2 member(s) found this review helpful.
I love the style this book is written in, You learn not only about the Fenice Opera house Fire ,Which Archimede Seguso master glass blower watched from his window and produced what is said to be his finest collection ever bowls and vases and such all black with orange ,red,and purple swirls a collection of over 100 pieces. This book is about all things venetian, History customs social stratus , The subtleties of going about things without offending.Last but not least a cast of players ranging from The everyday person to high society with tons of assorted important titles.If you loved "Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil" You will adore this book,Rich in history and intrigue. I actually read it in two days because I was mesmerized by Venice and all things venetian.
Natalie M. (natalietahoe) - Virginia Bch, VA reviewed The City of Falling Angels on + 70 more book reviews
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
What a fantastic read! John Berendt does an excelent job weaving in the quirky characters of Venice amidst a terrible tragedy of the loss of the Fenice Opera House. His descrptions and moments with the people of Venice, both the American ex-patriates and the Venetians, were at once hilarious and incredibly moving. I love his writing and highly recommnd for anyone -- it will make you want to move to Venice...
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Ultimately, distasteful.
This book begins in the same vein as "Midnight" but finally reveals itself as a disjointed account of several vastly unrelated scandals in Venice, both past and (at the time of publication) present. The author gives the impression of having chased down every possible party to the scandals in order to produce a book.
That being said, the descriptions of Venice, it's neighborhoods (if they can be called something so humble) and historical treasures are lyrical. It's a pity that they are so often simply used as a backdrop for a character or another shabby story.
This book begins in the same vein as "Midnight" but finally reveals itself as a disjointed account of several vastly unrelated scandals in Venice, both past and (at the time of publication) present. The author gives the impression of having chased down every possible party to the scandals in order to produce a book.
That being said, the descriptions of Venice, it's neighborhoods (if they can be called something so humble) and historical treasures are lyrical. It's a pity that they are so often simply used as a backdrop for a character or another shabby story.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I'm a fan of Berendt's because of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil but this one didn't grab my attention the same way. The book is presented as a story of the burning of the Fenice Opera House but that subject was talked about in less than half the book. The majority was spent on disconnected short stories about the people of Venice. Don't get me wrong, they were interesting stories of very colorful characters but Berendt failed to weave it all together around the central theme as well as he did in Midnight. Most of the stories were of people who had very little or no involvement with the Fenice. I enjoyed the stories but am glad I found it on clearance for $7!
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Completely different from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Berendt does a masterful job of research when writing.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
In the tradition of his bestselling "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." This time Berendt writes of Venice, as city filled with masks, mystery and a series of riddles. Once again the book weaves stories of the city and the people into an atmospheric tale of magical decadence.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Not as stunning as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" but maybe my expectations were too high. The setting was fascinating and Berendt did a good job of making me feel like I was in Venice, but the story just went nowhere. No plot. Good enough to read though.
Not as good as his book "Midnight In The Garden Of Good & Evil". But still worth the read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
The book started out strong but kind of wandered after the first few chapters.
I'm thoroughly enjoying reading this book. I requested it assuming it was a novel, since I really liked Berendt's novel "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". But, this one is non-fiction, an account of what the author discovers about Venice, Italy. The impetus for him to get involved was a fire that destroyed the La Fenice opera house in 1996. He goes into great detail about the circumstances of the fire, but gets to know all kinds of fascinating people and history in the process. It reads like a novel, but I keep running into references that link to people and places I know about. Lots of fun.
A really good book. John Berendt uses his decription style from the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to bring Venice alive in the same way.
Non-fiction about the arson of the Fenice opera house in 1996. Anyone going to Venice should read this one first....