The Flight of the Falcon [Hardcover]

Daphne du Maurier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1965

It is 500 years since Duke Claudio the Falcon lived his brutal life in Ruffano, Italy. Now the modern day town has forgotten its violent history. Its University his a shiny new Commerce and Economics building - but have things really changed?

--This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This 1965 novel is not among du Maurier's better-known works; indeed, it is not even mentioned in her obituary in the London Times, and The New Yorker called it "extraordinarily dull." It takes place in the fictional university town of Ruffano, Italy; tour guide Armino Fabbio has returned to his childhood home, now alcoholic and homeless, after the murder of an old family servant. There he finds his brother Aldo, supposedly killed during the war; Aldo in turn believed Armino and their mother had also been killed. Aldo, insane and vicious, undertakes a play about the founder of Ruffano, Duke Claudio, against a backdrop of political unrest and town and gown conflicts. It is a dark, harsh tale of good and evil, with family secrets unearthed amidst incest, murder, rapeAthis is not light listening. James Callis's reading is very good, with fine pacing and easily distinguishable voices. It is hard not to recommend a du Maurier title, but perhaps libraries on limited budgets should look to more widely appealing fare.AHarriet Edwards, East Meadow P.L., NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

About the Author

Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel Rebecca made her one of the most successful writers of her time. Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of the book won the Best Picture Oscar in 1940. He later used her material for The Birds. In 1969, du Maurier was created a Dame of the British Empire.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 253 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; BCE edition (June 1965)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038505355X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385053556
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,899,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Daphne du Maurier was born in 1906 and educated at home and in Paris. She began writing in 1928, and many of her bestselling novels were set in Cornwall, where she lived for most of her life. She was made a DBE in 1969 and died in 1989.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "He was my god, he was my devil too.", July 16, 2009

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This review is from: Flight of the Falcon (Paperback)

Armino Fabbio is a thirty-two-year-old courier in Genoa. He is short (at least shorter than most men), baby-faced and pleasant enough. His work at Sunshine Tours provides him a satisfactory if predictable life. But all of it comes to an end when he spots a peasant woman on the street. There's nothing unusual about a peasant roaming aimlessly on the streets of Rome, but this woman is his former servant Martha. Her death follows her unexpected reappearance, and Fabbio, afraid of police interrogation, flees to his old hometown of Ruffano. This leads to unexpected events. His new job as assistant at a university library, the same university where his late father had once been the superintendent, provides him a temporary position at the school. There he meets some interesting characters, including students from the new Commerce and Economics curriculum. He also gets reacquainted with the past. His brother Aldo, once presumed dead, is now a highly respected professor and leader of a rather strange cult. Aldo is also in charge of an annual festival. This year he intends to reenact the five-hundred-year-old legend of Duke Claudio, known as The Falcon, and he wants to make the festival as lifelike as possible. In a series of twists and turns, Armino discovers just how fantasy and reality, good and evil, play part in his past and present.

At first, The Flight of the Falcon is rather dull. It starts out well, but the storyline is very slow-paced and you have to have some patience with it. It is nevertheless a fascinating novel. Character study is big in this story. The author develops the psychological aspects of the characters so well that their complexity is wonderful. I won't discuss what these complexities are, for that would ruin the fun of reading it for yourself. Another great thing about this book is the atmosphere. The portrait of The Temptation of Christ (which I think isn't based on a real portrait) and its implications play a major role in the story, only as backdrop. It is, in truth, the main theme in this book. The beautiful descriptions of Italy, deep character study, and the sinister and suspenseful plot turn this into an amazing gothic tale. I think this is one of Daphne du Maurier's most accomplished if underrated efforts, a reminder of why I've enjoyed her suspense novels the most. (Her other novels are great and not to be missed though.) So what at first was a near miss to me became a fascinating and unputdownable read. This would cover a number of book club discussions. If you love Daphne du Maurier, then you cannot miss this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Story!, July 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Flight of the Falcon (Hardcover)

No. It's not Rebecca, but since Rebecca is considered one of the greatest books ever written, it would be hard for anyone to top it. I found The Flight of the Falcon a great story. It captures the feel of Italy as well as it holds you from page to page. I think any du Maurier is good reading. It isn't fair to compare everything she writes to Rebecca. It WAS a masterpiece, but her brilliance came through in almost every piece of her work. Flight of the Falcon has a lot of mystery and intrigue and deserves to be read by any suspense/mystery fan.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An unappreciated masterpiece, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Flight of the Falcon (Hardcover)

This book deserves to be in print. It is an extraordinary work, vividly evoking a setting and characters far different from that of Rebecca. The story is equally dramatic, but the wry tone and subject matter may surprise those who have only read Du Maurier's better-known works. I urge any and all to read this book.