Maxim Jakubowski in The Guardian, April 2003
A book about sudden death that makes you feel good.
Peter Gutteridge in The Observer, May 2003
This sly and witty novel... is funny and intriguing with a fluent translation...
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122 of 128 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The Shape of Water is a fine European-style mystery (lots of action with the little grey cells and little physical action) that will appeal to most readers who enjoy police procedurals. The main attraction in the book is the detective, Inspector Salvo Montalbano, who strives to do the right thing for the right reason. That can be a challenge in the midst of the corruption that seems to surround him in Vigata on Sicily. Like many fictional detectives, he's fixated on his work . . . even to the point of having a long-distance relationship with his girl friend so he can keep working all the time. There is a lot of subtle humor in the book as he organizes his day to avoid having his zealous and sometimes incompetent colleagues make messes while ensuring that he has fine meals whenever possible. The story itself depends on witty juxtapositions that create irony of the sort that one often hears used in stories told by people in Italy. Be sure to refer to the notes in the back to understand many of the references. The book's main drawback is that the sentence structure is often extremely long and convoluted. The last sentence on the first page has 96 words in it, for example. Mr. Camilleri will never be confused with Mr. Hemingway.
I have also read The Terra-Cotta Dog and The Snack Thief by Mr. Camilleri and found them to be remarkably fine novels. I encourage you to read this book with the understanding that good things await you. I suggest that you begin your introduction to Mr. Camilleri with The Shape of Water because the other two stories build on the character and plot developments in this one.
When the Shape of Water was first translated into English, I read several reviews of the book in national publications and found what I read about the book in them to be unappealing. Having read the book, I now find that those reviews and some of the jacket blurbs are at odds with my reading of the book. Let me see if I can clarify what this book is all about for you.
First, Mantalbano is simply a man who wants justice done. He is not a vigilante, but he will bend any rule or say anything necessary to achieve his ends. He's a practical cynic who understands how the misguided self-interest of others will pervert justice if he does not watch out. Yet, at bottom, he has sympathy for others and wants to be helpful to them. As he goes about it, he has a charm that reminds me of Hercule Poirot. While Poirot was fussy about everything, Mantalbano is mainly fussy about food.
Second, the humor here is laid on with a trowel through large contrasts. For instance, the man who supervises the local sex workers is his school friend. Montalbano finds himself both working with and against his friend in ways that will amuse you. Two well-educated surveyors cannot find work and must become garbage collectors. They get their jobs by doing political favors. Mantalbano ends up helping them more than their own machinations with politicians provided. However, it's not Stephanie Plum humor. It's more like Dante's humor, as he assigned his enemies to various rings in the Inferno. Seldom will you laugh aloud, but you will be smiling at and enjoying his jabs as they occur.
Third, although there's a lot of corruption going on, it's not so extreme that you enter a world that you cannot recognize. The exaggeration is there, but mainly to make the point . . . not to paint a dark shadow over the book. That said, some of the worst hidden corruption is pretty disgusting. But good works will out, and your faith will be reaffirmed in the potential to right wrongs.
As I finished this story, I was reminded that keeping one's sense of humor during difficult times is a very good idea.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I began this book on a wet Sunday morning lying on the sofa and instantly became hooked...at the time of reading it, I wished I could have read faster as i was so desperate to know 'who dunnit'. I really enjoyed the book and am definately considering buying more in the series.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Never thought about these detective stories even though I love Maigret. Then I saw a couple of episodes on the BBC and loved the drama, locations and original characterisation. So I returned to the original text, well the translation of Stephen Sartarelli and I was enchanted by the stoty telling and quality of life depicted within the crime novel.
I would warmly recommend this series by Andrea Camilleri and suggest you start with this first book that introduces us to Inspector Montalbano.
I would warmly recommend this series by Andrea Camilleri and suggest you start with this first book that introduces us to Inspector Montalbano.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Don't let the wordy start put you off . . .
Having almost exhausted Donna Leon - or got thoroughly confused which "new" book was actually a new story I arrived at Montalbano through the exceptional delights of BBC4 (of... Read more
Published 6 days ago by S. J. Evans
Good stuff
Italian police thriller that has a bit more bite than Leon's Brunetti novels and I found less convoluted than Dibdin's Zen books. Read more
Published 26 days ago by freedomrulesok
Fantastic read.
I bought this having enjoyed watching the TV series on BBC4. Very funny and I love the extra detail as you learn what Montalbano is thinking. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. C. Chanona
Humour and death in Sicily
I bought this book after watching the TV series. I like the double spacing and the brevity of the book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Dm Fletcher
Clever, Clever, Clever
Andrea Camilleri's Italian Inspector Montalbano mystery series has been a runaway hit, selling ten million copies on the European continent for some time. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Stephanie DePue
Shape of Water
I'm really enjoying the Montabalno series on BBC 4 on Saturday nights. I decided to try one of the books and started with the
Shape of Water as the first in the series. Read more
Shape of Water as the first in the series. Read more
Published 2 months ago by M. L. Mcintyre
The shape of Water
I have enjoyed the TV adaptaions of the Montalbano series so was pleased to read this one. The title was puzzling at first, but I think I worked it out. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Martha Haigh
A contrast and antidote to Scandi crime
I loved this book. I have been on a diet of Scandinavian crime novels for a few months and this made a refreshing contrast. Read more
Published 3 months ago by A. McKechnie
Let down by the translation!!
Thoroughly enjoyed the "story" of this. There are various twists and turns and some great characters who come and go, with the Sicilian flavour of corruption never far away!! Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Baxter
A pleasant read but quite short
It's worth pointing out that the line-spacing in the paperback is unusually wide and so the story is quite a bit shorter than you might expect from the page count. Read more
Published 8 months ago by M. Parry
Popular Highlights
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At lunchtime Montalbano phoned the Montelusa flying squad and asked to speak to Corporal Ferrara. She was the daughter of an old schoolmate of his who had married young, an attractive, sharp-witted girl who every now and then, for whatever reason, would try to seduce him.
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users
Gegè Gullotta, a fast thinker who until that moment had been forced to suppress his natural gifts as a pimp by dealing in light drugs.
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users
Peppe Schèmmari and Caluzzo Brucculeri would be absent, excused from work.
Highlighted by 3 Kindle users
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