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The Day Of The Owl

By Leonardo Sciascia
Series: Granta Shorts
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Brief Description
In the piazza, a man lies dead. No one will say if they witnessed his killing. This presents a challenge to the investigating officer, a man who earnestly believes in the values of a democratic and modern society. Indeed, his enquiries are soon blocked off by... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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This novel about the Mafia is also a mesmerizing demonstration of how that organization sustains itself. It is both a beautifully, tautly written story and a brave act of denunciation.

INCLUDED IN THE GRANTA SHORTS LIST: a crime has been committed in a public place. A dark-suited man was shot as he ran for a bus. The investigating officer of the crime soon finds that, in this small Mafia-run town, no one saw him fall...

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

In the piazza, a man lies dead. No one will say if they witnessed his killing. This presents a challenge to the investigating officer, a man who earnestly believes in the values of a democratic and modern society. Indeed, his enquiries are soon blocked off by a wall of silence and vested interests; he must work against the community to save it and expose the truth.

The narrative of The Day Of The Owl moves on two levels: that of the investigator, who reveals a chain of savage crimes; and that of the bystanders and watchers, of those complicit with secret power, whose gossipy, furtive conversations have only one end β€” to stop the truth coming out.

Series: Granta Shorts

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  • The Day Of The Owl
    In the piazza, a man lies dead. No one will say if they witnessed his killing. This presents a challenge to the investigating officer, a man who earnestly believes in the values of a democratic and modern society. Indeed, his enquiries are soon blocked off by a wall of silence and vested interests; he must work against the community to...
    By Leonardo Sciascia
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781803514420

Publisher: Granta Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 09 April 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Granta Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Arthur Oliver
  • Translated by Archibald Colquhoun

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 128

Collections

Crime & Thriller Fiction Fiction in Translation General Fiction Leonardo Sciascia Series: Granta Shorts

About the Author

Leonardo Sciascia was born in Sicily in 1921 and died there in 1989. A master of lucid and accessible prose, Sciascia worked with deceptively simple forms - books about crime, historical novels, political thrillers - in order to engage with the moral and historical problems of modern Italy, especially his native Sicily. His books are rooted in a particular culture but speak to anyone who has ever wondered how people can endure unbearable injustice. Equal Danger was made into the film Illustrious Corpses by Francesco Rosi.

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    On 16 March 1978, Aldo Moro, former Italian Prime Minister, was ambushed in Rome. Within three minutes, the gang killed all five members of his escort and bundled Moro into one of three getaway cars. An hour later, the Red Brigades announced that Moro was in their hands; on 18 March, they said he would be tried in a 'people's...
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