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Commissario Montalbano #2
Теракотеното куче
Вторият роман с комисаря Монталбано събира история и съвремие, хилядолетни символи и мимолетно злободневие.
Извършено е поредното убийство от мафията. Случаят е поверен на Монталбано, но разследването едва не коства живота му и той се разминава „само” с огнестрелна рана.
Следите на престъплението обаче го отвеждат в неочаквана посока. Комисарят попада на ритуално погребение в пещера на момче и момиче, надзиравани от огромно теракотено куче. Убийство отпреди петдесет години. Злокобна загадка, която Монталбано упорито иска да разбули. Докато стигне до цялата истината в дълго търсената среща с този, който знае всичко...
Извършено е поредното убийство от мафията. Случаят е поверен на Монталбано, но разследването едва не коства живота му и той се разминава „само” с огнестрелна рана.
Следите на престъплението обаче го отвеждат в неочаквана посока. Комисарят попада на ритуално погребение в пещера на момче и момиче, надзиравани от огромно теракотено куче. Убийство отпреди петдесет години. Злокобна загадка, която Монталбано упорито иска да разбули. Докато стигне до цялата истината в дълго търсената среща с този, който знае всичко...
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
621 people are currently reading
3,587 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Camilleri
440 books2,380 followersAndrea Camilleri was an Italian writer. He is considered one of the greatest Italian writers of both 20th and 21st centuries.
Originally from Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri began studies at the Faculty of Literature in 1944, without concluding them, meanwhile publishing poems and short stories. Around this time he joined the Italian Communist Party.
From 1948 to 1950 Camilleri studied stage and film direction at the Silvio D'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, and began to take on work as a director and screenwriter, directing especially plays by Pirandello and Beckett. As a matter of fact, his parents knew Pirandello and were even distant friends, as he tells in his essay on Pirandello "Biography of the changed son". His most famous works, the Montalbano series show many pirandellian elements: for example, the wild olive tree that helps Montalbano think, is on stage in his late work "The giants of the mountain"
With RAI, Camilleri worked on several TV productions, such as Inspector Maigret with Gino Cervi. In 1977 he returned to the Academy of Dramatic Arts, holding the chair of Movie Direction, and occupying it for 20 years.
In 1978 Camilleri wrote his first novel Il Corso Delle Cose ("The Way Things Go"). This was followed by Un Filo di Fumo ("A Thread of Smoke") in 1980. Neither of these works enjoyed any significant amount of popularity.
In 1992, after a long pause of 12 years, Camilleri once more took up novel-writing. A new book, La Stagione della Caccia ("The Hunting Season") turned out to be a best-seller.
In 1994 Camilleri published the first in a long series of novels: La forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) featured the character of Inspector Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilian town. The series is written in Italian but with a substantial sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar. The name Montalbano is an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán; the similarities between Montalban's Pepe Carvalho and Camilleri's fictional detective are remarkable. Both writers make great play of their protagonists' gastronomic preferences.
This feature provides an interesting quirk which has become something of a fad among his readership even in mainland Italy. The TV adaptation of Montalbano's adventures, starring the perfectly-cast Luca Zingaretti, further increased Camilleri's popularity to such a point that in 2003 Camilleri's home town, Porto Empedocle - on which Vigàta is modelled - took the extraordinary step of changing its official denomination to that of Porto Empedocle Vigàta, no doubt with an eye to capitalising on the tourism possibilities thrown up by the author's work.
In 1998 Camilleri won the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.
Camilleri lived in Rome where he worked as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.
In addition to the degree of popularity brought him by the novels, in recent months Andrea Camilleri has become even more of a media icon thanks to the parodies aired on an RAI radio show, where popular comedian, TV-host and impression artist Fiorello presents him as a raspy voiced, caustic character, madly in love with cigarettes and smoking (Camilleri is well-known for his love of tobacco).
He received an honorary degree from University of Pisa in 2005.
Originally from Porto Empedocle, Sicily, Camilleri began studies at the Faculty of Literature in 1944, without concluding them, meanwhile publishing poems and short stories. Around this time he joined the Italian Communist Party.
From 1948 to 1950 Camilleri studied stage and film direction at the Silvio D'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts, and began to take on work as a director and screenwriter, directing especially plays by Pirandello and Beckett. As a matter of fact, his parents knew Pirandello and were even distant friends, as he tells in his essay on Pirandello "Biography of the changed son". His most famous works, the Montalbano series show many pirandellian elements: for example, the wild olive tree that helps Montalbano think, is on stage in his late work "The giants of the mountain"
With RAI, Camilleri worked on several TV productions, such as Inspector Maigret with Gino Cervi. In 1977 he returned to the Academy of Dramatic Arts, holding the chair of Movie Direction, and occupying it for 20 years.
In 1978 Camilleri wrote his first novel Il Corso Delle Cose ("The Way Things Go"). This was followed by Un Filo di Fumo ("A Thread of Smoke") in 1980. Neither of these works enjoyed any significant amount of popularity.
In 1992, after a long pause of 12 years, Camilleri once more took up novel-writing. A new book, La Stagione della Caccia ("The Hunting Season") turned out to be a best-seller.
In 1994 Camilleri published the first in a long series of novels: La forma dell'Acqua (The Shape of Water) featured the character of Inspector Montalbano, a fractious Sicilian detective in the police force of Vigàta, an imaginary Sicilian town. The series is written in Italian but with a substantial sprinkling of Sicilian phrases and grammar. The name Montalbano is an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán; the similarities between Montalban's Pepe Carvalho and Camilleri's fictional detective are remarkable. Both writers make great play of their protagonists' gastronomic preferences.
This feature provides an interesting quirk which has become something of a fad among his readership even in mainland Italy. The TV adaptation of Montalbano's adventures, starring the perfectly-cast Luca Zingaretti, further increased Camilleri's popularity to such a point that in 2003 Camilleri's home town, Porto Empedocle - on which Vigàta is modelled - took the extraordinary step of changing its official denomination to that of Porto Empedocle Vigàta, no doubt with an eye to capitalising on the tourism possibilities thrown up by the author's work.
In 1998 Camilleri won the Nino Martoglio International Book Award.
Camilleri lived in Rome where he worked as a TV and theatre director. About 10 million copies of his novels have been sold to date, and are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and North America.
In addition to the degree of popularity brought him by the novels, in recent months Andrea Camilleri has become even more of a media icon thanks to the parodies aired on an RAI radio show, where popular comedian, TV-host and impression artist Fiorello presents him as a raspy voiced, caustic character, madly in love with cigarettes and smoking (Camilleri is well-known for his love of tobacco).
He received an honorary degree from University of Pisa in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 934 reviews
October 12, 2022
As good or better than the 1st volume. I think I can count myself a fan of Inspector Montalbano.
In this volume the inspector makes a pact with a Mafioso, investigates a strange theft and discovers two bodies hidden in a cave for many years. I liked the way everything was connected, the humor, the dialogue, the culture and the plot.
For my next volume, I was advised to try to read it in the original, if I can, as it is even funnier. I will give it a try but my hopes are not too high since there are some parts in Sicilian
In this volume the inspector makes a pact with a Mafioso, investigates a strange theft and discovers two bodies hidden in a cave for many years. I liked the way everything was connected, the humor, the dialogue, the culture and the plot.
For my next volume, I was advised to try to read it in the original, if I can, as it is even funnier. I will give it a try but my hopes are not too high since there are some parts in Sicilian
April 4, 2022
4/5 Estrellas
Esta segunda entrega de la serie del Comisario Montalbano, ha confirmado las expectativas que me había creado la primera. Es decir que esta serie va a aparecer entre mis lecturas habituales durante los próximos años (hay la pera de libros, que por desgracia no seguirán aumentando ya que ha muerto recientemente el bueno de Camilleri, salvo que sigan encontrando manuscritos inéditos debajo de las alfombras de su casa).
