The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli

The Wager by Donna Jo Napoli

259 pages

I love all of Napoli's work, her rewritten fairy tales are amazing. I first discovered her when I read Bound, a rewriting of the Cinderella story. This is by far my favorite so far.

(from jacket cover)

"Come here, beggar."

Don Giovanni is no beggar. A few months ago he was the wealthiest and handsomest young man in Messina, until a tidal wave washed away everything he owned. Though he's now homeless and poor, he still has his pride-and his good looks. Yet winter is coming, and Don Giovanni has nowhere to go, nothing to eat.

When a well-dressed stranger offers him unlimited wealth in exchange for a simple-sounding wager, Don Giovanni knows he shouldn't take it. Only the devil would offer a deal like this, and only a fool would accept. but don Giovanni is desperate. Against his better judgment he enters into a deal with the devil' he will not change his clothes or bathe for three years, three months, and three days.

Beauty is a small price to pay for worldly wealth, isn't it? Unless Don Giovanni loses the wager-and with it, his soul.