Italian Crime Writers

By: Federico De Roberto, Andrew Edwards (Translator)

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1 January 2021

At a Glance

No. of Pages
250

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.45

$35.20

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The beautiful young Countess Fiorenza d'Arda has died dramatically at her villa near Lake Geneva. Judge Fran§ois Ferpierre, the senior magistrate assigned to Lausanne's central court, arrives to investigate whether it was murder or suicide. In either case, who is responsible? A diverse set of characters - including two Russian anarchists and a melancholy young poet, each struggling with their own complex moral, political and artistic dilemmas - all become suspects. Ferpierre works on shifting ground as each new revelation uncovers another aspect of the case, another quandary shedding new light on intertwining motivations.

"Agony" is the first English-language translation of Federico De Roberto's Spasimo, a psychological-detective novel. Here, for the first time, a Sicilian author has written a detective procedural. De Roberto, a master of verismo, is celebrated today for his acute political, social, and psychological insights. His work was held in high esteem by Leonardo Sciascia, who deemed I Vicer© the greatest Italian novel after I promessi sposi.

Industry Reviews

"If we are who we are today, we owe it in part to characters just like those portrayed in the novels of De Roberto." -Stefania Auci, author of I Leoni di Sicilia, La Repubblica

"In entering the 'human abyss' ... chasing clues even in the most inaccessible recesses of the psyche ... giving an account of all this, De Roberto as usual is a true master." -Salvatore Ferlita, La Repubblica

Relationships in both texts tend to be pessimistic of male-female relationships and portrays them as being inevitably tragic. Yet it is this interest in human nature which fuels Agony and Andrew Edwards, who wrote the introduction, comments that de Roberto was concerned with 'how the psychological impact of love motivates human action.' Cross-Examining Crime, 11 August 2021

Agony's investigation is like a dance, going back and forth between different possibilities. I found the book highly intriguing, and I'm glad to have read it.

David's Book World, 22 August 2021

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Italian Crime Writers

At a Glance

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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A Case of Life and Limb

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