Bittersweet, like any self-respecting Italian comedy, The Prank is a Pirandellian exploration of identity in today's multicultural, polyglot societies. Lakhous draws inspiration from everyday reality, describing his approach to writing as total literature, a term he has adapted from soccer's total football. He plays in attack, describing in this work the realities of an Italy of the future with colorful characters portrayed in limpid but lively prose.