And, without trying to be facetious or condescending, it is a lovely book to read at bedtime. While technically a piece of non-fiction, the narrative structure of this book makes it seem more an interwoven collection of short vignettes. The author moves to Venice and then infiltrates the locals' worlds. With Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz. The City of Falling Angels (2005) by John Berendt. As travel writing, City of Falling Angels. However, I felt that the author went into way more detail about the Fenice fire than I needed to know. We learn a lot about the burning of the Fenice opera house, Ezra Pound's estate, and everyday life in Venice. ), and the bland portrait of Venice. Genres. Like his previous nonfictional work, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" the author takes an event, (this time the fire at the Fenice, the Venice Opera House in 1996) investigates it and creates a story he, as the author, and we the reader, all become intrigued by. It was quite a chore to listen to on audio, but I think it would have been the same for print. The famed opera house had burned in January, 1996 but there had been no change to the site sin. I was so glad when this book was over. An enlightening read. As one would expect from a Venetian tales, there is plenty of gossip and intrigue although the magic comes for personalities developed through strong connection with the history of the remarkable republic of Venice. in English from Harvard University, where he worked on the staff of, “Loneliness is not being alone, It's loving others to no avail.”, “Death in Venice, The Wings of the Dove, The Aspern Papers, Don’t Look Now, Summertime, Across the River and Into the Trees, The Comfort of Strangers.”. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. The book tells the story of some interesting inhabitants of Venice, Italy, whom the author met while living there in the months following a fire which destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house in 1996. It was October of 1997 during my honeymoon and my husband and I had just arrived and were trying to find our Venetian hotel. Enjoyed it, though, and oh how it made me want to be a mysterious American expat occupying a palazzo... Audiobook note: Well done. They had to collect water from the Grand Canal and bring it over by helicopter - by then, the opera house was in flames and there was no way to stop it. I found many parts of this book boring including the story line (was there an ending? I think I was expecting the same. The fire department had to focus on keeping the fire from spreading to the rest of the very flammable city, and as a result the inhabitants of Venice were forced to watch, weeping, as the centuries-old opera house burned to the ground in front of them. by John Berendt. 56? Learn about membership options, or view our freely available titles. Berendt is a very patient writer, which to me is neither a compliment or an insult. No murders, ethical dilemmas, or other issues that are unsettling in the dark, but full of interesting, colorful characters; exotic, beautiful places; and fantasy lives that are just within reach. The loss of the Fenice, where five of Verdi's operas premiered, is a catastrophe for Venetians. About this Book. When the fire broke out, a million things went swiftly and horribly wrong: the interior of the opera house was littered with open paint cans, chemicals, and cloths, making accidental fire an inevitability, and the fire alarm was disabled. Sadly, this book isn’t it. In The City Of Falling Angels, John Berendt tries to do for Venice what he did for Savannah, Georgia, in his blockbuster hit Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. September 26th 2006 Among those interviewed is Archimede Seguso, a renowned Venetian glassblower of the twentieth century. I started this book a few months ago, loved it, continued reading it, continued loving it, then put it down for a few months before ever finishing it. Forgot how amazing it was. The City of Fallen Angels (Mortal Instruments 4) Cassandra Clare ***** Part One Exterminating Angels There are sicknesses that walk in darkness; and there are exterminating angels, that fly wrapt up in the curtains of immateriality and an uncommunicating nature; whom we cannot see, but we feel their force, and sink under their sword. John Berendt arrives in Venice three days after a terrible fire has destroyed the historic Fenice. The City of Falling Angels, Berendt's first book sinceMidnight, is the same unique brand of literary nonfiction that made him a household name. The investigation of the opera house fire wasn't as compelling as the murder mystery in the the author's previous book, but it still was interesting to see how the Italian legal system operates. Welcome back. The City of Falling Angels opens on the evening of January 29, 1996, when a dramatic fire destroys the historic Fenice opera house. While technically a piece of non-fiction, the narrative structure of this book makes it seem more an interwoven collection of short vignettes. Seguso lived directly behind La Fenice and witnessed the fire. Entertaining, but ultimately rather pointless. Buy The City of Falling Angels by Berendt, John (ISBN: 9780340825006) from Amazon's Book Store. Having recently visited Venice, Italy, I was glad to read a book which brought back to me gondola rides on the canals, the romance of evening city lights, and Murano glass. The author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil returns after more than a decade to give us an intimate look at the "magic, mystery, and decadence" of the city of Venice and its inhabitants. And that's good. Large sections of it only loosely tied into the main story of the burning of Teatro La Fenice, Venice's opera house. Members: Reviews: Popularity: Average rating: Mentions: 3,566: 94: 2,559 (3.55) 140: Venice, a city steeped in a thousand years of history, art and architecture, teeters in precarious balance between endurance and decay. One that was about the real inhabitants and daily lives of Venetians. Critics' Opinion: Readers' Opinion: First Published: Sep 2005, 320 pages Paperback: Oct 2006, 320 pages. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in … In "Falling Angels" the core event is the destruction by fire (arson?) This book is as much about Venice and the people who live there as it is about the Fenice opera house fire. OTHER BOOKS. It is every bit as good! Like Midnight, Falling Angels is a masterpiece of journalism, storytelling, and social insight, doing for Venice what Midnight did for Savannah, Georgia. Can’t say I’d recommend this over anything else I’ve read recently, but perhaps I’ll feel less strongly about that after some time…. I loved it! The City of Falling Angels Summary & Study Guide John Berendt This Study Guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The City of Falling Angels. It's one of those places where the myth and exclamations and romanticism of tourists overshadow the fact that for some people, it's just home. While the picture is still presented by an interloper into Venetian culture, his view see. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS (Non-Fiction-Venice, Italy-Cont) – VG+. THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS opens on the evening of January 29, 1996, when a dramatic fire destroys the historic Fenice opera house. The City of Falling Angels (2005) is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. More By and About This Author. Just a disclaimer: I read that one when I was about 14, so perhaps my tastes have just changed. