BookBrowse Review
A novel steeped in Roman history, and an unforgettable experience in richly atmospheric, modern-day suspense
I have a rule: I won't call a book a page-turner unless reading
it causes me to miss my bus stop. Engrossed in David Hewson's latest mystery,
The Garden of Evil, I missed my stop not once but twice – and that
was before I was halfway through the novel. This one's a page-turner all
right! It's also a top-notch, high-quality detective procedural that
will appeal to readers who enjoy a literary mystery.
The plot of The Garden of Evil revolves around a 17th-century painting by Caravaggio,
so understanding the artist's life and work is important to the overall plot.
Happily, Hewson provides a great deal of historical detail without lecturing.
In fact, the historical background is every bit as entertaining as the moments of suspense, and
is one of the features that make the book such a stand-out.
Setting his novel entirely in Rome, Hewson does a wonderful job of recreating
the city for his readers, allowing its atmosphere to permeate the book. His
readers not only "see" the city with their imagination, they "feel" the cold
stones of its streets and buildings and experience the claustrophobia of its
alleys as the detectives pursue their suspect.
"Thirty minutes later they stood on the stops of the
Palazzo Malaspina. The entrance dominated much of the narrow
seventeenth-century street that led, in a few short minutes, to the
Mausoleum of Augustus, a place Costa had yet to find the courage to
revisit…Everything about this case, it seemed to Costa, was contained in
the small, secretive warren of dark, dingy alleys here, the labyrinth
that was once Ortaccio."
Authors with the ability to create such vivid descriptions of
time and place sometimes fall short when it comes to writing action sequences.
Such is not the case with Hewson who delivers action that is both riveting and
cinematic. What truly draws the reader, though, are the sections of the novel
that concentrate on revelation – revelation of clues to solving the crime as
well as the illumination of the principals' characters. Some of the most
engaging sections of the book involve Da Vinci Code-like discoveries
about the mysterious Caravaggio painting. These disclosures are not as controversial as those in The Da Vinci Code, but readers will find them fascinating none the less.
Hewson manages the difficult feat of balancing a ripping good mystery with
high-quality writing. The Garden of Evil will unquestionably appeal to
long-time fans and is certain to attract new ones. Although the novel is the
sixth in a series featuring detective Nic Costa, for the most part the book
stands well on its own. The plot is independent of those in Hewson's earlier
novels; hence it is unnecessary to read the previous five to enjoy this one.
Having said that, readers new to the series may note a lack of up front
character description - presumably because the characters have been extensively
developed in earlier novels. Because of
this, those unfamiliar with the series may initially find it difficult to form a
connection to the main players. Another facet only hinted at is the complex
relationships that exist between members of the investigative team that have
obviously been developed in previous books. It's a bit like attending a
gathering where you know no one, but everyone else is friends - only gradually
do you
become aware of undercurrents of tension or affection that are already obvious
to everyone else in the room. However, the characters are sufficiently
compelling that even readers new to the series will have developed an affinity
for them by the end of the novel - and will come away believing their time has
been very well well spent.
This review was originally published in September 2008, and has been updated for the
February 2009 paperback release.
Click here to go to this issue.
Beyond the Book
Caravaggio
A painting presumed to be by the 17th century painter
Caravaggio is central to the plot of The Garden of Evil. The work found (which is purely fictional) is purported to be the artist's copy of an actual oil by Annibale Carracci, entitled
Venus with a Satyr and Cupids.
Caravaggio is one of the most fascinating and influential artists of the
early Baroque era.* He was born Michelangelo Merisi, in Milan on 8 September
1573. The family moved to the small town of Caravaggio in Lombardy in 1576, and
it is from this city that he took his name. After the death of his father, a
master builder, in 1584 Caravaggio was apprenticed to Simone Peterzano, a
painter in Milan of the school of Titian. His apprenticeship expired five years
later, and he subsequently made his way to Rome.
Desperately poor, Caravaggio hired himself out doing odd jobs in various
painters' studios. No job lasted long, perhaps due to his explosive temper. He
was eventually hired by Giuseppe Cesari (also known as the Cavalier d'Arpino) to
add flowers and fruit to d'Arpino's larger works. He developed close friendships
with several influential artists, as well as the sixteen year old Sicilian
painter Mario Minniti (who served as a model in several of Caravaggio's
paintings). This employment allowed Caravaggio the luxury of working on his own
material, and his unique style quickly became evident.
Caravaggio's well-connected friends brought his talent to the attention of
Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte, who became his patron and ardent supporter.
In 1599, del Monte assisted him in securing his first commission for a public
work – panels for the Contarelli Chapel (part of the San Luigi dei Francesi
church in Rome). He provided three paintings:
The
Calling of St. Matthew,
The
Martyrdom of St. Matthew, and
The
Inspiration of St. Matthew. The paintings caused an uproar. The works'
heightened sense of realism and the dramatic use of chiaroscuro (the
contrast of light and dark in a painting) were both hailed as innovative and
condemned as vulgar. Inspiration was rejected as impious and indecent
because the saint was portrayed as a common workman with bare, dirty legs.
It was replaced in 1602 with a more
politically correct version of the same subject, also by Caravaggio. The original version was purchased by del Monte’s friend, Marchese Vincenzo Giustiniani (sadly, only black and white prints now exist of the original painting, as it was destroyed in the bombing of Berlin during WWII.)
Caravaggio's reputation continued to grow over the next several years, as did
the controversy surrounding his paintings. Many were rejected by the
institutions that commissioned them, who objected to both the realistic nature
of his painting as well as his choice of models, which included working-class
people and, frequently, two well known courtesans:
Anna Bianchini is featured in the Penitent Magdalene and Rest
on the Flight to Egypt (both of which are described in detail in The
Garden of Evil), and Fillide Melandroni (also mentioned in the novel) is the
subject of
Saint
Catherine,
Judith
Beheading Holofernes and
Portrait of a Courtesan.
Caravaggio's name appears frequently in Italian police journals from 1601 onwards, recording at least six arrests in four years for instigating fights. In 1606 he
killed Ranuccio Tomassoni in a street brawl, forcing him to flee Rome for Malta.
He so impressed the Grand Master of the Knights of Malta (an aristocratic
military order) that they took the unusual step of making Caravaggio a member of
the Knights. Caravaggio, however, quickly wore out his welcome, starting a sword
fight with a superior officer for which he was jailed in 1608. He escaped and
fled the island, but was pursued to Syracuse, Messina, Palermo and eventually
Naples. Remarkably, Caravaggio continued to paint, producing some of his finest
works during this period.
He was captured in Naples in 1609, and the resultant beating left him disfigured
almost beyond recognition. He recovered, and, assured of a papal pardon by his
influential friends, decided to return to Rome. During the journey he came down
with a fever at Porto Ercole in Tuscany, where he died on 18 July 1610 at the
age of 36. While his paintings had a major impact on the emerging Baroque
movemen Caravaggio was effectively forgotten for centuries. Art scholar Roberto
Longhi is credited with re-establishing the importance of Caravaggio's work in
the 1920s.
*Baroque, originally meaning 'misshapen pearl', describes a
European artistic period from about 1600 to 1750. Well known artists
from this period include musicians Vivaldi, Handel and Bach; writers John Donne
and John Milton; architect Sir Christopher Wren (who designed St Paul's
Cathedral in London) and painters such as Rubens and Vermeer.
Interesting Link
A mini-tour of Caravaggio's work
This review was originally published in September 2008, and has been updated for the
February 2009 paperback release.
Click here to go to this issue.
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