Nana

Alba & Gorodish #2

by Delacorta

Gorodish, a failed musician and con artist, teams up with Alba, a mischievous, kinky thirteen-year-old, to become partners in crime set in a small town in France

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Novels, Contemporary

180 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Delacorta is a pseudonym used by Daniel Odier for some of his works, notably his Alba fiction series.

Reviews

[Toby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd little prequel to Diva. It shows none of the signs of pulpy noir that the first book had yet still manages to entertain in a similar fashion.

I can only conclude that the characters of Gorodish & Alba are what makes these books so much fun to read. This entry in to the series, to use a staple of comic book criticism, is an origin story, the same origin story alluded to in Diva infact.

It's a tale of life in small town France and a fun dissecting of the "everyone has a skeleton in their closet" theme, complete with Gorodish playing author plotting his "story" with the townsfolks secrets on a large graph.

Whilst it is small town life there's plenty of "the dark underbelly" on display in the narrative; the motorbike gang of The Vampires wouldn't last a day outside of this town but in it they are the dark and twisted scapegoats enjoying orgies and torture amongst other things. The scenarios with the townsfolk feel almost like a pastiche of the France of Georges Simenon and even bring to mind a French version of an Elmore Leonard ensemble, especially the charismatic, adoration seeking priest.

Delacorta writes this one almost as if he is writing a step outline for a movie, with some scenes taking one line whilst others exist purely for expositional dialogue. The most cinematic his description gets, and coincidentally the most descriptive chapter of the book, is the indepth look at two Vampires having sex on a moving motorbike, which alone, makes the book worth reading for the ingenious way they find to make it work.

It may well be that the series will get better with the next installment, but the novellas are so slim that they work as almost a palate cleanser in between better yet more emotionally, intellectually and physically draining works.

[Rich Gamble · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prequel to Diva, Nana retraces the circumstances that led to hero characters Alba & Gorodish become a team. The plot is very light on but some unintentionally comic scenes like a biker couple copulating on a speeding motorcycle (with custom zip pants for easy 180 degree genital access) amongst the most memorable developments. A passive acceptance of violence to gays and a clumsy attempt at explaining hero Gorodish’s passion for essentially producing and distributing child pornography makes for a more morally jarring experience as a contemporary reader than Diva. While some recommend reading this before Diva I would disagree– the over-explanation of the pairs meeting runs contrary to the minimalist spirit of the series and you may find yourself liking the characters less and ruin the latter novels.

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020

Back in the day I thought this series was so cool: sexy, and French, and awesome. I suppose it's telling that I've never felt a desire to re-read them. Nowadays the whole set up seems skeevy.

Personal copy.

[James Morman]

This one doesn't really have a plot so to speak, it's just a series of actions that Gorodish has arranged that leads him to the money in the end. Being a prequel to 'Diva', it also tells us how Alba and Gorodish got together, some of his background and him being a non-practicing pedophile. I have to say I've never seen a pedophile as the hero (or anti-hero if you will) as the lead in a story. Strange choice by Delacorta.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

My second in the Alba and Gorodish series, a prequel to Diva. I guess I find little of interest now in a pedophile's psychology and a beautiful thief. No more Delacorta for me.

[Ele Corre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro complesso è sfidante nonostante la ridotta dimensione, intrigante la scrittura anche se poco scorrevole.
Prequel di Diva: sia Nanà che Diva hanno ispirato Leon e Nikita di Luc Besson.

[laila* · Rating 3 out of 5]

this felt like a really colorful 2000s movie w a crazy subplot u just have to lay down and accept….getting weird w it &&all

[Davidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning: The Alba series of books centre on the relationship between a 13 year old girl who is frequently described in sexual terms and a man in his late 30s. Although it is made clear that no sexual intercourse occurs, their sharing of beds and nudity is unsettling to the modern reader. However, the fact that Alba is more mature than most 18 year olds makes it possible to enjoy the stories despite the qualms as it hard to believe that the character described is really only 13. I suspect that Delacorta only gives her the age of 13 just to shock, he could easily have made her 15 ( the age of consent in much of Europe) without changing anything else.

Having got that out of the way, this is the prequel to Diva, giving the story of how Alba and Gorodish met. There is an echo of Hammett's Red Harvest in the plot, where Gorodish comes to a small town and sets the different groups against each other to their mutual destruction. Of course Gorodish comes out on top in the end.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, quick, easy read. Gorodish, the main character is a sophisticated French thief who moves into a small town with the aim of shaking up the stolid residents for his own purposes. While there he runs afoul of a biker gang called the Vampires, and falls in love with a teenaged kleptomaniac. Unfortunately, there's not much substance to the story or to the characters. The book is enjoyable enough to read, but it won't stick with you when you're done.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first in the Alba and Gorodish new-wave crime series. Although they don't meet until the last 20 pages there's still tons of kinky French new wave humor here inviolving a circus arriving to a small town coincdiding with some French bikers on holiday. There's lots of anarchy and erotica in this one, sportif fans.

[The Wee Hen · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I have scored this so high because, for a time, it was one of my favourite books. Keep in mind I read it in junior high school so... it's hard to take the loves of a 14 year old me seriously. The 80's weren't exactly one's finest hour. I'm positive that if I read these books again I would have nothing to say but that these were puerile fantasies unworthy of my time.***

[Ben Kruskal · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in the internal chronology of the Alba/Gorodish series by Daniel Odier, Nana is the best to my taste. An odd tongue in cheek criminal thriller, very imaginative plot and interesting though very offbeat character.

[Giddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

God, what a stinker. Possibly the worst "mystery" or "thriller" I have ever read, unless wondering how the uncanny duo of a man and a mysteriously sophisticated 13 year old are finally going to get together. THis is the sort of thing people think they are reading when they read Lolita.

[Karmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book chronicles Serge & Alba's beginning. The book is short (120-130 pages) but the language the author utilizes makes one feel they are much longer. They are not short of description, action, plot or characterization. The only item lacking is useless rhetoric.

Absolutely fucking fantastic!

[Arlene Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't remember why I didn't like this one so much.

[Chiaralletti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono l'unica ad aver trovato la postfazione una rottura pazzesca?!

Vabbè che serviva all'einaudi per allungare il volume di ben 22 pagine e giustificare la modica cifra di sedici euro...

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for a flight to New Orleans.

[Beau Daignault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed all the Delacorta Mysteries. Fun, High-Pop.