Sunday, April 28, 2013

Camilleri in my newspaper

My review of The Dance of the Seagull, latest of Andrea Camilleri's novels about Salvo Montalbano to appear in English, appears in Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer.
"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.

"... 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."
Spoiler alert: Salvo does not curse the saints until Page 104.

© Peter Rozovsky 2013

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4 Comments:

Blogger seana graham said...

Excellent review. The real mystery is why I still haven't gotten on to this series.

April 28, 2013  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

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.

April 28, 2013  
Blogger Simona Carini said...

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.)

April 28, 2013  
Blogger Peter Rozovsky said...

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.

April 28, 2013  

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