Cosas que me gustan mucho:
-El comisario Montalbano: Me parece un personaje genial.
-La naturalidad con que habla de la mafia, como algo consustancial a la sociedad siciliana: se nota que el autor es de la isla.
En el caso actual, arrancamos con un incidente con un capo de la mafia, que poco a poco se va ramificando con un caso de tráfico de armas, que sin saber muy bien como, desemboca en una investigación de raíces históricas que nos permite bucear en los acontecimientos bélicos que sucedieron en la isla durante el desembarco aliado en Julio de 1943, con tintes arqueológicos e historia de la religión, que me han resultado muy atractivos.
No sé que hace este hombre, pero dota a todos los personajes que aparecen en la trama de una personalidad propia. Personajes histriónicos, tontos, venerables, intelectuales, depravados, odiosos, todos perfectamente caracterizados y reconocibles con dos pinceladas.
Del genio de Camilleri y la sociedad siciliana de la que bebe, formada por la compleja mezcla de culturas que han habitado la isla durante siglos, espero grandes tardes de lectura.
Muy recomendable.
Esta segunda entrega de la serie del Comisario Montalbano, ha confirmado las expectativas que me había creado la primera. Es decir que esta serie va a aparecer entre mis lecturas habituales durante los próximos años (hay la pera de libros, que por desgracia no seguirán aumentando ya que ha muerto recientemente el bueno de Camilleri, salvo que sigan encontrando manuscritos inéditos debajo de las alfombras de su casa).
Cosas que me gustan mucho:
-El comisario Montalbano: Me parece un personaje genial.
-La naturalidad con que habla de la mafia, como algo consustancial a la sociedad siciliana: se nota que el autor es de la isla.
En el caso actual, arrancamos con un incidente con un capo de la mafia, que poco a poco se va ramificando con un caso de tráfico de armas, que sin saber muy bien como, desemboca en una investigación de raíces históricas que nos permite bucear en los acontecimientos bélicos que sucedieron en la isla durante el desembarco aliado en Julio de 1943, con tintes arqueológicos e historia de la religión, que me han resultado muy atractivos.
No sé que hace este hombre, pero dota a todos los personajes que aparecen en la trama de una personalidad propia. Personajes histriónicos, tontos, venerables, intelectuales, depravados, odiosos, todos perfectamente caracterizados y reconocibles con dos pinceladas.
Del genio de Camilleri y la sociedad siciliana de la que bebe, formada por la compleja mezcla de culturas que han habitado la isla durante siglos, espero grandes tardes de lectura.
Muy recomendable.
September 6, 2015
The intertwined skeletons of a man and a woman are found sealed in a cave arranged in a ritual position with symbolic items around them. A terra-cotta dog overlooking the bodies is one of those items. The skeletons are from WW II and the Italian detective sets out to solve the mystery just for the heck of it. Who were they and how did they get there? Along the way we are treated to wonderful local color of Sicily and its food. So much food by the way, that I found a couple of web sites devoted to the author's recipes -true gastroporn. Every day we get to see what treat his housekeeper has left him in his fridge. Will it be petrafernula? Tabisca? Maybe attuppateddri with some passuluna olives? Our Sicilian detective is methodical and persistent. He loves to eat and he loves women, three of them in fact. Along the way he saves a woman from abuse by her father-in-law and solves another mystery about stolen grocery trucks with a Mafia connection - after all this is Sicily.
April 19, 2018
"Montalbano avea o slăbiciune mare: era cu desăvârșit incapabil să umble cu farfanterie, să toarne minciuni gogonate persoanelor oneste sau celor pe care le îndrăgea și le respecta."
"-Mi-ați spus adineauri că în zilele noastre oamenii sunt omorâți fără nicio explicație. N-aveți dreptate: explicațiile există și sunt date întotdeauna; altminteri, dumneavoastră n-ați mai avea meseria pe care o aveți. La mijloc este vorba doar despre coduri, care între timp s-au înmulțit, diversificându-se tot mai mult."
"-Mi-ați spus adineauri că în zilele noastre oamenii sunt omorâți fără nicio explicație. N-aveți dreptate: explicațiile există și sunt date întotdeauna; altminteri, dumneavoastră n-ați mai avea meseria pe care o aveți. La mijloc este vorba doar despre coduri, care între timp s-au înmulțit, diversificându-se tot mai mult."
October 31, 2015
Mi fu regalato a Natale del 1998. Non lo lessi, allora. Poi venne la moda (ragione in più). Poi gli sceneggiati TV. Poi è diventato un classico, e il commissario Montalbano quasi uno di famiglia. Ma lo scrittore no. I motivi del suo successo li conoscevo per sentito dire, li davo per scontati. Finché un'amica francese, che parla e legge correntemente l'italiano, non s'è incuriosita agli aspetti dialettali. In Francia la serie TV è doppiata, ovviamente, e Montalbano parla un fluente parigino. Che è come mangiare un cannolo siciliano con la panna al posto della ricotta...
Dopo di lei, e dopo i suoi commenti, l'ho aperto in una sera indecisa e finito in due o tre giorni appassionati. Ho trovato profondità, erudizione, leggerezza, capacità inventiva, sapienza espositiva, piacere della scrittura, furbizia, ritmo, bravura e diletto. Per i libri non c'è un "Presto" o un "Tardi", fortunatamente, ma solo un "Ora", ed è sempre e solo quella giusta.
Dopo di lei, e dopo i suoi commenti, l'ho aperto in una sera indecisa e finito in due o tre giorni appassionati. Ho trovato profondità, erudizione, leggerezza, capacità inventiva, sapienza espositiva, piacere della scrittura, furbizia, ritmo, bravura e diletto. Per i libri non c'è un "Presto" o un "Tardi", fortunatamente, ma solo un "Ora", ed è sempre e solo quella giusta.
November 21, 2017
The Terracotta Dog is the second outing for the fractious Inspector Salvo Montalbano and his team based in Vigàta, Sicily and despite this being only my third read from the series I already feel that I am reaping the benefits of a growing familiarity with the characters and the ‘flexible’ justice system that Camilleri recounts. I certainly feel that already my understanding of Montalbano’s criminal network of contacts, his colleagues, his culinary persuasions and indeed his tempestuous relationship with fiery girlfriend, Livia, is all the more humorous with repeated outings. In all three of my experiences to date it is hard to sum up the plot in a straightforward manner as Camilleri throws in numerous diversions and follows an circuitous route to an eventual solution, but as I have now discovered the opening exchanges often give no indication of all that is to come and that is, in itself, a curious part of the enjoyment.
The Terracotta Dog begins with an ageing mafioso, Tano the (not so very) Greek, orchestrating an elaborate charade with Inspector Salvo Montslbano in an acceptance that his day has passed and the rapidly progressing crime racket is too much for an old man. But at the same time as Montalbano is involved in overseeing this operation of amateur dramatics, complete with a weapon he really isn’t keen on being in charge of, a major theft at a local supermarket is underway. As a prison transfer sees Tano the Greek gunned down and drawing his last breath, his last gasp tip off revealing the location of a cave within an abandoned construction site reveals a hidden cache of firearms, but just how this relates to the supermarket theft remains to be seen. When an abandoned truck involved in the theft is discovered with its contents untouched it forces Montalbano to go the extra mile and dig deep, set the local gossip grapevine in motion and thereby uncover a few more skeletons in his home town. For Montalbano, his continual need to know and inherent curiosity about his surroundings and Sicilian home mean that he mixes in a world where he is privy to some disclosures that wouldn’t otherwise begin to feature in a more routine police investigation. In The Terracotta Dog it is the discovery of a second hidden chamber deep inside the original cave with two embracing corpses, both dead for over fifty-years, that is the real substance of this wry police procedural, and the supermarket theft that is a mere diversion along the way. Montalbano’s fascination with the identity of the corpses and what appears as a particular burial rite surrounding their bodies that includes a life-sized terracotta dog, a bowl and a jug that so mystifies him. Opting to focus on this matter rather than the significantly less fascinating supermarket robbery, his second-in-command Mimi Augello doesn’t cover himself in glory with his handling of what should be a routine operation. Meanwhile Montalbano devotes himself to an energetic quest that may not show up in his annual crime statistics as another case solved, but means markedly more to the elder statesmen of the region. One of the delights of reading Camilleri is the absolutely outlandish solutions that he delivers and it is a pleasure to witness his creative solutions slowly building to fruition.
