Cosi Fan Tutti

By: Michael Dibdin

Narrated by: Michael Kitchen

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

Neopolitan businessmen, politicians, and eminent mafiosi are assassinated as someone takes literally the job of cleaning up the city's tarnished image. In this mystery, Aurelio Zen discovers that in '90s 'New Italy', things are still the same.

©1996 Michael Dibdin (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Wonderfully entertaining

Complex plot and delicious writing serving up great characters in hilarity and drama. Michael Kitchen's narration is the superb.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Entertaining story, excellently read!

What made the experience of listening to Cosi Fan Tutti the most enjoyable?

Michael Kitchen is a wonderful reader, he pronounces the Italian words sprinkled through the story beautifully. He has just the right balance of lightness and irony for the character of Aurelio Zen, the disillusioned Italian detective. This story is playing off the opera Cosi Fan Tutte, with the characters of the story having similar experiences to those in the opera.

What other book might you compare Cosi Fan Tutti to and why?

I am a big Michael Dibdin/Aurelio Zen fan, and this book has a decidedly different, more playful style than the other books. That is not to say it is not as good, it doesn't have the more serious tone that the other stories do. It is a nice change for Zen.

What does Michael Kitchen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Michael Kitchen has a wonderful voice, pronounces the Italian words expertly, and has just the right tone of irony that is required for the Aurelio Zen series.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was very entertaining and funny, I highly recommend it to fans of Aurelio Zen and those who enjoy lighthearted detective stories.

Any additional comments?

I give it 5 stars all around!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Enjoyable, fun, intriguing

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good story told by a great voice artist like Michael Kitchen.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot is down right fun.

What about Michael Kitchen’s performance did you like?

Mr Kitchen is as good as ever. Besides I love his Folye's War series. He is certainly a great actor. Forget someone like Tom Cruse reading this. Kitchen is the consummate leading character actor at the top of his game. He appears to be having great fun with the various voices. I envy such talent.

Any additional comments?

One can really appreciate this story when you find a quiet place, a cup of hot chocolate, and no interruptions. It is not hard to "get into" this story. I will wait a month or two and hear it again.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Very good!

This was the most entertaining of all of the Michael Dibdin audiobooks. Michael Kitchen was fantastic reading it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

My favorite Zen to date

Great characters, and great reading by Kitchen, whose entertaining and distinguishing accents make listening easy. Zen's taxi-driver reminded me of the inn-keeper in Shaw's A Man of Destiny (comedic play about the young Napoleon). The plot is good enough, but who needs a great plot with scenes and dialogue like this. Don't listen near the "Quiet Please" sign, or be prepared to suppress chuckles!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Much To Do About Nothing

One of those stories where one chases their tail only to end up having it all work out in the end with a few laughs to tie it all up. Not Michael Dibdin's best, but still nice to see that Aurelio Zen hasn't been affected by fame and success, actually this character always just misses out, but he still ends up surviving and not looking too bad. Michael Kitchen is his usually best.
ZEN LITE.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

love Michael kitchen

What made the experience of listening to Cosi Fan Tutti the most enjoyable?

The narrator is the best. He makes the Italian voices different and fun. He has just the right touch for this fairly humorous Zen episode. His narration is a bit slow, but his delivery helps you enjoy all the nuances of the authors prose, especially the dialog.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was a tad confusing with lots of digressions, but that seemed intentional in this parody of Mozart's opera. This is not a book for someone who wants a straight detective mystery.

Have you listened to any of Michael Kitchen’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I've listened to one other Michael Kitchen performance. He is just superlative always.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Zen

What's not to like about Zen? He loves his mother, treats women with respect and catches the bad guys. Michael Dibdin I miss your kind of writting.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

NOTHING LIKE ZEN ON THE TELE

We were introduced to this author though the BBC, and that Zen is such an unusual character, not typical, moral in his own way, sincere, with a backbone, and very clever. THIS IS NOT THAT ZEN. It is much more police-corrupt-lazy cop, and so it is a huge disappointment. I forced myself through 1 1/2 hours, then let go and went on. Possibly I will give it another try when I am not thinking it is like the BBC series, WHICH IS EXCELLENT, but I doubt it.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A pleasant listen

Fine writing with humor in the style of Tom Sharpe. Maybe not as good as he, but who is? There's a Shakespearean type finale when all the characters gather on stage to resolve questions and reveal surprises. There's even an ending soliloquy by Zen on the mysteries of life. My only criticism is that the main character is a bit more of a bumbler than I like in crime novels.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Made me smile!

This book is worth listening to for the excellent way Michael Kitchen reads it. He puts so much humour into it with his expression and Italian accent. The story has many twists and turns and great characters. It was hard to switch off.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Cosi Fan Tuti

After the too short 3 episode Zenn series on BBC, I thought I'd try an audio version of the one of the books, I was not disappointed. I found it's witty, tongue in cheek humour, and light touch most entertaining. Couldn't stop listening, until I'd finished it, and have immediately bought another Zenn audio book. The narrator Michael Kitchen is perfect for the style of prose, and 'acts' the narrative superbly, adding to my total enjoyment. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dibdin and Zen - unpredictable and compelling.

It takes concentration to follow and understand the machinations of the minds of his characters, not least of all, Zen himself, but once grasped, following them is a breathless journey - they never disappoint!!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

The Art of Zen...

An intriguing plot, presented with a deftness of touch rarely encountered in such novels.
This author understands the dark heart of Italy.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Good book, not a traditional murder mystery

Good book, not a traditional murder mystery but worth listening to, a lot of character development happens in this book so worth listening to if you are interested in the whole series of books

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Best one yet

This is my favourite Zen book so far, funny and clever and very well written. I think it was helped by excellent reading from Michael Kitchen. I know some people don’t like his style, but I think he gets it spot on, especially in this book. He seems to have changed his reading style a bit for this book, but I think his tone, pacing and style was perfect.

A Rambling Episode

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This episode in the Zen portfolio is less well focused than its predecessors and consequently fails to engage to the same extent.

What could Michael Dibdin have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I think Michael Dibdin is a good author but for some reason the plotting of this story meanders and the characterisation (with some exceptions) fails to engage. Also he is not a great writer of comedy and Zen is at his best when he is at his driest, the descent into broad farce did not work (for me, anyway)

What about Michael Kitchen’s performance did you like?

Michael Kitchen is a brilliant reader but even he seemed to struggle with this material.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

Depends who wrote the screenplay - smart editing would help.

Any additional comments?

I love the Zen novels on Audible...this was a disappointment only because the other novels I've listened to have been so good.

Good story, awful narrator!!

Would you try another book written by Michael Dibdin or narrated by Michael Kitchen?

By Michael Dibdin, yes.
By Michael Kitchen, no. Unfortunately, there is not always an option and if you follow a series.....

Could you see Cosi Fan Tutti being made into a movie or a TV series? Who would the stars be?

Yes. Same as in the ones already made.

Uneven writing, brilliantly read

The story has some very good parts, but altogether - it is too long, too convoluted and sporting a number of half-baked characters. The details are better than the whole. Michael Kitchen reading is superb.