The Last Man Standing: The chilling apocalyptic thriller that predicts Italy's collapse

by Davide Longo, Silvester Mazzarella (Translator)

Overview

A chillingly plausible novel about the collapse of Italian society and one man's struggle to retain his humanity amid the horror

"A bleak, lyrical tale that evokes Cormac McCarthy's The Road.... Gruesome, intense, and strange... a eurozone nightmare brought to life on the page."--James Lovegrove, Financial Times

It is 2025, and Italy is on the brink of collapse.

Borders are closed, banks withhold money, the postal service stalls. Armed gangs of drug-fuelled youths roam the countryside.

Leonardo was a famous writer and professor before a sex scandal ended his marriage and career. Heading north in search of her new husband, his ex-wife leaves their daughter and her son in his care. If he is to take them to safety, he will need to find a quality he has never possessed: courage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780857386304
Publisher:	Quercus Publishing
Publication date:	07/05/2012
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
File size:	650 KB

About the Author

Davide Longo was born in 1971 in the Province of Torino. In addition to novels he writes books for children, short stories and articles, and his texts have been used in musical and theatre productions.

Read an Excerpt

It was not the sharp pain that woke Leonardo, but the sound of his nose being broken: a clean snap without an echo, like a stick breaking. Stunned, he opened his eyes, but barely had time to recognize the leaden first light of daybreak between the branches before something hard and hollow hit him on the cheekbone. As he sank into darkness he heard Lucia cry out. Opening his left eye, he saw her on all fours being dragged along by a man with an antique-looking rifle in his free hand.

“Lucia!” he tried to yell, but blood filled his mouth and turned her name into an incomprehensible choking sound. Then someone grabbed him by the collar. He kicked out in an effort to break free, but with the speed of someone who has done nothing else all his life, the man tied his head against the tree behind him with two turns of wire, forced his arms behind his back and bound his wrists together. Leonardo felt his shoulder pop out of joint. He shrieked. Someone kicked him in the mouth, breaking several teeth.

When he opened his eyes again, a youth with blond hair was crouching beside him, his face a few centimeters from Leonardo’s. His hair was divided by a central parting and he had the nut-colored eyes of a young dog. Two glossy black marks on his cheeks looked as if they had been made with pitch or tempera. He had no eyebrows.

Leonardo began to say something, but the boy was too quick for him.

“Take it easy,” he said in a friendly voice.

Reading Group Guide

Davide Longo’s Last Man Standing is a vivid description of one man’s struggle in a post-apocalyptic world to protect his loved ones even as societal norms give way to barbarism and cruelty. 
 
 
1.     The reason for society’s downfall is never explicitly told. What clues does the story hold, however, that explains it? Discuss whether it’s a worldwide calamity or confined to Italy.
 
2.     Protagonist Leonardo, described as “timid,” doesn’t seem well-suited to a post-apocalyptic world. Discuss how his traits become strengths as the world falls further into decay.
 
 
3.     Leonardo’s motivation throughout the book’s second half is saving Lucia. Do you think he did?
 
4.     What is it about Leonardo’s character that would impel him to risk his life to rescue Bauschan? Compare it to how he later rescues David and Circe.
 
 
5.     Sergio told Leonardo he had a choice between killing him and his crew or offering them brief sanctuary. He opted for sanctuary—was that the right choice?
 
6.     The pendulum swings between kindness and cruelty throughout the book. Which do you think would win out in a world without electricity, phones, and a functioning government? Why?
 
 
7.     Why was Leonardo’s shocking sacrifice to Richard enough to free him and the children? Why did it lead to Richard’s death?
 
8.     Leonardo is paired with two boys, Alberto and Saloman, with vastly different results. Compare how his relationship with Alberto prepared Leonardo to have a better one with Saloman.
 
 
9.     How has Leonardo changed by the end of the book? Do you think his little tribe will survive beyond the winter?

Editorial Reviews

"A bleak, lyrical tale that evokes Cormac McCarthy's The Road.... Gruesome, intense, and strange... a eruozone nightmare brought to life on the page."— James Lovegrove, Financial Times

"A complex and compelling investigation of the behavior of survival."— Times Literary Supplement

"A novel in which precision of language is as crucial an element as the steadily accelerating tension."— Barry Forshaw, The Independent

"A powerful insight into the most primal corners of the human psyche. Longo is a superb writer and every sentence drips intelligence and humanity... The Last Man Standing is set to be one of the best novels of the year."— Damien Walter, SFX

"With mesmerizing control of language, Longo weaves a tale that will leave readers with much to think about long after they have put it down."— The Irish Examiner

"A wealth of imagery carries the reader through scenes of torture and youthful atrocities along a landscape as stark as Comac McCarthy's The Road. But those who stick with Leonardo will be rewarded."— Library Journal

"Beautifully written, totally plausible interpretation of a dystopian, economically and politically bereft Europe 13 years in the future, as seen through the eyes and experiences of a disgraced leader of social conscience."— We Love this Book

"The story in The Last Man Standing might sound familiar, if it weren't for the fact that Davide Longo has written it better than anyone else."— Daria Bignardi, Vanity Fair

"A searing, dystopian parable... [A] remarkable book... Longo's characters get in touch with the basest parts of themselves in order to preserve what is denigrated as "the most arid."... Visceral and gripping."— Kirkus Reviews (starred)

From the Publisher