The Measure of Time by Gianrico Carofiglio
The latest in the highly successful Guido Guerrieri series, shortlisted for the 2020 STREGA prize, Italy’s most prestigious literary award. It is a tense courtroom drama set in Southern Italy, but also a tale about passion and the passage of time. Guerrieri had fallen in love decades earlier with Lorenza, a beautiful older woman who was in his eyes sophisticated and intellectual. She made wonderful love and opened his mind to high literature, but ultimately treated him as a plaything and discarded him.
One spring afternoon Lorenza shows up in Guerrieri’s office. Her son Jacopo, a small-time delinquent, stands convicted of the first-degree murder of a local drug dealer. Her trial lawyer has died, so for the appeal, she turns to Guerrieri. He is not convinced of the innocence of Lorenza’s son, nor does he have fond memories of how their relationship ended two decades earlier. Nevertheless, he accepts the case; perhaps to pay a melancholy homage to the ghosts of his youth.
About the author.
Gianrico Carofiglio now a full time novelist was a member of the Senate in Italy and an anti-Mafia prosecutor in Bari, a port on the coast of Puglia. He is a best-selling author of crime novels and literary fiction, translated in 27 languages. This is the sixth Guerrieri novel is in this best-selling series.
Howard Curtis is a well-known translator from the Italian and has translated other titles in this series.
Review.
‘The Measure of Time’ is an intricate look at the legal system of Italy through the work of a defence lawyer based in Bari. The writing in this book managed to invade my psyche, I was hooked from start to finish. It was seeing the interpretation of evidence from all sides that was so fascinating. Plus, the dual time aspects allowed for memories to be analysed and viewed with hindsight. How young passions can burn burnt brightly and fade just as quickly.
This is the sixth novel in the Guerrieri series but you can definitely read this as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the prior novels and didn’t feel as if that distracted from the narrative at all. I will be going to try and read them though as I am loving the setting of Bari. My friend has actually lived in the city and is moving back there soon and I can imagine her walking round the streets of Guerrieri’s world! It’s small connections like this can make a book for me. The world isn’t as small as you think. Also, I am fascinated about Gianrico’s history as an anti-mafia prosecutor and how this is reflected in his books. It’s a brave man to do that as a profession in Italy!
In this book Guerrieri takes an appointment with a lady who wants to appeal her son’s conviction and he is surprised to find out that the client is an old girlfriend from about 27 years ago. He takes on the case as he feels the defence wasn’t of the best standard and believes he can rectify the situation. However, the son has a chequered past and isn’t an angel. There is conflicting information and Guerrieri’s team finds some holes in the investigation - small holes but they are present.
I really enjoyed the philosophy that was present in the book and how this was related to his profession and life in general. I might only know the ‘trolley problem’ from the show ‘The Good Place’ but I actually loved seeing and understanding this reference. Now this might put some people off but the author breaks down the philosophy so it’s easy to see how it relates to the story and it’s certainly digestible.
The resolution to this case was interesting as well. I liked it - can’t say too much but it shows how you don’t always get what you want. Decisions can come down to what the defendant ate for lunch or whether the judge was in a grumpy mood. But it set a good tone for the conclusion to the tale.
This book is definitely worth a read - if you pick it up let me know your thoughts!
