VENICE-O-METER 9
An Aurelio Zen investigation set in the inspector’s native Venice
Michael Dibdin’s Dead Lagoon was published over 30 years ago, in the early 1990s, but his observation about a Venice in crisis — one plagued by over-tourism, more of a theme park than a city, one with an ever-aging population, one that falls for the far-right’s twisted promises — remain incredibly and poignantly topical. Dibdin’s minute, and often amusing, observations of Venetian life speak to an in-depth knowledge of the city and its many quirks.
The author’s choice of neighborhoods, away from the typical visitor’s path, also reflect an intimate familiarity with Venice and the islands that surround it. The itineraries are wonderfully detailed — it would be fun to recreate Zen’s all-night foot-and-boat pursuit.of an old friend (now a suspect) in the final chapters of the book. I wasn’t able to find what building inspired the fictional palazzo Zulian, but I pinpointed a number of the novel’s key locations on the Map.
I’m not a huge fan of Aurelio Zen as a character, but that doesn’t remove anything from this novel’s merits.
Similarly, I prefer story arcs that start with what looks like a conspiracy and lead us towards a more intimate explanation of a crime, one that’s rooted in psychological observations — again, that’s a purely personal preference and it doesn’t diminish the author’s masterly weaving of the narrative.
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Reading Venice 