The Italian Secretary

The Literary Sherlocks

What a joy it has been of late for us Sherlockians. Not only has there been a batch of new scholarly Holmes-related books to digest and debate--among them THE NEW ANNOTATED SHERLOCK HOLMES--but we¿ve also been blessed with three very interesting and top-notch pastiches. What makes this trio of recent novels so unique is that they come from unlikely writers, individuals who fall more into the literary category than the mystery genre. I am, of course, referring to the three-headed prong that is Caleb Carr (THE ITALIAN SECRETARY), Michael Chabon (THE FINAL SOLUTION), and Mitch Cullin (A SLIGHT TRICK OF THE MIND). *** As I decided to read all three books back to back, I shall comment on them in the order in which they were read. For better or worse, I started with the one that I believed would be the most satisfying of the trio: Caleb Carr¿s THE ITALIAN SECRETARY. However, while I found Carr¿s book engaging and fun for the most part, I was somewhat disappointed with it. In hindsight, my feelings might have more to do with my high regard for Carr¿s previous novels--such as THE ALIENIST--than it does with the actual quality of his Sherlock novel. In other words, had THE ITALIAN SECRETARY been written by someone else, I might not have found myself feeling it lacked the strength and depth of story that I¿ve come to expect from, yes, a Caleb Carr novel. So putting those thoughts aside, I will say that Carr¿s book is mostly well written and he has done a good job at capturing the spirit, intrigue, and style of Doyle. However, it fell a little flat toward the end, giving me the sense of a rushed job. Even so, both his Holmes and Watson are vivid and quite enjoyable, and I do hope he tries his hand at another Sherlock pastiche, taking his time to draw the story out rather than move it so swiftly to its conclusion. A somewhat slight but worthy read nevertheless. *** Next up was Michael Chabon¿s THE FINAL SOLUTION, the Pulitzer-Prize winning writer¿s look at an unnamed Sherlock in retirement, set with World War II as the backdrop. This novella--not novel--is actually quite wonderful and the writing is fluid, lyrical, and overall rather excellent. To be frank, I wasn¿t expecting much from such a slim volume that offered us Sherlock as an elderly gentleman. But I was mistaken. It is an intelligent diversion, and, like Mitch Cullin¿s novel, brings the character into a modern age that somewhat confounds him. If I have any complaints, though, it is that Chabon made a point of never mentioning Sherlock by name (he is simply The Old Man), and, by doing so, skirted the character¿s history and much of his background, making him a bit one dimensional. The shortness of the book, too, didn¿t leave much room for the plot (which is, by the way, very interesting) or other characters to be developed at any great length. Still, there was enough here to hold my interest, and, in its own way, THE FINAL SOLUTION not only compliments Mitch Cullin¿s longer work but its themes and story also function as a kind of extended prologue to the last book in the threesome. A wonderfully written, thoughtful addition to Holmes literature that manages to pack a decent punch in too few pages. *** Poor Mitch Cullin, I thought when I finally got around to his A SLIGHT TRICK OF THE MIND. Besides holding the distinction of being ¿the best American novelist you`ve probably never heard of,¿ his attempt to capture Sherlock followed in the shadows of both Carr and Chabon¿s efforts (although, by comparison, I¿m willing to bet Cullin toiled on his book much longer than either of his contemporaries). And yet, of the three, his vision of Holmes is the most interesting and the best realized. The writing is superb, if not downright poetic at times. Most important to me, however, was that the elderly Sherlock of this novel has been humanized in a very realistic manner but yet, without question, still reads and sounds like Doyle¿s creation. That is no easy achievement, and one that should b

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A Disappointment

I completely agree with all the other reviewers. I am an avid Sherlockian, and I found the style very convincing (though Holmes was a little too mean and Carr goes a little overboard with the dialogue at times). The 'mystery' is given away far too soon, and there is really nothing left to figure out after the first 100 pages or so. It simply drags out a plot to end the problem. OK, but not great.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of the better Sherlock Holmes lives again efforts

Probably as good as any of the Sherlock Holmes follow on books. The language was a little forced and difficult to get through for the first part of the book. It either let up in the second half or I got used to it. Too much supernatural stuff to suit me, should have stuck to the traditional sleuthing. Like the original series, it is a short easy read. I would buy any more Sherlock Holmes by this author.

a nice little mystery

i read this a long time ago and purchased it again in error - i remember it was pretty good.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The narrator makes it a better story than it is

If I had read the story on paper instead of listened to the audio version of this novel, I might have gone for about twenty or thirty pages before putting the book down and saying to myself, "I'll try reading this another day."

But Simon Prebble's narration of "The Italian Secretary" puts me in mind of the old-time "Sherlock Holmes" radio program, even though he is always mispronouncing Holmes' first name. Those programs were gems, bringing the era of Holmes and Watson to brilliant life. Prebble's narration has the same effect, and while you might not have been able to tell from the printed page, Caleb Carr makes Watson much less of a dullard than Nigel Bruce ever dared dream.

The resolution of this mystery is something of a letdown after the big buildup Carr gives it in the opening chapters, but Prebble's narration keeps the story moving quite nicely, although Carr's "postscript" is something of an anticlimax. I don't know what other novels or non-fiction books Prebble has narrated but I look forward to listening to them.

