This was my third Daphne Du Maurier novel which I am reading as part of the Daphne Du Maurier challenge. The Flight of the Falcon differs from the two previous Du Maurier novels I have read (Rebecca and Jamaica Inn) as this was published not in the 30s but in the 60s and is set in Italy as opposed to Cornwall where most of her stories are set.
The main character is called Armino Fabbio who works as a coach tour guide for American and British tourists. Fabbio is working in Rome when the novel starts and is run ragged by the timetable and the demands of his tourists. The first couple of chapters are actually quite comical as we meet the American lady who seems to think Fabbio cares about the impending birth of her grandchild, the two busy body English school teachers who makes the tour late one day because they were trying to find the owner of a stray cat, to the hopeless woman who cannot leave a hotel room or restaurant without leaving something behind.
However by chapter three a body of an old beggar woman (who Fabbio recognises) is found stabbed and the novel takes a sudden turn. Fabbio leaves Rome and returns to the city of his childhood; a dark, forbidding place. There he meets his long lost brother who isn't quite what he seems transporting the reader into more familiar Du Maurier territory.
The descriptions of the Italian city Fabbio returns to are superb, the dark narrow streets with their steep and perilous steps are all used to good effect to hide secrets and even a secret society. There was also familiarity in the two brothers Fabbio and Aldo. Fabbio is described as being short and he is also strangely sexless throughout which contracts to his older brother Aldo who towers over his younger brother and is obviously having sordid affairs. The more submissive personality of Fabbio compared with his dynamic, unscrupulous brother did put me in mind of Rebecca slightly.
Unfortunately there were plot elements which I couldn't quite believe and this book is about 50 pages too long so it began to drag during the final third part of the book. But as usual there was a good story with some interesting characters and some good twists and turns.
Would I recommend this? Not as your first Du Maurier read, no. However if you have already read Jamaica Inn and Rebecca this one makes a welcome change.
Verdict ¾
Posted by Jess
It definitely sounds very different from Rebecca and Jamaica Inn - it might not be Du Maurier at her best, but you've got me curious.
ReplyDeleteDitto what Nymeth said. This is the only Du Maurier I have not read I think. Just love her work, and recently enjoyed a re-read of My Cousin Rachel which I always like to say is one of my favorite examples of unreliable narration. So good! Thanks for piquing my interest here.
ReplyDeleteI love the colors of this cover! I plan on reading some mysteries in September and October with Cousin Rachel and Frenchman's Creek on the schedule.
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds intriguing. I've already read Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, etc so I'm trying to read some of her lesser-known novels for the du Maurier challenge. Like you said, I'm finding them a welcome change!
ReplyDeleteI had not heard of this one but I does sound good, and I love Rebecca and Jamaica Inn by this author.
ReplyDeleteI love Du Maurier, but I think that I might find a character called Fabbio a bit distracting! I would be thinking of 'the' Fabbio all the time :-)
ReplyDeleteNymeth - I think Ive started with her best so the others are not going to quite match up. It was still a good read though.
ReplyDeleteFrances - its worth reading, I have just finsihed The Loving Spirit and The Flight of The Falcon was much much better.
Kim - I havent read My cousin Rachel yet and Im saving Frenchmans creek.
Booksploring - its a different book but familar in many ways. Interesting having a man as the main character (I know she has men as manin characters in some of her other books but this is the first I had read)
Bibliophile By the Sea - its not as good as Rebecca etc but still good.
Becky - I wonder if that was the only italian name that sprung to mind LOL
Apart from Rebecca which I loved i have yet to read anything else by this author - I now feel inspired to do so, thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought of reading this one. It sounds different. Maybe I'll put it at the end of my du Maurier list.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any du Maurier books, so I won't start with this. However, I am planning on reading Rebecca, so we'll see after that. :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds interesting. I've read four or five of Daphne du Maurier's books so far and enjoyed them all, so I'd definitely like to read this one too.
ReplyDeletePetty - its worth checking out Jamaica Inn certainly but this one is quite good.
ReplyDeleteChris - this is only my third Du Maurier book so I can compare but it certainly seemed different from the other two although this might be because of the time span between them.
Zara - let me know if you like Rebecca when you get through your eng lit books!
Helen - I hope you enjoy it, just out of interest which are the other four that you have read?
I have not read this Du Maurier but I dont think anything I read will be like Rebecca of Jamaica Inn which I trhink I should have left till last. I am now leaving My Cousin Rachel until last instead.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds very different but really rather interesting! You have some more Maurier treats to come though.
The others that I've read are Rebecca, My Cousin Rachel, I'll Never Be Young Again and The Scapegoat. I would recommend all of those! I've also read a collection of her short stories, The Rendezvous & Other Stories.
ReplyDeleteSimon - I think I might leave house on the strand and the scapegoat till last which Ive heard good things about. Its always that way though, I read Tender is the night and the great gatsby by Fitzgerald and I know that when I read his other book they wont match up to those.
ReplyDeleteHelen - see my note on the scapegoat above! And thanks for getting back and for the recommendations.
I have not read this one, I'll have to look out for it!
ReplyDeleteIt's always interesting to read a lesser known work like this. I've only read Rebecca by du Maurier (and only just last fall - not sure what took me so long!) but I have both Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel on my shelf. I plan to read them both this fall.
ReplyDeleteAmanda - I loved Jamaica Inn, my Cousin Rachel Im leaving until later in an atempt to try and save some of the best till last.
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