Review of THE DAY OF THE OWL
Sicily ... the Mafia ... fear and loyalties ... short and real
Leonardo Sciascia was the find of the summer. This literary discovery was part of our due diligence before going to Sicily. Written sixty years ago, this concise novel mirrors much of this writer’s work. Considered by his contemporaries as one of the best writers of his time, Sciascia had disappeared outside of his native Italy until NYRB reissued his classics. This is serious writing embedded within a mystery. The context is the Mafia riddled, feudal Sicily of the mid to late 20th century. I gather he often feared for his life and kept his Mafia references well disguised. In fact, this novel ends with a coda of sort, explicating his need to be very careful. This is a very good book, operating at the intersection of art and social commentary. It is hard to follow at times and with its novella length is best read in a day or two. Regardless how you read it, you will know that you are in the hands of a gifted writer on a serious mission.
THE DAY OF THE OWL
Leonardo Sciascia
2003 NYRB reissue
136 pages