The American

De: Martin Booth

Narrado por: Ralph Cosham

Duración: 10 h y 1 m

Resumen del Editor

The locals in the southern Italian town where he lives call him Signor Farfalla - Mr. Butterfly - for he is a discreet gentleman who paints rare butterflies. His life is inconspicuous: mornings are spent brushing at a canvas, afternoons idling in the cafés, and evenings talking with his friend, the town priest, over a glass of brandy.

Yet there are other sides to this gentleman’s life: Clara, the young student who moonlights in the town bordello, and another woman, who arrives with $100, 000 and a commission - but not for a painting of butterflies.

With this assignment returns the dark fear that has dogged Signor Farfalla’s mysterious life. Almost instantly, he senses a deadly circle closing in on him, one which he may or may not elude.

Part thriller, part character study, part drama of deceit and self-betrayal, The American shows Martin Booth at the very height of his powers.

(Previously published as A Very Private Gentleman.)

©2004 Martin Booth (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Booth constructs his most focused, tightly written novel to date, reminiscent of William Trevor’s classic Felicia’s Journey and the late Patricia Highsmith’s Ripley novels.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Booth has created a rich, conflicted antihero whose clever rationalizations mask a soul weary with self-doubt…making us question our own moral values." ( Boston Globe)

“Haunting, shocking, and tense…Crisp yet lyrical, simple yet intelligent.” ( Booklist)

Elegant, finely-crafted story of hitman's gunsmith

In a reversal of the norm, I enjoyed the movie so I thought I would give the book a shot. I'm delighted that I did, but you must know that the plot line of this book is not at all like the plot in the movie. In fact I find it hard to see where they got the movie plot from this book since they share only some names and minor sub-plots.

Martin Booth is an elegant writer who paints a chillingly intimate portrait of the alien world inside the head of an aging master craftsman of assassin's weapons. We see an older man searching for peace and love after an especially violent and solitary life. Booth's finely wrought depiction of small town life in Italy makes me feel as though I've lived there too.

The narration is solid, without resorting to hokey artifice. Overall, a great read (listen).

Memoir Travelogue Death

A short moment in the life of unique person painted in brilliant detail and coupled with a perfect narration at which the movie only hints!

"the American"Martin Booth: A very Satisfying Read

One of my favorite books this year. Booth develops this character slowly, like a good friendship should be developed. From the beginning we meet a lonely man, matter of fact, and circumspect about the details of his life.

First person narratives are my favorites, and this is one of those. Our mystery "American," reveals himself in small slices, just as one might choose to invite someone into one's own life. He's deeply immersed in his secretive craft, and under a watchful eye, his descriptions of his surroundings come alive in the mind of the reader.

He is a man of secrets, a certain fatalism, limited emotional intimacies, and rather than being amoral about his profession (manufacture of assassin's arms), he articulates a code of ethics above his surroundings. He stands outside the world of normalcy, and describes a consistent world view by which he lives. It's lonely, but has it's own serenity, and above all he is safe from all the things, and people who hurt us in so many ways.

We meet his customers, and through his eyes we even respect the idealism of their craft. But this solitary man is not without his enemies, and when at last he is run to ground by one of them.... well you'll just have to read the story to see how it ends.

a more contemplative "thriller"

though this is the novel from which the American with Clooney came from, it is rather different. in the film they tried to slow things down from the conventional bullet ridden films and to show a more quiet, meticulous, thoughtful man without a lot of dialogue and it almost works ( i like the film ) but there is more inner monologue in the novel that of course couldn't come out in the film without the often hamfisted "voice over" which is hard to do well, especially for this much soul searching. I like the novel very much though be warned it is not a run around shooting things up type of novel. it reminds me of Graham Greene, especially if you combine his Catholic novels (there is some religious discussion with a priest) with his serious thrillers, like Human Factor.

Great boo

I enjoyed this book and the narrator was fantastic. Even if you saw the movie I would recommend this book.

Good!

The story was a.little dry,
But the performance was quit good.
Not sure I could recommend this for its entertainment value.

Perfection.

I absolutely adored this reading. The craftsmanship of both the original written pages and the recording are top shelf. The movie was okay. I could tell while watching it, though, that it was a tale intended for print.

exquisite narrative of an anti-hero

a supremely well-written narrative of an anti-hero who seeks solace in the mountains and behind the veils of privacy. his peace is ruptured when he discovers his own past has returned to kill him. an vocative tail of love, craftsmanship, and Italy.

Slow burning, but leaves a warm glow

This is an intriguing read, and definitely an internal study of the thought process of a person involved in killing. You are much more likely to get the real skinny on "hitters" from this novel than from most of the other tosh written about them. Fascinating discussion on weapons, preparation and personal awareness, all real tools of those who operate in this world.

The listener needs to pay attention, because the information is delivered with a sly self knowing anarchy. The reading is, like the book, understated and quite brilliant.

Heh, I haven't seen the film yet, but I'll bet it ain't nowt like the book:)


brendan

THE BOOK THAT IS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!

THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER MOST OF THE TIME,IN THIS CASE IT WAS.A SHORT STORY AND A GREAT LISTEN.IF YOU LIKED THE MOVIE YOU NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO READ A VERY PRIVATE GENTLEMAN..THAT IS THE REAL NAME BEFORE GEORGE CLONEY.. YOU WILL KNOW MOST OF THE PLOT,SO I WONT GIVE IT AWAY.BUT THIS IS A BETTER ENDING THAN THE MOVIE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...