Antonio Manzini
La mala erba

THE REVIEW

An experienced and prolific writer like the good Antonio Manzini, well known to the public for having invented Commissario Schiavone, later played by the good Giallini in a (mediocre) TV series, has revisited/revived an old manuscript that had been put on the back burner, to serve it to fans, or to the publisher (Sellerio) who always hopes to sell enough copies of these authors' works to cover production costs. We are talking about "La mala erba".

Why am I writing about it? Because I like Manzini and because it is undoubtedly a pleasant read (or not too demanding for those who read for relaxation). Manzini's style is fluid, dry, clear, and well-structured. But "La mala erba" does not reach where it should. It is evident and felt that it is a secondary work, and not because it lacks narrative depth. The characters are not deeply outlined, and the events of the novel have a slight grotesque nuance.

And now the plot and some considerations.

The protagonist is a girl, a teenager, who goes through a growth journey, undergoes an evolution, and blooms after a brief ordeal of sufferings and difficult decisions. However, it is hard to connect with her, to identify with her, unless you are, like her, unfinished and in a relatively short time, you have been able to untie any knot (economic, social, sexual, prospective, and more), understand who you are and what you want, before reaching adulthood, achieving a balance worthy of a fairytale character. In short, all that is missing is "and she lived happily ever after" and rich and accomplished, I would add. In the Russian novels, the struggle of a lifetime almost always culminates in defeat, here, in full Disney style tainted with progressivism, the princess accomplishes herself after a relatively short struggle and, as usual, the villain (or villains) pays dearly. And the suspense, alas, quickly dwindles. In conclusion: a beach read. In essence: read the Schiavone saga, it has an entirely different depth.