The Disappearance of Signora Giulia

by Piero Chiara, Jill Foulston (Translator)

When the sad, beautiful Signora Giulia goes missing without a trace from her Lake Como villa home, it is her husband who reports her disappearance to the detective Sciancalepre, and so the search begins - one that takes Sciancalepre beneath the tranquil surface of local bourgeois society, a world of snobbery and secrets, while mysterious shadows lurk in the grounds of the family villa . . . As his investigation gathers pace this atmospheric classic detective story becomes a thrilling game of legal cat and mouse.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Fiction, Italy, Italian Literature, Thriller, Novella

128 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Pierino Angelo Carmelo "Piero" Chiara (Luino 1913 – Varese 1986) è stato uno scrittore italiano, tra i più noti della seconda metà del XX secolo.

Piero Chiara was an Italian writer. He was born in Luino, on Lake Maggiore (northern Italy) into a family of Sicilian origin. Sought by the Fascist milice during World War II, he fled to Switzerland in 1944. He returned to Italy two years later, starting the activity of writer.His most famous work is La stanza del vescovo of 1976, which was turned into a film by Dino Risi soon afterwards.
He died in Varese in 1986.

Reviews

[Arash Rad · Rating 2 out of 5]

ترجمه به شدت افتضاح بود .... نسخه اصلی رو می‌خوندم انقدر طول نمی‌کشید
شش ماه طول کشید تا صد صفحه رو بخونم
واقعا فقط میخواستم ببینم پایانش چی میشه وگرنه در جا میذاشتمش کنار

[Olga · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story unfolds in a small Italian town in 1955. Signora Giulia, the wife of a respectable lawyer, disappears from the family house without a trace.
It seems that the story is nothing special and is not written very well but the author was able to surprise me and I love to be wrong when I read mystery stories!

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

As part of its new Vertigo imprint, Pushkin Press has brought back The Disappearance of Signora Giulia, first published in 1979. It is actually a novella in length and a classic police procedural set in Italy in style. A beautiful woman, in what appears to be a less than fulfilling marriage, has disappeared. Her husband, a well known, perhaps renowned, local lawyer reports this to his friend the local police detective. This is the set up of so many such tales.

What takes this story beyond some others of its type are the many twists and turns that occur over time as everyone tries to discover what might have happened to Signora. While I initially I thought, ho-hum, I ended my reading thinking, well-done.

3.5 rounded to 4*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, we're leaving our little tropical paradise tomorrow, and while the spouse is packing, I'm posting.

Set in 1955, The Disappearance of Signora Giulia is one of the most truly baffling mysteries I've read in quite some time. By the time I finished this book, I was totally perplexed. And trust me -- after having read what must amount to thousands of mystery novels in my time, "baffling" is not a term I throw about willy nilly, but I'm certainly not going to spill my guts as to why I found it so. Nor will I go too much into plot since it's best left to the reader to be surprised.

Despite some minor lulls here and there in the telling, The Disappearance of Signora Giulia is beyond compelling and it's certainly one of the most unconventional crime stories I've ever read. It is a true whodunit in every sense of the term, with a big, no make that huge, twist I never saw coming. When I finished it, the first words coming out of my mouth were "that's just brilliant," and if anyone reading this post decides to read it, you'll see why. I pondered over that ending for some time and when a book makes me do that, well, I call it a good one.

Very much recommended, especially for readers of older crime novels, for readers of international crime, and for readers of crime fiction who enjoy something completely different. I'd also say that you may appreciate this more if you're someone who thinks out of the box.

