Marco Didio Falco, la guia oficial

Marcus Didius Falco

by Lindsey Davis

Rare book

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Reference, Historical, Historical Mystery, Crime

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Lindsey Davis, historical novelist, was born in Birmingham, England in 1949. Having taken a degree in English literature at Oxford University (Lady Margaret Hall), she became a civil servant. She left the civil service after 13 years, and when a romantic novel she had written was runner up for the 1985 Georgette Heyer Historical Novel Prize, she decided to become a writer, writing at first romantic serials for the UK women's magazine Woman's Realm.
Her interest in history and archaeology led to her writing a historical novel about Vespasian and his lover Antonia Caenis (The Course of Honour), for which she couldn't find a publisher. She tried again, and her first novel featuring the Roman "detective", Marcus Didius Falco, The Silver Pigs, set in the same time period and published in 1989, was the start of her runaway success as a writer of historical whodunnits. A further nineteen Falco novels and Falco: The Official Companion have followed, as well as The Course of Honour, which was finally published in 1998. Rebels and Traitors, set in the period of the English Civil War, was published in September 2009. Davis has won many literary awards, and was honorary president of the Classical Association from 1997 to 1998.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a companion to Lindsey Davis’ series of Roman private investigator novels, involving Marcus Didius Falco. If you have no interest in those books, or if you haven’t begun the series, I would think this book of little value. For the rest of us it is a delight.

Davis offers both text and graphics related to her life and the plots of those many Roman novels. She fills in the background on many venues that Falco investigates and gives quite a lot of historical context for this period in Roman history. If I have one quibble, it is that her continued writing of related novels (those of Falco’s daughter, Flavia Albia) means that there needs to be a new companion or at least an appendix. I would suggest that it could most easily be accomplished on her website http://www.lindseydavis.co.uk/ however, so far it hasn’t happened.

It is no surprise that she credits Mickey Spillane and Raymond Chandler as inspiration. Falco is certainly resilient and determined once he is “on the case.” I shall keep this in easy reach as I read (or re-read) some of her well-crafted tales.

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read, it's not necessary to read this to enjoy the Falco series of even to get the best from the series. But, it is a fascinating addendum. The author is extremely witty and entertaining (which we already know from her books) but you get a real taste of her personality reading this. The research is first rate, you can tell.the author really loves her history, Roman in particular. There are lots of interesting pictures and facts. I especially enjoyed the in depth character assessment of all those we meet in the books, including the children. Yes it's a bit expensive but if you enjoyed the series i would recommend this book.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, you're obviously not going to get as much out of it if you haven't read some (preferably at least most, if not all) of Davis' Falco books (and The Course of Honor is good too. ;) )

But it's one of the best written "companion" books of its type I've read, and provided insights and stories and fun facts I enjoyed quite a bit.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of details, lots of information, a fun read

[Dolores · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and amusing companion book for Falco lovers everywhere!

[gardienne_du_feu · Rating 4 out of 5]

1989 erschien Lindsey Davis' erstes Buch um den Privatermittler Marcus Didius Falco aus dem alten Rom. Es war der Beginn einer 20 Jahre andauernden Erfolgsgeschichte, an deren Ende ebenso viele Krimibände stehen, die nicht nur ich mit Begeisterung gelesen habe.

In diesem Begleitbuch versammelt die Autorin nun jede Menge Hintergrundinformationen über das Leben im antiken Rom, von Zeitleisten und Landkarten über Politik undöffentliches Leben bis hin zu Details zu Wohnen, Körperpflege, Ernährung, Bekleidung und Schmuck. Aber keine Angst, das ist alles andere als ein staubtrockenes Lehrbuch. Davis spickt ihre Erläuterungen mit zahlreichen Zitaten, sowohl aus den Falco-Büchern als auch aus römischen Originalquellen, illustriert sie mit vielen Zeichnungen und Fotos und lässt immer wieder persönliche Erinnerungen und Kommentare einfließen.

Zu Beginn schildert sie zunächst ihren eigenen Werdegang als Autorin und fasst alle Romane nochmals kurz zusammen, wobei auch das eher launige Erinnerungen an die Entstehungsgeschichte der jeweiligen Bücher sind als umfangreiche Inhaltsangaben. Das macht aber nichts, die Bücher sollte man eh lieber vollständig lesen. Sehr witzig fand ich die Dokumente im Anhang, Funde aus dem Haus eines gewissen obersten Spions ...

Ein schöner Leckerbissen für alle Falco-Fans, der sich genauso als sporadisch verwendetes Nachschlagewerk eignet wie zum kompletten Durchschmökern.

[Steve Coughlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely retrospective on the 20 Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, and a handy book to read because I've only read 19, and it's been a while. Up next... the apparent end of the series, Nemesis, which I now am refreshed on characters and situations enough to read without being permanently lost on page 2. not that you can't pick up any of the books cold and enjoy them, but if Nemesis wraps up some story lines, it will be nice to have them fresher in my mind than 7 years ago. But enough about me... this was a nice look into the process Ms. Davis used, the confluences of narrative with history as we know it, and a beginner's guide to seeing (greater) Rome as a setting for so many plots and murders.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written after the end of the Falco series, but before she began the Flavia Alba series, this covers all things Falco. Begins with a brief autobiographical chapter, followed by interesting details about each of the books, analyses of the characters, and finally the details of Roman life and culture that make their way into the books. And there's a picture of the author holding a turbot! Makes me want to reread this series...with this book at hand.

[Sonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesante pero no imprescindible

[A.M. Swink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful, brimming with Davis’s characteristic wit. It also included a funny index, which I'm an absolute sucker for!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the Falco books, this is an invaluable companion, giving you Lindsey Davis' thoughts on characters, settings, plotlines, as well as her process in putting together the books. It also provides interesting (if sad) context on the background for Nemesis: A Marcus Didius Falco Novel and why she's pursued a new direction in the Flavia Albia books.

[Valerie Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying the history, the apparently autobiographical glimpses of Ms. Davis, and the review of the Falco series. Quirky, and laid out like a filleted fish, it is easy to pick up and read anywhere.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally finished the Falco books so of course I needed to then read this companion book and it did not disappoint.
January 2022 -- forgot I had read this, so I read it again and found new things to enjoy as well.

[kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found I enjoyed hearing more about the author's life than I did the historical backgrounds of the charactor's/places, etc.

[Joan Husmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book to sit down and read. If you are a Falco fan, however, you won't want to miss this one. As a companion to the novels this book is essential.

[Jill Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love!Love!