Death's Dark Abyss [Paperback]

Massimo Carlotto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006

"A narrative voice that is cold, heartless, but, in a creepy way, fascinating."-The New York Times

A riveting drama of guilt, revenge, and justice, Massimo Carlotto's Death's Dark Abyss tells the story of two men and the savage crime that binds them. During a robbery, Raffaello Beggiato takes a young woman and her child hostage and later murders them. Beggiato is arrested, tried, and sentenced to life. The victims' father and husband, Silvano, is undone by his loss. He plunges into an ever-deepening abyss until the day, years later, when the murderer seeks his pardon, and the wounded Silvano turns predator as he ruthlessly plots his revenge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carlotto (The Goodbye Kiss), who served time for a murder he didn't commit before becoming a writer, has crafted a subtle and disturbing tale of the effects of violence on its survivors. Wine salesman Silvano Contin's unremarkable but happy life is irrevocably shattered when a pair of bank robbers seize his wife and young son as hostages, and then execute them. Unable to endure much human contact, Contin ekes out a living repairing shoes. When the one murderer who was apprehended is diagnosed with cancer, he seeks Contin's assistance in gaining an early release from incarceration. The widower's desire for justice—and the identity of the killer who escaped scot-free—leads him to make some unusual decisions and propels him down a very dark road. The author manages to make Contin's descent into hell plausible and heartbreaking, and devises an ingenious and even touching resolution. (Oct.)
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Review

"A remarkable study of corruption and redemption in a world where revenge is best served ice-cold." -- Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2006--starred review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Europa Editions (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933372184
• ISBN-13: 978-1933372181
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #96,406 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Noir, Italian Style, January 12, 2008

By 

A. Ross (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Death's Dark Abyss (Paperback)

What the noir genre does best is present a very average protagonist, usually a kind of down-on-his-luck kind of guy -- someone the reader can easily identify with, and then place him in some kind of moral quandary. Through the story, the reader is forced to consider what their own reactions would be to the situation and thus, their own morality. This slim Italian story is a prime example of this.

In it, we meet a totally unremarkable cobbler named Silvano Contin. Fifteen years ago, he was living a nice middle-class life as a wine salesman with a pretty wife and little boy. However, fate brought them in the path of a pair of escaping bank robbers, one of whom ended up killing the wife and son. This plunged Contin into depression and a general dissociation from the world. Meanwhile, one of the robbers was caught and put in prison for life, while the other was never found. Now, fifteen years later, Raffaello Beggiato is dying of cancer and appealing for clemency, while at the same time, hoping that if he is released, he can use his share of the loot to flee to Brazil and live large for his final days.

As part of the legal process, Contin is asked whether or not he wishes to forgive Beggiato (who swears it was his partner who killed the wife and kid). Contin doesn't forgive him one bit, but calculates that if Beggiato is freed, he might lead Contin to his accomplice, enabling some kind of revenge. Of course, simmering along with Contin's hate for the men who destroyed his life is the question of what we, the reader, would do in the same circumstances. When the Italian judicial system bumbles along and does eventually release Beggiato, it triggers a series of twists and turns worthy of any classic noir film, culminating in a satisfying epilogue. It's a quick and simple read that raises questions within the reader that are not so quickly or simply answered.