Solea is as Noir as they come, although I make that claim as one who reads only occasionally in the genre. Reportedly, despite pressure from Gallimard, his publisher, Izzo rejected the idea of continuing his Marseilles Trilogy beyond Solea (a Miles Davis tune appreciated by Fabio Montale, the existentially doomed protagonist / anti-hero of the series). In this final novel, Izzo dispenses with side plots to focus on the Mafia(there are, of course,still several relationships with beautiful & intriguing women, past & present, that preoccupy Fabio). This time, Izzo is not so much concerned with the truands who regularly engage in turf wars & s'entretuent (no satisfying English translation for this verb) & produce much collateral damage as he is with the Big Picture(there is, nevertheless, a cold-blooded throat-slitter this time around). At stake is his friend & former lover Babette's investigation into the Mafia's influence over & corruption of the financial and political systems in France, an influence that borders on complete takeover. The evidence that she has compiled is detailed in a series of computer disks that she sends to Fabio for safekeeping--the last of which, the black disk, goes so far as to name names & reveal bank account numbers. Naturally, Fabio and everyone close to him is at risk. It is safe to say that things don't turn out well & that Izzo ends his series in the most definitive manner. There is no possible sequel.It occurred to me while reading Solea, that in our current global financial meltdown, little to no mention has been made of the role, if any, of organized crime, at least not in reference to the United States. I remember the President's Commission on Organized Crime back in the sixties, but like the War on Poverty, except for our obsession with Mexican drug cartels, we seem to have forgotten about more traditional crime syndicates, those which have integrated their operations with legitimate business (one wonders these days, if such a concept still makes any sense at all). To quote Babette (my translation): "As a consequence of tax evasion, the accumulation in tax havens of enormous capital reserves belonging to the largest corporations is also responsible for the growth of the budget deficits of most countries in the West." Considering the current debt crisis in the European Union & the budget deficit in the U.S., this statement in a piece of 1990s' genre fiction is all the more startling. At the end of the novel, Fabio discloses that he has instructed Cyril, a young hacker, to broadcast the contents of Babette's disks across the Internet. Written in the 1990s, this scenario seems now, post- Wikileaks, quite prescient. True to genre & true to the character of Fabio Montale, there is excessive consumption of alcohol (one wonders how Fabio manages to function at all!) and cigarettes & much sleep-deprivation. There are fewer compensations and less consolation to be found here than in the previous novels of the trilogy, however. The sea and coast, the cuisine, the incomparable light, music & the city of Marseilles itself, finally, can't tip the scale to the side of Good.
Je n'ai pas eu besoin de finir ce livre pour m'en faire une idée. J'ai déjà décidé lors des chapitres 14-15 sur 21. On sait tout qu'au bout d'un moment, le même auteur nous ennuie, surtout si on enchaine des livres l'un après l'autre. Là je suis sure que j'en ai assez de Jean-Claude Izzo, au moins pour un moment.Le commentaire qui suit vaut pour toute la trilogie marseillaise. Pourtant ce n'est pas une série déguelasse. Ce qui m'a séduit le plus chez la série, c'est son âme. C'est l'auteur qui partage sa culture, sa manière de vie. La musique, les boissons, les plats bien caractéristiques du Sud - bref, toute une manière de vivre. Il partage son gout pour la pêche, son amour pour la mer. Et surtout son amour pour Marseille, dont il introduit les quartiers, les ruelles, les gens. Le personnage de Fabio Montale devient plus réel grâce à tout cela, grâce à tout l'amour qui l'anime.La deuxième chose que j'aime dans la série, c'est qu'elle touche au racisme. J'imagine qu'à Marseille, c'est toujours un problème d'actualité. On voit très bien que les conflits existent toujours, si seulement sous un différent nom. De l'islam radical, des jihadistes (ils n'avaient pas encore ce nom là à l'époque), et de la haine en général pour les immigrés. C'est pour cela que j'ai largement préféré les deux premiers livres au troisième, qui traite uniquement de la mafia. Pourtant, avec tous ces vertues, il y a quelque chose qui ruine tous ces livres pour moi, et qui ruine tous les thrillers en général. C'est la manìere dont l'auteur parle des femmes. Elles n'ont aucun but autre que réveiller le désir de Montale. Elles ne sont que des miroirs pour refléter sa personnalité. Elles sont introduites pour être tuées, pour devenir une tragédie dans la vie de l'homme, pour le motiver. Les femmes ne sont que les pillons pour mettre en valeur le personnage principal, et ca, je déteste. Le personnage qui m'a particulièrement énevervée, c'était Cuc, du 2e livre. Car c'est une Vietnamienne, et elle est introduite comme une femme fatale, une "mangeuse d'hommes". C'est chez elle où le fantasme des femmes de l'auteur est le plus fort, et qui est le plus dégoutant. La seule femme dans la série qui n'est pas victime de ce traitement, c'est Honorine, et elle s'y échappe seulement parce qu'elle est vieille, et elle joue une rôle maternelle.C'est quand même dommage que l'égo des hommes ruine des livres pas trop mal écrit. Pourtant c'est toujours le cas chez les thrillers. Je pense qu'au final, j'en lirai plus jamais.
