Donna Leon is best known for her series of crime novels set in Venice, Italy, featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. In Backstage (2025) Donna Leon discusses her writing life and the authors and books that affected it.
While writing about “Redentore” Leon declares that one of her favorite mysteries (p. 69) is Ruth Rendell’s A Judgement in Stone (1977). In fact, Ruth Rendell is one of Leon’s favorite mystery writers.
In “Great Expectations” Leon confesses: “One book that I keep returning to is Dickens’s Great Expectations, which I fell in love with the I was fifteen.” ( p. 85) Leon falls in love with several books. “First things first: let’s dismiss any idea of impartiality or measured, neutral judgement in this review. Toss the the window even-handedness, restraint, objective. I do not like Patrick O’Brian, I adore him.” (p. 109). I like Patrick O’Brian and, like Donna Leon, I’ve read all of O’Brian’s Aubrey–Maturin series is a sequence of nautical historical novels—20 completed and one unfinished—by English author Patrick O’Brian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centring on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ship’s surgeon Stephen Maturin, a physician, natural philosopher, and intelligence agent.
In “With a Little Help from Lew Archer,” (p. 132) Leon admits she learned a lot from Ross Macdonald’s private detective from reading all his mysteries.
I’m always interested in the influences that affect writers and their writing process. Donna Leon shares a lot of her secrets in Backstage and I enjoyed them immensely! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Early in Life
Cedric — 3
Tell ‘Em Anything — 12
Jack and Jill –21
Heroes
Getting Zapped — 29
Detectives and Villains — 35
Orlando’s a Nutcase — 38
String-Pulling in Venice
The Diamond Man — 45
Venice 1729 — 54
With a View of San Marco — 61
Redentore — 65
Mortal Danger
Getting Out — 75
Great Expectations — 85
Regina — 88
Trips
San Gennaro — 101
Master and Commander — 109
The Beauty of the Unknown — 116
Behind the Scene
A New Case for Brunetti — 123
On the Move — 127
With a Little Help from Lew Archer — 132
Amorality
Dirt — 137
Janus-Faced Deity — 144
A Complex Character –155
Love
Dear Guido — 161
Gardening — 163
A Book of a Lifetime — 167
Moment of Truth
The Death of Ivan Itych — 171
The Big Bow Wow — 175
Show, Don’t Tell — 180
Ends
The Big Sleep — 191
Loneliness — 196
Addio –201
In Memoriam — 205
At least I’ve heard of her!
Bob, Donna Leon has written 33 novels in her popular Guido Brunetti series, all of which are bestsellers that have sold millions of copies and been translated into many languages!
Yes, I know!
I haven’t been interested enough to try her books, but this does sound interesting, though that Rendell book was a monumental downer.
Jeff, many of Ruth Rendell books–especially her “Barbara Vine” mysteries–were downers.
And RR first novel, I think.
I love this kind of book. Will see if my library system bought it.
Patti, I love this kind of book, too. I’ve persuaded my local Public Library to purchase Lydia Davis’s IN THE WEEDS which is another author writing about her craft.
I haven’t read Leon yet, but did see some of the dramatizations of her work over the years…I do tend to like memoirs of writers. Thanks for the pointer!
Todd, I’m always eager to read what an author has to say about the Writing Craft!
I think I read one or 2 but haven’t kept up with them. I do remember liking them, but had many other authors I liked better.
Maggie, same here. I’ve read a handful of Donna Leon’s books but there are so many books…and so little Time!
Have never read her though I have a couple of her books on the shelves. this book seems interesting.
Neeru, Donna Leon’s mysteries are fun reads. BACKSTAGE shows how her writing career came about.