Camilleri in my newspaper
"The title," quoth the Inquirer, "refers to a seagull's dance of death that Salvo witnesses from his seaside home and that haunts him and his dreams throughout the novel. Camilleri integrates this dream into the mystery more skillfully than he has done in earlier books. He's beginning to get the hang of this Montalbano thing.Spoiler alert: Salvo does not curse the saints until Page 104.
"... introspection and empathy need not imply surrender or resignation. Indeed, Salvo not only solves the murders and arrests the murderers, but he also manages to exact a bit of revenge from a powerful target."
© Peter Rozovsky 2013
Labels: Andrea Camilleri, Italy, newspaper reviews, off-site reviews, reviews, Salvo Montalbano, Sicily
posted by Peter Rozovsky at 2:00 PM
4 Comments:
Excellent review. The real mystery is why I still haven't gotten on to this series.
Thanks. It is indeed a mystery that you have not read Camilleri. Penguin is about to reissue an omnibus volume containing the first three novels in the series. That might be a good place to start.
I've mentioned the tendencies toward vulnerability and introspection as the series goes on, but it is not necessary to read the novels in order. So you don't have to wait until that omnibus comes out next month.
It is always a pleasure to read your words on Camilleri. I like your definition of his language. Last night, I was finally able to introduce my husband to the movies. We watched The Shape of Water, which coincidentally I re-read recently for a blog event. By now, reading or watching Montalbano for me is like spending time with an old friend. (As an aside, RAI has just broadcast 3 new episodes.)
Italian/Sicilian/Camillerian , you mean? Thanks. That just came to me as I was writing.
I am surprised that it took this long for your husband to watch the movies. As for spending time with an old friend, the Montalbano television series is a lesson for anyone who says novels cannot be adapted well to the screen. Producers and directors contemplating adapting a book ought to study how the Montalbano people did it.
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