[محمدحسین بنـکدارتهرانی · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان پلیسی خوش‌خوان که این بار به جای پلیس، وکیلی که همسرش ناپدید یا کشته شده و باغبانش، پلیس را تا رسیدن به متهم پیش می‌برند. بسا که متهم وکیل و باغ‌بان باشند.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Il romanzo, prima di essere tale, era una sceneggiatura per un programma tv, che poi è andato effettivamente in onda negli anni ’70: per questi motivi la storia è agile, con stile quasi giornalistico, si arriva rapidamente alla fine (che non vuol dire per forza alla soluzione) dell’enigma di come sia scomparsa e cosa sia accaduto alla signora Giulia Esengrini, ma confesso che ci si arriva piacevolmente, molto piacevolmente… Non è il Piero Chiara de La stanza del vescovo o del bellissimo Il balordo, che ho appena finito di leggere (ma non ho ancora avuto tempo di commentare), cioè quel Piero Chiara castigatore dei vizi della provincia italiana con un sorriso amaro sulle labbra, però è sempre un bel leggere. E’ un giallo ottimamente orchestrato da Chiara, di professione –prima di diventare scrittore- cancelliere presso il Tribunale di Varese, che appassiona subito il lettore verso la scoperta della verità, cui viene guidato con maestria dallo scrittore. Che fine avrà fatto la signora Giulia Zaccagni-Lamberti in Esengrini, avvenente moglie dell’abile avvocato Esengrini, scomparsa misteriosamente con due valigie un giovedì, giorno della settimana in cui puntualmente la donna si recava a Milano a trovare la figlia Emilia in collegio?
C’è una verità? Ci sarà un delitto? Se c’è ci sarà un colpevole? O forse no? Anche oggi ci facciamo questa domanda, quando pensiamo ai tanti delitti irrisolti oppure quando pensiamo al lavoro degli investigatori che a volte non porta a nulla o porta verso strade senza sbocco oppure, in qualche caso, porta a dubitare sulla validità delle soluzioni cui i magistrati, sulla base delle indagini di polizia, arrivano. L’unica differenza è che oggi ci sono i media che influenzano l’opinione pubblica in modo determinante, all’epoca in cui fu scritto il romanzo la situazione era diversa. Però c’è un passo di un discorso dell’avvocato Esengrini che ho sottolineato: “Signor giudice, se le dicessi che mi fido della giustizia mentirei. Mi fido di lei, della sua intelligenza, della sua rettitudine, di quella di tutti i magistrati. Ma non della giustizia. La giustizia è un robot senza cuore né intelligenza: colpisce a seconda della carica che ha avuto. E la carica è costituita dalle prove. Dobbiamo metterle nello stomaco le prove sicure, i documenti, le testimonianze certe. Allora colpisce giusto. Guai se le mettiamo nello stomaco delle opinioni! Peggio, se la rimpinziamo di prove incomplete, approssimative…”. Beato lei, avvocato Esengrini! Oggi non ci si può fidare neanche dell’intelligenza dei giudici, pensa un po’!

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, this is probably a 2.5 rounded up to 3.

The Disappearance of Signora Giulia is one of six books due to be published in September to launch the Pushkin Vertigo imprint. Piero Chiara was a prolific Italian author of novels, short stories and poetry, but most of his work has never been translated into English, and this is the first English version of I giovedì della signora Giulia, originally published in 1970. Having really enjoyed Vertigo earlier this month, I snapped up this as soon as it became available on Edelweiss (for those interested, this & some other Pushkin books are currently available for instant download, without any need to go through the request system).

The story is a fairly simple mystery, with a premise reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's short story 'No Motive'. A woman, the eponymous Giulia, disappears suddenly, and her husband, a lawyer, employs a private investigator named Sciancalepre to track her down. He digs into her background and, unsurprisingly, finds a few secrets, a possible affair, some mysterious letters. The plot unfolds over a number of years as Giulia stays missing and leads are frustratingly hard to come by - until someone is spotted creeping around the garden of her daughter's palazzo in the middle of the night. While the beginning was very intriguing, and I stayed interested - this is a short book with a brisk narrative - I couldn't shake the feeling that it was all far less captivating and exciting than such a story should be.

Then there were the mistakes and the many awkward, unrealistic moments. A glaring example of the former is the fact that Giulia's daughter is 'only just fifteen' when she goes missing, but at least 21 in the latter half of the book - despite it being repeatedly emphasised that three years have passed between Giulia's disappearance and that point in the story. Characters behave strangely and make odd exclamations throughout; generally, they lack depth, and don't feel real.

One of the few other reviews for this on Goodreads simply says nothing more than 'there is no ending' - which made me laugh because, while it might be blunt, it's very true. We don't find out whodunnit or if any of the suggested theories are correct. This wasn't the issue for me, though - ambiguous endings can be fantastic - the issue was that when I reached the last page, I didn't care anyway.

So yeah... I certainly wouldn't say I hated this, but it wasn't very good. Certainly not up to Vertigo standards, though I'm still interested in discovering further classic and lesser-known European mysteries through this imprint.

