Fabrizio's Return

by Mark Frutkin

A brilliant novel packed with grand romance, alchemical potions, violins to make you weep, commedia dell’arte theatre, reappearing comets, rambling skeletons and cracks in time.

It is 1682 in Cremona, Italy. With his manservant, an insolent dwarf named Omero, Fabrizio Cambiati, a priest, climbs the town clocktower to await the return of a comet that is said to reappear in the skies every 76 years. He has a new invention called a telescope with which to scour the night. As they await the comet, he scopes the town below and sees the commedia dell’arte players setting up in the town square and a Jesuit arriving in a carriage. We later learn that the Jesuit is Michele Archenti, a Devil’s Advocate sent from Rome to investigate the candidacy for sainthood of this same Fabrizio Cambiati – 76 years later!

The novel then begins again, this time in 1758 when Archenti settles himself in the town to assume his investigations. It is his job to find the flaws in Fabrizio’s character. In this attempt, he interviews a number of citizens, including an old duchess who holds a secret about Fabrizio’s life that would ruin the reputation of this priest, who was both a hidden alchemist and healer. The play held in the town square connects the two time periods by reflecting the goings-on in the wider world. We meet the players, as well as the duke, his beautiful daughter, a happy madman roaming the countryside with a skeleton on his back, and a hunchback who lives with his mastiff in a labyrinthine palace that is, like imagination itself, continually mutating.

With enormous assurance and a wonderful affection for his characters, Mark Frutkin has woven a miraculous tale that explores the ambiguous nature of reality and on every page packs joy into the reading.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Savannah Marshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept is really interesting but I could not follow what was happening. Once I figured out what things meant I am done. I looked into it because I needed help putting it together so that I knew what the point was. The history repeating itself and the parallels between the devils advocate and fabrizo were interesting because it showed how similar they were even though DA was trying to pro fabrizo to not be a saint.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a good deal. Formally, it was very interesting, since it was written as a kind of mobius strip, where the past and present (a more recent past) shifted back and forth in barely perceptible ways. I liked seeing how the author managed that -- through the play, the comet and the tower, and through repeating characters and narrative arcs that had slight shifts. The characters were interesting and the world was plausible. At the end of the day, however, it was hard to see what the pyrotechnics amounted to, what the point of it all was. Still a worthwhile read, just to live in that world for a while.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is deeper than what I'll give it credit for. It's my fault for reading it during a busy time in life where your pre-sleep reading amounts to only a paragraph or two before the book collapses in your hands. I enjoyed the story of Fabrizio, moreso than the plotlines associated with Archenti and the Commedia characters. The book ties them together nicely, but I spent most of my time wishing for more interaction between Cambiati and Omero. Well crafted book. Love the allusions to Christ and the parallels with miracles and suffering, and human faith/doubt. Must give it another read someday when I'm less fatigued. I know there will be more beneath the surface.

[Geneviève Bossé · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Le climat, voyez-vous, est une sorte de musique qui suit toutes nos interactions, nos gloires et nos échecs, nos rêves inavouables et nos passions secrètes, infinies."

"Ce qu'il y a dans le coeur de celui qui regarde détermine aussi ce que l'on voit."

"Padre, la guérison est un cadeau, dit calmement Rodolfo. Une fois qu'on la donne, elle ne nous appartient plus."

[Léonie Boudreault · Rating 3 out of 5]

Malgré la linéarité du récit et le fait que l’histoire a tendance à s’étirer, l’auteur sait faire œuvre de procédés fort intéressants pour raconter son histoire. La prémisse est intéressante et la fin rachète le milieu où l’enchevêtrement d’histoires est intéressant, mais non captivant.

[Susan Ash hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just ok, a little too religious for me

[Ursula Pflug · Rating 4 out of 5]

The following review appeared in The Peterborough Examiner on August 4, 2007 and was reprinted in The New York Review of Science Fiction at a later date:

Fabrizio’s Return by Mark Frutkin is on the Sunburst shortlist, and will likely be on the Giller shortlist as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins one of these major prizes, the first being for speculative fiction, the second for mainstream literary, published in Canada the preceding year.

Fabrizio Cambiati, a cleric in the town of Cremona, Italy during the late 1600's is also an herbalist, a painter, and an alchemist. He has a faithful servant, the dwarf Omero, with whom he likes to discuss such matters as the composition of the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, the secret of the alchemists whose power it was to transmute lead into gold, or the human soul into all it could be.

There are two magic violins in this book, one good, one bad. There are blood feuds and star crossed lovers and a Commedia del’ Arte troupe who perform for the townsfolk on a makeshift stage in the square at night. The stories they perform interweave with the stories of the main characters’ lives, as well as with the path of the mysterious comet which returns every seventy-eight years, pouring a subtle transformational light into the hearts of observers as it crosses the sky.

There is a beautiful infertile duchess who comes to Fabrizio fror help, and a duke, her proud husband who can’t face the thought of not leaving an heir. There is a painting of the duchess Fabrizio makes, which, seventy-eight years later, reveals a clue to his identity to the Devil’s Advocate, the Jesuit Michele Archenti, hired by the Vatican to interview the citizens of Cremona to discern, and in the end, pronounce whether or not Cambiati really was a saint, as they have come to believe.

