Acqua Alta

Acqua Alta (1996) Donna Leon

The fifth book in the Commisario Brunetti series finds the city of Venice a major character, as the Acqua Alta threatens the city with flooding.

We also return to Flavia Petrelli and Brett, the women from the first book. Brett has returned to the city to speak to the Dottor Semenzato, who arranged the exhibition of Chinese items at the Venice museum (which was how Flavia and Brett met). But when two thugs attempt to convince Brett not to attend that meeting, Brunetti becomes involved.

I noticed something interesting when reading this book, which is that we really are not given much of a physical description of Brunetti in this series.

Just inside the door stood a man, tallish and heavily built, who looked vaguely familiar but whom she couldn’t place.

Which is perfectly fine with me, but strikes me as somewhat unusual.

We also get a glimpse into opera, which amuses me.

‘Then you are going to sing it?’ he asked. The press had been buzzing with this for weeks, even though the opening night was almost a full year away. The soprano whose name had been ‘hinted at’ as the one ‘rumoured to be’ the ‘possible choice’ – this was the way things were expressed at La Scala – had said she was interested in the possibility and would consider it, which clearly meant she wasn’t, and wouldn’t. Flavia Petrelli, who had never sung the role, was named as the next possibility, and she had issued, just two weeks ago, a statement to the press saying she refused absolutely even to consider the idea, as close to a formal acceptance as a soprano could be expected to come.

And as always there is the Italian way of doing things.

‘Occam’s Razor,’ she finally said in English, voice resigned.
Brunetti waited for Flavia to speak, thinking this might make some sense to her, but Flavia said nothing. So he asked, ‘Whose razor?’
‘William of Occam,’ Brett repeated, though she kept her eyes on her glass. ‘He was a medieval philosopher. English, I think. He had a theory that said the correct explanation to any problem was usually the one that made the simplest use of the available information.’
Signor William, Brunetti caught himself thinking, was clearly not an Italian.

Although there is murder here, this is a far less depressing book that the previous two. Not that there aren’t injustices, it’s more than the resolution is far less grim.

Plus, I find acqua Alta itself fascinating.
Rating: 8/10

Published by Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

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