[پیمان عَلُو · Rating 1 out of 5]

‏ وقتی مشغول خواندن رمانی از نوع پلیسی جنایی،علمی تخیلی،تاریخی مستند،عاشقانه و یا اساسا آن نوع رمان‌هایی که داستان محوری آن‌ها نخ‌نماست هستیم،هرگز مثل بورخس وقتی در رابطه با رمان مویی دیک صحبت می‌کرد سؤالاتی مثل:«موضوع اصلی این رمان چیست؟»«داستان اصلی پیرامون چه مطلبی متمرکز است؟»و از همه مهمتر«کانون مرکزی آن کجاست؟» را از خود نمی‌پرسیم.برای اینکه به تجربه ،تجربه‌ی خوانش‌رمان‌هایی از این دست،از مکان دقیق کانون مرکزی در این دست رمان‌ها کاملا مطلع هستیم.وقتی مشغول خواندن این نوع از رمان‌ها هستیم،یافتن کانون مرکزی چنان سهل و ساده است که نه کنجکاوی ما را برمی‌انگیزد و نه در کلیت خود اساسا از تعلیق یا حتی هیجانی در خور برخوردار است.‌شاید دقیقا از همین جاست که نویسنده‌های رمان‌هایی از این دست در هر یکی دو صفحه از رمان‌های خود حتما یک صحنه‌ی کش و قوس دارِ دلهره‌آ‌ورِ به اصطلاح کنجکاوی برانگیز به کار می‌برند.از طرفی وقتی مشغول خواندن این رمان‌های به واقع کلیشه‌ای هستیم.بخاطر عدم درگیری با مسائل بنیادین هستی،و اصل و اساس حقیقت زندگی به مفهوم عام آن و به تبع این بهرمندی از نوع آسودگی خاطر ناشی از این،خود را چنان در آسایش و آرامش احساس می‌کنیم انگار که در خانه‌ی خودهستیم و مشغول استراحت.
و شاید حتی این نوع از رمان‌ها را اساسا بابت میل به چنین احساسی است که می‌خوانیم:احساس آسایش و آرامش و امنیت که از بودن در خانه‌ی خود و اطمینان از اینکه همه چیز سر جای خود است به ما دست می‌دهد.
در حالی که درست در مقابل این دلیل تمایل ما به رمان‌های بزرگ،رمان هایی که من ترجیح می‌دهم رمان‌های ادبی خطابشان کنم،رمان‌هایی که احساس می‌کنم از بابت درک و فهم معنی و مفهوم حقیقت زندگی چون رهبری راه بلد به آنها به واقع نیازداریم.دقیقا بر این نکته مبتنی است که به هر دلیل ممکن ما خود را در جهان چونان خانه‌ی خود در آسایش و آرامش و امنیت احساس نمی‌کنیم.




*اورهان پاموک/برنده‌ی نوبل ادبیات/درسگفتارهای کلاس Norton/دانشگاه هاروارد

[Evi * · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seguendo la mia dieta letteraria: uno o due Simenon all’anno, un classico ogni cinque libri, autori francesi se possibile in lingua originale, fantascienza tanta, struggenti storie d’amore o di legami familiari con parsimonia perche già la vita è difficile per conto suo, romanzi di affresco storico uno per quadrimestre, librettini di super nicchia per ampliare le mie modeste vedute etc etc…e, poiché le regole sono belle per essere infrante, intercettazione dei più diversi suggerimenti profusi da annobi che mandano a rotoli tutti i miei migliori propositi di dieta variegata!!!
Ecco che finalmente è giunto il tempo del giallo .
Stavolta è Piero Chiara, scrittore un po’ demodé che ebbe un discreto successo intorno agli anni ‘60 ‘70 ma che oggi si legge poco.
Originario di Luino, tipo un po’ chiacchierato nel suo ambiente, un po’ donnaiolo e festaiolo, buon narratore dei costumi borghesi di varesini o varesotti, a seconda del credito o del discredito che si vuole accordare loro, ambienta le sue storie nella tranquilla provincia di Varese che, nolente o volente, ho imparato a conoscere bene.

A lui è intitolato pure il Premio letterario Piero Chiara, rivolto a racconti di scrittori italiani e della Svizzera italiana.