Whilst the central attraction in the novels is the eponymous Inspector Salvo Montalbano with his pragmatic approach to crime fighting and delivering justice that proves so compelling, the secondary characters are just as intrinsic to my enjoyment. Quick-witted, honest to a fault, and remarkably loyal, Montalbano is as involved with the underworld criminals as he is to adhering to procedure. Always keen to take command of an operation and instruct his subordinates, he is less keen on cooperating with second-in-command Mimi Augello, where a noticeable rivalry exists. The inept Agatino Catarella (Cat) operates the station telephone and bungles every message that is left for Montalbano, offering his own frankly curious interpretation of the Italian language. Each continuing character brings a unique element of humour to the story, from housekeeper Adelina’s culinary prowess, to colleague Galluzzo’s newsman brother-in-law and Montalbano’s red haired friend and journalist with very red ideas, the radical Nicolò Zito and his timely broadcasting.
Whilst I could not read a continual diet of Camilleri and his energetic brand of high comedy, every once in a while an interlude in the company of Montalbano really does the trick. This second outing is exceptionally well-plotted and keeps the readers brain working overtime to stay with the sometimes less than transparent workings in Sicily. Camilleri’s understanding of the Italian culture and the remarkably blurred boundaries between the good and bad guys allows him to draw every bit of humour out of the culture and workings of the system. I do feel that any review of an Inspector Montalbano novel distils a large part of the charm and as such, readers are best to dip a toe in the water to understand just was an absolute riot these gems are! I defy any review to even compare to the brilliance of actually witnessing Camilleri’s tales playing out. Thankfully the fluid translation courtesy of Stephen Sartarelli makes these delights so easily accessible to an English speaking audience.
The Terracotta Dog begins with an ageing mafioso, Tano the (not so very) Greek, orchestrating an elaborate charade with Inspector Salvo Montslbano in an acceptance that his day has passed and the rapidly progressing crime racket is too much for an old man. But at the same time as Montalbano is involved in overseeing this operation of amateur dramatics, complete with a weapon he really isn’t keen on being in charge of, a major theft at a local supermarket is underway. As a prison transfer sees Tano the Greek gunned down and drawing his last breath, his last gasp tip off revealing the location of a cave within an abandoned construction site reveals a hidden cache of firearms, but just how this relates to the supermarket theft remains to be seen. When an abandoned truck involved in the theft is discovered with its contents untouched it forces Montalbano to go the extra mile and dig deep, set the local gossip grapevine in motion and thereby uncover a few more skeletons in his home town. For Montalbano, his continual need to know and inherent curiosity about his surroundings and Sicilian home mean that he mixes in a world where he is privy to some disclosures that wouldn’t otherwise begin to feature in a more routine police investigation. In The Terracotta Dog it is the discovery of a second hidden chamber deep inside the original cave with two embracing corpses, both dead for over fifty-years, that is the real substance of this wry police procedural, and the supermarket theft that is a mere diversion along the way. Montalbano’s fascination with the identity of the corpses and what appears as a particular burial rite surrounding their bodies that includes a life-sized terracotta dog, a bowl and a jug that so mystifies him. Opting to focus on this matter rather than the significantly less fascinating supermarket robbery, his second-in-command Mimi Augello doesn’t cover himself in glory with his handling of what should be a routine operation. Meanwhile Montalbano devotes himself to an energetic quest that may not show up in his annual crime statistics as another case solved, but means markedly more to the elder statesmen of the region. One of the delights of reading Camilleri is the absolutely outlandish solutions that he delivers and it is a pleasure to witness his creative solutions slowly building to fruition.
Whilst the central attraction in the novels is the eponymous Inspector Salvo Montalbano with his pragmatic approach to crime fighting and delivering justice that proves so compelling, the secondary characters are just as intrinsic to my enjoyment. Quick-witted, honest to a fault, and remarkably loyal, Montalbano is as involved with the underworld criminals as he is to adhering to procedure. Always keen to take command of an operation and instruct his subordinates, he is less keen on cooperating with second-in-command Mimi Augello, where a noticeable rivalry exists. The inept Agatino Catarella (Cat) operates the station telephone and bungles every message that is left for Montalbano, offering his own frankly curious interpretation of the Italian language. Each continuing character brings a unique element of humour to the story, from housekeeper Adelina’s culinary prowess, to colleague Galluzzo’s newsman brother-in-law and Montalbano’s red haired friend and journalist with very red ideas, the radical Nicolò Zito and his timely broadcasting.
Whilst I could not read a continual diet of Camilleri and his energetic brand of high comedy, every once in a while an interlude in the company of Montalbano really does the trick. This second outing is exceptionally well-plotted and keeps the readers brain working overtime to stay with the sometimes less than transparent workings in Sicily. Camilleri’s understanding of the Italian culture and the remarkably blurred boundaries between the good and bad guys allows him to draw every bit of humour out of the culture and workings of the system. I do feel that any review of an Inspector Montalbano novel distils a large part of the charm and as such, readers are best to dip a toe in the water to understand just was an absolute riot these gems are! I defy any review to even compare to the brilliance of actually witnessing Camilleri’s tales playing out. Thankfully the fluid translation courtesy of Stephen Sartarelli makes these delights so easily accessible to an English speaking audience.
August 20, 2019
While chasing down a mafia crime, Inspector Montalbano finds a cave with symbolic artifacts and the bodies of two young lovers, hidden since World War II.
My favorite character is Agatino Catarella, who is renowned for mixing up any phrase. Please excuse me as I devote most of my review to Catarella.
Mixed signals in Talian
As he raced headlong down the little path between the vineyards, Montalbano remembered that Agatino Catarella would now be on duty at the station, and that therefore the phone conversation he was about to engage in promised at the very least to be problematic, if not the source of unfortunate and even dangerous misunderstandings. This Catarella was frankly hopeless. Slow to think and slow to act, he had been hired by the police because he was a distant relative of the formerly all-powerful Chamber Deputy Cusumano.
. . .
With Catarella, things would get most muddled whenever he got it in his head—which happened often—to speak in what he called Talian.
. . .
“There’s a personal letter for you that came just now in the mail,” said Catarella, repeating, for emphasis: “Person-al.”
On his desk he found a postcard from his father and some office memos.
“Hey, Cat! Where’d you put the letter?”
“I said it was personal!” Catarella said defensively.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you have to receive it in person, it being personal and all.”
“Okay. The person is here in front of you. Where’s the letter?”
“It’s gone where it was supposed to go. Where the person personally lives. I told the postman to deliver it to your house, Chief, your personal residence, in Marinella.”
. . .
“Call Catarella and have him bring you a cordial from the café.”
“Catarella? Are you joking? Once, when I asked him to bring me an espresso, he brought me a postal envelope.”
. . .
More than just a devious mystery-crime story, Inspector Montalbano is also a connoisseur of good food. He describes, then eats, deliciously authentic Italian meals.
Come for the crime - stay for the feast!
Enjoy!
My favorite character is Agatino Catarella, who is renowned for mixing up any phrase. Please excuse me as I devote most of my review to Catarella.
