Customer Reviews

The Shape of Water (Salvo Montalbano Mysteries)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Andrea Camilleri's "The Shape of Water" is the first in a series of Inspector Montalbano mysteries, only recently translated to English. I wasn't sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised by interesting characters, a mystery I didn't figure out in advance, and a protaganist with many layers, who is serious, intelligent, self-depracating, and quite funny!
The story begins with the discovery by 2 garbagemen of a local politician, dead in a car, with his pants around his ankles. Detective work in Sicily is quite different than what you would expect in the US. But Inspector Montalbano performs his job largely independent of supervision and is fairly free to follow up in whatever way he pleases.
The pace is relaxed, and the book does not have your typical action-adventure style. Everything is revealed in a very matter of fact style in a storytelling manner, rather than one action scene to the next. Not to worry though, there are plenty of questions to be answered here, and Montalbano gets to them in his own good time. He manages to fit in a love interest, and some fantastic gourmet food as he goes about his days. His gastronomic interests are amusing in themselves.
I don't want to go on about the story itself here, it might spoil the surprises for the readers. Suffice to say this was a very enjoyable read, with plenty of plot twists, that will make you want to read the rest of the series. Highly recommended to mystery lovers.

In the American detective novel such as the Maltese Falcon oftentimes the hero is just as bad as the thugs he fights against and resorts to what we would call evil to achieve his ends. In The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri we have an altogether different animal. While retaining some of the facets of the hardboiled crime novel, it also lightens the atmosphere and incredibly features an honest and moral man as its protaganist.

Salvo Montalbano, the police inspector for the small Sicilian town of Vigata, is deeply respected by his community for his honesty and fairness. That is doubly important since there is corruption in all levels of the Italian government. He is very likable. He doesn't cheat on his girlfriend, he does good deeds, and he's also pretty intelligent, sometimes even discussing literature with other officers in the know. Not exactly the cold-blooded killer we see in America. What a breath of freshness this is!

Hold on, dont think that this is some nice cub scout book to be read to children. As the novel opens, two garbagemen find the body of Silvio Lupanello, chief political figure in Vigata. They find him dead in a car in the Pasture, a local name for an area known for its drug and prostitution activity. One of them finds a valuable necklace on the ground and conceals it from the police.

Salvo is called in to investigate the scene. I hesitate to say crime scene because it is not known whether any crime has been comitted. The rumors begin to spread that it was foul play. The problem for the inspector is that he wants to know the truth, wherever it leads him. Even it ends up sullying the plans of the political elite.

This was a good book. It was so refreshing to get a new perspective on a detective novel. I'm not alone because this series is a best-seller in many countries. It was originally published in Italy almost 10 years ago and has just now made it to English. I liked the fact that we had a traditional hero in the novel. I mean, American writers really blur the lines between good and evil most of the time. That's not to say there are no twists and turns in this novel. Camilleri seems to be in complete control of writing a novel that can be tough and yet gentle at the same time. The characters were great. The setting really invoked the country. The only thing that I can complain about was that maybe the novel moved too fast. You never have time to slow down. It seems like more of a cinematic experience. Maybe that will be remedied in the second novel. If you like detective stories with a refreshing change, seek this book out.

In a grotesque death, Sicilian politician and wealthy engineer Silvio Luparello, is found in a remote "pasture", or the equivalent of a lonely stretch of land where prostitutes ply their trade in their clients' cars. Garbagemen find the car, and the body, with its pants around its knees, and we are immediately struck by how much effort is expended to downplay the incident and cover up the cause of death.

Into this mess comes well-respected middle-aged Inspector Salvo Montalbano, a life-long resident of the fictional Sicilian coastal town of Vigata. The novel follows Montalbano's clever and well-manuevered search for the truth; letting the reader meet local politicians, Montalbano's friends and colleagues, the family of the dead man, and a mysterious and roundheeled woman who races cars for a living, and is somehow entangled in Luparello's death. In a sidebar, Montalbano also makes the acquaintance of the garbagemen, and learns of a serious healthcare crisis with the child of one of them.

As he researches the case, Montalbano breaks a lot of rules, but delicately, becomes chagrined over the affections of a young police officer (the daughter of his old friend), makes time to woo his own love, Livia, in Genoa, and flies under the radar of town leaders, religious leaders and his superior officers, all of whom want him to close the case quickly, and admit that Luparello dies of natural causes.

The reader develops an appreciation for Montalbano's subtlety, and his art in acquiring delicious food from friends, restaurants, and his own kitchen...Montalbano loves a good meal. The cynicism and humor are subtle here, poking gentle fun at Sicilian political customs, such as a killing where everyone hopes the death was a Mafia hit, so that they don't have to search for the real cause.