Questo romanzo intitolato I giovedì della Signora Giulia (eh che titolo d’effetto però….già evoca un mondo di appuntamenti segreti e un po’ fedifraghi) si svolge in una location imprecisata una certa malinconica e ciarliera M. situata sulle sponde di un lago, forse il lago di Varese o forse uno degli altri dieci bacini che compongono la cerchia lacustre varesina.
Nel giallo c’è un ispettore, un giudice istruttore, c’è un adulterio (non si sfugge mai: si uccide sempre o per passione o per soldi), l’esposizione è fluida, scorre bene e senza intoppi e in due orette ci si butta alla spalle 150 paginette, storia ben congegnata dove tutto torna (il che nei gialli non è sempre così scontato), finale im - prevedibile, qualche imperfezione nell’edizione dell’ebook, ma nell’insieme una lettura piacevole, sebbene non di grandi pretese.

Dimenticavo, grazie a Sandra e agli spunti sempre fecondi che traggo spesso dalle sue letture.

[Smn Hgh · Rating 2 out of 5]

امتیاز پایینم بیشتر به خاطر ترجمه است. ترجمه به معنای واقعی کلمه افتضاح بود، و چون یک کتاب دیگه از نویسنده خوندم مطمئنم این نحوه ترجمه است که رسما لذت این اثرو برام انقدر کم کرد.
با اینکه کتاب کم حجم بود رسما فشار میومد بهم با این ترجمه پیش برم.
خود داستان جالب بود و پایان بندیش با اکثر کتاب جنایی هایی که خوندم فرق داشت.

[Mahsa Rami · Rating 3 out of 5]

یک داستان پلیسی،جنایی ایتالیایی که خوش‌خوان و سرگرم کننده است و البته کوتاه که یک روزه میشه تمامش کرد و کشش کتاب خوب بود و هم اینکه آخر داستان جالب تمام شد.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Piero Chiara (1913 – 1986) was a celebrated Italian writer and the winner of many literary awards in his home country, although this is the first of his works translated into English. Although he did badly at school as a boy, he was self taught and cultivated a passion for literature. Critical of fascism, Chiara had intended to emigrate to Bolivia, but was forced to stay in Italy due to the outbreak of WWII. When an arrest warrant was issued by the fascist government, he was forced to flee to Switzerland in 1944 and only returned to Italy after the war. As well as writing, Chiara was a notable actor. Many of his books were filmed and he often appeared in these adaptations – often as an extra, or in a small part. He wrote many short stories, as well as novels, and screenplays, and often had a touch of the biographical in his work.

Pushkin Press excel at publishing translations of European works and I was pleased to get a chance to read this author – new to me – and deserving of a bigger audience. This novella length story is set in a small town in northern Lombardy, where the Commissioner for public safety is Corrado Sciancalepre. Sciancalepre is much loved, and respected, by the people of the town and so it is obvious that the lawyer, Esengrini, turns to him for help when his wife disappears.

Signora Guilia is much younger than her husband and spends every Thursday visiting her daughter, Emilia, at boarding school. Before long, the small town has become a hotbed of gossip and speculation – Signora Guilia has left her husband for another man, she has run away or been murdered. Eyes turn towards Esengrini and even his daughter, Emilia, looks upon him with suspicion. Sciancalepre becomes slightly obsessed with the case; following up leads and keeping in close contact with Emilia and her new husband as the years pass. It seems as though the case will never be closed, but the answer to the case may be closer to home than Sciancalepre first realised…

This is very much a literary mystery and falls more into the category of literary fiction, rather than crime. The writing is slightly dry and distanced and, even when clues are uncovered, you see Sciancalepre’s response but do not necessarily feel any tension. As such, this is a puzzle, rather than a mystery, and concerned with the shadow of a suspected crime and how it falls over those involved – including Esengrini and the inhabitants of the town. The writing is delicate and conjours up the impression of the place and people. I would certainly like to read more by this author and am grateful that Pushkin Press bring so many works into translation for us to enjoy. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

[luna2271 · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب کوتاه پنجشنبه‌های خانم جولیا را در یک پنجشنبه بارانی خواندم. این کتاب داستان ناپدید شدنی زنی رو روایت می‌کنه که هر پنجشنبه در هفته محل زندگیش رو برای دیدن دخترش ترک می‌کنه و در یکی از همین پنجشنبه‌ها ناپدید میشه. برخلاف عنوانش، کتاب بیشتر از اینکه درباره‌ی خانم جولیا باشه درباره‌ی آدم‌ها (یا بهتر بگیم مرد‌هایی است) که خانم جولیا از طریق اونها تعریف میشه. تنها جایی که مستقیما با خود این زن در ارتباطیم نامه‌ای هست که تا به حال گشوده نشده و در واقع هیچگاه به دست گیرنده نرسیده. هرچند این کتاب هیجانی که دوست داشتم رو نداشت، پنجشنبه‌ی جالبی رو با خانم جولیا سپری کردیم.