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. Was searching my computer for music to listen to and stumbled across it. The book also tells the story of many American and English expatriates who went to live in Venice, from Daniel Curtis, who owned Palazzo Barbaro where Henry James and John Singer Sargent were guests, to the poet Ezra Pound, who lived the last part of his life in Venice with his long-time mistress Olga Rudge. Venice is a city loved by many tourists and in City of the Falling Angels, Berendt explores the efforts many have made to save the history, art and architecture from the ravages of rising water and decay. Somewhat of a falling off, probably because Berendt found more interesting weirdos in Savannah than he did in Venice. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. There are pluses (the last train to the mainland leaves at 9 pm, and it's expensive to stay at a hotel in the city, so the majority of the tourists clear out for the night) and minuses (oh, those tourists and their obsession with the pigeons in Piazza San Marco), but there are also many unique aspects as a result of its geography if nothing else. However, I felt that the author went into way more detail about the Fenice fire than I needed to know. In a post-9/11 world, many understand the symbolism a building can represent. Something about a burnt-down opera house just doesn’t excite the same tension and thrills that good old fashioned homicide does. The absurdities are worth reading about particularly if you are aware of NYC socialites whose names are within the book. Berendt's book book covered much more of course, the opera house fire, political feuds, quirky residents, and more. I love Berendt's style of writing and this is very well done. It was interesting to learn about the city's history and art, as well as its present day politics and culture. The City of Falling Angels. The problem with the book is, although it paints a vivid picture of Venice, it doesn’t grab the reader like Berendt’s previous book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The book was well-written, but I would recommend it only if you have a deep, abiding interest in Italy or Venice. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. This book is not a shot of vodka or even a can of diet coke, but it’s a very nice cup of tea or warm glass of milk. ), the character development (how many characters? The author, as he did in his smash best-seller. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. This led to an interlude about a master glassblower who was inspired to create pieces representative of what he saw as he watched the building burn. Its over!!! Hmm. It was interesting to learn about the city's history and art, as well as its present day politics and culture. [citation needed], According to Kirkus Reviews, "Berendt does great justice to an exalted city that has rightly fascinated the likes of Henry James, Robert Browning, and many filmmakers throughout the world." Often, however these digressions were more interesting to me than the central story. At first, I thought this was the book Berendt had written - he started off talking about the fire that destroyed the Fenice Opera House shortly before he arrived in Venice to start writing this book. But, as in "Midnight," Berendt is not content to merely tell a gripping story. Start by marking “The City of Falling Angels” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Perfect. The investigation of the opera house fire wasn't as compelling as the murder mystery in the the author's previous book, but it still was i. The book tells the story of some interesting inhabitants of Venice, Italy, whom the author met while living there in the months following a fire which destroyed the historic La Fenice opera house in 1996. The City of Falling Angels John Berendt, Author. https://shadowhunters.fandom.com/wiki/City_of_Fallen_Angels John Berendt wonderfully digs beneath the surface of Venice in, In 1996, a fire broke out somewhere inside the empty Fenice opera house in Venice. We learn a lot about the burning of the Fenice opera house, Ezra Pound's estate, and everyday life in Venice. Berendt is a very patient writer, which to me is neither a compliment or an insult. The City of Falling Angels NPR coverage of The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. The son of two writers, John Berendt grew up in Syracuse, New York. "The City of Falling Angels" -- one of the longest-awaited literary encores in recent times -- strikes many of the same notes as "Midnight." Soon afterwards he created glassworks dedicated to the memory of the fire, in his own rendition of how the opera house burned. Book Reviewed by: BookBrowse Review Team Buy This Book. Synopsis The problem with the book is, although it paints a vivid picture of Venice, it doesn’t grab the reader like Berendt’s previous book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. [1], Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_City_of_Falling_Angels&oldid=993348506, Articles needing additional references from February 2011, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 December 2020, at 03:36. I wish John Berendt had written a different book about Venice. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt’s first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. There are pluses (the last train to the mainland leaves at 9 pm, and it's expensive to stay at a hotel in the city, so the majority of the tourists clear out for the night) and minuses (oh, those tourists and their obsession. Large sections of it only loosely tied into the main story of the burning of Teatro La Fenice, Venice's opera house. This book is as much about Venice and the people who live there as it is about the Fenice opera house fire. Inevitable that this would be compared to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Just as the earlier book began with a murder, this one opens with something almost as compelling: a fire that, in 1996, destroyed the historic La Fenice Opera House and almost destroyed Venice itself. Written by the author of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ( which I have not read) the author describes his move to Venice right after the fire and details how the past history of Venice affects its current history. I didn't finish the book, but from what I read (about 3/4ths) I didn't like it, except for the Ezra Pound section - although I didn't really see the connection with the Fenice theater burning. If you liked "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," then you must read this. As always there is a memorable cast of characters. Already a Member? Cant remember how I found this song originally. The City of Falling Angels (2005) is a non-fiction work by John Berendt. True to life though, they often have somewhat incomplete endings, although the author has worked them together in a way to give the satisfaction of an overall complete story that tells the real story of the Venice under the glitter and glamour of the tourist culture. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. This book is actually one I like to read again and again. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. One that was about the real inhabitants and daily lives of Venetians. John Berendt arrived three days later. Something about a burnt-down opera house just doesn’t excite the same tension and thrills that good old fashioned homicide does. I listened to this on audio because I think Holter Graham is an excellent reader, and I think I liked the book, too.