Book recommendation - Venice

[Marie-Claude]

Every time we take a cruise I try to get into the 'mood' of the places we will visit by reading books on those places. Next up is Venice, and I'd like to get your suggestions on books that take place in Venice.

I have many tourist guides, I'm looking more at novels or history books.

Thanks in advance!

[juliejoe]

Hello Marie-Claude,

 

I like to do the same! I don't know of a novel that takes place in Venice, but Barnes & Noble publishes a book called Venice Past and Present. It's very good - to read in advance of your trip and to have as a souvenier. There are lots of very good color photos and the text is fairly well done. I think I paid something like $7.95 for it.

 

Julie

[wwinfl91]

There is an author I ran into first in 2003 when we were going on a Med cruise that ended in Venice who has a series set in Venice. Her name is Donna Leon. She writes what I guess would be called detective novels since her main character is Venice police detective. Her books can be a little hard to find here in the states but I thnk Barnes and Noble carries them in paperback which is what you want for a cruise. Her descriptions of Venice are really great and make me want to return there again and visit and experience this magnificant city again. Here is a web site that lists her novels which I believe are originally written in English and have been translated into a variety of European lanquages.

 

http://www.phys.uni-paderborn.de/~stern/leon/

 

Have a great next cruise.

[Aussie Gal]

A wonderful read and a book set in Venice is "Lucifer's Shadow" by David Hewson. It is set in two different centuries - the present and in the time of Vivaldi - and swings between the two. It is a story of a violin and is also a love story.

 

It made Venice come alive for me when we visited in October last year even though it was our third time there.

 

Jennie

[wwinfl91]

Hi Aussie Gal,

 

Have you talked with Sandy and Peter lately. I sent them a CD of pictures from the cruise we were on with them from Ft Lauderdale to Montreal and Sandy sent me an email that they enjoyed the pictures.

 

I will have to check out the book you mentioned above as I like history and Venice.

 

Talk at you all later.

[Aussie Gal]

Hi wwinfl91,

 

Yes I keep in touch with them at least once or twice a week through email. They will be leaving on their wonderful cruise from Japan around 24th April.

 

Not long until you are off. I hope you find that novel, it is a good read as there are a lot of true facts in the story.

 

Jennie

[Susan-M]

A wonderful read and a book set in Venice is "Lucifer's Shadow" by David Hewson. It is set in two different centuries - the present and in the time of Vivaldi - and swings between the two. It is a story of a violin and is also a love story.

 

It made Venice come alive for me when we visited in October last year even though it was our third time there.

 

Jennie

 

Thanks for the suggestion Jennie...I've placed a hold on it at the library and look forward to reading it.

[Marie-Claude]

Thank you all for your suggestions... I'll have plenty to read before we go!

[Call me Ishmael]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Death in Venice" by Thomas Mann.

 

While it is an odd story, it has a great passage about arrival into Venice by ship.

 

 

http://print.google.com/print?id=XwcXhXO7lXcC&lpg=34&prev=http://print.google.com/print%3Fq%3Dapproaching%26ie%3DUTF-8%26id%3DXwcXhXO7lXcC&pg=34&sig=TVVbOmYFhEl4CIipFrmqsHbwhII

 

:D

[AltaJoe]

Vaparetto 13. Its probably out of print, but you can still find it.

[SPI_Rick]

OK, take this recommendation with a grain of salt....because I haven't read either one, but I have heard that Lucifer's Shadow by David Hewson (as mentioned by Aussie Gal) and The Stargazer by Michele Jaffe are both good Venice 'mood' books.

[usavvy2]

There's a novel from the 90's called Black bridge : a mystery of Venice by Edward Sklepowich; however, I can't recommend it as I haven't read it.

 

But, if you're going to Rome, I HIGHLY recommend "A KEY TO ROME" by Stearns. It's a fabulous easy read that explores Rome from ancient to current times. Great to read for a good foundation BEFORE getting there! (I think it's out of print now b'c it's old but it's worth checking around for in the out-of-print book sellers areas.

[Brahmama]

I can't believe that noone has recommended my favorite book, "Miss Garnet's Angel" by Sally Vickers. I read this before we even thought about going to Venice and love it and even ordered copies for my special friends.

 

And then, POOF, we had this opportunity to fly to Venice and take a ship from there and like magic it happened!

 

I have read it at least 4 times now - you MUST READ this this before you get to Venice!!!!

 

Carol / Brahmama

[trubey]

I recently bought, but haven't yet read , "The Floating Book" by Michell Lovric. The back cover reads:

 

"Venice, 1468. Sosia Simeon, a free-spirited sensualist, is the lover of many men in the fabled city, though married to one she despises. On the edge of the Grand Canal, Wedelin von Speyer sets up the first printing press in Venice and looks for the book that will make his fortune. When he tempts fate by publishing Catullus, the poet whose desperate and unrequited love inspired the most tender and erotic poeims of antiquity, a scandal is set in motion that will change all their lives for ever."

 

susan.

[beavmonk]

I agree with the previous posts - I read "paris to the moon" before going to paris last year and it truly made a difference in making my short stay seem much more meaningful and permanent in my mind. I am wondering if anyone can recommend other books about Italy in general (fiction, not tour guide books) or about a particular city that will both inform and enchant me...please let me know! My cruise is in May and I am a slow reader! :p