DUE IS MY DELOREAN

Reading Enrico Brizzi’s new book, “Due,” took me back to the vibes of his first novel, “Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo” which came out thirty years ago.

In the next few paragraphs, I’ll dive into how this “time travel experience” brings back memories without making me feel nostalgic. In a way, these books help me evolve as a human and designer that unlocks business value.

DUE IS Reading a story from thirty years ago with today’s awareness: the magical intertwining of “Due” and “Jack Frusciante”

“Due” has enabled me to see how the kid from ’95 became the guy in 2024. Reading Enrico Brizzi’s last novel made me realize that my life has always had this playlist playing in the background. With this book, it became clear that along with the music, it also features the words inked by Brizzi. The two novels are closely connected and shaped the soundtrack of a large part of my first fifty years.

The impact of this experience comes from reading ‘Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo’ in one go during the summer of ’95. With Oasis’s “Wonderwall” playing in the background, I dove into those pages filled with a fresh yet familiar vibe. I followed Aidi and Alex’s story with the eager eyes of a kid ready to step into adulthood, dreaming big.

Fast-forward nearly thirty years, and now I’m reading ‘Due’, the sequel to ‘Jack’, from the perspective of a nearly fifty-year-old family guy. I’ve matured through the ups and downs of adult life, drawing inspiration from how literature can shape our journeys.

Reading ‘Due’ got me reflecting on my life and helped me connect with the adult characters alongside Aidi and Alex. I felt strong empathy towards Alex’s parents’ struggles, almost like I was walking alongside a couple of kids during crucial moments. It was a surprising and enriching experience.

Conclusions

So, while consuming the story of “Due”, I saw the bridge between the young boy of the late twentieth century and the man who lives these first thirty years of the twenty-first century take shape. It was intense to realize how “Jack” and “Due” represent more than two books read and loved. On the one hand, this story, both episodes, is a tribute to myself as a boy. On the other hand, a warm embrace of the man who defined his life with those “skewed trajectories” led him to become the person who navigates the strange waves of the beginning of the new century.

Links to learn more

• In case you don’t know what a DeLorean is, feel ashamed of yourself and read immediately Return to the future
• Soul to squeeze. A book about John Frusciante