I'm recommending this book wholeheartedly. I've read so much that's good about the work of author Andrea Camilleri (a citizen of Rome, now age "70 ", author of screenplays for Italian television, producer and director for TV and the theater, and award-winning novelist and short story writer) that it was inevitable that I would find the time to start his "Inspector Montalbano" series with "A Shape of Water". I must admit I'm puzzled as to how the title ties into the story, but know this -- I probably won't stop until I've read them all.

At this point, 4 of the 7 novels have been translated into English. First published in 1994, this novel has been translated into 8 languages, and began to circulate in English in 2002. The translator, American Stephen Sartarelli, does a fine job, and, although there is a breakdown from time to time in sentence structure, Sartarelli provides three dozen notes in the back of the book, to help Americans understand Sicilian customs and culture. This goes a long way to breaking down the barriers to the book.

Having not yet read the remaining books, I believe that they probably succeed in developing tighter story lines, and allowing us to build on Montalbano's quaint idiosyncracies. Hopefully, they'll include more of his childhood friend, Gege, who is now Vigata's leading pimp... "Salvo and Gege were listless schoolboys, learning their lessons like parrots".....(now as adults)..Gege: "And I tell you in my own interest. Because for a big cheese like Luparello to come and croak at the Pasture, isn't good for business....Can I go now? These are peak hours at the Pasture."

One word of note, this work, and probably that of the following novels, is graphic in the use of foul language and sexual situations. If this bothers you, you're not going to want to read on.

If you read the publisher's review you'll get a really good idea about what this book is about. So, should you read it? Yes. And who am I to say you should? Why should you read this? Do you like mysteries? Have you been looking for something a little different but still interesting, intriguing perhaps? Do you like you're protaganist's to be down to earth, humanely defective, but intelligent and with a sense of good taste? And I do mean a sense of taste for the finer foods in life. Inspector Montalbano is one cool cop with a few ticks that make him intriguingly funny and obtuse. This novel is witty and has a few new twists that are different from American/English writers. At first you may find that this novel "reads" a little differently from what you're used to. The names of people and places in Sicily may be a little overwhelming too at first, but don't give up! Read on! The story is so good that you'll find yourself reading it and the names and the different style will become a pleasant experience that may just lead you to read more of this great Italian writer, Andrea Camillera. I rated it 4 stars instead of 5, because having read the next two in the series, "The Terra-Cotta Dog" and "The Snack Thief", which are both 5 stars to me, this one was good but not as good. But it's a good book and a good introduction into the world of Andrea Camillera's sleuth, Inspector Salvo Montalbano. Highly entertaining. Try it, you'll like it.

I read this particular book in about 3 sittings, and had to stay up late to finish, just because I could see how it was ending, but needed to tie up the loose ends.

Montalbano is a great character, complex background, cool attitude, good occasional wise-crack. As others have said, the Sicilian way of life is well-presented, as are various Italian and Italy references that may be lost on someone who isn't familiar with either (glossary in the back). But for the most part, you can get by not knowing exactly all of it.

There's no way you can't know what "Shape of Water" means if you have read the book...it's defined in a conversation between two central characters. To disclose it here would ruin the storyline.

Having read many European authors, I can see why this author is all the rage in Europe. Book Magazine rated this one of the best mysteries of 2002, and I tend to agree. My only complaints are that it was too short, and too fast of a read!

The seamless, breezy English translation really allows the reader to sit back and enjoy this cynical, funny, detailed mystery set in a small town in Sicily. The town isn't TOO small, however, as there are various hierarchies in play (political, criminal, social, etc.) that figure more and more into the proceedings at hand as the story progresses. Things are fairly easy to keep straight in one's head, however, allowing the reader to pay equal attention to the enjoyable descriptions of the food and scenery. A nice little change of pace from the usual mystery fare.

Once again we are in Vigata on the Sicilian Coast (and the birthplace of the author). Salvo Montalbano, the local keeper of the law, brings his humanity and knowledge of the local customs to a vexing case: the victim - engineer Silvio Luparello - of murder most foul was not blown away by a lupara, but ostensibly died in the performance of a manly occupation.

Open and shut case. Delicious, but not true. Montalbano recognizes a murder when he sees it and then unravels the events.

The world of Montalbano is a wonderful world indeed, including his permanent fiancee Livia (who lives on the mainland), colorful locals and interesting food. Much fun can be had by reading this book.

Andrea Camilleri's "The Shape of Water" is the first in a series of books set in the (fictional) town of Vigata, Sicily and featuring Inspector Salvo Montalbano. As I closed the book after reading the last page I thought of Rick Blaine's closing remark to Captain Renault in Casablanca and thought "this is the beginning of a beautiful series. It was a treat to read.

