Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 5
First Line: Mathilde took out her diary and wrote: 'The man sitting next to me has got one hell of a nerve.'
Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg grew up in the foothills of the Pyrenees, became a policeman at the age of twenty-five, and after a series of promotions and the passage of twenty years, he finds himself as Commissaire in Paris. Back home Adamsberg was something of a legend:
"You sit around daydreaming, staring at the wall, or doodling on a bit of paper as if you had all the time and knowledge in the world, and then one day you swan in, cool as a cucumber, and say 'Arrest the priest. He strangled the child to stop him talking.'"
Great things are expected of him in Paris, but when he focuses on a case that makes everyone else laugh, some begin to wonder if Adamsberg's reputation is all hype.
Almost everyone in Paris is laughing over The Chalk Circle Man, and they scan the newspapers each day to see what bizarre object has been enclosed in a blue chalk circle. Will it be another beer can? Or how about another trombone? Only Adamsberg doesn't think it's funny, and when the next blue chalk circle is around the body of a woman whose throat has been slashed, people begin to realize that the quirky policeman may not be a hayseed after all.
I loved this book. The translation by Sian Reynolds was excellent, and I felt as though I were walking the streets of Paris with Adamsberg. The plot had enough twists and turns in it that, although I'd deduced some things as I read, I was still surprised at the end and laughed with pleasure.
Excellent translation, strong sense of place, nice twisty plot... all those things are important, but it's the characters who stick with me the most. Adamsberg who lets no one keep him from conducting investigations his way. Mathilde, a woman who follows random people through the streets of Paris, observes them, and often takes them under her wing. And Clémence, a septuagenarian who hasn't given up on love and is an avid follower of the "lonely hearts" ads in the newspapers. These characters are what make The Chalk Circle Man sparkle, and they are what make this book memorable.
Comin' through, folks! Comin' through! I've got to get my hands on the second book in this series!
Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg grew up in the foothills of the Pyrenees, became a policeman at the age of twenty-five, and after a series of promotions and the passage of twenty years, he finds himself as Commissaire in Paris. Back home Adamsberg was something of a legend:
"You sit around daydreaming, staring at the wall, or doodling on a bit of paper as if you had all the time and knowledge in the world, and then one day you swan in, cool as a cucumber, and say 'Arrest the priest. He strangled the child to stop him talking.'"
Great things are expected of him in Paris, but when he focuses on a case that makes everyone else laugh, some begin to wonder if Adamsberg's reputation is all hype.
Almost everyone in Paris is laughing over The Chalk Circle Man, and they scan the newspapers each day to see what bizarre object has been enclosed in a blue chalk circle. Will it be another beer can? Or how about another trombone? Only Adamsberg doesn't think it's funny, and when the next blue chalk circle is around the body of a woman whose throat has been slashed, people begin to realize that the quirky policeman may not be a hayseed after all.
I loved this book. The translation by Sian Reynolds was excellent, and I felt as though I were walking the streets of Paris with Adamsberg. The plot had enough twists and turns in it that, although I'd deduced some things as I read, I was still surprised at the end and laughed with pleasure.
Excellent translation, strong sense of place, nice twisty plot... all those things are important, but it's the characters who stick with me the most. Adamsberg who lets no one keep him from conducting investigations his way. Mathilde, a woman who follows random people through the streets of Paris, observes them, and often takes them under her wing. And Clémence, a septuagenarian who hasn't given up on love and is an avid follower of the "lonely hearts" ads in the newspapers. These characters are what make The Chalk Circle Man sparkle, and they are what make this book memorable.
Comin' through, folks! Comin' through! I've got to get my hands on the second book in this series!
Vicki S. (curledupwithabook) -
Helpful Score: 2
This book is translated from the French original. If you speak French or Spanish, you will notice where the translator struggled to convey a mood or thought for which there simply are no good English words. Truth is, English is no romance language, that's for sure. Once I accepted that slight awkwardness, I enjoyed this quirky book. I guess quirky primarily describes the main character, Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, Commissaire of police headquarters in Paris' 5th arrondissement, but there are others in the book who are just as colorful and kooky.
The mystery is a good one: who's drawing the chalk circles on the street and leaving dead bodies in them? The book is a bit atmospheric and dark, but Ms. Vargas adds some humor and just a smidgen of romance to lighten up the mood. The reader spends a lot of time in Adamsberg's head and it's interesting to know his thoughts on the other characters and see how he figures out the who-done-it. A good book to lose yourself in while on a flight to wherever.
The mystery is a good one: who's drawing the chalk circles on the street and leaving dead bodies in them? The book is a bit atmospheric and dark, but Ms. Vargas adds some humor and just a smidgen of romance to lighten up the mood. The reader spends a lot of time in Adamsberg's head and it's interesting to know his thoughts on the other characters and see how he figures out the who-done-it. A good book to lose yourself in while on a flight to wherever.
I was excited to read this book because I am a fan of foreign detective fiction. Unfortunately the characters of Fred Vargas were so eclectic that it made the story difficult to read and I found myself losing interest about two thirds of the way through. I did not find Adamsberg to be as engaging a character as some other foreign detectives that I have read. I will probably read more of her work to see how it compares to this story, but overall The Chalk-Circle Man was less than satisfying for me.
Not my cup of tea - neither the writing, nor the characters.
I guess if you take leave of your logic, then you can enjoy the book, but there are too many unanswered questions. Commissaire Adamsberg simply announces his conclusions or how he wants to proceed, and the reader is left in the dark and cannot follow how he arrives at them. Too many coincidences.
Everyone drinks and smokes during the investigation - I don't think even the French police do that any more. It just adds to the implausibility of it all.
I guess if you take leave of your logic, then you can enjoy the book, but there are too many unanswered questions. Commissaire Adamsberg simply announces his conclusions or how he wants to proceed, and the reader is left in the dark and cannot follow how he arrives at them. Too many coincidences.
Everyone drinks and smokes during the investigation - I don't think even the French police do that any more. It just adds to the implausibility of it all.
Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed The Chalk Circle Man (Commissaire Adamsberg, Bk 1) on + 3096 more book reviews
Quite a different writing style, takes place in Paris but I had the picture of the darkness of London around the time of Jack the Ripper and as Adamsberg I pictured Rex Harrison--now the question is why, but that's just what the writing reminded me of.
Murder detective is very different from most others.
I will read book 2 some day.
I will read book 2 some day.
