The Girl of His Dreams (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery) | Donna Leon

The Girl of His Dreams (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery) | Donna Leon | Pleasant and intelligent company.

books:

The Girl of His Dr...

	The Girl of His Dreams (A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery) Donna Leon Atlantic Monthly Press, 2008 - 272 pages average customer review:based on 28 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

a very elegant and lyrical read

Once again Donna Leon delivers another graceful and thoughtful Commissario Brunnetti installment. Leon's style of writing and the way she develops the plot my not be everyone's cup of tea, and "The Girl Of His Dreams" may not rank amongst Leon's best work, but truly, I really enjoyed the book.

When a childhood friend of Brunetti's eldest brother, a priest, Padre Antonin, approaches Brunetti about his fears that a scam may being perpetrated, Brunetti is suspect about Antonin's motives. Always suspicious about the clergy and having some not very good memories of Antonin, Brunetti is tempted to let the matter drop with only the most superficial of investigations. But Brunetti's queries reveal that Antonin may be onto something afterall. It looks as if a brand new Christian sect has opened up shop in Venice, and several of the sect members have been persuaded to donate money to the sect. Is Mutti a scam artist as Anotonin claims? Or is Antonin afraid that Mutti may prove too much competition for the Church? But before Brunetti can go further with his queries, he becomes involved in another criminal investigation, this time involving the suspicious drowning of a young gypsy child. The young girl's death haunts Brunetti and his colleagues so much that Brunetti resolves to figure out how this child died and bringing whoever was responsible to justice...

It is true that Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti novels have changed a little over the years, becoming more introspective, quieter and less complex. But the books are still compelling and make for very enjoyable reading. It is true that there is very little suspense or tension, and I can understand the disappointment that some of the previous readers have had with "The Girls of His Dreams;" but really one also reads Donna Leon for the quiet lyricism she writes, the wonderfully evocative manner in which she describes Venice in all it's various seasons and for the regional political issues she informs us about -- it's my way of keeping in touch with what's going on in Italy on a social level other than through the media. "The Girl of His Dreams" was a very quiet, elegant and lyrical read, but it may not be to every reader's taste, esp given the ending, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. As other reviewers have already mentioned, "The Girl of His Dreams" may not rank as one Leon's most stellar of offerings, but for stalwart fans, it will prove to be an enjoyable and rewarding read.

for more information click here

Pleasant and intelligent company.

I'm surprised at the people who are so vituperative about the Leon style. They should stick to American smart-aleck, spunky, violent mysteries, and leave the Italians to us. I read Leon for the pleasure of her company, and that of her policeman. I concur that Camilleri is also a terrific read (more "sprightly" and offhand than Leon), and the best of all is Magdalene Nabb.
If you don't know these writers, maybe you should peek at a few pages and see how it grabs you.

Rich and detailed...

Such a fan of this one: Donna Leon has an exquisite eye for detail that makes the read incredibly rewarding. The story has a way of taking its time that never drags, but rather draws you further into the world. Commissario Brunetti is an amazing and original take on the investigator archetype, and the Venetian setting was an extra treat. I read this one at the same time I was reading Adam Gittlin's new novel THE DEAL, and even though they're wildly different in tone and plot, I found myself noticing that they both had the same eye for detail and character. Enjoy them both.

for more information click here

Darker and more pessimistic than previous Brunetti stories

But still a terrific piece of writing by Donna Leon. Commissario Brunetti has long voiced frustrations with institutions in Italy and elsewhere. In "The Girl of His Dreams," his concerns are principally for "outsiders" (in this case, the Roma) and how they are treated by mainstream society. Leon has explored this theme in earlier books, and it's clear that poor immigrants from East Europe have problems getting along in Italy. In this particular episode of the "Brunetti chronicles," the author also shines a light on possible clerical fraud. The subplot has obviously upset some readers. As it turns out, one clerical suspect in this story is "acquitted" and ultimately presented as a decent person who has been exploited by the religious institution that he served. That exploitation has actually been going on in various forms for many years in many places and so, it is strange that anyone would react negatively when it is discussed.
All in all, for Donna Leon fans, "The Girl of His Dreams" will be a highly satisfying read. It is a visit with an old friend who is becoming older and a little more weary of an imperfect world. It's probably not the book in the Brunetti series to start with, however. I would agree with the reviewer who suggested that newcomers to Leon go back to "Death at La Fenice" .

for more information click here

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6

products you might be interested in