The voice of the violin: Andrea Camilleri

A few of you eropean guys might already know of this dude but as an english country bumpkin I had not encountered him until fairly reciently and man am i ever glad i did. I was remarking to B2 only last night about how almost everything i read is by british or american authors (the books may be set in foreign countries but the writers are less exotic and the wording is all familiar) and how refreshing it is to read a book written in a totally different way.

the phrases used are somewhat awkward but that does not make them unenjoyable, infact its because the book does not flow like well polished glass down a marble floorway that i enjoy it. the main character says things and behaves in ways that UK/American authors wouldn't be able to write without the book suffering.

set in sicilly these stories about the police inspector Salvo Montalbano are simple, whimsical and always enjoyable, they are like a breath of fresh air, the characters are not all perfect nor are they tortured souls writhing in their own darkness, they are people who make pasta and react badly, they do stupid things and they are probably the more wonderfully realistic bunch i have read about, i do not always like them but i always enjoy reading about them.

give em a go, see my past essays to find out the first in the series because im buggered if i am rewriting everything just for lazy gits who cba reading the words i so lovingly write for them :P