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Camilleri celebrates what is best in the human condition
Book Review
By Derryll White
Camilleri, Andrea (2013). The Dance of the Seagull.
I always look forward to a new Andrea Camilleri novel. He has a Mediterranean sense of lightness, of the quirky fun of a life lived well, that is hard to find. His images are also infused with the harsher, hard light of the dry Sicilian heat. As a writer he is a master of a sense of place, bringing Sicily to life in small, magical moments. The only other mystery writers who would seem his equal with regard to place are James Lee Burke with his lush Louisiana, Henning Mankell with his Ystad in Sweden and John Brady with his compelling novels of Dublin.
Camilleri is a refreshing writer. He lets himself into the story at all points. His sense of local gives Sicily a unique appeal. His disgust with government rings true around the world. His love and appreciation of appealing women, even as he ages, speaks truly of all men. Camilleri delights all the senses.
In fact, Camilleri celebrates what is best in the human condition. As Inspector Montalbano ages he experiences all the fears and questions of life coming slowly to an end. As with the dance of the dying seagull, Camilleri experiences the close of life, realizes that man and woman can draw on the experiences of a life lived to empower the time and experiences still left to them. He has the Inspector relish the simple pleasures – good food, the beauty of women. And at the same time he draws on his long life as a policeman to solve problems in the present. Such a dance inevitably leads to a beautiful sunrise tomorrow.
I really enjoyed this book.
Excerpts from the novel:
RURAL NEED – He went into the airport bar, where there was a line as long as the post office on pension-check days.
MEDIA – The papers chattered everywhere and always about every problem in existence, but always idly, without the chatter ever leading to any sort of understanding or concrete action….
GOVERNMENT – Montalbano decided then and there that Article 1 of the Italian Constitution needed to be revised to the following: “Italy is a republic founded on drug dealing, systematic lateness, and useless chatter.”
RELATIONSHIPS – But how was it that they never failed to squabble over the slightest thing? And how was it that it never passed through either of their heads to draw the logical conclusion of the situation which was to shake hands and break up once and for all?
ANDROPAUSE – You could have spared us the mention of andropause.
No, I can’t not talk about it, because it’s the reason for everything! Look, he practically saw what happened in there. Simple as that. It’s not the first time that’s happened to him. And he grafted the death of the seagull onto what he saw.
POLITICS – Oh, right! What a scandal! How shameful! No matter what they do, our elected representatives don’t give a fuck anymore about public opinion! They take drugs, frequent whores, rob, steal, cheat, sell themselves, commit perjury, make deals with the Mafia, and what happens to them? The newspapers talk about it for, oh, three days maybe. Then everybody forgets about it.
– Derryll White once wrote books but now chooses to read and write about them. When not reading he writes history for the web at www.basininstitute.org.
