The Measure of Time

LoveReading View on The Measure of Time

Deceptively simple and thought-provoking, Gianrico Carofiglio’s The Measure of Time is a compelling trial tale shot-through with the distinctly contemplative personality of its flawed, charismatic protagonist, defence attorney Guerrieri.

“Time accelerates with age, they say. The thought wasn’t a new one, but that day it had been bouncing around unpleasantly.” So observes Guerrieri on the very day he comes face to face with the passage of time when a lover from his past asks him to represent her son. Their relationship ended decades ago, abruptly, when she simply stopped contacting him. Back then, Lorenza was stunning and offered him an enigmatic glimpse into the possibilities of living a bohemian life. “The encounter between Lorenza and me changed my life. I’m sure it didn’t change hers,” he recalls in typically reflective, shrug-of-the-shoulders style. “She had been my involuntary mentor, the woman who had distractedly accompanied me through a metaphorical wood for a few months.”

When Lorenza unexpectedly reappears, Guerrieri is shocked by how much she’s aged, and it’s now her who needs him. Her son Iacopo has been convicted of murdering a local drug dealer, and the lawyer representing his appeal has recently died. What’s more, there’s evidence to suggest the lawyer didn’t do all he could to defend Iacopo in the original trial. Though not entirely convinced of his innocence, Guerrieri takes on the case, with meticulous attention to the philosophical fundaments of the justice system while also contemplating his youth and formative relationship with Lorenza. I was utterly gripped by the intricacies of the trial and by Guerrieri’s personal realisations - this is crime fiction at its most captivating.

Joanne Owen