Summary
QUESTIONEngland has Sherlock Holmes, Scotland has Rebus, France has Maigret and Belgium has Poirot, but what famous fictional detectives do our other European neighbours have? HOLMES, Marple and Rebus are popular right across Europe but there are many other European detectives of note. Italian detective fiction has particular appeal: the crime sections of our bookshops include the exploits of detectives such as Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti, Andrea Camilleri's Salvo Montalbano, Michale Dibdin's Aurelio Zen, Magdalen Nabb's Marshal Guarnaccia and Carlo Lucarelli's Grazia Negro.
The appeal of this fiction is its sense of reality. In Britain, we're used to clean, happy endings but Italians seem to have fewer illusions. They understand that politicians and institutions are corrupt and people often weak, greedy, lazy and dishonest.See the full content of this document
Extract
Maigret's Rivals
Their detectives often try simply to make the best of a bad lot. Their nihilism can be refreshing.
Spain's most famous fictional detective is Manuel Vazquez Montalban's Pepe Carvalho. This private tec, a man with a complex, contradictory personality, works the streets of Barcelona. A c...See the full content of this document
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