With his latest book, Il custode, Niccolò Ammaniti returns to Sicily. He transports us to a small coastal village that feels suspended in time. Here we meet Nilo, a thirteen-year-old boy who lives with his aunt Rosi and his mother, Agata. An authoritarian matriarch, Agata runs the family’s marble company. Although they appear normal, they harbour a secret passed down through generations: the Vasciaveos are the guardians of an ancient, mysterious being that lives in their bathroom. This duty binds the family, effectively making them prisoners. Nilo’s life seems set on a predestined course until Arianna and her daughter, Saskia, arrive in the village. Their presence disrupts his world, leading him to discover new emotions and question his inherited role. Ammaniti has written a coming-of-age novel that weaves together horror and “weird fiction”, drawing on Greek mythology to create a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere. It is a brief, visceral, and intense story. Written in a sharp, evocative style, it conveys a profound sense of unease. Ammaniti depicts a world where evil seeps into everyday life; in order to grow up, the protagonist must confront this horror and shatter his every certainty.

Il custode

Niccolò Ammaniti

Einaudi, 2026