Janet E. (janete) - , reviewed on 3/23/2011 + 22 more book reviews

Sciascias first novel, written in 1961, is a powerful, intelligent, forcefully and beautifully written excoriation of a society that allows the mafia to exist, not by looking the other way, but by actively caring for and feeding the rapacious beast. Its hard not to think of our own American dont snitch culture and look for parallels. Before The Godfather, before Goodfellas and The Sopranos there was Sciascia writing about the mafia in his native Sicily. He lifts a rock to expose the creepy-crawlers to light, if only momentarily, before they scurry back to darkness. Five stars.

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