With his previous books, Marcello D'Orta created a new narrative genre: the irresistible, impetuous, and caustic language of 'the report'. The reports from the children of Arzano - a product of his teaching experience in the notorious neighborhoods of Naples and its surroundings - represent a successful blend of irony and despair, crafted from a mix of witty remarks and thoughts, some of which the teacher heard from his students and others he read in their writings.

They embody the essence of the characteristic Neapolitan spirit: that caustic sense of humor that borders on paradox, the confusion of the old with the modern, participation in history (where a protagonist from the neighborhood, a pharaoh of Egypt, and a president of the USA all end up in the same bag), and a harshness that you never know whether it is unconscious or intentional.

How can a teacher who is forced to live daily in the notorious neighborhoods of Naples and share the devastated lives of its children not feel like a student again?

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]