The advocate must listen to the testimonials of the citizenry, including the now elderly duchess, her equally beautiful and wilful grand-daughter, and the mysterious mystic/madman Rodolfo, who wears his brother’s skeleton on his back, for reasons which are fully explained.

The more stories about Cambiati Archenti hears, the more his own heart is transformed, so that in the end his definition of sainthood must change just as much as his view of himself, to one more embracing of love in all its forms.

Archenti’s story is broken by return visits with Fabrizio and Omero, discussing philosophies in the clock tower whilst feasting on artisanal bread and goat cheese, fresh grapes and wine. Frutkin does food well, and landscape, and architecture, particularly in the central square of Cremona; its spired and turretted buildings and archways casting enigmatic shadows that follow the sun, while laden donkey carts and secretive sorts move in and out of those shadows. It’s a renaissance painting, this book, or perhaps, an image in a puddle that, when poked with a stick, transforms itself into an utterly different yet equally beautiful image.

I haven’t read Frutkin’s many other novels hence can’t make comparisons, but the dialogue, timeless quality, and endless metaphysical imagery and dialogue is sure to please fans such as myself of Richard Linklater’s remarkable animated film, Waking Life.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabrizio's Return is a whimsical, fun novel with the only downside being the distinct lack of plot you'll find half-way through. But who needs plot when you have alchemy, comets, magic violins and a love story? The basic idea of the novel is that years after the death of one Fabrizio Cambiati, the Devil's Advocate comes into town with the mission of investigating his candicacy for Sainthood. All the while, the same Fabrizio is somehow sitting up in the clock tower watching this all happen. And there is also a play being put on in the town square, where the boundaries between play and actual novel blur together.

The story is sad in a way, enlightening in a way, and entertaining enough to attempt to follow. The best thing about this novel by far, is the characters. Charming, enchanting, beautifully written characters pull the story together.

Overall, I enjoyed it but sort of felt it was lacking.

[Anne Patkau · Rating 1 out of 5]

26 Aug 1682 Cremona Italy. Padre Fabrizio Cambiati and servant Omero wait for comet at top of tower. Duchess tastes husband's aphrodisiac potion, consults Fabrizio. Violin-maker Niccolò adds red potion to violin varnish. Music is "inconceivably deep inside .. wind of light, radiant, blazing, luminous, lucific" p 80.

1758 Michele Archenti, devil's advocate, weighs evidence whether Fabrizio is a saint. He finds hidden library of alchemy books and scientific apparatus, lab equipment. Beautiful young Elettra prefers to read rather than marry. I like cast, she's a cracker I'd like to follow, but the style (and ending, I peeked, Fabrizio and Omero find skull atop tower) suggest airy fairy no resolutions.

[Cow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Magical realism meets Italian Renaissance Catholicism meets mathematics (the book is purposely full of Fibonacci sequences). It was...interesting. It suffered a bit from not knowing what it was; for the first half, it was a mystery novel (the Devil's Advocate travels from Rome to investigate a potential saint; he must ferret out the truth from the villagers, etc.) and fell off the rails more and more. But it was very well-written and the language was lovely, even helping to make up for when the plot drowned in the Po.

[Maryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabrizio is a charming character who appears in both the 17th and 18th centuries that form the background of this novel. Set in Italy the story focuses on the task and evolution of the devil's advocate sent from Rome to determine if Father Fabrizio Cambiati of Cremona is a saint. Rich in imagery the novel interweaves passion, sin, fate and humour for a satisfying reader experience.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this because I know the author, and he came to our book club, so I am admittedly probably biased - but I really enjoyed this book. Some gorgeous writing, interesting characters, and a quality of magic that I loved.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

really whimsical and fun.

[Foreign]

Russia: Varya Gornostayeva

[Miss Ginny Tea]

The writing is bad. O_o

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this spiral narrative on the beach in Mazatlan. Left it at the book exchange there

[Ariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd recommend this book if you love history, unique characrers and stories happening in different time frames. But you'll have to overlook the cheap romances, confusing metaphors and awfully disappointing ending.


This book had so much potential and the ending completely ruined it for me. The plot basically disappears around halfway through the story. It's sad because the plot was interesting. The ending was confusing, at best. But mostly disappointing. I think Fabrizio's side of the story (if you can call it that) had a nice ending that made sense but as for the rest, it was just bad. For example, we don't clearly know what happens to Elettra or Archenti. Oh, and the way Archenti talks about Elettra is so goddamn cliché I felt like I was reading some manic pixie girl YA. I still absolutely loved Elettra because she was an imteresting and well-constructed character with strong opinions. But then the ending is SO out of character for her. I was disappointed to see such a strong-willed girl suddenly become obedient for no reason. It felt wrong.

Other than that, I liked the historical research that went into this. I loved how thorough the details were. Although I'm not religious, I enjoyed seeing how things were run in the catholic church in the XVIII century.

My favorite character was Fabrizio. Goddamn I love this man. I'd only be giving 2 stars if it wasn't for him.