- Paperback: 247 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books; 1 Original edition (30 Jun 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0143115952
- ISBN-13: 978-0143115953
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 13.7 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,336,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
`a hugely entertaining murder mystery...a truly original take on the crime novel'. --The Bookseller
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"The wonderful Commissaire Adamsberg novels by... Fred Vargas have been runaway successes in Britain."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Chalk Circle Man" is the very welcome first novel of Vargas' Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg series, the eccentric French series featuring an eccentric French policeman who investigates by intuition and instinct, and arrests people against logic. And always gets his man.
Mysterious chalk circles have started to appear on the streets of Paris. Drawn overnight, they contain increasingly bizarre objects: a pigeon's foot, cigarette lighters, a hat, a doll's head. Are they there to draw attention to discarded rubbish? Or does the artist put the items inside the circles? Is it for amusement, or is it for something more sinister? Adamsberg tends towards the latter option, and, being the man he is, keeps a close eye on the newspaper reports, which treat the circles as a silly practical joke. That is, they do until something far more sinister turns up in one of the blue circles: the body of a woman with her throat cut. Adamsberg's instincts are proved right, and he begins digging into the case in earnest. But his crucial question is: is the blue chalk circle man the killer, or is the killer a clever opportunist who has spotted a great moment to muddy some waters?
By now, anyone familiar with Vargas' work will not be remotely surprised by such a quirky synopsis, and, indeed, would probably be delighted to read something so seemingly bizarre! And I don't think they'd be disappointed, because the first Adamsberg novel is a perfect example of Vargas's fiction. It's the shortest of her works so far, the most succinct, the one most unclouded by subplots: Vargas takes her odd starting point by the scruff of the neck and turns it into the most streamlined and straightforward of her novels so far. There are great pleasures to be had in the length and depth of the later novels, the greater complexities of the plots, but that doesn't detract from what is a perfect introduction to the Adamsberg series, and introduction that focuses on the very aspects of her writing that people seem to like: the sheer innovative nature of her bizarre plots, and the fascinating character of the protagonist himself, a dreamy, intelligent, disorganised detective who has scant regard for concrete clues and steers cases based on his own sometimes inexplicable hunches. The Chalk Circle Man is direct, focused, funny and is a kind of condensed Vargas primer. An ideal place to start, really, as befits the novel in a series! There are some other superb eccentrics as well, namely the marine biologist and the blind man, both as forthright as each other, who forge an unlikely friendship and hold crucial clues for Adamsberg's investigation. It's no chore at all to spend portions of time away from Adamsberg and with these two other oddballs instead.
Vargas's novels have a specific kind of appeal: they are, of course, superbly constructed puzzles, but above all they're wholly original crime novels with a different kind of outlook on the form: they're a bit bonkers, a bit maddening, a lot gripping, and vastly entertaining. They're not for people who demand gritty realism from their crime fiction, but as exercises in the flightful pleasure of reading a crime novel written from a slightly different angle, they are the absolute best you can find. A superb first entry, as series go.
Mysterious chalk circles have started to appear on the streets of Paris. Drawn overnight, they contain increasingly bizarre objects: a pigeon's foot, cigarette lighters, a hat, a doll's head. Are they there to draw attention to discarded rubbish? Or does the artist put the items inside the circles? Is it for amusement, or is it for something more sinister? Adamsberg tends towards the latter option, and, being the man he is, keeps a close eye on the newspaper reports, which treat the circles as a silly practical joke. That is, they do until something far more sinister turns up in one of the blue circles: the body of a woman with her throat cut. Adamsberg's instincts are proved right, and he begins digging into the case in earnest. But his crucial question is: is the blue chalk circle man the killer, or is the killer a clever opportunist who has spotted a great moment to muddy some waters?
By now, anyone familiar with Vargas' work will not be remotely surprised by such a quirky synopsis, and, indeed, would probably be delighted to read something so seemingly bizarre! And I don't think they'd be disappointed, because the first Adamsberg novel is a perfect example of Vargas's fiction. It's the shortest of her works so far, the most succinct, the one most unclouded by subplots: Vargas takes her odd starting point by the scruff of the neck and turns it into the most streamlined and straightforward of her novels so far. There are great pleasures to be had in the length and depth of the later novels, the greater complexities of the plots, but that doesn't detract from what is a perfect introduction to the Adamsberg series, and introduction that focuses on the very aspects of her writing that people seem to like: the sheer innovative nature of her bizarre plots, and the fascinating character of the protagonist himself, a dreamy, intelligent, disorganised detective who has scant regard for concrete clues and steers cases based on his own sometimes inexplicable hunches. The Chalk Circle Man is direct, focused, funny and is a kind of condensed Vargas primer. An ideal place to start, really, as befits the novel in a series! There are some other superb eccentrics as well, namely the marine biologist and the blind man, both as forthright as each other, who forge an unlikely friendship and hold crucial clues for Adamsberg's investigation. It's no chore at all to spend portions of time away from Adamsberg and with these two other oddballs instead.
Vargas's novels have a specific kind of appeal: they are, of course, superbly constructed puzzles, but above all they're wholly original crime novels with a different kind of outlook on the form: they're a bit bonkers, a bit maddening, a lot gripping, and vastly entertaining. They're not for people who demand gritty realism from their crime fiction, but as exercises in the flightful pleasure of reading a crime novel written from a slightly different angle, they are the absolute best you can find. A superb first entry, as series go.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
While this was the first novel in what has become an intriguing series,it probably is not the place to start. For here we encounter in characters,mood and quirkiness key apects and features of Vargas'later and more developed Parisian policier novels. Familiarity with those later and more succesful texts makes this an interesting read,a first draft,for the later more rewarding reads that we have already experienced. It has undoubtedly been published to cash in on the plaudits the later novels have deservedly received.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Sentence: Mathilde took out her diary and wrote: "The man sitting next to me has got one hell of a nerve."