[Three · Rating 3 out of 5]

è come quando si trova in fondo ad una credenza un attrezzo vecchio, non so, un tritacarne , un passaverdura, che funzionerebbe anche bene, ma in cucina c'è il mixer tritatutto multiuso coloratissimo, e allora perché prendersi la briga di spolverare l'attrezzo vecchio per usarlo?

[Aida · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتابی با نگارش عجیب!
ترجمه کتاب خیلی سنگین بود و از عبارات قدیمی و نامتداول استفاده شده بود. جمله بندی های کتاب هم عجیب بود و این دو تا مسئله خوندن کتاب رو یکم سخت میکرد
موضوع کتاب ، جالب بود و به خاطر موضوعش دلم‌میخواست تا آخر کتاب بخونم و سختی ترجمه رو به جون بخرم

[LaCitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piero Chiara confeziona un giallo in cui il lettore pensa ben presto di avere capito tutto, per poi trovarsi con un pugno di mosche in mano e gli occhioni spalancati per la sorpresa quando viene rivelato il vero colpevole del delitto. Non posso dire di più per evitare uno spoiler clamoroso che ruberebbe gran parte del piacere di questa lettura.
La scrittura è piana, scorrevole, la storia sufficientemente ingarbugliata da tenere il lettore incollato fino alla fine pur se certo di avere capito tutto.
Primo incontro con Piero Chiara, mi riprometto di approfondire la conoscenza di questo autore.

[Berengaria · Rating 3 out of 5]

(recensione della versione “easy reader”) English below.

Questo libro per gli studenti della lingua italiana è stato pubblicato nel 1977 quando non esiste le linee guida per i livelli linguistici. Pertanto, la grammatica e la struttura della frase sono molto più difficile di quanto potresti pensare di “basata su un vocabolario di 1200 parole.” La storia stessa contiene molti dettagli contraddittori di un delitto. Non è sempre facile seguire la trama, perché ci viene detto l'azione più spesso che vederla e le azioni che vediamo non hanno sempre senso. (a cause della semplificazione, credo) Insomma: non è male questo ‘easy reader’, è solo chiaramente non moderno.

This book for students of Italian was published in 1977 when guidelines for language levels didn’t exist. Therefore, the grammar and sentence structure are much more difficult than one would think from “based on a vocabulary of 1,200 words”. The story itself contains a lot of contradictory details about a crime. It’s not always easy to follow the plot, because we are ‘told’ the action more often than seeing it, and the action we do see doesn’t always make total sense (due to the simplification, I think). In general: this isn’t a bad easy reader, it’s just clearly not a modern one.

[Mana Ravanbod]

رمان پلیسی کوتاهی از پیرو کیارا که پیش‌تر «تقسیم»ش به فارسی آمده بود، با پایانی عجیب و ساختار کلاسیک و شخصیت‌هایی سخته، محض دو سه روز ورزش ذهن و ور رفتن با احتمالاتِ یک مرگ.

اگر داستان پلیسی علی‌حده دلتان می‌خواهد بخوانید که تا آخرین صفحه در تعلیقی برآمده از قصه کشش داشته باشد و پایان‌بندی غافلگیرتان کند، از خواندن پنج‌شنبه‌هلی خانم جولیا پشیمان نخواهید شد.
ترجمه هم اولش کمی شاید معمول به چشمتان نیاید بعد راه می‌افتد.

