The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano, Book 1)
by Andrea Camilleri
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Book Summary Information
Author: Andrea CamilleriTranslator: Stephen Sartarelli
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-31
ISBN: 0142004715
Number of pages: 224
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Book Reviews of The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano, Book 1)
Book Review: The Gentleman in a Savage Land
Summary: 5 Stars
Inspector Salvo Montalbano is a gentleman: a gourmet and an esthete.
He is also a faithful lover to his Livia who waits for him in Genoa
while he toils as a police inspector in a mythical region of Sicily.
The Sicily of Andrea Camilleri's fiction is a savage place indeed.
Nothing and nobody is at it seems and layers of conspiracy underly
other layers.
In this context, when a prominent engineer is found dead in a trash-
filled dump where prostitutes ply their trade, Montalbano is
suspicious of the coroner's verdict of death by natural causes.
His investigation takes him through descending layers of depravity
which conclude with a long, surprise-filled monologue in which all
is revealed.
This is very cerebral detecting, even given the Maigret-like texture
of the narrative. Fans of rough-and-tumble may be disappointed.
Those who flinch at the social critique of the South of Italy may
find the portrayal of Sicilians to be a bit problematic too.
But I think these objections are misplaced. The real action in this
book is on the social and personal level. It is precisely the
quality of thought that the ever-humane Montalbano brings to the
proceedings that make them exciting. More importantly, his dim-eyed
view of Sicilan society and mores is an invitation to reflect on
its similarities to our own. Sicily here is not a stand-in for
some uncivilized 'other'. It's handled with a sympathy that
makes it a proxy for all of us.
--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the novel bang BANG. ISBN 9781601640005
Summary of The Shape of Water (Inspector Montalbano, Book 1)
Andrea Camilleri's novels starring Inspector Montalbano have become an international sensation in eight different languages. This funny and fast-paced Sicilian page-turner will be a delicious discovery for mystery afficionados and fiction lovers alike.Early one morning, Silvio Lupanello, a big shot in the village of Vigāta, is found dead in his car with his pants around his knees. The car happens to be parked in a rough part of town frequented by prostitutes and drug dealers, and as the news of his death spreads, the rumors begin. Enter Inspector Salvo Montalbano, Vigāta's most respected detective. With his characteristic mix of humor, cynicism, compassion, and love of good food, Montalbano goes into battle against the powerful and the corrupt who are determined to block his path to the real killer.
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