader in from the beginning. The character is Everyman facing catastrophe again and again but he continues to soldier on. The form of the novel is episodic depicting nearly every way modern humans use to communicate: postcards, love letters, emails, phone calls, text messaging, poetry, lectures, story-telling, inventory lists, conversations, and the human touch to name just a few. In Veronesi's gifted hands, and despite the non-linear telling of the doctor's life story, the reader can't wait to see what comes next and how it will be presented.

The translation is also superior and leaves this reader wishing she could read the original Italian. The language is crisp, beautiful and evocative and the translation does not get in the way of an enjoyable read. The author's afterward was extremely enlightening and underscored the brilliance of the book. Let me finish by saying that I rarely give a five star rating to modern novels usually reserving such a rating for classics. But this modern novel more than deserves five stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the chance to read the uncorrected e-book proof.

"No one can persevere as strenuously as you do, and no one can elude change quite like you do." Marco, the hummingbird, is used to chaos and change all his life, yet his resolve is unbreakable. He lived like he wanted to with the most complicated situations and yet never stopped being who he was. This book jumps timelines - from his childhood and until his death. So incredibly written, it is a beautiful story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

THE HUMMINGBIRD is a beautifully written story about a family, but the main focal character is Marco Carrera. Throughout you learn the difficulties Marco faces in life, but his struggle is what makes him grow.