[Seyed Mohammad Reza Mahdavi · Rating 3 out of 5]

ترجمه کتاب نقصی نداشت ولی روان نبود

[Myriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serena Libri, een van mijn favoriete kleine uitgevers, heeft een enkele titel van Italo Calvino, Italo Svevo en Beppe Fenoglio in haar fondslijst, maar bekoort toch vooral met het werk van Leonardo Sciascia en van de onvolprezen Andrea Camilleri. Daarnaast valt er altijd iets te ontdekken, van onbekende tot haast vergeten Italiaanse auteurs zoal Piero Chiara. Letterlijk vergeten was deze ‘De donderdagen van mevrouw Julia’, een uitgave uit 2001 die nochtans al die jaren op mijn (volgestouwde) boekenplanken lag… Waarmee misschien wordt aangetoond dat ‘vergeten’ alleen maar ‘even uit het oog verloren’ betekent. Recent verscheen ‘De mantel van astrakan’, een traktatie die nog ligt te wachten.

Piero Chiara ‘is een verteller van de oude stempel, een sierlijk schrijvende ambachtsman. Zijn verhalen houden je een paar uur lang zachtzinnig in gijzeling’ (Edwin Krijgsman, De Volkskrant).

[Mojdeh Kh · Rating 4 out of 5]

یک جنایی درجه‌یک با پایان‌ کم‌نظیر 👌🏻

[Maryam Zohrabnia · Rating 3 out of 5]

رمان پلیسی-جنایی خوبی بود. داستان و پایان جالبی داشت. برای کسانی که علاقه مند به داستان های پلیسی و معمایی هستن، سرگرم کننده خواهد بود.
اما متاسفانه یک مشکل بسیار مهم در مورد این کتاب، باز هم ترجمه بود!
کاملا مشخص بود که مترجم عزیز، مسلط به لغات و زبان فارسی بودن، اصطلاحات قضایی خوبی رو استفاده کرده بودن؛ اما واقعا نمیفهمم چه دلیلی داشتن برای استفاده از جملات بسیار بلند، ��که تکه، پر از ویرگول، بدون فعل، که درک رو برای خواننده سخت میکنه و حتی گاهی امکان برقراری ارتباط با فضای داستان رو میگیره...
توصیفات محیطی داستان گاهی انقدر پیچیده و بد ترجمه شده، که به هیچ وجه تصوری از محیط در ذهن ایجاد نمیشه.

ترجمه به هیچ وجه روان نبود متاسفانه...

[Bobak · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستانی عالی‌ای که قربانی «ترجمه‌ی افتضاح» شده

[Padmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indicazioni editoriali
Che fine ha fatto la signora Giulia, moglie del rispettabile avvocato Esengrini, scomparsa dalla cittadina di M. un giovedì di maggio del 1955? E perché proprio di giovedì, il giorno così speciale in cui, tutte le settimane da tre anni, prende il treno per recarsi a trovare la figlia in collegio a Milano? Rispondere a queste domande è il compito del commissario Sciancalepre, che si trova a indagare su quella che tutti in paese considerano una fuga d'amore. Frugando tra le ombre del parco di villa Esengrini, però, il poliziotto inizia a sospettare che sia accaduto qualcosa di ben peggiore di un tradimento... Piero Chiara costruisce un romanzo giallo insolito con il quale da un lato conferma la sua abilità nel ritrarre i paesaggi umani della provincia italiana, dall'altro rivela una felicità inventiva e una strabiliante padronanza delle tecniche del poliziesco.
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La vicenda trae spunto da un avvenimento realmente accaduto negli anni Sessanta: l’omicidio di Farouk Koourbagi, ventisettenne libanese di origine egiziana. Il giovane venne trovato morto, dalla sua segretaria, nella sede romana di una società per azioni in Via Lazio, ma fu etichettato sui quotidiani come "il delitto di via Veneto".
Accusati di aver sparato i quattro colpi di pistola e di aver cosparso il viso con il vetriolo, che aveva deformato il volto di Farouk, furono i coniugi Bebawi.
Ero una ragazzina e ricordo benissimo sia il caso, sia il processo che seguì. I due Bebawi si difesero accusandosi a vicenda e talmente circostanziate furono le evidenze "escogitate" che vennero entrambi assolti in prima istanza con formula dubitativa. Assolti e liberati. In appello, quando ormai erano al sicuro all'estero, vennero entrambi condannati.
Chi ricorda il caso Bebawi sa dunque cosa aspettarsi da questo romanzo, il cui finale venne peraltro riscritto più volte, anche in funzione di uno sceneggiato televisivo poi realizzato negli anni 70.
Nella prefazione si ricorda come specialisti del calibro di Fruttero & Lucentini considerarono quel finale "strepitoso", mentre Oreste del Buono -altro specialista- lo giudicò "una meraviglia", addirittura "una novità per il giallo non solo italiano".
Il romanzo è corredato da parecchie note esplicative, ma quel che forse mi ha colpito di più è stata l'incredibile biografia di Piero Chiara, di cui non sapevo nulla. Vale la pena farsi anche sommariamente un giretto su Wikipedia per scoprirlo.

