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Sasso Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Sasso




Walker, Apr 2002, 25.95, 312 pp.
ISBN: 0802733727

    The narrator, one of four research scientists to arrive at Mancanzano, Italy to study the prehistoric frescoes found in the nearby caves, writes a letter to his pregnant New York girlfriend relating events here. However, intruding on the scientific efforts is two dead naked teenagers just beneath the drawings. Their mouths are filled with the mystically medicinal grounded form of tufa that seems to be everywhere.
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    As they carefully work with the frescoes, the quartet finds more pictures this time of bleeding cherubim alongside dead naked people, but soon more teens die in the caves. As the narrator learns more about the local legends and history of Mancanzano, he falls into a local darkness that teeters on the insane. He adds to his perplexity when he begins a heated affair with a member of the “asylum”. When their passion cools, they squabble until she is found dead and he is accused of her homicide.

    SASSO is at its best when it focuses on the irony of the lofty narrator being sucked into the mystical mayhem and insanity of the locals. When the story line tries to turn into a philosopher's stone, it bogs down as “tufa” ostentatious. James Sturz shows he has a tremendous gift especially providing a murder mystery with a touch of the mystic and plenty of the absurd, but SASSO, though entertaining and darkly humorous, tries to be too much when it turns reflectively intellectual. Still this reviewer looks forward to more works from Mr. Sturz, an obvious talent.

Harriet Klausner

The review of this Book prepared by Harriet Klausner



Chapter Analysis of Sasso

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book descript. of violence and chases 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 60%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 20%How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) 10% Tone of story    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain?    -   Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues Time/era of story:    -   2000+ (Present) What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot?    -   60% Misc. Murder Plotlets    -   Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator    -   amateur citizen investigator Kid or adult book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book Crime Thriller    -   Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown)    -   Yes

Main Character

Gender    -   Male Profession/status:    -   scientist Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Race    -   White/American

Setting

Europe    -   Yes European country:    -   Italy

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Amount of dialog    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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James Sturz Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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