As for Carr, I think he'd do better to write another sequel to his book "The Alienist".

Bland and blah

I will admit I'm not a fan of Mr. Carr. I forced myself to finish 'The Alienist' but I had high hopes with 'Italian Secretary.' Unfortunately, Carr's Watson drones on and on in narrative monologue, the dialogue is 19th century but not quite 'Holmes and Watson,' Caleb pulls a cheap, amateur-Sherlockian trick by sending our heroes out of London -- out of England! -- and (I know this is petty but please bear with) even the font size annoyed me. As an English instructor, I know 'font size padding' when I see it and this is it. Holmes's concluding remarks were disappointing in that they showed no Holmesian drive to solve the last little puzzle Holmes may wax philosophical from time to time but he always gets his mystery solved. The capper to this literary sedative was the afterward, in which it is speculated what would've happened if Watson had teamed up with Dr. Lazlo Kreizler instead of Sherlock Holmes. I found it to be simultaneously insulting to Watson's character and an annoying plug for Carr's original work. All in all, a waste of $7.

Strong, quick read.

Though the book is a page turner, the ending was disappointing. It did however combine a good history of England and the Royal Queen while still maintaining a strong detective plot. If you havent' read any Sherlock Holmes books, this is a good one to get yourself familiar with. The book could have easily gone on for another 75 pages. It seemed Carr's laptop was running on batteries and he had to rush the ending, but I would still recommend it. The last chapter somewhat makes up for the weak ending.

Purely a Pastiche, Pure & Simple

A couple of years ago, when asked during an online Q&A if he'd ever write a Sherlock Holmes novel, Caleb Carr firmly stated that he never would do such a thing, and, in fact, he went on to say that he believed it was wrong for writers to use the fictional characters created by others. Apparently, since then, he decided it was wrong for everyone but himself, as his new Sherlock Holmes novel not only uses Doyle's fictional characters but goes to great lengths to borrow from Doyle's writing style as well (with mixed but entertaining results throughout). That said, THE ITALIAN SECRETARY is an enjoyable Sherlock Holmes pastiche. It is not a remarkable piece of writing, although it stands above many of the 'Sherlock Holmes' pastiches that have been published in the last ten years. To his credit, though, Carr has elaborated Watson to a degree that reveals him to be more interesting than Doyle's original. His Holmes, too, is very much Holmes, yet I couldn't help but envision Basil Rathbone in the role as I was reading it. And while the ending is pretty much of a let down, what brings you to it is often interesting and mysterious enough. Still, there's not much here that is all that original or sheds any new light on our hero (for a more fascinating, enjoyable look at Holmes and his complicated nature Mitch Cullin's excellent A SLIGHT TRICK OF THE MIND and, to a lesser extent, Michael Chabon's novella THE FINAL SOLUTION should be read instead). Lastly, the supernatural bent of THE ITALIAN SECRETARY doesn't always ring true with what he already know from the canon. 'No ghosts need apply,' was Sherlock's original feeling on such matters, something Mr. Carr decided to ignore. My final qualm is with how the book has been shamelessly marketed as having been 'sanctioned by the Conan Doyle estate,' when, in fact, that isn't exactly accurate (perception is truth these days, something Sherlock would likely be bothered by). For these two reasons I'm subtracting a star from my review. But should the casual reader wish for a light, entertaining Sherlock Holmes pastiche, this book will probably not let you down.

Disappointing

Caleb Carr, the novelist behind the brilliant books The Alienist and The Angel of Darkness, falls flat with his latest effort, The Italian Secretary. Carr writes well and paints a convincing picture of the era, but his story never really takes off. Despite having a pretty likeable Dr. Watson, Carr's Holmes remains very one dimensional [which might easily be a criticism on Arthur Conan-Doyle's creation, not Carrs interpretation of him]. Nonetheless, it's the story, or lack therof, that is The Italian Secretary's real downfall. The book spends a great deal of time attempting to set up its plot, before abrubptly reaching it's climax. We are never treated to a final conflict between the hero and villian, nor is there really any mystery to figure out. Anyone who is not a fan of the Conan-Doyle stories will have no reason to read this novel, and those who are fans will simply be disappointed.

Disappointment begins with an Anachronism

Just as disappointing as other reviewers imply - but the upset starts early, on page 9. Carr has Holmes use the term, 'electronic eavesdropping.' Way too early for this usage...check your OED. Carr or Editor Hale should have. It's all down hill from there.

Passable pastiche

This novel has its high and low points, good but not great. As a Sherlock Holmes story, it follows the canon in terms of its tone and style. Critics arguing against the element of supernatural should read the afterword, which explains the Doyle estate was soliciting these types of stories for a compilation. Some of the Holmes deductions are far-fetched (e.g. the extraction of the Queen's tooth) but fans will allow some license as it is in the tradition. Like The Alienist and Angel of Darkness, the book is too 'talky' at certain points; Carr is at his best in the action scenes. Like the Alienist, the ending leaves the reader feeling unresolved about the story - there is no mano y mano contest of Holmes against the villain. Carr's engaging writing style is back and his theme of sibling rivalry, done so well in his other works, works well with Sherlock and Mycroft. Carrs fans wonder, though- when will he write the next installment of the Alienist series? Soon, we hope!

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