Customer Reviews

A Very Private Gentleman: A Novel

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If Martin Booth's new novel A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN is a bestseller, expect Italy to become a highly popular tourist destination. His narrator, an international criminal, spends the novel alternately enticing you to join him high in the Italian Apennines and cautiously warning you from trying to find him.

The novel's setting, a small, unnamed, rural Italian village, is exquisite and exquisitely rendered. Booth takes time to describe precisely and poetically the old wine shop run by a maniacal dwarf and an obedient giant, the ancient apothecary whose floorboards have absorbed centuries of spills, and the historic piazzas that inspire nothing but nonchalance in the townspeople who visit them every day.

Clarke, which is not the narrator's real name but an alias, poses as a painter of butterflies, a Nabokovian occupation that allows for such eccentricities as long absences, erratic behavior, and no set schedule. So he often lounges and partakes of local delicacies --- the wine, the home-smoked prosciutto, his two mistresses, all of which he describes in tantalizing detail --- while he practices his true calling. Clarke's real profession is much more sinister than painting insects, although equally artistic. He doesn't reveal it until almost 100 pages in, but hints, "I am the salesman of death ... I do not cause it. I merely arrange for its delivery. I am death's booking-clerk, death's bellhop."

Despite his obsession with privacy and death, Clarke is an endlessly entertaining narrator, and his insights into the international underworld and the human condition are intriguing. "Everyone is a terrorist," he observes. "Everyone carries a gun in his heart. Most do not fire simply because they have no cause to pursue."

Booth's rendering of his narrator's voice is remarkable, both for its consistency and for its intricacy. Not only does Clarke keep his guard up through the novel's course, he also manages to convey a great deal about his antihero without him realizing it. Clarke admits his deception to the reader: "The names are changed, the places changed, the people changed. There are a thousand Piazzas di S. Teresa, ten thousand alleys that have no names ... You will not find me."

But Clarke seems unaware of his own self-deception: while he is astute and witty, he can also occasionally be self-important and even boorish in justifying his very private lifestyle. And he studiously avoids cultivating any lasting human connections while wondering how to make his mark on the world, never realizing that to do one is to ensure the other. But his shortcomings become the book's strengths, for as he contemplates life and death in Italy, his flaws --- and his own ignorance of them --- reveal his surprising depth and complex humanity.

Booth makes A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN more than just a postcard from Italy; the setting has direct thematic relevance to the story. History is not just a recurring motif, but a character in itself, an antagonist who constantly reminds Clarke of his encroaching mortality. What better place to set such a face-off than in the seat of Western history, the land where the Knights Templar roamed, where abandoned castles and churches litter the terrain. Even the view from his window captures eras past: "What I can see, with my pair of compact pocket Yashica binoculars, are five thousand years of history laid out before me as if it were a tapestry upon a cathedral wall, an altar-cloth to the god of time spread over the world."

Ultimately, even the passage of time becomes a delicacy in A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN. With a watchmaker's precision, Booth has written a suspenseful and intricate tale, one that is as inviting as it is cautionary.

--- Reviewed by Stephen M. Deusner

I read Lawrence Bloch's Hitman series and I though this would be the European version, but was I wrong! The Bloch books focused in more on the witty comments and action between Keller and his handler.

Booth's book is focused on a previously unknown aspect of a high profile assissination (I won't spoil it for you) that no one really thinks about before.

The main character, Mr. Buttefly, is well written and complex as is the plot. I never could guess where the next chapter would lead, much less the book. The other supporting cast are equally enthralling and layered.

This book reminds of a cross between A Year in Provence and A John LeCarre spy novel.

