The Monster of Florence
by Douglas Preston
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Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas PrestonContributor: Mario Spezi
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-10
ISBN: 0446581194
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of The Monster of Florence
Book Review: "In Florence the sublime and terrible go hand in hand."
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Monster of Florence," by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi, is the bizarre tale of an Italian Jack the Ripper. The murderer, whose identity is not known to this day, killed fourteen young lovers who had been enjoying trysts in the countryside. In some cases, he cruelly mutilated his female victims. Among the elements that make this case so mind-boggling is that the Italian authorities botched the investigation so thoroughly that it may no longer be possible to obtain justice for the unfortunate victims and their families.
Douglas Preston, a well-known American writer, relocated with his family to Florence with the intention of producing a novel. While conducting research for his project, Preston met "a legendary Tuscan reporter named Mario Spezi, who for more than twenty years had worked...the crime beat at La Nazione, the daily paper of Tuscany." In 2000, while Preston and Spezi chatted in a café, the reporter mentioned "Il Mostro di Firenze." Because of his encyclopedic knowledge of Monster lore, Spezi was dubbed the "Monstrologer." Rumor has it that Thomas Harris based Hannibel Lecter on this sadistic fiend. While Preston listened, his incredulity grew. He learned that between 1974 and 1985, seven couples were murdered in the hills surrounding Florence. This had become "the longest and most expensive criminal investigation in Italian history." Although quite a few people were interrogated, accused, and arrested for these crimes, the cases remained unsolved. Preston and Spezi decided to collaborate on this book, which traces how the authorities mishandled one of the most important homicide investigations in the history of Italian jurisprudence. Lives and reputations were ruined, people were falsely imprisoned, political careers were made and destroyed--and for what? The mystery is not only who committed these atrocious acts of slaughter, but also how the police force of a major European country failed so thoroughly to fulfill its responsibilities.
Preston begins his book with a timeline and lengthy list of characters and concludes with a detailed index. This is not your typical true crime story. The author provides a brief history of Florence--known for its priceless art, stately palaces, and picturesque vistas. It is also the birthplace of the Renaissance, "where the very idea of the modern world" came to fruition. However, Florence is also the city where the mad monk Savonarola tortured "heretics," where Machiavelli wrote "The Prince," and where political rivals brazenly butchered one another. Nowadays, Florence is celebrated more for its past than its present. However, even the most cynical Florentine may find it difficult to believe that one of its own could so cruelly shoot seven young couples in cold-blood.
Without discussing the specifics of the case, suffice it to say that wild rumors and conspiracy theories abounded, but none led to a definitive solution. At one point, Mario Spezi was incarcerated on trumped up charges because of his frank statements criticizing the handling of the investigation. Spezi states that the mind of the Monster of Florence cannot be fully understood, because "madness is the renunciation of all efforts to be understood." A count named Niccolo Capponi warned Douglas to "take care that you and Mario do not poke too vigorously with your sticks into that nest of vipers." Capponi's words turned out to be prescient. Although "The Monster of Florence" is an unusual and intriguing story, it is not without its flaws. There is too much repetition and the narrative becomes a bit tedious as it progresses. Because there is no resolution, many readers may feel frustrated; after all, fiction is often much neater and more satisfying than real life can ever be.
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