I loved this book in theory, I loved it in theme, I loved it in writing, I loved it in so many way; however, for some reason, I just failed to be absorbed by this book.

This story was inspirational, but not in an overtly in-your-face manner like some books can be. While Lucio wants to make the most of his last days, he sometimes screws up and has days that aren't really that meaningful. He's human. But he tries really hard and in that he's a great example.

Lucio himself was my absolute favourite. He was quirky and entertaining, with a really fun view of life, and his devotion to his family was unending and really sweet. I enjoyed seeing him at work and especially when he interacted with his boss.

I loved the other characters that were weaved in, from Lucio's two best friends to his step-father who runs a donut shop. They all had their own little stories and the way they interacted with Lucio was a lot of fun.

I found this contained some really beautiful scenes and beautiful moments that showed which ways life can be important.

The Italian culture was so much fun. Details like fig gelato really added--I adore reading translations of European novels because of the small things that distinguish them from books written for English readers. The translation was flawless, and kept original Italian only in places where it worked really well.

Underneath it all, this was about Lucio and his wife Paola, and underneath it all, it was very sweet and gave me warm fuzzy feelings (alongside the tears!)

Overall, this was a really good book--it just lacked that spark that made me want to keep reading it. I enjoyed reading it, but I kept wanting to read other books more. However, I definitely recommend giving it a shot, if only for the fun Italian culture.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Forty year old, Lucio Battistini has just found out he has terminal cancer and only 3 months to live, hence the title of the book. His first goal is to win his wife's love back, he cheated on her. He also wants to create some happy memories for his two children to remember him by and show his close friends how much they mean to him. After two sessions of chemo therapy he decides no more and to live his life the best he can. Although 360 pages this is a quick read, with a few pages donated to each day. It does give one pause for thought as to how you would deal with news of this nature and a lesson in living your best life not wasting it. However, I don't know that we feel the physical impact of his decline. I am not sure how realistic a portrayal it is. ( )

A male- centric weapy. ( )

Lucio discovers to late that he has advanced cancer and that he has approximately 100 days to live. What Lucio decides to do over those last days is live. Lucio takes his children, Lorenzo and Eva, and wife Paola on a final adventure before leaving them for good.

This was a beautiful and funny story with an ultimate sad ending. Very easy to read and enjoy. ( )

What would you do if you learned you were dying of fourth-stage liver cancer and had only a few months to live? That’s the compelling story behind “100 Days of Happiness,” by Fausto Brizzi—a novel that quickly became a bestseller in Italy and is now available in the U.S. in English translation. Contrary to expectations, it’s a delightful and impishly entertaining novel overflowing with joy for the simple everyday pleasures in life. It’s fabulously funny and full of fascinating true-to-life characters. Yes, it’s bittersweet. And it’s definitely uplifting, too. But is it worth reading? Absolutely!

This is a book with such realistic characters I wanted to book a trip to Rome just to visit the main character’s family and friends and to see how they were all getting on with their lives.

The novel is set in contemporary Rome. The main character, Lucio Battistini, earns his paycheck as a fitness instructor, but his passion is working as a volunteer water-polo coach for one of the city’s many youth leagues. Lucio is a father of two charming small children, a nine-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. He is also, very regrettably at the time of his diagnosis, a husband whose wife has recently caught him cheating with one of the women at the gym. No sooner is he diagnosed than his wife, Paola, kicks him out of the house. In the 100 days he has remaining, Lucio wants nothing more than to earn his wife’s forgiveness and win back her love. As the time ticks by, he makes lists of other things he wants to accomplish, but it always comes back to winning back Paola’s love.

Read this novel for it’s life-affirming story; read it for the pure joy of celebrating life; but don’t read it if you want to learn (realistically and in detail) what it is like to go through the last 100 days of liver cancer metastasized to the lungs. This is not that type of book. This is not a medical story. This is a book about relationships and love.

But this is also a book about assisted suicide. The author tells you right in the beginning exactly when Lucio dies, and at least midway through the book, he tells you how and where his death will occur. So it’s no spoiler to tell you that this book is also very much about being legally allowed to die with dignity. Of course this is a procedure that is absolutely forbidden in Catholic-dominated Italy. The book makes a good case for the humanity of this procedure and the fact that this theme forms a small part of the story arc of this novel may be one of the reasons why it was such a hit in Italy. It comes at a time when people all over the world are demanding that laws be changed to permit less painful, less traumatic, and more dignified exits.

The fact that the author tells you the exact moment of his death at the beginning of the book, also gives you a hint about what may take place in the epilogue, aptly named, “Afterward.”

I took great pleasure in this book. It’s funny and wise. It helped me focus on what truly matters in life. Life is not about achieving wealth, fame, and status; it’s about character. It’s about the good relationships of love and friendship that we form along the way. ( )