As a writer I have a intense love for books. I picked this book up at the library. The title interest me only because it contrasted the illustration of the book. When viewing the title I thought it immediately would be a love story. However, I immediately realize that a man was holding a gun and only part of his face could be shown. I begin reading the book. I came to love Mr. Butterfly. He seemed so complicated. At first it seems he is content with not having a true identity or noone with whom he can trust. However, the longer he stays in the Italian countryside the longer he realized that he wants something more. He finally got the chance to see what life would be like if he just settled. He could paint butterflies, sit at the bar with trustworthy neighbors, have intimate talks with his friend the priest, and fall in love with the beautiful young woman. Though his past and most important one of his "mistakes" ends up threatening his future. I have read too many books and realized how story like this end. What happens to the character. Time again I asked myself why am I still reading this. When I got to the end I realized the answer. Booth's language captivated me. Page by Page I waited for the inevitable yet hoping it would not happen. I loved this book, even in the the last sentence he leaves you wanting more. Not only for the story, but also for the character. I was intrugued by how the character was formed and most importantly his profession.

Having seen The American I found myself wanting to know more of the story. This book is well written, nicely paced storyline with just the right details. Had I read the book before seeing the movie I would have been able to create the town, the countryside, the private spaces in my head. The main character, an aristically gifted man who specializes in gun making for hire, is an unusual character. Through running narrative he shares his life. I have passed this on to others who also found the character intriguing.

This is a strangely compelling yarn in that it appeals to the reader's senses while perhaps offending his morality. The protagonist, an elderly man whose career consists of creating highly sophisticated firearms for assassins, is currently living in a small Italian village among the mountains. His warm relationships with the locals and his highly developed appreciation for his surroundings are detailed so well that the reader may experience sensory overload reading descriptions of the wine, the food, the rain, the mountain scenery, the attractions of prostitutes, etc. Reconciling this appreciation of the simple pleasures of life with the cold-bloodedness of a murderer is the trick in appreciating this man. As it turns out, it is his awareness of his surroundings that has enabled our man to slip from one part of the world to another many times, eluding the shadowy people whom he spots trying to tail him and, he assumes, do him in. The ending of the story may be a mild surprise, but there is no socko conclusion.

Has anyone else seen the film "The American" with George Clooney? It's a beautifully filmed movie---majestic mountains, snow scenes, hilltop villages---Set in Sweden in the early scenes but mostly in rural Italy; it should be seen on the big screen. Although the critics say the only thing American about the film is the title and Mr. Clooney, they are rating the movie three out of four stars probably for the photography.

The film is based on a book by Martin Booth entitled A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN. The book is a character study about a loner who is no "gentleman." Mr. Butterfly, "Signor Farfalla," as he's known in the rural village in southern Italy is the loner who paints miniatures of butterflies and has traveled to the area to capture a unque native specimen. He is also a "shadow-dweller," a technical weapons expert who creates and supplies tools for high-level assassins. Booklist gives the novel a "Starred Review" and calls it literary fiction.

I exited the film dazed and confused. Dazed or dazzled by the beauty of the scenes and the actors. Confused by the plot.

This is a movie that will view better after reading the book! Even reading the reviews of the book will enlightened you. You'll learn who is the probable target of the special rifle's bullets instead of "Will I read about this in the Tribune?" And you already know more about Mr. Butterfly from this review than is revealed in the film!

Postscript: The professional reviews of this novel are displayed on the original product page for A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMEN not this Media Tie-In. I can see no reason to buy both books; however, I will probably purchase this Media Tie-In. The movie was a special treat the day after my 77th birthday!

Let's get this out of the way: This is not an thriller. It is not action packed. It is not a lurid tail of smoke-filled rooms with espionage and intrigue. If you are looking for a book with those characteristics, I would suggest you look elsewhere because A Very Private Gentleman is, quite simply, not that book.

Instead Martin Booth has created what reads as a very personal (fictional) memoir of a man who lives his life on the fringes of society. The narration from Signor Farfalle is focuses on the introspective both regarding his profession and his personal life. His view on the world is unique, but seemed to alternate between actual insights and self-deluding justification. The character was humble and honest about the choices he made regarding relationships, but his view of his impact of the world is arrogant, harsh, and unforgiving.

We're not intended to unconditionally approve of, or even necessarily like, Signor Farfalle. I found his internal peace of mind and confidence alluring, while many of his views to be despicable.

To this end Booth created a fascinating and uniquely contradictory character. And one who I enjoyed spending a little time with.

