The Lover of No Fixed Abode by Carlo Fruttero & Franco Lucentini

 The Lover of No Fixed Abode

 by Carlo Fruttero & Franco Lucentini

Translated by Gregory Dowling

The Lover of No Fixed Abode by Carlo Fruttero & Franco Lucenti 

translated by Gregory Dowling

was published on 25th January 2024 by Bitter Lemon Press.

My thanks to the publishers for sending me a copy to review and to

 Random Things Tours for inviting me to take part on the tour.

Synopsis

The month, November. Glittering worldliness and dubious shabbiness overlap, passion and suspicion intertwine in a three- day Venetian adventure, bookended by the arrival of a plane and the departure of a ship.
 

It begins with a troubling encounter on a flight to Venice. She is an elegant Roman signora on the search for undervalued paintings and he a mysterious tour guide. She is invited to cosmopolitan parties by Venetian social and art glitterati. Mr. Silvera, a guide whose erudition and distinction are in sharp contrast with his beat- up suitcase and stain-spotted raincoat, drags his shabby tourists from monument to monument.

Their passion will last three days, long enough to be exposed to unscrupulous art dealers and other scammers, passing off worthless paintings as part of a famous collection. Silvera seems to know every language and all secrets. But who is he really? Around them, the canals and lagoons of Venice, a city which becomes a character in the novel in its own right.

My Review

The  Lover of No Fixed Abode is the third book that has been translated into English from this joint author partnership, both who are , sadly , now deceased, and I have often wondered why it has taken so long for this one to translated and published. I personally think that if this book had been translated first this writing duo would be more well known , as it is set in Venice which is a very current setting for love stories and mysteries  with the reading population, judging by the number of books I have been given to read and review over the last couple of years. A friend of mine who runs an Indie bookshop will tell you that stories set in Venice never stay on the shelves for long.

So, how does this one compare with previous love stories and mysteries set in Venice that I have read ? ........

Firstly Mr Silvero is a man of mystery that we, as the reader, are never able to create an image of. how old is he, what does he look like, what does he believe in, like, dislike etc..we never get to know as he remains a mystery throughout the three days that the story is set, which, in itself,is intriguing and will have you turning the pages trying to find out more about his character. Is he just a tour guide, or is there something more under this veneer we don't seem to be able to get underneath.

Secondly who is she ? She works for an English Auction House which specialises in Venetian Antiquities and is in Venice to see if she can uncover hidden gems. What secrets does she hold close and does she reveal them during this three day love story and, are we any the wiser at the end ?

For lovers of Venice the way the authors have described Venice at different times will leave you feeling as if you are there and being taken on a journey through St Mark's Square, into the Grand Palazzi, feeling the sense of loss as a home no longer feels like a home as its assets are assessed and potentially sold to keep the wolf from the door. If like me you have been fortunate enough to have visited Venice you will create these images straight away and will be transported back to this intriguing city through the wonderful use of descriptive writing  in the story.

So, are we any wiser at the end of the story as to Mr Silvero and his lover , or have we been regaled with the delights and life of Venice? ...........................

About the Authors

Carlo Fruttero (1926-2012) and Franco Lucentini (1920-2002) are legendary authors in Europe, known as pioneers of the modern crime genre. The Lover of No Fixed Abode, their most successful novel, is one of six works of fiction they wrote together. It was published in 1986 in Italian and never before available in English. In 2025 Bitter Lemon will be publishing Runaway Horses, their murder mystery set in Siena during the Palio, the city’s colourful annual horse-race.

About the Translator

Gregory Dowling grew up in Bristol and read English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. Gregory lives in Venice. He is a celebrated translator from Italian, a novelist (The Four Horsemen and Ascension, both set in Venice). and a local university professor.