Mixed signals in Talian
As he raced headlong down the little path between the vineyards, Montalbano remembered that Agatino Catarella would now be on duty at the station, and that therefore the phone conversation he was about to engage in promised at the very least to be problematic, if not the source of unfortunate and even dangerous misunderstandings. This Catarella was frankly hopeless. Slow to think and slow to act, he had been hired by the police because he was a distant relative of the formerly all-powerful Chamber Deputy Cusumano.
. . .
With Catarella, things would get most muddled whenever he got it in his head—which happened often—to speak in what he called Talian.
. . .
“There’s a personal letter for you that came just now in the mail,” said Catarella, repeating, for emphasis: “Person-al.”
On his desk he found a postcard from his father and some office memos.
“Hey, Cat! Where’d you put the letter?”
“I said it was personal!” Catarella said defensively.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that you have to receive it in person, it being personal and all.”
“Okay. The person is here in front of you. Where’s the letter?”
“It’s gone where it was supposed to go. Where the person personally lives. I told the postman to deliver it to your house, Chief, your personal residence, in Marinella.”
. . .
“Call Catarella and have him bring you a cordial from the café.”
“Catarella? Are you joking? Once, when I asked him to bring me an espresso, he brought me a postal envelope.”
. . .
More than just a devious mystery-crime story, Inspector Montalbano is also a connoisseur of good food. He describes, then eats, deliciously authentic Italian meals.
Come for the crime - stay for the feast!
Enjoy!
August 9, 2021
The second book in the series, and I was sort of startled by how good it is, a leap over the first. Then I see at a glance that this is the one many of my Goodreads friends think is his best. Again, this does not shy away from Montalbano taking on the mafia, meeting a mafioso as the book opens, leading him to a mountain cave, where he finds two young lovers, dead for fifty years and still embracing, next to a terra-cotta dog. The solution to this crime involves the dark history of one family and its connection to some of the horrors of World War II.
The ending is really, really well done, and surprisingly moving, given how casually crude and violent and light-hearted and cynical the first book is. The serious turn does not prevent Camilleri from enticing you to visit Sicily by describing terrific feasts, and in describing he beauties of the island (in these respects I am reminded of Louise Penny's Armand Gamache mysteries set in Three Pines outside Quebec). Montalbano is a diligent and serious detective, he's very well read, he loves to eat, he loves Sicily, he hates the political corruption there, and he loves women--three of them in this book, by my count.
I learn that Camilleri, a long respected director of plays for decades, wrote Montalbano as an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, whose Pepe Carvalho is similarly entertaining, and who likes to eat well.
I may, on further reflection, award this book five stars, once I read more in the series.
The ending is really, really well done, and surprisingly moving, given how casually crude and violent and light-hearted and cynical the first book is. The serious turn does not prevent Camilleri from enticing you to visit Sicily by describing terrific feasts, and in describing he beauties of the island (in these respects I am reminded of Louise Penny's Armand Gamache mysteries set in Three Pines outside Quebec). Montalbano is a diligent and serious detective, he's very well read, he loves to eat, he loves Sicily, he hates the political corruption there, and he loves women--three of them in this book, by my count.
I learn that Camilleri, a long respected director of plays for decades, wrote Montalbano as an homage to the Spanish writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, whose Pepe Carvalho is similarly entertaining, and who likes to eat well.
I may, on further reflection, award this book five stars, once I read more in the series.
August 29, 2019
Bodies pile up fast and easy in Andrea Camilleri's The Terra Cotta Dog but I understand why readers would consider the series to be on the lighter end of the mystery spectrum, straddling the genres of cozy and the grittier police procedural. For one thing, Inspector Salvo Montalbano thinks more deeply about about literature and anchovy dishes than the criminals he has to deal with in his hometown of Vigata, a fictional town situated in Sicily. The story is also bouyed by the humor, often derived from Montalbano's filthy wisecracks at the expense of his friends and co-workers.
This second installment begins with an uneasy rendezvous between the inspector and a notorious mafia operator. From there, a series of seemingly unconnected events occupy their little police station--from a baffling robbery at a supermarket, the suspicious accident of an ornery old man, to the discovery of a forgotten murder scene that dates back to Italy's Fascist period.
I don't really want to reveal too much because the freewheeling narrative turns are what makes the book thoroughly engaging. Camilleri builds upon the world he has set up in The Shape of the Water and leisurely provides it with depth, notably through the reminiscence of Italy's none-too-heroic World War II experience. The gag about Montalbano's phobia towards promotion also never fails to make me chuckle and I'm more than okay with them milking it. Minor characters and their quirks shine here--most notable are the buffoonish Catarella, the ambitious Mimi, and Montalbano's long-distance long-suffering lover, Livia.
The final mystery that Montalbano pursues may seem trivial for some given the amount of action present in the first half of the novel, but his obsession with the 50-year old death of two young lovers says so much about his character. He is a romantic who dons the coat of a cynic for work everyday. He is exceptional as a detective, a bloodhound through and through, yet sometimes the reader gets glimpses of a philosopher.
Read on my blog.
This second installment begins with an uneasy rendezvous between the inspector and a notorious mafia operator. From there, a series of seemingly unconnected events occupy their little police station--from a baffling robbery at a supermarket, the suspicious accident of an ornery old man, to the discovery of a forgotten murder scene that dates back to Italy's Fascist period.
I don't really want to reveal too much because the freewheeling narrative turns are what makes the book thoroughly engaging. Camilleri builds upon the world he has set up in The Shape of the Water and leisurely provides it with depth, notably through the reminiscence of Italy's none-too-heroic World War II experience. The gag about Montalbano's phobia towards promotion also never fails to make me chuckle and I'm more than okay with them milking it. Minor characters and their quirks shine here--most notable are the buffoonish Catarella, the ambitious Mimi, and Montalbano's long-distance long-suffering lover, Livia.
The final mystery that Montalbano pursues may seem trivial for some given the amount of action present in the first half of the novel, but his obsession with the 50-year old death of two young lovers says so much about his character. He is a romantic who dons the coat of a cynic for work everyday. He is exceptional as a detective, a bloodhound through and through, yet sometimes the reader gets glimpses of a philosopher.
Read on my blog.
January 28, 2022
Il commissario si risusì, si piegò sul moribondo.
"Che ha detto?".
"Mi scanto".
Aveva paura, e al punto in cui si trovava non aveva ritegno a dirlo.
Era questa la pietà, quest'ondata improvvisa di calore, questo moto del cuore, questo sentimento struggente? Montalbano posò una mano sulla fronte di Tano, gli venne questa volta quasi spontaneo dargli del tu.
"Non t'affruntari, non ti vergognare a dirlo. Magari per questo tu sei un uomo. Tutti ci scanteremo a questo passo".
"Che ha detto?".
"Mi scanto".
Aveva paura, e al punto in cui si trovava non aveva ritegno a dirlo.
Era questa la pietà, quest'ondata improvvisa di calore, questo moto del cuore, questo sentimento struggente? Montalbano posò una mano sulla fronte di Tano, gli venne questa volta quasi spontaneo dargli del tu.
"Non t'affruntari, non ti vergognare a dirlo. Magari per questo tu sei un uomo. Tutti ci scanteremo a questo passo".
September 21, 2024
Чудесно продължение на поредицата за комисар Монталбано!
Интересно ми бе да науча решението на загадката от миналото, но съвременния сюжет с контрабандата на оръжие и експлозиви остана някак незавършен. Може би, тази нишка ще се разплете в следващата част от серията?
Интелигентно и с чувство за хумор написан роман, откриващ ни голяма любов на автора към местата и хората на Сицилия. От кулинарните рецепти споменати в книгата бях сериозно поблазнен и аз!
Интересно ми бе да науча решението на загадката от миналото, но съвременния сюжет с контрабандата на оръжие и експлозиви остана някак незавършен. Може би, тази нишка ще се разплете в следващата част от серията?
