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Camilleri Andrea: Storie di Montalbano

Montalbano in excelsis

Thus: after an unprecedented success (six and a half million copies sold in Italy alone, 120 translations in all languages), the investigations of police superintendent Montalbano nowreach the sky. In fact, just released and now available at bookshops is a “Storie di Montalbano” (Mondadori, pgs CLXXII - 1679, Euro 49) that gathers all the novels and a selection of stories, where the central character is the famous policeman created by Andrea Camilleri. The surprising news, however, is that the volume is part of the prestigious “Meridiani” series, begun about 33 years to present the all-time classics of literature. It was a risky move including for the first time a detective story in such a context, and therefore confirming its rise from the sites of popular reading to those of so-called “high” literature: and a very brave choice, we might add, due to the sure insight of Renata Colorni, who is responsible for Mondadori's “Meridiani”. On the other hand (as Nino Borsellino states in is fine preface to the works), the same underrating even touched Pirandello, labelled in the sector of popular prose - when he had already published many of his novels and most the short stories - by the worthy critic Renato Serra. Therefore, without asking ourselves too many questions, let us enjoy the stories of Montalbano: while the television episodes are regularly achieving a huge following, a return to the printed page can be pleasant in order to better appreciate the flavours of an unmistakable writing. In it you can certainly feel the influence of Pirandello and of that weaver of plots, Sciascia, even if Ciccio Ingravallo of the Gaddian “Pasticciaccio” had a part in the origin of the character Montalbano, as well as many television play heroes - from Sheridan to Maigret - the Sicilian author met during the course of his many years as a television scriptwriter. In that Vigàta which is a fanciful replica of the native Porto Empedocle, Camilleri will thus continue to hang about sneakily: with us eager to hear that “Montalbano sono”, always marking the start of the adventure.

F.T.

Andrea Camilleri: Storie di Montalbano
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