It's time for us to move on from the Via Merulana and head elsewhere.
By popular demand, the next books up for reading are Carlo Lucarelli's De Luca trilogy. All of them are bite-sized reads, but feel free to read as many or as few as you like.
First up is Carte Blanche, second in the series is The Damned Season and finally Via Delle Oche. For those unfamiliar with the premise, the books are set in the dying days of the Fascist regime. So, a bit like our first book, the Duce looms large.
I have been busy buying up other titles too and will be moving onto them after I have consumed the Lucarellis. In the pipeline, in no particular order, are Leonardo Sciascia's A Simple Story, Michele Giuttari's A Death in Calabria, the 11th Montalbano mystery by Andrea Camilleri The Wings of the Sphinx and, finally, a new one on me, just spotted in my local Waterstones - Death in August by Marco Vichi.
So, plenty to be going on with, plenty to discuss, hopefully. Now bring me my espresso, a shot of grappa and my, er, reading glasses.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Monday, 16 May 2011
Who next for Giallo Club?
Having battled manfully (or womanfully, or not at all) through the Via Merulana it is time for the club to move on.
My nominees for next book are A Simple Story by Leonardo Sciascia or the De Luca trilogy by Carlo Lucarelli (starting with Carte Blanche). Post your thoughts here or tweet them to @ginkers and we will take it from there. Happy to go for other suggestions too.
In an almost giallo-related aside, I watched The American with George Clooney last night which is set mostly in Italy. Lovely backdrop, plot was a bit lethargic. I ended up with a strange craving for a decent coffee in a smalltown bar somewhere. And maybe a nice countryside picnic...
My nominees for next book are A Simple Story by Leonardo Sciascia or the De Luca trilogy by Carlo Lucarelli (starting with Carte Blanche). Post your thoughts here or tweet them to @ginkers and we will take it from there. Happy to go for other suggestions too.
In an almost giallo-related aside, I watched The American with George Clooney last night which is set mostly in Italy. Lovely backdrop, plot was a bit lethargic. I ended up with a strange craving for a decent coffee in a smalltown bar somewhere. And maybe a nice countryside picnic...
Wednesday, 20 April 2011
I fought with Gadda, and Gadda won...
I'll admit it, I think we kicked the club off with a tough mountain to climb. A more gentle introduction might have been better. But I am hard-headed enough to rarely give up on a book I have sacrificed the time and energy to start.
That Awful Mess, for me, induced lengthy spells of feeling that I was reading it because I felt I ought to - rather than for actual enjoyment. Accessible, straightforward and action-packed, it is not. Its rhythms and subtleties often escaped me.
Part of this, I reckon, was down to the translation which had a dated or clunky feel. However, I think it's only fair to say anyone would have struggled with Gadda's prose. His playfulness with words in Italian is desperately difficult for anyone to wrestle with.
Maybe I should have got a copy in its original language but I'm not sure I would have been a lot more enthused. As both Mauro and Adam have pointed out, we really started the Giallo Club with a book which was essentially not a Giallo. It often felt more like a literary exercise colliding with social commentary. There were some lovely nuggets in there but, to me, no more than that.
What I enjoyed most was the insight into the machinations of life in Rome under the Fascist regime. There were some observational gems in there (my personal favourite when one of the characters exclaims: "Tuscans! They're a bunch of stinkers too..."). But overall, my ultimate feeling was one of relief rather than satisfaction when I turned the final page.
That Awful Mess, for me, induced lengthy spells of feeling that I was reading it because I felt I ought to - rather than for actual enjoyment. Accessible, straightforward and action-packed, it is not. Its rhythms and subtleties often escaped me.
Part of this, I reckon, was down to the translation which had a dated or clunky feel. However, I think it's only fair to say anyone would have struggled with Gadda's prose. His playfulness with words in Italian is desperately difficult for anyone to wrestle with.
Maybe I should have got a copy in its original language but I'm not sure I would have been a lot more enthused. As both Mauro and Adam have pointed out, we really started the Giallo Club with a book which was essentially not a Giallo. It often felt more like a literary exercise colliding with social commentary. There were some lovely nuggets in there but, to me, no more than that.
What I enjoyed most was the insight into the machinations of life in Rome under the Fascist regime. There were some observational gems in there (my personal favourite when one of the characters exclaims: "Tuscans! They're a bunch of stinkers too..."). But overall, my ultimate feeling was one of relief rather than satisfaction when I turned the final page.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
More from the Merulana
Adamo (@adz77) is the next man to make it to the end of That Awful Mess. Here are his thoughts on our tricky appetiser...
Ok, so, writing a book review is something I haven't done in about twenty years and I had absolutely no idea where to start. However, I shall endeavour to share my thoughts, for what they are worth on a book I probably wouldn't have selected myself, but love the idea of this club (being something of a self-confessed geek being in a book club seems very apt, no?).
I picked up a translated copy of the book and have to say, after about eight or nine pages I tossed it aside thinking 'I'll see what they choose next, it's not for me'.
Then Mauro's review of the Italian version was posted and I thought I'd give it another go, struggled some more before biting the bullet and picking up an original version and can only recommend if you can then do the same.