Интелигентно и с чувство за хумор написан роман, откриващ ни голяма любов на автора към местата и хората на Сицилия. От кулинарните рецепти споменати в книгата бях сериозно поблазнен и аз!
December 11, 2024
This is another book that was from my Book in a Bundle series from The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles (purchased during the height of the pandemic).
This is my first dip into this Sicilian series.
There is mystery and intrigue as well as delicious food, intelligent and witty conversation, and some romance that runs hot and cold. But, don’t let that throw you off the scent.
There are two mysteries intertwined, one from the past and the other present day. With an Inspector (the main character) that sometimes leaves you breathless as you attempt to follow his thought patterns. Not sure if it is lost in translation, or writing style, but, sometimes it takes a moment to catch up.
The story still feels like a cozy mystery with some humor, that is interesting, and light, and keeps you wondering to the last page what really happened, and why.
This is my first dip into this Sicilian series.
There is mystery and intrigue as well as delicious food, intelligent and witty conversation, and some romance that runs hot and cold. But, don’t let that throw you off the scent.
There are two mysteries intertwined, one from the past and the other present day. With an Inspector (the main character) that sometimes leaves you breathless as you attempt to follow his thought patterns. Not sure if it is lost in translation, or writing style, but, sometimes it takes a moment to catch up.
The story still feels like a cozy mystery with some humor, that is interesting, and light, and keeps you wondering to the last page what really happened, and why.
May 30, 2023
Me ha gustado pero...
Lo mejor, como siempre, su protagonista, Salvo Montalbano, me parece de una riqueza brutal, la forma de ser, de comportarse, muy real y muy cercano.
Las historias las verdad me interesaba mas la de los mafiosos, ,no tanto la de los cuerpos encontrados. Es cierto que los casos se unen por diversas circunstancias pero muy superficialmente.
Asi que al final la valoración conjunta es de 6.5/10.
Seguiré con la serie ya que me encanta su prota.
Me encanta que le guste comer, de hecho lo prioriza respecto de otras cosas.
Sinopsis: Un robo absurdo en un supermercado, el encarcelamiento un tanto estrambótico de un capo de la mafia, un asesinato cometido durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Sin embargo, a pesar de la firme determinación con que Montalbano afronta la resolución de estos casos, su auténtica pasión es descifrar el contenido simbólico que encierran. «Todo crimen conlleva un mensaje, la cuestión es conocer el código de quien lo ha escrito», le recuerda un excéntrico sacerdote al comisario. Así, el principal protagonista de esta novela -como de todas las que protagoniza Montalbano- es su particular forma de concebir el mundo. Los gestos, los detalles, las apariencias cobran un papel relevante, y el lenguaje se convierte en un instrumento clave para entender la realidad.
Lo mejor, como siempre, su protagonista, Salvo Montalbano, me parece de una riqueza brutal, la forma de ser, de comportarse, muy real y muy cercano.
Las historias las verdad me interesaba mas la de los mafiosos, ,no tanto la de los cuerpos encontrados. Es cierto que los casos se unen por diversas circunstancias pero muy superficialmente.
Asi que al final la valoración conjunta es de 6.5/10.
Seguiré con la serie ya que me encanta su prota.
Me encanta que le guste comer, de hecho lo prioriza respecto de otras cosas.
Sinopsis: Un robo absurdo en un supermercado, el encarcelamiento un tanto estrambótico de un capo de la mafia, un asesinato cometido durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Sin embargo, a pesar de la firme determinación con que Montalbano afronta la resolución de estos casos, su auténtica pasión es descifrar el contenido simbólico que encierran. «Todo crimen conlleva un mensaje, la cuestión es conocer el código de quien lo ha escrito», le recuerda un excéntrico sacerdote al comisario. Así, el principal protagonista de esta novela -como de todas las que protagoniza Montalbano- es su particular forma de concebir el mundo. Los gestos, los detalles, las apariencias cobran un papel relevante, y el lenguaje se convierte en un instrumento clave para entender la realidad.
May 23, 2022
Το Σκύλος από τερακότα είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο της σειράς με τον επιθεωρητή Μονταλμπάνο και το τρίτο που διαβάζω αφού ξεκίνησα με το 20ο.
Δύο υποθέσεις είναι αυτές που απασχολούν τον Μονταλμπάνο που η μία αφορά γεγονότα του παρόντος και η άλλη έχει τις ρίζες της στο παρελθόν! Και μπορεί η μία να καταλλήγει σε αδιέξοδο αλλά την άλλη ο Μονταλμπάνο προσπαθεί να τη φτάσει μέχρι το τέλος!
Σε αυτό το βιβλίο η παρουσία της Λίβια της συντρόφου του Μονταλμπάνο είναι πιο αισθητή και βλέπουμε πως ο Μονταλμπάνο έχει αναπτύξει μια φιλία λίγο ανορθόδοξη με μία γυναίκα από την πρώτη ιστορία της σειράς και χάρηκα που μπόρεσε να τη βοηθήσει!
Όλοι οι πρωταγωνιστές είναι συμπαθείς ο κάθενας με τον τρόπο του αλλά μέχρι στιγμής κανείς δε μου είναι πιο συμπαθείς από τον Μονταλμπάνο! Έχει κάποια χαρακτηριστικά στην προσωπικότητα του που μου αρέσουν και οι παραξενιές του δε με χαλάνε σαν αναγνώστρια!
Ένα καλογραμμένο και ιδιαίτερο μυστήριο που σου κρατάει το ενδιάφερον!
Δύο υποθέσεις είναι αυτές που απασχολούν τον Μονταλμπάνο που η μία αφορά γεγονότα του παρόντος και η άλλη έχει τις ρίζες της στο παρελθόν! Και μπορεί η μία να καταλλήγει σε αδιέξοδο αλλά την άλλη ο Μονταλμπάνο προσπαθεί να τη φτάσει μέχρι το τέλος!
Σε αυτό το βιβλίο η παρουσία της Λίβια της συντρόφου του Μονταλμπάνο είναι πιο αισθητή και βλέπουμε πως ο Μονταλμπάνο έχει αναπτύξει μια φιλία λίγο ανορθόδοξη με μία γυναίκα από την πρώτη ιστορία της σειράς και χάρηκα που μπόρεσε να τη βοηθήσει!
Όλοι οι πρωταγωνιστές είναι συμπαθείς ο κάθενας με τον τρόπο του αλλά μέχρι στιγμής κανείς δε μου είναι πιο συμπαθείς από τον Μονταλμπάνο! Έχει κάποια χαρακτηριστικά στην προσωπικότητα του που μου αρέσουν και οι παραξενιές του δε με χαλάνε σαν αναγνώστρια!
Ένα καλογραμμένο και ιδιαίτερο μυστήριο που σου κρατάει το ενδιάφερον!
January 11, 2022
I didn’t care much for this book to begin with, but I knew the author and his detective are very popular in Italy, so I persevered. The Terra-Cotta Dog was published in 1996 and Camilleri died in 2019. It seems dated to a degree. The Sicilian detective has a very bad and happily expressed attitude towards women. What it reminds me of is the mid-20th century films of Italian directors such as Federico Fellini and maybe that’s not surprising. The detective could be played by Marcello Mastroianni and the women are totally objectified. Not as harmless as James Bond. Like a Fellini movie, things go along in a clownish, cheery way and suddenly we are dropped into a dismal political situation, poverty, corruption, the mafia, etc. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. It turns out the author spent most of his working life as a stage, tv and film director.
In the end, I liked the book. Inspector Montalbano makes the most out of crime, food and the Sicilian setting. The assorted crimes can be petty then murderous. The Southern Italian myth element is interesting. Maybe I’ll try another after all. OK—la dolce vita!
