Venetian Dreaming
by Paula Weideger
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paula WeidegerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2002-06-04
ISBN: 0671047299
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Atria
Book Reviews of Venetian Dreaming
Book Review: Venetian dreams... of a copy editor
Summary: 3 Stars
This book, despite its flaws, is worth reading for its evocative descriptions of contemporary Venice. Indeed, Paula Weideger is capable of writing lovely passages filled with grace, intelligence and humor.
However, she never met a comma (or an em-dash, for that matter) that she didn't leave out! Great, long stretches of prose gallop in a headlong rush without gasping for air (or even a sip of Prosecco). How did this book get published without a good copy editor? It could have been so much stronger.
Plus, the book suffers from a compulsive need to gossip, about people's clothes, physiques, manners, etc., that doesn't add to the narrative. The author may have thought this was descriptive information, but it ends up sounding mean-spirited and judgmental. In the long run it's simply tedious for a reader to have to wade through.
Summary of Venetian Dreaming
Paula Weideger boarded a "vaporetto" on the Grand Canal, and under the sunny blue Venetian sky she, like millions of others, fell in love with the city. Venice was where she wanted to live and, with a combination of luck and determination, she did. This is the story of her adventures in one of the world's most treasured places. Follow in her footsteps as Weideger makes her way into the labyrinth and discovers the city's secrets. There are mysteries, obstacles, and surprises -- many of them delightful -- at almost every turn. Always there are puzzles to solve: How to find an apartment? Where to buy take-away lasagne? Will she ever learn Italian or, more urgently, can she stop getting lost? Is it true that Venice is about to drown -- or that speeding drivers destroy magnificent buildings in this city without cars? Weideger's search for a home eventually takes her to "Palazzo Dona dalle rose," perhaps the last palace in Venice to be continuously occupied by the family of the man who built it -- in this case a legendary "doge." She describes the rooms and their exquisite furnishings with a sensitive eye and an affectionate touch, and shows us how the story of the house fits together with the history of Venice and becomes part of her own. Venice's art and architecture are a constant presence. Yet even more strongly felt is the passage of time, the panorama of the seasons as reflected in special events -- Carnival, the Film Festival, September's historic regatta, Midnight Mass at San Marco -- they are all here. And people. Always people. We accompany Weideger as she explores the Ghetto, meets nobility and boatmen, artists and fish mongers. We learn how she makes peace withthe ghost of Peggy Guggenheim, how her home is threatened, if briefly, by the Merchant Ivory crowd, and how she manages to survive both high water and high drama with her landlady, along with much, much more. Weideger's vision of Venice -- wry, intelligent, and love struck, if occasionally blurred by tears -- is at once haunting and down-to-earth. With a glass of "Prosecco," the traveler, armchair or otherwise, will experience a perfect pleasure.General Books
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