Suddenly a book that came across as pretentious and obtuse revealed itself to be a wonderfully layered and crafted novel, its characters as rich as the language Gadda uses to describe them to use. Not only this but, considering the date of its original publication, it is laced with an incredibly brave attack on fascism and a superb portrait of Rome as the author saw it.
Ok, so, writing a book review is something I haven't done in about twenty years and I had absolutely no idea where to start. However, I shall endeavour to share my thoughts, for what they are worth on a book I probably wouldn't have selected myself, but love the idea of this club (being something of a self-confessed geek being in a book club seems very apt, no?).
I picked up a translated copy of the book and have to say, after about eight or nine pages I tossed it aside thinking 'I'll see what they choose next, it's not for me'.
Then Mauro's review of the Italian version was posted and I thought I'd give it another go, struggled some more before biting the bullet and picking up an original version and can only recommend if you can then do the same.
Suddenly a book that came across as pretentious and obtuse revealed itself to be a wonderfully layered and crafted novel, its characters as rich as the language Gadda uses to describe them to use. Not only this but, considering the date of its original publication, it is laced with an incredibly brave attack on fascism and a superb portrait of Rome as the author saw it.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
First review from the Via Merulana
Mauro Palermo has been quickest off the mark for us, here is his view of That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana which he read in the original Italian.
“Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana” is not a “giallo”, at least not as we normally mean it.
There's a crime, there's the dead, there's an inquiry, but there's not a real crime plot. This is a rare case of novel where the plot is subordinated to writing.
The author uses the story to have an excuse to play with words. The writing is outstanding, used to outline the different characters and also to express what the characters think or feel about the others.
In this way the use of different dialects (or of a higher or lower level of Italian, from very basic to solemn) contributes to give life to each character. (I wonder how this is reproduced in the English translation).
In the end it is not so important to discover who killed Liliana, the aim of the author being bringing us inside Rome in the late twenties and making us understand what everyday life was there at that time. And we dive into this world, feeling like we are home and everything that happens around us seems real.
“Quer pasticciaccio brutto de via Merulana” is not a “giallo”, at least not as we normally mean it.
There's a crime, there's the dead, there's an inquiry, but there's not a real crime plot. This is a rare case of novel where the plot is subordinated to writing.
The author uses the story to have an excuse to play with words. The writing is outstanding, used to outline the different characters and also to express what the characters think or feel about the others.
In this way the use of different dialects (or of a higher or lower level of Italian, from very basic to solemn) contributes to give life to each character. (I wonder how this is reproduced in the English translation).
In the end it is not so important to discover who killed Liliana, the aim of the author being bringing us inside Rome in the late twenties and making us understand what everyday life was there at that time. And we dive into this world, feeling like we are home and everything that happens around us seems real.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Club introductions
I've got the book, and hopefully most of the rest of you have too. I thought it might be worthwhile putting a note down of everyone who I know is involved. I am sure to miss some out, so flag yourself up if I have not mentioned you.
Fellow Football Italia scribes Scott Fleming and James Horncastle are on the team, they are @sfcalcio and @JamesHorncastle on Twitter.
We also have the greatest living Juventino Adam Digby (@adz77), a proud Palermitano Lorenzo Vicini (otherwise known as @PalermoOffside) and died-in-the wool Romanista Vanda Wilcox (@SpanglyPrincess).
Also from the great Twitter world and blogging is Chris King (@NorthernWrites) and, I think, Milan fan @ginodb.
Following us but with the Italian versions of the book are Mauro Palermo (@MauroPalermo) and Michelangelo Gamberini (@mkidj).
Last, but definitely not least, is a good friend from real life, Jim Gordon, (see Peem comment below). I am also trying to recruit another of Coatbridge's finest, Martin Reilly.
Enjoy the Via Merulana.
Fellow Football Italia scribes Scott Fleming and James Horncastle are on the team, they are @sfcalcio and @JamesHorncastle on Twitter.
We also have the greatest living Juventino Adam Digby (@adz77), a proud Palermitano Lorenzo Vicini (otherwise known as @PalermoOffside) and died-in-the wool Romanista Vanda Wilcox (@SpanglyPrincess).
Also from the great Twitter world and blogging is Chris King (@NorthernWrites) and, I think, Milan fan @ginodb.
Following us but with the Italian versions of the book are Mauro Palermo (@MauroPalermo) and Michelangelo Gamberini (@mkidj).
Last, but definitely not least, is a good friend from real life, Jim Gordon, (see Peem comment below). I am also trying to recruit another of Coatbridge's finest, Martin Reilly.
Enjoy the Via Merulana.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
The book arrives
I am now in proud possession of my copy of That Awful Mess. Eventually got it delivered to my local WH Smith (they do that free of charge, rather than charging postage to your home address).
I know a few of you have also been successful in the quest. I won't be starting to read it until early March so plenty of time to hunt out a copy yet.
Apparently, its good practice to get ideas for our next books in the schedule too, to allow people to prepare. So all suggestions welcome as a comment below or on Twitter to @ginkers.
I know a few of you have also been successful in the quest. I won't be starting to read it until early March so plenty of time to hunt out a copy yet.
Apparently, its good practice to get ideas for our next books in the schedule too, to allow people to prepare. So all suggestions welcome as a comment below or on Twitter to @ginkers.
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