In the end, I liked the book. Inspector Montalbano makes the most out of crime, food and the Sicilian setting. The assorted crimes can be petty then murderous. The Southern Italian myth element is interesting. Maybe I’ll try another after all. OK—la dolce vita!
March 3, 2018
There's much to like about this. I mean, how wonderful to be given a tour of Sicilian life by a police inspector who has read Dürrenmatt, is a gourmand who cannot cook, loves only one woman, but can't stand to be with her too long, who can be a terrible bully but also a pushover softie. Here, he goes back in time to solve a murder mystery from the 1940s. I enjoyed it, but I think I enjoy reading the series more than listening to it. When I listened to this book read (very well, I hasten to add) by a British actor, my head was filled with images of English folk on holiday in Sicily. When I read the first in the series, I was able to fool myself that the English I was reading was in fact Italian. This may well be my fault, or a fault of the medium, and not anything worth getting upset about. Anyway, good, satisfying fare.
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Download my starter library for free here - http://eepurl.com/bFkt0X - and receive my monthly newsletter with book recommendations galore for the Japanophile/crime fiction/English teacher in all of us.
November 19, 2019
This is the second book in the Inspector Montalbano series but it can be read as a standalone. This time there is a robbery and elsewhere a murder scene. Follow Inspector Montalbano as he solves these two mysteries on his home turf of Sicily.
I liked how many of the characters carried on from the first novel. I liked the tone and author’s voice that sounded loudly from the pages. I got the feeling that Inspector Montalbano plus his workmates and friends became family to me. Having read the first novel, I found the characters very easy to engage with. Because of Andrea’s writing style I found it extremely easy to engage with the new characters, whether they were the good or the bad guys. Andrea has a great skill at smoothly developing realistic characters.
The two mysteries were a great puzzle for the reader to grapple with. Neither mystery made any sense but because of the people Inspector Montalbano interviewed, he was able to get to the bottom of both mysteries. This was great because nothing made sense, the proceeds of a robbery were abandoned and the murder scene formed a triangle around the victims bordered by a bowl, a jug and a Terra-Cotta dog. I loved how folklore and religion were used to explain the significance of the murder scene. This added great depth to this story.
I found The Terra-Cotta Dog to be a jolly read with great banter and wit between the characters. The dialogue had great humour and constantly made me smile. The undertones of each character were subtly played and Inspector Montalbano is quite a randy old devil on the quiet.
There was an extensive vocabulary used throughout this novel and I loved how Andrea would explain and play on how his characters spoke depending on whether they came from the north, the south or a foreign country.
There was a good mixture of people in this mystery making this a bright story. I thought the novel progressed at a good pace with lots going on. On the one side Inspector Montalbano is a lovable cop and on the other the Mafioso are making things awkward. Then there are the many people caught between, making the violent and murderous scenes all part of a cosy mystery.
I thought The Terra-Cotta Dog was a GOOD 4 star read and I am very comfortable with this series.
I liked how many of the characters carried on from the first novel. I liked the tone and author’s voice that sounded loudly from the pages. I got the feeling that Inspector Montalbano plus his workmates and friends became family to me. Having read the first novel, I found the characters very easy to engage with. Because of Andrea’s writing style I found it extremely easy to engage with the new characters, whether they were the good or the bad guys. Andrea has a great skill at smoothly developing realistic characters.
The two mysteries were a great puzzle for the reader to grapple with. Neither mystery made any sense but because of the people Inspector Montalbano interviewed, he was able to get to the bottom of both mysteries. This was great because nothing made sense, the proceeds of a robbery were abandoned and the murder scene formed a triangle around the victims bordered by a bowl, a jug and a Terra-Cotta dog. I loved how folklore and religion were used to explain the significance of the murder scene. This added great depth to this story.
I found The Terra-Cotta Dog to be a jolly read with great banter and wit between the characters. The dialogue had great humour and constantly made me smile. The undertones of each character were subtly played and Inspector Montalbano is quite a randy old devil on the quiet.
There was an extensive vocabulary used throughout this novel and I loved how Andrea would explain and play on how his characters spoke depending on whether they came from the north, the south or a foreign country.
There was a good mixture of people in this mystery making this a bright story. I thought the novel progressed at a good pace with lots going on. On the one side Inspector Montalbano is a lovable cop and on the other the Mafioso are making things awkward. Then there are the many people caught between, making the violent and murderous scenes all part of a cosy mystery.
I thought The Terra-Cotta Dog was a GOOD 4 star read and I am very comfortable with this series.
September 12, 2021
Todo empieza con un robo absurdo en un supermercado, el encarcelamiento de un capo de la mafia y un asesinato, con una larga historia de tiempos atrás.
En esta historia perfectamente hilada, segundo libro de la serie, la mafia sigue actuando a su antojo en la isla -recordad: Vigàta, en Sicilia, que no está en ningún mapa pero que es más real que la vida misma- con un Montalbano amable, irónico, lógico y natural. Aquí entra en escena el agente Catarella, desde el momento que lo conozcais sabréis que nada más aparezca os vais a reir con él.
Esta trama es quizás un poco más complicada de seguir por un principio un poco lento, y por la cantidad de personajes que aparecen en él, pero que en cierto punto se vuelve amena, llena de diálogos y que nos permite acompañar al Comisario en toda la investigación. Y ya en cuanto aparece el perro de terracota… ¡hasta aquí puedo contar!
🍽 Mención especial al buen gusto por la comida, donde lo acompañamos en un viaje a la cocina siciliana en cada novela: spaguetti marinara, ragú de carne, pasta a la norma, papanozza… Y sí, Montalbano es capaz de asesinar por un plato de triglie fritte.
En esta historia perfectamente hilada, segundo libro de la serie, la mafia sigue actuando a su antojo en la isla -recordad: Vigàta, en Sicilia, que no está en ningún mapa pero que es más real que la vida misma- con un Montalbano amable, irónico, lógico y natural. Aquí entra en escena el agente Catarella, desde el momento que lo conozcais sabréis que nada más aparezca os vais a reir con él.
Esta trama es quizás un poco más complicada de seguir por un principio un poco lento, y por la cantidad de personajes que aparecen en él, pero que en cierto punto se vuelve amena, llena de diálogos y que nos permite acompañar al Comisario en toda la investigación. Y ya en cuanto aparece el perro de terracota… ¡hasta aquí puedo contar!
🍽 Mención especial al buen gusto por la comida, donde lo acompañamos en un viaje a la cocina siciliana en cada novela: spaguetti marinara, ragú de carne, pasta a la norma, papanozza… Y sí, Montalbano es capaz de asesinar por un plato de triglie fritte.
June 28, 2018
Digital audio narrated by Grover Gardner
3.5***
Book two in the Inspector Montalbano series has him solving a 50-year-old crime. The dying words of one man lead the detective to a secret grotto in the mountains, where the remains of two young lovers lie in an embrace, watched over by a large terra-cotta dog. As he works to solve this old mystery, which has him delving into the island’s past and the horrors of World War II, he also has to deal with modern crime wave, shoot-outs, betrayals, a complicated love life and the politics of the police department.
Camilleri populates the novel with an assortment of colorful characters, from mafioso crime bosses, to intimidated shop owners, to faithful partners on the police force and a bevy of beauties that complicate Montalbano’s life.
Montalbano himself is a wonderful lead character. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, nor sweat the small stuff. He’s intelligent, a loyal friend and is always ready to find the humor in a situation, no matter how dire.
This particular plot had me somewhat confused given the historical nature of the central mystery. But it was interesting, engaging and entertaining. I’ll keep reading the series.
Grover Gardner does a fine job performing the audios. He really brings these characters to life, and even does a passable job of voicing the female characters.
A few pages of notes at the end of the text version explain the various references, historical and modern, the Italian police / military / political system as well as the exchange rate of lira to US dollars (at least at the time the novel is written). Very helpful to this reader! This is not included in the audio version.
