the_past_is_a_foreign_country_carofiglio
2009 Longlist

The Past is a Foreign Country

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

One hot summer, as world-weary bloodhound Lieutenant Chiti spends sleepless nights hunting for the serial sex attacker terrorising his city, trainee lawyer Giorgio is befriended by dangerously charismatic Francesco. Slowly the innocent Giorgio is lured into a corrupt world of beautiful women, card sharps and casual violence, in dingy poker dens and luxury villas. Then one terrifying night Giorgio is forced to realise just how far he has left his past behind…..

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Gianrico
Carofiglio

Gianrico Carofiglio is one of Italy’s bestselling authors. He was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is now a member of the Italian Senate.

Gianrico Carofiglio is one of Italy’s bestselling authors. He was an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He has been involved with trials concerning corruption, organized crime and the traffic in human beings. He is now a member of the Italian Senate.

ABOUT
THE TRANSLATOR Howard
Curtis

Howard Curtis has almost forty years of experience as a literary translator from French, Italian and Spanish. Among the many authors he has translated are Georges Simenon, Gianrico Carofiglio, Jean-Claude Izzo, Georges Bernanos, Giorgio Scerbanenco and Santiago Gamboa.

Howard Curtis has almost forty years of experience as a literary translator from French, Italian and Spanish. Among the many authors he has translated are Georges Simenon, Gianrico Carofiglio, Jean-Claude Izzo, Georges Bernanos, Giorgio Scerbanenco and Santiago Gamboa.

NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

This novel is probably the most exciting Italian novel and well written one in recent times. Carofiglio is very clever in giving a tale of inevitability of the descent to hell accomplished by the protagonist.

A breathless tour-de-force into the mind of a suicidal genius.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
Italy
Original Language
Italian
Publisher
Old Street Publishing
Translator
Howard Curtis

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