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Italy in August: Two Mystery Novels
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Francis A. Miniter
May 19, 2013, 5:01:18 PM5/19/13
to
Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
has written better.
Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was surprised to
see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
temporarily given up crime. Odd coincidence.
The novel by Nabb was her last. She died, in August, 2007, before it
was published. The style of her writing is different. The closest I
can come to describing it is that it is a third person narrative stream
of consciousness. It takes some getting used to. I should note that
Florence has always been different from the rest of Italy. Guarnaccia
is a police detective; his rank is Marshal, not a rank used anywhere
else in Italy as far as I know. But then again, Florence had a commune
form of government in 1300 CE. And Dante was one of the ranking leaders
of the commune.
Francis A. Miniter
Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
has written better.
Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was surprised to
see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
temporarily given up crime. Odd coincidence.
The novel by Nabb was her last. She died, in August, 2007, before it
was published. The style of her writing is different. The closest I
can come to describing it is that it is a third person narrative stream
of consciousness. It takes some getting used to. I should note that
Florence has always been different from the rest of Italy. Guarnaccia
is a police detective; his rank is Marshal, not a rank used anywhere
else in Italy as far as I know. But then again, Florence had a commune
form of government in 1300 CE. And Dante was one of the ranking leaders
of the commune.
Francis A. Miniter
Dorothy J Heydt
May 19, 2013, 5:33:04 PM5/19/13
to
In article <knbeaf$9ou$1...@dont-email.me>,
Italy _in propria persona,_ but I've read about it.
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Should you wish to email me, you'd better use the gmail edress.
Kithrup's all spammy and hotmail's been hacked.
Francis A. Miniter <fami...@comcast.net> wrote:
>Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>
>Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
>Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>has written better.
>
>Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
>me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
>poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
>was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
>turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was surprised to
>see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
>temporarily given up crime. Odd coincidence.
>
This does not surprise me much. I have not experienced August in
>Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>
>Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
>Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>has written better.
>
>Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
>me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
>poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
>was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
>turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was surprised to
>see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
>temporarily given up crime. Odd coincidence.
>
Italy _in propria persona,_ but I've read about it.
--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com
Should you wish to email me, you'd better use the gmail edress.
Kithrup's all spammy and hotmail's been hacked.
Transition Zone
May 20, 2013, 7:11:23 PM5/20/13
to
On May 19, 5:01 pm, "Francis A. Miniter" <famini...@comcast.net>
wrote:
just around the corner.
wrote:
> Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>
> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
> has written better.
>
> Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
> me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
> poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
> was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
> turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was
surprised to
>see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
> temporarily given up crime.
Sometimes, you almost have to wonder if a repeat of that event isn't
>
> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
> has written better.
>
> Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
> me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
> poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
> was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
> turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was
surprised to
>see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
> temporarily given up crime.
just around the corner.
Melani...@hotmail.com
May 30, 2013, 8:09:11 AM5/30/13
to
Am Sonntag, 19. Mai 2013 23:01:18 UTC+2 schrieb Francis A. Miniter:
> Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>
>
>
> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
>
>
> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>
> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>
> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>
> has written better.
The Donna Leon TV series with German leading actors and Venetian co-stars
> Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>
>
>
> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>
>
>
> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>
> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>
> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>
> has written better.
shot in Venice has been a huge success for the past years on German, Swiss
and Austrian TV.
>
>
>
> Then I went to a thrift shop and saw the title Vita Nuova. That stopped
>
> me directly. Vita Nuova is also the title of Dante's second most famous
>
> poem, after The Divine Comedy, of course. The subtitle noted that this
>
> was one in her Marshal Guarnaccia series. I inferred, correctly it
>
> turned out, that the setting would be Florence. But I was surprised to
>
> see that it is set in an August so hot that the criminals have
>
> temporarily given up crime. Odd coincidence.
only silly tourists go there in Italy, the Italians themselves
scamper to the beaches on both sides of the almost-island that is
Italy, leaving the cities deserted and sizzling in the heat.
So, there are no pickpockets. Supposedly. And, since the Italians
are wise, there is (presumably) no point in trying to break into
their boarded-up flats and houses.
Melanie
Francis A. Miniter
May 30, 2013, 10:38:20 AM5/30/13
to
On 5/30/2013 8:09 AM, Melani...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Am Sonntag, 19. Mai 2013 23:01:18 UTC+2 schrieb Francis A. Miniter:
>> Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>>
>>
>>
>> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>>
>>
>>
>> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>>
>> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>>
>> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>>
>> has written better.
>
> The Donna Leon TV series with German leading actors and Venetian co-stars
> shot in Venice has been a huge success for the past years on German, Swiss
> and Austrian TV.
>
>>
>>
>>
Could you arrange to have the series shown here in America? I know, I
> Am Sonntag, 19. Mai 2013 23:01:18 UTC+2 schrieb Francis A. Miniter:
>> Donna Leon, A Question of Belief (2008) - which I have just finished
>>
>>
>>
>> Magdalen Nabb, Vita Nuova (2008) - which I have just started
>>
>>
>>
>> Donna Leon's book is one in her Commissario Guido Brunetti series set in
>>
>> Venice. The setting is an extremely hot August, so hot that the
>>
>> criminals aren't even coming out to pick pockets. Enjoyable, but she
>>
>> has written better.
>
> The Donna Leon TV series with German leading actors and Venetian co-stars
> shot in Venice has been a huge success for the past years on German, Swiss
> and Austrian TV.
>
>>
>>
>>
know, Americans freak out over subtitles. The more the shame.
Francis A. Miniter
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