Summary of Un destino ridicolo

The novel is set between Sardinia and the city of Genoa. The Sardinian shepherd Salvatore, after a detention in prison, comes to Genoa in search of a better life. In the old town he meets a prostitute, Veretta, and falls in love with her. The main plot is weaved with the histories of the pimp Carlo, the French criminal Barnard, the young singer-songwriter Fabrizio and his fan Alessandro, the beauty Maritza and Salvatore's cousin, Annino. The character of Maritza is a novelization of Bocca di Rosa, main character of a song of De André. Two other characters (Fabrizio and Alessandro) are the authors themselves.