PARADISE, NEVADA
By Dario Diofebi
Bloomsbury, April 6, 2021
A furiously rowdy and ricocheting saga about poker, happiness, class, and selflessness, Paradise, Nevada is a panoramic tour of America in miniature, a vertiginously beautiful systems novel where the bloody battles of neo-liberalism, immigration, labor, and family rage underneath Las Vegas' beguiling and strangely benevolent light. This exuberant debut marks the beginning of a significant career.
Selected Praise
“A big, bold, searching American novel. . . This sprawling, delightful debut book captures the artificial worlds within worlds in the casinos, the unnavigable streets just outside the strip, the big dreams, and the bad beats. It has a labor dispute, a big explosion, and an immigration saga. Most of all it has four vivid strivers at its core. The author, who spent several years as a professional poker player (both online and live), knows these people and their habitats, and he brings them to life in colorful, page-turning detail.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Filled with surprising turns of phrase and unexpected relationships. . . Readers of complex literary fiction will appreciate the sharp and nuanced writing.” — Booklist
“Paradise, Nevada won’t just compel with its high-stakes momentum, it’ll teach you to win high-stakes poker! Dario Diofebi is an irreverent and audacious new voice.” – Susan Choi, author of TRUST EXERCISE
About the Author
Dario Diofebi was born in Rome, Italy, in 1987. After a BA and an MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Rome, he became a professional online poker player from age 22 to 26. After that, he was a traveling high stakes live poker player for another three years, mostly based in Las Vegas. He quit the game to pursue writing, and received an MFA from the NYU Creative Writing Program. He lives in Rome and Brooklyn, NY.