Venetian reading

    Having read Jan Morris's Venice before visiting the city, I've come to the conclusion that it's better to read books about a place or set there when actuallly in situ or back home again - locations mean so much more when you've been there. I looked carefully at all your suggestions of Venetian reading, but for reasons of availability, practicality and mood what I ended up with for my trip over the last few days was Sarah Caudwell's entertaining Thus Was Adonis Murdered - perfect for reading on the plane and in the few moments we were resting our weary legs (we walked miles) between sights. A legal murder mystery in which the crime is committed in Venice but solved by an Oxford professor and a group of his former students - all now barristers - back in London, this was arch, intelligent, intricately contrived and a lot of fun, and I look forward to reading more from the series.

    For 'real' Venetian crime, I very much want to start Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series, beginning with Death At La Fenice, although ironically we didn't actually get to La Fenice - that's on the list for our next visit - and I walked past the Inspector's Questura without noticing it (there's a helpful guide to some of the books' locations here). I spotted only one bookshop in Venice, in the window of which Ken Follett was very much to the fore; has anyone read The Pillars of the Earth, by the way? 1100 pages about the building of a cathedral rather appeals to me.

    Back home again, I've just started Jane Borodale's The Knot - quite literally back down to earth!

Comments

[Dark Puss]

Do indeed start with Leon! I think the early ones are the best by the way.

[Christine Harding]

Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series is wonderful, but The Pillars of Earth is not! Everyone else seems to like it, but I didn't - I had to keep flipping back to check who the characters were, and I thought the various plot lines were confusing and often incredible. And there were bad, ugly people, and good beautiful people, which always annoys me. I could go on, but I won't.

[Audrey]

I agree that the Brunettis are wonderful. And was it determined exactly that the Oxford don in the Sarah Caudwells was a man? I thought that was part of the mystery! I read them a long time ago and remember enjoying them very much.

[LizF]

I hope that you enjoyed your visit - I'm assuming that you did since you are planning places to visit for the next time.

I thought that I knew where the Questura was and I am glad to see from the list that I am right. If I ever get to Venice again, I will print it out and be a proper Brunetti nerd.
We managed to miss the Ghetto area last time we were in Venice - my only excuses are that it was very wet and cold (late January), I had left the guide book at our hotel on the Lido and after a while all we were looking for was somewhere we could get a coffee and a panini without breaking the bank!
Lucky you having all the Brunetti books ahead of you!

There again I feel quite lucky reading wise as I have just finished Jane Rusbridge's The Devil's Music which I thought was wonderful but I now have 'Rook', John Saturnall's Feast and The End of Yor Life Book Club in my library pile and don't know which to start with first!

[Cornflower]

Yes, I keep reading reviews which suggest the later ones aren't as good as the earlier.

[Cornflower]

Many thanks, Christine - I won't rush to add it to the piles then!

[Cornflower]

You are right, Audrey! I was assuming Hilary was a man, but of course the character could be female.

[Cornflower]

The Devil's Music is great, isn't it! Rook is high on my pile, and you have treats in store with John Saturnall's Feast and Will Schwalbe's lovely book.

[Marina McIntire]

The Donna Leon books are truly wonderful. I've nothing to add there.
Pillars of the Earth was definitely not great literature. But I found it annoyingly fascinating. If you have a piece of you that likes soap operas and/or melodrama, you will find a certain satisfaction with this chunk of writing.

[Mystica]

Donna Leon's books apart from the delightful Brunetti are so descriptive of Venice - overflowing canals and all.

[Marybel Tracey]

Can I recommend Miss Garnet's Angel set predominantly in Venice?It set for me the perfect tone.I do so love Venice.

[Cornflower]

I read that one a few years ago and recall enjoying it very much - time for a re-read!