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outcolder's review against another edition
4.0
If you just relax at the beginning and accept that this is going to be silly, then it's really a lot of fun. I read it on trains between Linz and Vienna and it made me smile. And also made me think about similarities between Dibdin's Italy and my Austria. I laughed a few times, too. The themes addressed in the more serious Zen books are still here, but I guess the biggest one is "Who are the real criminals?" I mean, are all the corrupt things like bootlegs of designer gear and video games, really so terrible? Or in this kind of abstract, fantasy version of prostitution where all the pimps and drugs are mysteriously absent from the equation, and so it really is a victim less crime... And I think Dibdin is asking that in the previous books too, with corruption and Zen's own willingness to bend and break rules as well as the realistic motivation to "close the case" as opposed to actually catching the bad guy. Discovering the truth is just a by product of trying to make a believable story for the officials. So that kind of cops are not the good guys, crooks are not the bad guys thing is in all of them. The bigger criminal operators, like politicians and mafia bosses, aren't bad because of the operations they're involved in (except when they regrettably have to murder someone) but because of the scale of the operation. If they were just committing crimes to pay the bills and occasionally taste the dolce vita it would all be fine. But they had to get greedy.
The opera is referenced throughout, but Dibdin has cranked the silliness up with way more characters and a lot more disguises and mistaken identities so that even in the case of Zen himself we don't really know who is a cop and who is a gangster or if maybe cops are just a different kind of gangster. Actually, there are some terrorists too, so you don't know if the terrorists are cops or gangsters, etc. But they are all likeable. Essentially, every character in the opera is doubled.
Although it takes place in a city, and no one is doing any crafts or cooking, this is more or less a cozy mystery. Violence is mostly off-screen, so to speak, except in a cartoonish opening that is meant to make it clear that this is not intended to be realistic. There is plenty of romance, or rather, sexual tension, like the opera. So just something for laughs, a good way to pass the time as I sped past the home of the real life dungeon dad at 200 kilometers an hour.
The opera is referenced throughout, but Dibdin has cranked the silliness up with way more characters and a lot more disguises and mistaken identities so that even in the case of Zen himself we don't really know who is a cop and who is a gangster or if maybe cops are just a different kind of gangster. Actually, there are some terrorists too, so you don't know if the terrorists are cops or gangsters, etc. But they are all likeable. Essentially, every character in the opera is doubled.
Although it takes place in a city, and no one is doing any crafts or cooking, this is more or less a cozy mystery. Violence is mostly off-screen, so to speak, except in a cartoonish opening that is meant to make it clear that this is not intended to be realistic. There is plenty of romance, or rather, sexual tension, like the opera. So just something for laughs, a good way to pass the time as I sped past the home of the real life dungeon dad at 200 kilometers an hour.
sandin954's review against another edition
5.0
A lighter, funnier installment in the series. Zen has transferred to Naples and, though he wants to keep a low profile and avoid work, inadvertently gets involved with a major criminal investigation.
dhowjones's review against another edition
3.0
As other readers have noted, this isn't Aurelio Zen at his finest. It's for me the least satisfying of the series so far (and I'm reading in order of publication).
However, the first chapter struck me as among the finest of Dibdin's writing I've encountered. (Yes, it helps if you're a fan of the stage.) Hence, an extra star for what otherwise I feel is a two-star performance this time around.
However, the first chapter struck me as among the finest of Dibdin's writing I've encountered. (Yes, it helps if you're a fan of the stage.) Hence, an extra star for what otherwise I feel is a two-star performance this time around.
elizafiedler's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
pattieod's review against another edition
5.0
Another Dibdin favorite - this one funny, and structured like a comic opera.
If you don't understand what's going on at first, don't worry, Dibdin ties it all together.
If you don't understand what's going on at first, don't worry, Dibdin ties it all together.
jeremyhornik's review against another edition
3.0
Comic opera Aurelio Zen tale set in Naples. Pretty fun.
judenoseinabook's review against another edition
3.0
Very different style from earlier Zen books. A farce in fact and almost mad enough to worthy of Pratchett! If I knew anything about the opera I would guess it gets some themes from that. An enjoyable romp!
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