3.5***
Book two in the Inspector Montalbano series has him solving a 50-year-old crime. The dying words of one man lead the detective to a secret grotto in the mountains, where the remains of two young lovers lie in an embrace, watched over by a large terra-cotta dog. As he works to solve this old mystery, which has him delving into the island’s past and the horrors of World War II, he also has to deal with modern crime wave, shoot-outs, betrayals, a complicated love life and the politics of the police department.
Camilleri populates the novel with an assortment of colorful characters, from mafioso crime bosses, to intimidated shop owners, to faithful partners on the police force and a bevy of beauties that complicate Montalbano’s life.
Montalbano himself is a wonderful lead character. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly, nor sweat the small stuff. He’s intelligent, a loyal friend and is always ready to find the humor in a situation, no matter how dire.
This particular plot had me somewhat confused given the historical nature of the central mystery. But it was interesting, engaging and entertaining. I’ll keep reading the series.
Grover Gardner does a fine job performing the audios. He really brings these characters to life, and even does a passable job of voicing the female characters.
A few pages of notes at the end of the text version explain the various references, historical and modern, the Italian police / military / political system as well as the exchange rate of lira to US dollars (at least at the time the novel is written). Very helpful to this reader! This is not included in the audio version.
July 18, 2021
Given the pretty book cover, this was a much more gritty murder mystery than I expected. The main character, Inspector Montalbano, and his investigation into the discovery of two skeletons in a hidden portion of a cave was well written and entertaining for this genre.
October 18, 2023
3,5/5
Słabiej niż w "Kształcie wody" ale i tak fajnie. Camilleri trochę za bardzo zagmatwał, za dużo napakował wątków - taka Bonda to zrobiłaby z tego przynajmniej trylogię. W każdym razie Salvo Montalbano z miejsca stał się moim drugim ulubionym książkowym detektywem (zaraz za Marlowem). Dobra, dojrzała powieść.
Słabiej niż w "Kształcie wody" ale i tak fajnie. Camilleri trochę za bardzo zagmatwał, za dużo napakował wątków - taka Bonda to zrobiłaby z tego przynajmniej trylogię. W każdym razie Salvo Montalbano z miejsca stał się moim drugim ulubionym książkowym detektywem (zaraz za Marlowem). Dobra, dojrzała powieść.
May 3, 2020
This was my first ‘Inspector Montalbano’. It is number two in a series of twenty-seven. I chose it based on a recommendation from a reviewer who said he’d enjoyed them all but this was his favourite. I listened to the audio book.
As I understand it, Montalbano is up there with the likes of Gamache and Campion, if not quite Maigret and Poirot. Perhaps for this reason I was expecting a ‘cozy-to-middling’ experience. Wrong!
Almost from the outset profanities flowed thick and fast, and at fairly regular intervals sex scenes, with their own special four-letter words!
These devices can have their place, but they seemed, to me, largely gratuitous, and jarring. Maybe something was lost in translation from the original Italian, but listening felt rather like travelling along a decent tarmac road and every so often hitting a vicious pothole.
I have also reached the conclusion that some novels (and genres) work better as audio books than others. Mysteries – by definition meant to confound – require a reasonably wide cast of characters, and diligent concentration on behalf of the reader. Take a zigzagging storyline and throw in a whole bunch of similar-sounding Italian names, and it’s a challenge. Walking the dog, eating my lunch, mowing the grass – at times I found myself clinging on by my fingertips.
As for the plot, the early direction (mafia/gangsterism) becomes superseded by a macabre discovery: when an arms cache is uncovered in a cave the ritualised bodies of a young couple are found in a second hidden chamber. Watching over them is the terracotta dog of the title. Interred some fifty years beforehand, Montalbano becomes obsessed with solving their murders. He launches a private investigation, juggling this with his day job, a succession of explicit sexual encounters, and the ducking of bullets and expletives in equal measure!
Thus enlightened, I would try the author again, but it’s another for the paperback rather than audio.
As I understand it, Montalbano is up there with the likes of Gamache and Campion, if not quite Maigret and Poirot. Perhaps for this reason I was expecting a ‘cozy-to-middling’ experience. Wrong!
Almost from the outset profanities flowed thick and fast, and at fairly regular intervals sex scenes, with their own special four-letter words!
These devices can have their place, but they seemed, to me, largely gratuitous, and jarring. Maybe something was lost in translation from the original Italian, but listening felt rather like travelling along a decent tarmac road and every so often hitting a vicious pothole.
I have also reached the conclusion that some novels (and genres) work better as audio books than others. Mysteries – by definition meant to confound – require a reasonably wide cast of characters, and diligent concentration on behalf of the reader. Take a zigzagging storyline and throw in a whole bunch of similar-sounding Italian names, and it’s a challenge. Walking the dog, eating my lunch, mowing the grass – at times I found myself clinging on by my fingertips.
As for the plot, the early direction (mafia/gangsterism) becomes superseded by a macabre discovery: when an arms cache is uncovered in a cave the ritualised bodies of a young couple are found in a second hidden chamber. Watching over them is the terracotta dog of the title. Interred some fifty years beforehand, Montalbano becomes obsessed with solving their murders. He launches a private investigation, juggling this with his day job, a succession of explicit sexual encounters, and the ducking of bullets and expletives in equal measure!
Thus enlightened, I would try the author again, but it’s another for the paperback rather than audio.
October 2, 2018
Ma c'è qualcuno che legge Montalbano per la trama gialla?
Secondo libro di Montalbano che leggo e la mia impressione resta la stessa: lettura assolutamente piacevole, la parte mystery (in questo romanzo ci sono due diversi casi) e carina e funziona ma, insomma, c'è assolutamente di meglio. Ma quello che rende Camilleri un grande narratore e che giustamente gli fa vendere così tanto è tutto quello che c'è intorno al caso: Montalbano con i suoi pranzetti e la sua incapacità di parlare davanti a una telecamera, i vari personaggi di contorno, la lingua vivissima in cui scrive, l'ambientazione e soprattutto il suo umorismo, che è la cosa che preferisco in assoluto dei suoi romanzi.
Mi sento un po' "privilegiata" perché non ho mai visto una puntata della famosa fiction e quindi non mi sono spoilerata niente, come non mi sono spoilerata niente di De Giovanni o robe del genere perché non ho mai visto una fiction italiana, di quelle che vanno in onda su RaiUno o Canale Cinque, eccetto Don Matteo, ma lo guardano i miei nonni a pranzo quindi non vale. Ah, e una volta ho visto una puntata di una fiction orrenda con l'Arcuri e Garko, e forse è proprio quello il motivo per cui non guardo fiction, sarò rimasta traumatizzata, tant'è che non mi ricordo nemmeno più il titolo.
Secondo libro di Montalbano che leggo e la mia impressione resta la stessa: lettura assolutamente piacevole, la parte mystery (in questo romanzo ci sono due diversi casi) e carina e funziona ma, insomma, c'è assolutamente di meglio. Ma quello che rende Camilleri un grande narratore e che giustamente gli fa vendere così tanto è tutto quello che c'è intorno al caso: Montalbano con i suoi pranzetti e la sua incapacità di parlare davanti a una telecamera, i vari personaggi di contorno, la lingua vivissima in cui scrive, l'ambientazione e soprattutto il suo umorismo, che è la cosa che preferisco in assoluto dei suoi romanzi.
Mi sento un po' "privilegiata" perché non ho mai visto una puntata della famosa fiction e quindi non mi sono spoilerata niente, come non mi sono spoilerata niente di De Giovanni o robe del genere perché non ho mai visto una fiction italiana, di quelle che vanno in onda su RaiUno o Canale Cinque, eccetto Don Matteo, ma lo guardano i miei nonni a pranzo quindi non vale. Ah, e una volta ho visto una puntata di una fiction orrenda con l'Arcuri e Garko, e forse è proprio quello il motivo per cui non guardo fiction, sarò rimasta traumatizzata, tant'è che non mi ricordo nemmeno più il titolo.
