Who is Inspector Montalbano?

Who is Inspector Montalbano? Franco Gallippi (Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto) Montalbano is someone who observes from above and from below, the labyrinth in which he lives. When he observes from above, he often speaks on behalf of those who see things only from below. When he observes from below, he does not forget the point of view of those who look only from above. He doesn't always know the path that leads to the solution of a problem. Sometimes a woman like the mythical Ariadne provides him with a ball of string to find his way out of the labyrinth. But not all women are like Ariadne. Some are like the Furies or the Harpies who in Greek mythology are figures one must be warned against. When such is the case, Montalbano, thoroughly knowing the labyrinth, sidetracks and makes them get caught up in the gears of the system. All is done to make the greater good prevail. To do this, Montalbano must also question the law itself when it is too rigid and inadequate at addressing human situations difficult to define. He would like to always use honest methods but sometimes, unwillingly, he plays the criminal and uses dishonesty as an instrument of honesty. When I think of the ancient heroes, I feel Montalbano is like Ulysses, but one who does not blind Polyphemus the Cyclopes. And when he listens to the song of the Sirens, he is not tied to the mast of his ship and his crew is not denied such a song by putting wax in their ears. The song of the Sirens is listened to, and followed to a death that reveals to be the source of life. Sometimes he reminds me of Spartacus, the famous gladiator and liberator of slaves because he challenges his superiors but has little interest in taking their place of authority. His place is in the battlefield and in contact with nature, where he can, in a sense, liberate others and maintain his own freedom. For this he is suspicious of technology and fast cars. He feels they do not respect the rhythms of nature. He does not have a cell phone, and if he does it is turned off. He drives a basic model Fiat Uno but often prefers to walk, especially after a meal. This may be the reason why women fall in love with him: by listening to the voice of nature and trying his best to follow it, he attracts the attention of women. If, by chance, a woman falls on the battlefield, she is often an innocent victim, and Montalbano suffers and maintains the memory of her alive.

When I think of the Gospels, he seems to be a kind of Christ who changes water into wine, and who knows how to tell a parable to communicate an important truth. He does his work in such a way that one can’t help think that it is a mission that takes precedence over everything else because only in this way can everything else be assured an ethical and moral existence. He often foresees a betrayal but he does not condemn it. He manages it and navigates through it in such a way that the traitor becomes aware of the gravity of his or her act of betrayal. And just like Christ, he gives his time to those anonymous people at the margins of society without judging them, and often helps them find the ability to help themselves. It is true that he is an “armed prophet” but he hates using weapons and prefers arriving at his objective without the use of violence. He gives to Cesar that which is Cesar’s and to God that which is God’s, in the sense that he never sells his soul for a price that is not linked to some positive outcome for the good of his community. But that which links him so strongly to the figure of Christ is fish, an obvious symbol. Montalbano not only swims like a fish but more often than not we find him eating fish. He insists it be cooked correctly. And when he sits down for a meal, he warns his company that he never talks when he eats. Why? Can it be that for him having a meal is still a sacred moment? It is the mass, and the food that nurtures life is to be respected and enjoyed, and never taken for granted. He is a poet of the Sicilian School, and he sings of a distant love, the only true love for it stimulates the imagination. He is a knight at the court of Frederik II and also a paladin in love with Angelica and at the service of Charlemagne. Marriage, children, and family, are all protected e respected but somehow avoided by Montalbano. Maybe the work that he does and the risks that it involves, lead him to sacrifice the private for the sake of the public good. It is a recurring motif in the hero journey: to give one’s life to something other than the private. This is sometimes the price to pay for those who follow their true vocation. Original Italian: 7 April 2015 English translation by Franco Gallippi: 4 March 2016