Come into Signor Farfalla's world as his past comes back to haunt him.
Where beauty & death cohabit quite comfortably.
Where anonymity is tantamount.
Where subterfuge & almost-truths are the language of the day.
Where contacts are made via convoluted means, goods are contracted for large sums of cash, projects are accomplished under cover...& a tranquil bright summer in a charming Italian river valley town is suddenly darkened by the arrival of the shadow-walkers...whose intentions he must fathom.

Rebeccasreads highly recommends A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN as a very good read! Martin Booth's writing is tasty, smooth & piquant, like ripe peaches plucked from the tree; chilled with frissons of suspense, like perfect Italian icecream.

Could not put it down!

I only write reviews when I think a book is extremely good or extremely bad. In this case, A Very Private Gentleman is extremely good, well thought out, perfectly executed "autobiography" of a man whose name you never truly even learn (Signore Farfalle "Mr. Butterfly" is a great alias though). The descriptiveness of the environment (an Italian village in the Appenines) the nature and stories of Farfalle's past (told from a 1st person POV) and Booth's command of the English language is superior to many of his contemporaries. It's difficult to write a novel from the 1st POV without the writer creating a character who is, in fact, an overindulged reflection of his or her own super ego. Booth prevents this from happening by creating a character who has serious flaws, almost to the point of feeling bad for his life's decisions (Farfalle is an old, lonely man full of regrets, whose only close friend is a priest. His other close relationships come in the form of prostitutes he has to pay. *I didn't spoil anything with this). He isn't a James Bond or George Smiley. He isn't Jason Bourne or Danny Ocean or John Smith (Mr. And Mrs. Smith) as the movie posters would have you think. There aren't gunfights. There isn't a CIA/KGB/MI6/whatever plan to kill/capture/destroy/assassinate/etc. anyone. If this is what you're looking for, look up John LeCarre or Fredrick Forsyth. But if you want to read a well crafted, clever, *short novel with brilliant use of alliteration and metaphor from an author facing his own mortality (Booth died shortly after publication from cancer) I strongly reccommend A Very Private Gentleman.

Not quite 5, but almost. I don't know why I am quibbling over parts of stars or star dust! When I can, when my TBR stack is not dangerously teetering on my night table, I like to read the books that are recently made into movies. Read The Ghost Writer a couple of months ago and actually liked the movie better. Haven't seen The American but from what I gather from video clips and reviews, it digresses sharply from the novel upon which it is based.

The novel. Did not let me down for one page from beginning to end and I hate the mid-book sag or slump. I didn't care that much about the intricacies and minutiae of gun stocks and silencers and etcetera BUT the character Mr. Farfala did; he cared a lot.

I was totally caught up in his life. His secretive nature. His paranoia. His mind's workings to be ready and alert and aware at all times. How he goes about the business of being non-existent except where an existence of physicality is necessary in order not to call attention to himself. If he hid himself away, he would be noticed. The fine line he walks to be in the world but that no one should have any idea at all who he is, what he is.

His descriptions of Italy and Italians and food and so many aspects of Italian culture were thoroughly enjoyable. He could spot a foreigner because Italians don't wear suede shoes in the summer. For example.

I didn't care much for his asides on religion or God or belief, but I have zero interest in musings on spirituality. His conversations with the priest serve the purpose of equalizing their relationship as an intellectual one versus, say, father confessor and confessee. These short bursts of spiritual chit-chat lost some star power for me.

Up until the very end, we don't know what will happen. Booth gives no clues, or none that I sussed out. This was a really wonderful read. Usually with thrillers or mysteries or espionage novels, when I close the book it's over. But here, he keeps coming to mind. I think about his apartment, his slow life in bella Italia. It helps if you can figure out the bits of Italian--I knew or could put together about 75% and the remainder I just ignored.

I can see why a reader of thrillers might find this book slow--what happens happens in slo-mo. If you want fast-paced and adrenaline rushes, this is not the book for you. But if you appreciate a literary turn of mind, writing that is really superior to most of the stuff out there about this kind of character, then you will like this.