"I desire the things which will destroy me in the end." ― Sylvia Plath
When I picked up Death in Venice on a whim, I thought I was in for an exciting It"I desire the things which will destroy me in the end." ― Sylvia Plath
When I picked up Death in Venice on a whim, I thought I was in for an exciting Italian mystery. This was not that...
On holiday in Venice, a successful and severely repressed Gustav von Aschenbach fears his best years as an artist are behind him. But The Muses, with their wicked sense of humor, place Tadzio, an exquisite Polish boy, in his path. The events that unfolded placed it solidly in the category of a Greek tragedy. (Mann even threw in an abundance of God and Goddess references for good measure.) Having never experienced what he described as love, Aschenbach is utterly lost.
I asked myself: Can a deep admiration of another’s physical beauty to the point of life-altering obsession be classified as love? Aschenbach knew nothing about Tadzio. The boy could have been a vapid, passionless creature for all he knew. To me, love is something more profound, a connection of souls. And who knows, maybe a soul connection can happen without ever speaking a word? But I’m no love doctor.
The writing is elegant, the poetic prose conjuring some splendid scenes. That being said, the story itself didn’t set me on fire. It held my interest, but Mann’s beautiful writing was the hero of the piece. I give the story three stars and the writing five stars, settling in the middle at four stars. Silver-tongued Simon Callow expertly narrated the audiobook.
"It was the smile of Narcissus bending over the water mirror, the deep, enchanted, protracted smile with which he stretched out his arms to the reflection of his own beauty, an ever so slightly contorted smile—contorted by the hopelessness of his endeavor to kiss the lovely lips of his shadow—and coquettish, inquisitive and mildly pained, beguiled and beguiling."...more
"How soft and gentle her name sounds when I whisper it. It lingers on the tongue, insidious and slow, almost like poison..." ― Daphne du Maurier
As"How soft and gentle her name sounds when I whisper it. It lingers on the tongue, insidious and slow, almost like poison..." ― Daphne du Maurier
As I stare at the blinking cursor on my screen, thinking about all I’ve witnessed between the covers of My Cousin Rachel, I find myself missing Cornwall and wishing my adventure was not over. But every good story must come to an end, and what an ending it was!
This torrid tale is narrated by Phillip Ashley who, after the death of his parents, has been raised from infanthood by Ambrose Ashley, his bachelor uncle. Ambrose is a well-to-do English landowner, and as it turns out, these two fellows are kindred spirits, enjoying a life of having dogs in the house and smoking tobacco whenever they please without a woman telling them what to do. Once Phillip has completed his education, his uncle determines that the time has come to hand the affairs of the Ashley estate over to his heir while he sets off on his travels. Doctors have suggested that Ambrose might enjoy better health if he spends his winters in a warm, dry climate away from cold rainy days in England. And so it goes for two winters, with Ambrose returning each spring laden with exotic plants and fascinating stories of faraway lands.
Ambrose spends the third winter in Italy. But as spring approaches, he writes that he will stay on because he has become acquainted with their cousin Rachel. Oh my, how this news throws our hero into a state! Phillip had never come second to anyone where Ambrose was concerned. Who is this cousin? And what spell has she cast to keep Ambrose for so long in Italy? (view spoiler)[Then comes a letter that Phillip could never have imagined — Ambrose had married their cousin.
The months crawl by while Phillip waits for the couple to return to England, wallowing in misery over the thought of changes that will surely be thrust upon him. But instead of newlyweds, a short correspondence arrives that strikes fear into Phillip's soul. Four short sentences would send him racing toward Italy and Ambrose, praying that he wasn’t too late. (hide spoiler)]
The tension in this story was scrumptiously persistent, and because I grew quite fond of Phillip, I read every page with my heart in my throat, hoping for the best.
Bravo again to du Maurier for completely wrecking me in the most beautiful of ways.
If you haven’t read this gothic thriller, don’t miss it. Your visit to Cornwall will be unforgettable!...more
“And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
Thriller writer Douglas Preston moved his family t“And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
Thriller writer Douglas Preston moved his family to the rolling hills of Tuscany in August of 2000 to fulfill a lifelong dream of living in Italy while researching his latest novel. But when he found that the farmhouse they’d rented had been the scene of a grizzly double homicide, his tale took an unanticipated turn. Intrigued, he met with Italian investigative journalist, Mario Spezi.
In 1981, Spezi received a call about a murder. The rest, as they say, is history. The newspaperman dove into the investigation and became the foremost expert on the "Monster" serial killings. Fourteen young people were slaughtered between 1974 and 1985 by the "Monster of Florence" — the name the journalist had given the predator in one of his early articles. Spezi believed that a homicide back in 1968 had started it all - though the police hotly disagreed with his theory.
The first half of this book reads like a fiction novel, a gruesome one, but compelling nonetheless. The history, massacres, investigation fiascos, and endless arrests of innocent people had me glued to the pages. Unfortunately, the book's second half was often like eating crackers in the desert with no water in sight—a bit dry. I finished it, though, because I needed to know what happened - and plenty happened.
As the pair finished writing this book, they were arrested: Preston for obstruction, and Spezi accused of complicity in the monster killings. They had evidently stirred a hornet’s nest with their in-depth research.
The book is well written and includes a plethora of information about Florence and Tuscany. It’s worth a read, and for true-crime fans, The Monster of Florence is bound to be a winner....more
Loading...