What do You think about Solea (2007)?
PROTAGONIST: Fabio MontaleSETTING: Marseilles, FranceSERIES: #3 of 3RATING: 4.25Babette Bellini is a journalist and activist who has written a daring and comprehensive expose of the Mafia and its activities in France. Its publication could spell the ruin of many important figures in government and private industry. As a result, Bellini is desperately fleeing for her life while trying to protect her master opus. She reaches out to her former lover and ex-cop, Fabio Montale, for help. The Mafia is quick to find that link, and they begin to systematically murder the people that Montale loves to "convince" him to lead them to Bellini.Montale's life has been one of quiet desperation for some time. His wife left him for another man, and he obsesses about their relationship. At a bar in Marseilles one evening, he meets a woman named Sonia who arouses in him hope that love is possible. Although they spend the night together, Fabio is too drunk to be able to do anything. The very next day, Sonia is found horribly murdered. Captain Helene Pessayre is assigned to the case; against all odds, there is an attraction between them. Will this too be doomed?Montale comes up with a plan that will allow Bellini to come out of hiding and return to Marseilles to deal with the situation. In the meanwhile, the Mafia are committing horrible carnage, killing people to whom Montale is close. His greatest fear is for an elderly man and woman who are almost like surrogate parents to him. The killers exhibit not an ounce of human empathy; it's only a matter of time before everyone that Montale cares about will be murdered. At the same time, Marseilles, the city that he loves, is also suffering its own decline and corruption.SOLEA is the final book in Izzo's Marseilles trilogy and stands very well on its own. It is a beautifully written book, with language ranging from the poetic to the stark, expertly translated. It is imbued with hope and love, shaded by despair and horror. The conclusion is stunning. SOLEA is a rare piece of noir writing that has a passionate heart at its center.
—Maddy
Troisième volet de la trilogie marseillaise de l'auteur où Montale est cette fois inquiété par la mafia qui veut à tout prix récupérer des informations qui pourraient compromettre son activité. L'auteur en profite pour évoquer succinctement un certain nombre de mécanismes de ces organisations. J'ai trouvé ce dernier tome nettement plus noir et pessimiste que les précédents ; plus court aussi, mais haletant !
—Lolo
Impossibile non amare Fabio Montale e impossibile non amare Jean-Claude Izzo e la sua Marsiglia. Vorrei dire "Fabio sei tutti noi", ma poi ho visto come è stato massacrato da Alain Delon e preferisco tenermelo per me. Meticciato, incroci di popoli culture storie, spezie, profumi di Mediterraneo, il gusto del pastis e del Bandol. Ah il rosé di Montale...E vai con Miles, ancora e ancora. Fa tremare i polsi. Bella anche la versione di Anoushka Shankar.J.-C., ti ricordi quella volta a Campo dei Fiori? Io non me la dimentico. Mai.
—orsodimondo
