Yay, a new series of Inspector Montalbano (or is it a repeat?) to enjoy on Saturday nights! It’s an acquired taste – one really needs to be a regular in order to enjoy it – but so much to enjoy if you’re in on it.
The inspector is a serious man who takes his time to weigh-up and consider events and people. He does a wonderful ‘hmm’ whilst he’s considering.
Fazio is the inspector’s right-hand man who is methodical and precise when explaining something to the inspector. He jumps to conclusions – hence the need for Montalbano to be more cautious.
Mimi is the inspector’s deputy and in the early series was always carrying on with different women.
Catarella is an office-based policeman. He’s the fool who provides the element of over-the-top farce in the episodes. He gets over-excited, he trips over a lot, and makes considerable noise when he storms into the inspector’s office. Amazingly, he appears to be the computer whiz!
The stories are long and slow – there to be savoured. Set in Sicily, the scenery is stunning. Beautiful women play a big role, often as victims but not always. In earlier series Montalbano would eat out in restaurants and have fabulous meals. Montalbano has a lovely house on the edge of the sea and occasionally he would begin an episode with a swim to the shore. The balcony of the apartment is often a setting for a coffee, a meal or an early-morning phone conversation. Montalbano has a long-term girlfriend, Livia, who visits him occasionally from where she lives.
Something I find odd is that there never appears to be any people or vehicles in the towns and villages. Still, it makes them all the more desirable to visit even if in reality they’re not that quiet.
Inspector Montalbano – lovely.
things change 