October 30, 2023
"E, di colpo, si sentì un quaquaraquà, un uomo da niente, capace di nessun rispetto. Nella matinata, sorprendendo i due picciotti che facevano all'amore, aveva profanato la vita; adesso, davanti ai due corpi che per sempre avrebbero dovuto restare ignorati nel loro abbraccio, aveva profanato la morte".
Un libro che merita di esser letto e che io, da sempre, considero uno dei più belli (se non il più bello) della serie sul Commissario Montalbano. In questo romanzo, il secondo della serie, oltre che veder completato il profilo del commissario (completamente diverso dal personaggio interpretato in TV da Luca Zingaretti), assisteremo anche ad un bel giallo sull'Amore (quel sentimento con la A maiuscola).
A lungo andare, e non lo dico solo io, nei romanzi su Montalbano lo schema tende un po' a ripetersi abbastanza pigramente; i primi, invece, li leggi con estremo piacere perché ti imbatti in personaggi molto ben delineati, ognuno con le sue peculiarità... ognuno con i suoi pregi ed i suoi difetti.
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]
Un libro che merita di esser letto e che io, da sempre, considero uno dei più belli (se non il più bello) della serie sul Commissario Montalbano. In questo romanzo, il secondo della serie, oltre che veder completato il profilo del commissario (completamente diverso dal personaggio interpretato in TV da Luca Zingaretti), assisteremo anche ad un bel giallo sull'Amore (quel sentimento con la A maiuscola).
A lungo andare, e non lo dico solo io, nei romanzi su Montalbano lo schema tende un po' a ripetersi abbastanza pigramente; i primi, invece, li leggi con estremo piacere perché ti imbatti in personaggi molto ben delineati, ognuno con le sue peculiarità... ognuno con i suoi pregi ed i suoi difetti.
[https://lastanzadiantonio.blogspot.co...]
September 21, 2024
These series has something peculiar; sometimes it looks a trivial story about Sicilian peasants and their life, including food, day to day routine and language, sometimes an erudite work with famous quotes and parables.
So does the main character.
Wonder what would have happened if the author was English or American...
So does the main character.
Wonder what would have happened if the author was English or American...
August 16, 2022
Adoro queste storie!
July 11, 2012
First Sentence: To judge from the entrance the dawn was making, it promised to be a very iffy day—that is, blasts of angry sunlight one minute, fits of freezing rain the next, all of it seasoned with sudden gusts of wind—one of those days when someone who is sensitive to abrupt shifts in weather and suffers them in his blood and brain is likely to change opinion and direction continuously, like those sheets of tin, cut in the shape of banners and rooster, that spin every which way on rooftops with each new puff of wind.
I appreciate a good analogy and so enjoyed the opening paragraph of this book. Camilleri creates a very strong sense of place with his evocative descriptions.
The author has also created a strong, interesting character in Montalbano. He is a study in contrasts; calm facing a Mafia chief in a tense situation, yet goes into panic before the press; he can be quite crass, yet also very sensitive “That morning, by surprising the two kids making love, he had desecrated life; and now, by exposing the two bodies that should have remained forever unknown to the world in their embrace, he had desecrated death.” He has a morbid fear of being promoted and suffers from mild synesthesia which converts smells into colors for him.
There is very good dialogue, including amusing non-sequesters, which adds realism to the story as well as retaining a sense of Italy.
The plot is intriguing and clever as it is one thread which leads to another, but it is the character of Montalbano who really kept me reading.
“The Terra-Cotta Dog” was a very enjoyable read and Camilleri and wonderful addition to my list of authors.
THE TERRA-COTTA DOG (Pol Proc-Insp. Salvo Montalbano-Sicily-Contemp) – G+
Camilleri, Andrea – 2nd in series
Viking, 2002
I appreciate a good analogy and so enjoyed the opening paragraph of this book. Camilleri creates a very strong sense of place with his evocative descriptions.
The author has also created a strong, interesting character in Montalbano. He is a study in contrasts; calm facing a Mafia chief in a tense situation, yet goes into panic before the press; he can be quite crass, yet also very sensitive “That morning, by surprising the two kids making love, he had desecrated life; and now, by exposing the two bodies that should have remained forever unknown to the world in their embrace, he had desecrated death.” He has a morbid fear of being promoted and suffers from mild synesthesia which converts smells into colors for him.
There is very good dialogue, including amusing non-sequesters, which adds realism to the story as well as retaining a sense of Italy.
The plot is intriguing and clever as it is one thread which leads to another, but it is the character of Montalbano who really kept me reading.
“The Terra-Cotta Dog” was a very enjoyable read and Camilleri and wonderful addition to my list of authors.
THE TERRA-COTTA DOG (Pol Proc-Insp. Salvo Montalbano-Sicily-Contemp) – G+
Camilleri, Andrea – 2nd in series
Viking, 2002
April 26, 2023
Honestly like I have commented already this genre is really not my cup of tea, and till around the first half of the book i wasn't that interested about the whole story. Personally I find the inspector really annoying sometimes, as he embodies a kind of personality that I deeply dislike: he's often arrogant, and rude in his prepotency. He thinks himself capable to do absolutely everything on his own, yet he's always asking for other people's help, while never having them really participate on what's going through his mind. And instead of thankfulness, what he gives back to those who helped him are often actually kicks in the arse (besides to Ingrid obviously). I find it kinda unreal that literally ANYTHING he does - like he's buying a book and he drops it by mistake - leads him to a step forward about the case. Like seriously????? Also his relationship with Lidia. What the heck. Poor woman get away!!! Nevertheless, besides my incompatibility with the inspector and all this, from the second half of the book on i found myself actually more interested and the whole thing is not so bad so that’s why im giving it 3 stars. Probably from a lover of the genre this could get also four or more stars but it just ain't that much of my thing.
January 18, 2017
El conjunto bien. De heco me declaro seguidor del inspector Montalbano.
Eso sí, me ha gustado más el primero. En este segundo los personajes eran menos atractivos -salvo Montalbano, claro-que en el primero. La novia, Livia, la meto en clasificación de "pedorra" hasta que se demuestre lo contrario. Y el resto o desdibujados o sin atractivo.
Y la histoira me ha descolocado. La trama principal, sobre mafia, queda rapidamente apartada y casi ni resuelta en favor del perro de terracota y su entorno (no digo más por no hacer spoiler).
Lo imortante es que he decidido hacer de este detective mi "fondo de armario" para tirar de él cuando no tenga otra cosa que leer.
Eso sí, me ha gustado más el primero. En este segundo los personajes eran menos atractivos -salvo Montalbano, claro-que en el primero. La novia, Livia, la meto en clasificación de "pedorra" hasta que se demuestre lo contrario. Y el resto o desdibujados o sin atractivo.
Y la histoira me ha descolocado. La trama principal, sobre mafia, queda rapidamente apartada y casi ni resuelta en favor del perro de terracota y su entorno (no digo más por no hacer spoiler).
Lo imortante es que he decidido hacer de este detective mi "fondo de armario" para tirar de él cuando no tenga otra cosa que leer.
September 9, 2019
I found this second book in the series more enjoyable than the first. As my familiarity of the characters grow, I find myself becoming attached.
I loved the unusual storyline of this installment. As always the descriptions of the food and the surroundings are beautiful, and leave me feeling like I truly am in Italy.
I’m looking forward to starting the third installment of the series.
I loved the unusual storyline of this installment. As always the descriptions of the food and the surroundings are beautiful, and leave me feeling like I truly am in Italy.
I’m looking forward to starting the third installment of the series.
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