Someone is drawing chalk circles on the streets of Paris. Initially, each surrounds such mundane items such as an old handbag, a cotton bud, a one-franc coin, a torch battery, or a screwdriver. Things change the night the circle contains the body of a woman whose throat has been slashed.
I am so glad to have found this series, although I started at the most recent book and am now starting at the first and reading forward. The book has a wonderful voice; you can hear the cadence of French in the dialogue.
The characters are fascinating. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is a fascinating character and the fact that I can't form a mental picture of him is more fascinating than frustrating. I liked the unexpected connection between math and Adamsburg, which made perfect sense once I thought about it. I enjoyed his observations, realizations and introspections about himself and his idea of a universal uniform. Once he explained his logic for identifying the killer, it made perfect sense as all the clues were there. Adamsberg follows no discernable procedure but seems to `know' things is balanced wonderfully by Insp. Adrien Danglard who believes in the procedure, is raising five children on his own, indulges in too much white wine and discusses his cases with his children. In this book, there is also Mathelde, who brusqueness I enjoyed, as well as the way she sections her week and her various tables, particularly her Cosmic table.
The book's plot is cleverly done with a twist at the end which explains the killer's motive. I am very glad I read other books by this author before this one or I may not have liked it as well. However, once accustomed to her style, I find I am addicted.
THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN (Pol. Proc-Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg-Paris-Cont) - VG
Vargas, Fred - 1st in series
Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009, US Hardcover, ISBN: 9780307396877
Someone is drawing chalk circles on the streets of Paris. Initially, each surrounds such mundane items such as an old handbag, a cotton bud, a one-franc coin, a torch battery, or a screwdriver. Things change the night the circle contains the body of a woman whose throat has been slashed.
I am so glad to have found this series, although I started at the most recent book and am now starting at the first and reading forward. The book has a wonderful voice; you can hear the cadence of French in the dialogue.
The characters are fascinating. Commissaire Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg is a fascinating character and the fact that I can't form a mental picture of him is more fascinating than frustrating. I liked the unexpected connection between math and Adamsburg, which made perfect sense once I thought about it. I enjoyed his observations, realizations and introspections about himself and his idea of a universal uniform. Once he explained his logic for identifying the killer, it made perfect sense as all the clues were there. Adamsberg follows no discernable procedure but seems to `know' things is balanced wonderfully by Insp. Adrien Danglard who believes in the procedure, is raising five children on his own, indulges in too much white wine and discusses his cases with his children. In this book, there is also Mathelde, who brusqueness I enjoyed, as well as the way she sections her week and her various tables, particularly her Cosmic table.
The book's plot is cleverly done with a twist at the end which explains the killer's motive. I am very glad I read other books by this author before this one or I may not have liked it as well. However, once accustomed to her style, I find I am addicted.
THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN (Pol. Proc-Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg-Paris-Cont) - VG
Vargas, Fred - 1st in series
Alfred A. Knopf Canada, 2009, US Hardcover, ISBN: 9780307396877
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Powers of Intuition
How to make a name in crime writing? Fred Vargas turned the genre upside down by breaking as many conventions as possible with this first novel (1996) about Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg... Read more
Published 9 months ago by P. A. Doornbos
Quirky crime. Great stuff.
First of the Detective Adamsberg series which are set in Paris. Adamsberg is one of the most unusual policemen in literature. Read more
Published 11 months ago by lovemurakami
intuitive detective
Personally I prefer my detectives to employ ratiocination rather than guesswork. Adamsberg's intuition however has more to do with his mind taking a short cut based on experience... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Graham R. Hill
Superb Parisien thriller
I love Fred Vargas' novels and this one introduces us to Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg and his team. The writing here is fluid and compelling, the characters are quirky and interesting... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ally1665
"One should be sparing with one's contempt, because of the large...
Another female writer hiding behind a man's name, Fred Vargas is otherwise unconventional having a light touch, rather like a Kate Atkinson, but with the cool of French ambience, a... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Eileen Shaw
Meet Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg
This is the first of Fred Vargas' series of crime novels feature Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, a French police Commissaire, based in Paris. Read more
Published on 20 May 2010 by M. V. Clarke
Fine example of surreal detection
Few writers are better than Fred Vargas, archaeologist-historian-turned-crime-novelist-of-class. Several of her later books featuring the ethereal detective Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg... Read more
Published on 24 July 2009 by Feanor
Not as good as I hoped
Fred Vargas is a new author for me. The blurbs on the book-cover promised something really good and so starting with high expectations I was disappointed by a rather meandering... Read more
Published on 28 April 2009 by Bluebell
Well written and original but a bit slow
An earlier reviewer said that this book lacked suspense. I have to agree. It just ambled along, although it was populated by interesting characters and had a good ending. Read more
Published on 21 April 2009 by Emanon
Highly enjoyable read
Vargas has an easy writing style, her characters are rich yet not too detailed, and the story (which I wont go into) was fast flowing with a good twist at the end to finish it off... Read more
Published on 13 Mar 2009 by Mr. S. P. Downs
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