This historical novel takes place in 15th-century Venice at the beginnings of the moveable printing press. It's story is really multiple stories that are linked throughout the novel.
From a review on Amazon: "Lovric's Venice can be deliciously evil and romantic at once, with murky water that sometimes gives up dead babies and with doors that hide intense passion and curses. Her characters are Venetians and foreigners alike: Sosia, a Serb Jew who seduces men of every class as long as they are Venetians; her husband Rabino, a respected doctor who embraces practical medicine over superstition; Wendelin von Speyer, a German entrepreneur and typesetter; Wendelin's Venetian wife Lussièta who loves him despite, or perhaps because of, his foreignness; Bruno, Wendelin's editor and a man at the mercy of Sosia's indifference; and many others. Catullus and his poetry hover over all as his poetic undying love for his cruel lover (mirrored in the relationship between Bruno and Sosia) becomes the publishing venture the main characters eagerly await".
The problem is, with so many characters and so many details nothing gets fully realized. Unfortunately, the book just didn't move along; It didn't seem to have anywhere to go.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
From a review on Amazon: "Lovric's Venice can be deliciously evil and romantic at once, with murky water that sometimes gives up dead babies and with doors that hide intense passion and curses. Her characters are Venetians and foreigners alike: Sosia, a Serb Jew who seduces men of every class as long as they are Venetians; her husband Rabino, a respected doctor who embraces practical medicine over superstition; Wendelin von Speyer, a German entrepreneur and typesetter; Wendelin's Venetian wife Lussièta who loves him despite, or perhaps because of, his foreignness; Bruno, Wendelin's editor and a man at the mercy of Sosia's indifference; and many others. Catullus and his poetry hover over all as his poetic undying love for his cruel lover (mirrored in the relationship between Bruno and Sosia) becomes the publishing venture the main characters eagerly await".
The problem is, with so many characters and so many details nothing gets fully realized. Unfortunately, the book just didn't move along; It didn't seem to have anywhere to go.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
2 comments:
Nevertheless, Venice is unbelievably lovely. If you haven't been there, you must go, before it sinks or is overwhelmed by the rising seas.
and so it goes,
Dad
This is great info to know.
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