The story line is not unique as far as `detective' stories go. Silvio Luparello, a local politician is found dead, sitting in a car with his pants dropped down to his ankles in an isolated patch of ground known as "the pasture". The pasture is populated by prostitutes, pimps, and low-level drug dealers. It is not immediately clear whether the death is the result of a heart attack or foul play. Inspector Montalbano assumes control of the investigation. As the investigation progresses we are introduced to Montalbano, his colleagues, and to life in the town of Vigata. As the case evolves we also begin to see how life as a detective plays out in Sicily. There is the local police, the little-respected federal police, the local press and politicians, and an assortment of thugs and thieves.

There were a lot of compelling elements to The Shape of Water but two stand out. First and foremost is Montalbano. He is an intelligent and prideful man but he also possesses a wicked temperament. He is quick to anger and swift to chide. He also possesses a lust for good food that is extraordinary. Montalbano savors good food and the descriptions of some of the meals Montalbano manages to find for himself are a treat to read. The other key element is the picture Camilleri paints of Sicily and the town of Vigata. It is a wonderful, fictional, window into the life of the island that is reminiscent of the wonderful word-portraits that Jean Claude Izzo has painted of the city of Marseilles in his detective stories. See Total Chaos (Marseilles Trilogy).

The translation by Stephen Sartarelli should also be mentioned. Apparently much of the dialogue in the original is very idiomatic and reflects much of the slang common to Sicily. Sartarelli has done a very good job keeping much of the dialogue quirky enough in English to convey some of the changes in dialect set out in the original. The book also contains some handy reference notes at the end that explains words and phrases that may be commonly understood by Italians but would otherwise be lost on foreigners.

All in all I was very happy to have discovered Inspector Montalbano and my pleasure in this find may be reflected in the fact that I proceeded to buy and read the next two volumes in the series; The Terra-Cotta Dog (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries)and The Snack Thief (Inspector Montalbano Mysteries).

If you like good detective stories, particularly if you like detective stories that have the exotic flavor of far away places, this series is well worth reading. L. Fleisig

The Montalbano series is my favorite mystery series. Why? Because Montalbano is a believable character. He is complex. He has a bad temper, struggles with interpersonal relationships, uses crude humor with his friends, and has some peculiar personal traits. He loves good food but hates conversation during his meals. He's very intelligent, loves to read, and is knowlegeable about the arts. He treats most of his friends like dirt but obviously cares for them deeply. He's cranky and irascible but also very likeable. He is also dogged in his pursuit of a case. He's the kind of cop you'd want working for you.

This book is the first in the series and gives you a good introduction to the town of Vigata, Montalbano, and the cast of supporting characters. The novel is short, tightly written and entertaining, the way novels should be. It leaves you wanting more. Fortunately, there are several later novels in print with more on the way.

"Urbane" perhaps he is-he likes a dish of baby octupus prepared by his commissioner's wife-but Sicilian police inspector Salvo Montalbano, the translated creation of Andrea Camilleri, needs more than just a sophisticated menu to pull him through! Still, in this first of Camilleri's police procedural series, "The Shape of Water" is worth the read.

Fast moving, fast reading, it requires little effort on the part of the reader-but those who don't wish to be bothered by "thinking" will find this a delightful read. Granted, this is an English translation and perhaps the original Italian is far superior. And to compare this author with any other other is just that: a comparison, as, simply put, any two items can be compared, if one wishes.

Still, Camilleri and his Montalbano deserve their praise, for, indeed, this book was fun to read. Again, the author, in a quick rush at the end, ties up all loose ends in the final chapter (in a type of "in case you slow readers didn't get it" approach), as there were lots of loose ends. His frenetic pace is reminiscent of a good foreign film, the quick and abrupt scene and character changes, the literary and intellectual symbolish (the shape of water!). Europeans apparently delight in this series and this author.

Set in Sicily, the murder victim is found abandoned in his BMW in "the Pasture," a place for illicit trysts of about any kind imaginable in Italy (or anywhere!). His pants around his knees, it is apparent that he's had a heart attack after having sex. Alas, our intrepid Montalbano (whether urbane or not) smells a dead fish and refuses to accept the cause of death, much to the consternation of his superiors (of which there are many-socially, politically, and religiously!). As, true to form, the inspector is correct.

Camilleri, like American expatriot Donna Leon with her Commissario Brunnetti series, pulls on punches when he readily implicates just about every aspect of Italian society in what appears to be a cover-up. Both authors spend much time on the corruption and other vices there....

Still, "The Shape of Water" is readable and noteworthy-even if it's only to see what the Euros are so excited about with their Inspector.