Mit Abstand der langweiligste Fall!: Ich hatte mich sehr gefreut auf diesen neuen Fall des Commissario.
Leider eine herbe Enttäuschung. Völlig belanglos und langweilig.
Donna Leon sollte mal eine Pause einlegen.

Through A Glass, Darkly
Donna Leon

#15 in the Commissario Brunetti series, set in Venice, Italy.

As any serious reader of Leon’s knows, she is a great fan of opera; there’s always an appropriate quote from one of Mozart’s opera’s at the beginning of every book. And an operatic soprano has figured in two of her books.

But she may have let her love of opera interfere with this particular book, which is a disaster.

She dedicates it to Cecilia Bartoli, who is one of the world’s premier mezzo-sopranos. The short author bio for this book says that Leon is “the author of the libretto for Dona Gallina, a comic opera set in a chicken coop.”

Perhaps she spent too much time on the opera libretto and contracted out Through A Glass Darkly to an 8 year old Donna Leon wannabee with mediocre writing talents.

To me, a long-time fan of Leon, this book is so bad that it is impossible for me to believe that she wrote it. The plot is mediocre, barely believable, and that’s the best thing about the book. The writing is worse and her greatest strengths through the middle and later installments, her characterizations especially of Brunetti’s family, are non-existent. You would never recognize Paola, Brunetti’s wife, who is one of the strongest characters in the series. She’s a stick figure in this one, as is just about everyone else.

I was so shocked when I read this book that I wondered if Leon had joined the ranks--and they are legion--of those crime writers who have lost it. There’s an entire thread in the Mystery/Thriller group that talks about this sad fact. The one who comes to mind instantly, of course, is Patricia Cornwell. But there are many others.

However, I can say as a preview, that her next book, which I bought and read with great trepidation, shows her almost back to form.

Personally, I think a likely scenario is that due to her involvement in the chicken coop libretto, she submitted to her publishers what is basically a rough draft and, given her popularity, they decided to publish it anyway, hoping that no one would notice, and that the book could slide by until the next one--after Leon had indulged herself writing about Dona Hen. But you can only get away with that one time.

If I were Cecilia Bartoli, I’d be embarrassed to have this piece of trash dedicated to me. Avoid like the plague. ( )

Commisiaro Brunetti and his assistant Vianello are summoned to help a friend Marco Ribetti who was arrested during an environmental protest at a glass factory. To secure his release they have to face the man’s father in law Giovanni De Cal the glass factory’s owner, he has made violent threats against Ribetti in the past. Is De Cal the type of man to carry out his threats? Then one morning the body of De Cal’s night watchman is found dead. Brunetti’s curiosity is heightened and sets for the island of Murano to investigate. He discovers that the victim had incriminating evidence and has documented it. Brunetti must find who is guilty of contaminating Venice’s lagoon before the killer strikes again.

This is another fabulous Italian mystery, it is written with grace and warmth. The story is sophisticated told through the love Brunetti has for his family, friends and work. It is a mystery with a different twist; I really enjoy Donna Leon style of writing. ( )

http://tinyurl.com/53pqot

The title is from the Bible and implies that humans have a less that perfect perception of reality.

I can't think of a better title for this Guido Brunetti novel, which grapples with unambiguously moral and ethical issues mostly having to do with the environment of Venice. Leon's mysteries have always been set in Venice, and often touch on the sticky problems surrounding the polluting of the lagoon, the crumbling of the edifices and the navigation of Italian bureaucracy. But, this is Leon's first foray into the pollution issue as a major theme.

As usual, we have Inspector Vianello and Signorina Elettra on the side of the environmentalists, while Brunetti remains classically aloof. Also, as usual, the pace of the novel is somewhat slow, in keeping with the protagonist. However the book takes you in an unexpected direction, especially in the last 20 pages, even if you are familiar with Leon's style.

And for those really tired of that, there are fewer descriptions of food and Brunetti's kids and wife than usual. While these remain a staple, they seem far less important here. Perhaps that's just a reflection of the more serious tone. ( )

this book is just too folksy, homey for me. The mystery is not engrossing, nor do I care for the characters. it's a detailed look at the minutiae od daily italian life, and it just doesn't catch my attention. Didnt finish ( )