[Cham · Rating 3 out of 5]

قوی بود به نظر، ولی تا نیمه خوندمش و بقیه‌اش رو دوستان تعریف کردن برام دیگه. :دی
فایده‌ی خوندنش چی بود؟ این که ببینی خوندنش بی‌فایده‌ست، پس نتیجه‌گیری کنی که فاشیسم بی‌فایده‌ست. خفه کردن پیرها و بچه‌ها و زن‌ها (پوزش عمیق) بی‌فایده‌ست.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short novella, I found it good but wasn't blown away by it. I can't make my mind up about the conclusion.

I enjoyed it but left feeling indifferent. Still better than 2 hours in front of the television.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully evocative, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SIGNORA GIULIA imparts much information about the society in which it is set in a short, but beautifully balanced novel.

When Signora Giulia goes missing, police detective Sciancalepre follows the investigation with dogged determination over a number of years. For much of this time it seems that the Signora has simply vanished into thin air. No body is found, nor are there sightings of her that lead to more than new questions. Coming from a small village as they all do, there is however, much gossip about her taciturn, older lawyer husband; about her marriage; and the possibility that she had a much younger lover.

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SIGNORA GIULIA is a fascinating book - immersed as it is in the place from which it comes, it gives the reader a feeling of being in somewhere completely different, despite it being translated for accessibility. Sciancalepre is somebody that you feel that you'd know if were to come across him in a little cafe, the same with the Signora's husband and his eventual estrangement from his daughter, and the way that he withdraws from his life with his wife, leaving their shared home is quite moving. The way that he starts to appear quietly in the night in the garden of that house, only to be seen by his daughter and new son-in-law is restrained in the telling, but moving nonetheless. Obviously this is a man who is hiding something - but is he the killer of his wife, or does he still mourn for her?

As well as those character study elements, there's a nicely twisting plot here with lots of possible answers to the fate of Signora Giula, some of which the reader will guess, some of which will come as a surprise. Combine that with the perfect ending for this style of novel (and one most definitely not for fans of absolutes) THE DISAPPEARANCE OF SIGNORA GIULIA is a taste of Italy, granted without the elaborate food descriptions of more well known series, but with everything else you could possibly ask for.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...

[Raven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is with some delight that I’ve discovered this new line-up from Pushkin Press under their banner of Pushkin Vertigo, a series of releases bringing us some little classics from France, Austria, Spain, Japan and Italy with more to follow. My first stop is The Disappearance of Signora Giulia by Piero Chiara, one of the most celebrated writers of the post-war period. The winner of more than a dozen literary prizes, he is widely read and studied in Italy and this is his first book to be translated into English. A deceptively simple tale of a woman who has seemingly deserted the family home to disappear into thin air, leaving her husband, Esengrini- a prominent criminal lawyer- and daughter at a loss to understand or explain her disappearance. Enter steadfast Detective Sciancalepre who, over the passage of some time, cannot let this case go, being absolutely convinced that Giulia’s husband knows far more about his wife’s disappearance that he will admit to, with the added confusion of red herrings and blind alleys along the way. The interplay between Sciancalepre and the cocksure, arrogant Esengrini is a real highlight of this taut tale, and despite its brevity, the reader is challenged as much as the detective to work out where Giulia has gone and who is the guilty party in her disappearance. Likewise, the character development, particularly of Giulia’s daughter, Emilia, as she grows into womanhood is neatly developed, moving on with her life despite the pall of sadness at the inexplicable loss of her mother. There is a slight anomaly in the narrative, which you may identify for yourselves, that proved a minor irritation, but that aside, any devotee of noir crime will enjoy this little sojourn into domestic noir in pure Italian style.

[AC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clever, complex, a bit dry

[Arwen56 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno stile sobrio, essenziale, ma, contemporaneamente, molto efficace. Nessun effetto speciale. E, forse proprio per questo, assai credibile.

Tra tante voci che urlano, una che parla quieta fa sempre piacere