Customer Reviews

After Hannibal

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Can the history of a region shape the lives of those who settle there? Barry Unsworth, winner of the Booker Prize for his novel SACRED HUNGER, suggests that may be so in his hypnotic and gorgeously written new novel about fantasy, deceit and betrayal.

Set in "Golden" Umbria, a region made famous by painters like Raphael and Peruggino, AFTER HANNIBAL explores a brief spell of time for English, Italian, German, and American neighbors living along a dusty rural road. They all have their dreams, some elevated, some vicious, and reality crushes each of them in one way or another--or sets them free in unexpected ways.

But that's not surprising, because they live in a dramatic, blood-soaked landscape, however dreamy and idyllic it may appear, and however filled it may be with cities that are "treasure-houses of art and history." Hannibal destroyed a Roman army there, and in the Renaissance, noble families jockeyed for power, defying each other and the Papacy in blood. The region's history is "a record of crime."

All this background is ironically supplied by an Italian history professor who himself longs "to be detached from history, rescued"--but of course, that's not possible for him or his neighbors who are bound together in surprising ways.

Though the author's couple from Michigan sounds more British than American, it's an easily forgiven lapse. AFTER HANNIBAL is wise and witty, infused with the warmth of a dazzling landscape, and tempered by a sad, deep knowledge of the human penchant for self-deception and self- destruction. It's a deeply moving book much like one of the tiny, ancient Umbrian towns the author describes: "undemonstrative, unclamorous--it makes no very loud or evident claim on your attention. It exists in its own right, in its venerable and richly layered past and harmonious present."

Though entertaining - and deadly realistic in its portrayal of human weakness at its most mean - this is not the best of Mr.Unsworth's fiction. Its portrayal of the lives and struggles of isolated expatriates in Tuscany, and of their exploitation by an avaricious attorney, has much of the comic about it, and the observations are never less than sharply ironic and amusing, but the underlying theme is of tragedy, of small lives blighted by failures of spirit and generosity. There is no redeeming feature in this story of gloom and petty misery and the larger themes that dominate much of Mr.Unsworth's other fiction are missing here. It is a capable and readable work - but by the time one is half-way through one longs for something more. This said however, Mr.Unsworth in even his lesser work - the category this undoubtedly falls into - is still a better writer than many who are higher acclaimed and the aficionado of his work should not give this a miss.

Barry Unsworth is one of my favorite authors, and I have read all his books. This was my least favorite. What "unites" the disparate characters are simply a road which passes by their houses and (ubiquitously) a lawyer whom they each consult. Although Unsworth's use of historical context and detail is usually one of the most enjoyable and well developed aspects of his novels, here we are dealing, peripherally, with battles involving both Hannibal (who craftily fought off the Romans) and the Fascists (who left this part of Italy devastated).

Having spent time in the Italian countryside, I could relate somewhat to the details that Unsworth relates about the land and the feel of the environment however; the book itself just doesn't have a central core. Having said all that, however, I'd still rather read a lesser Unsworth book than most books on the bestseller list

and 'Ugly Englishman' as opposed to Americans who are unusually kind and trusting in this book about several couples trying to work through the good offices of an Italian lawyer trying to help them with problems caused by greedy contractors, crazy neighbors etc.. I found all the little stories interesting except for the one about the professor Monti where Unsworth included maybe a little too much about local history for my patience. All in all an interesting book that also provides a cautionary tale for rich foreigners who are keen on Italian real estate.

As always, Unsworth's skill as a story teller and creator of compelling characters pulled me through the story. But by the end I realized that I didn't care about the characters, and their stories seemed more sketched than real. I think he tried unsuccesfully to tie too many story lines together.

Read Pascqualli's Island instead.

A very readable account of expat life in Italy, revolving around the shananigans of a cunning lawyer. Some of the characters are better drawn than others, particularly the English couple - Harold is pretty unattractive, but you can understand why, and by the end of the book I saw his wife as a rounded, though not totaly attractive character. The gay Italian couple and the odball German I didn't find very convincing.

I have read almost all of Barry Unsworth's books and am extremely disappointed in "After Hannibal". In part, this may be because I live in Italy and have some idea of the expat scene here. But there's more to it than that, since I absolutely loved "Stone Virgin" which is set in Venice and to my mind is one of the most intriguing and mysterious novels I have read in the last few years. Barry Unsworth usually steeps himself in the historical background of his subjects, as was the case with "The Rage of the Vultures", "The Sacred Hunger" and the more recent, and fascinating "Morality Play" (not to mention "Pascali's Island". This one gave me the impression that perhaps the author had a contract to fulfill and therefore didn't do more than go through the motions. Che peccato!

After Hannibal is another fine example of Unsworth's ability to brilliantly incorporate historic narrative into contemporary fiction. His droll storytelling is made sharper by the fine portrayal and exploration of characters -- and his lyrical descriptiveness.

Barry Unsworth is one of my favorite authors, and I have read all his books. This was my least favorite. What "unites" the disparate characters are simply a road which passes by their houses and (ubiquitously) a lawyer whom they each consult. Although Unsworth's use of historical context and detail is usually one of the most enjoyable and well developed aspects of his novels, here we are dealing, peripherally, with battles involving both Hannibal and the Fascists. The book just doesn't seem to have a central core. Having said all that, however, I'd still rather read a lesser Unsworth book than most books on the bestseller list

I picked up this book because the author had won a Booker Prize, and, unlike The National Book Award, winners of the Booker are generally reliable. In this case, while his prize-winning, or near prize-winning, books may have been good, this one was not. Neither was it bad. The writing was smooth enough to keep me reading, but the book simply did not gel.

After Hannibal falls into the Year in Provence category of books -- Brits (or Americans, pick your empire) buy property in Italy/France and have problems with the natives. The problems are supposed to be entertaining, and in some way, show us the endearing nature of the natives, who are charming but frustrating in their simple, unfathomable ways. This book followed that well-worn pattern, but without the endearing and charming parts. The various imports--a British couple, an American couple, a guilt-haunted German, a gay urban Italian couple--all have run-ins with the Checchetti family, a bunch of devious, and thoroughly disagreeable peasants. The run-ins were supposed to be amusing.

Regrettably, we were not amused, not because the writing was bad (it wasn't, in fact it was quite good), or because the plot wasn't engaging (it was, in its own convoluted way), but because the author did not appear to have put very much effort into this novel. In fact, I could not quite shake the feeling that he had written it while on vacation (in Italy) out of a sense of habit. ("I really should be writing something.") I am willing to read some of Unsworth's other books, because it is obvious he knows his way around a pen, but in the future I will stick to the ones that live up to his reputation.