10-19-2005, 05:45 PM
It's by the author who brought you "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" It's about Venice at the time La Fenice, the Venice opera house burned to the ground.
It does a nice job of getting at the character of city that tourist normally don't get to see. He not only covers the fire, but he also talks about some lesser scandals involving the Save Venice fund and the odd goings on at the Ezra Pound foundation.
All in all, the tale of the fire, while evoked beautifully, doesn't really drive the book all that much. It's more like a collection of snapshots of the city rather than one overall panorama.
If you are interested in the city of Venice, it does offer up some interesting tidbits. If you aren't, let the hoopla pass you by.
It does a nice job of getting at the character of city that tourist normally don't get to see. He not only covers the fire, but he also talks about some lesser scandals involving the Save Venice fund and the odd goings on at the Ezra Pound foundation.
All in all, the tale of the fire, while evoked beautifully, doesn't really drive the book all that much. It's more like a collection of snapshots of the city rather than one overall panorama.
If you are interested in the city of Venice, it does offer up some interesting tidbits. If you aren't, let the hoopla pass you by.
So much for the flickr badge idea. Dammit