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sakawara's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
lui_vit's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
4.0
maytesansem's review
5.0
Política, historia, amistad, poesía, intereses, mentiras, religión... todo ambientado en la Palermo de finales del XVIII. Una novela muy, muy recomendable.
zosia's review against another edition
2.0
A great premise but underdeveloped plot and characters. 2.5*
niallgoulding1's review against another edition
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is my 3rd Sciascia novel. Not quite on the same level as Day of the Owl but really enjoyable.
Sciascia takes the stories of 2 real life characters and uses it to frame his feelings about Sicily and its history. The idea that the truth is a fluid thing and more a question of perspective is played with throughout. History is written by the powerful and this is a reminder that "truth" often is decided more by who wrote the history than cold-hard facts.
The novels tone is a little scattershot. The first half is quite light hearted and comedic. Watching the fraud play out is really well done and makes interesting points about how willing people are to buy into a narrative if it suits their needs (even if blatantly false when viewed in the cold light of day). A 1790s Catch me if you can!
The second half as the various schemes come out into the light is altogether darker. No good deed goes unpunished and the authors fatalism that Sicily is destined to remain under the thumb of it powerful elite is clear. The state's monopoly on violence is used to resist change at any cost. Is truth even possible in a society like that?
Sciascia takes the stories of 2 real life characters and uses it to frame his feelings about Sicily and its history. The idea that the truth is a fluid thing and more a question of perspective is played with throughout. History is written by the powerful and this is a reminder that "truth" often is decided more by who wrote the history than cold-hard facts.
The novels tone is a little scattershot. The first half is quite light hearted and comedic. Watching the fraud play out is really well done and makes interesting points about how willing people are to buy into a narrative if it suits their needs (even if blatantly false when viewed in the cold light of day). A 1790s Catch me if you can!
The second half as the various schemes come out into the light is altogether darker. No good deed goes unpunished and the authors fatalism that Sicily is destined to remain under the thumb of it powerful elite is clear. The state's monopoly on violence is used to resist change at any cost. Is truth even possible in a society like that?
annakorda's review against another edition
3.0
Κουραστικό στην αρχή, θέλεις λίγες σελίδες να αντιληφθείς τι διαβάζεις. Στο δεύτερο μέρος αποκτά ενδιαφέρον, με την παράλληλη αληθινή ιστορία του Ντι Μπλαζι να με κερδίζει περισσότερο, από τη συνωμοσία του Πρωτοκόλλου της Αιγυπτου!