The City of Falling Angels

Magical, exasperating, sometimes mystifying, but finally enormously awe-inspiring, Venice, Italy--the city itself--becomes the vibrant and vital main character as Holter Graham, in an exceptionally fine reading, presents the account of a devastating conflagration of the Fenice Opera House and the civil investigations that followed. (The irony of such an event in a city noted for its waterways is inescapable.) Further richness includes insightful descriptions of a variety of contemporary characters inhabiting this ancient and sometimes otherworldly city. Poetry lovers will appreciate the significant, sad, and sometimes tragic accounts of Ezra Pound's poetic legacy. Ultimately, Graham's fine reading, along with Berendt's valuable information and penetrating observations, results in a captivating audio presentation. L.C. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

July 18, 2005
It's taken Berendt 10 years follow up his long-running bestseller, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
In lieu of Savannah, he offers us Venice, another port city full of eccentric citizens and with a long, colorful history. Like the first book, this one has a trial at the its center: Berendt moves to Venice in 1997, just three days after the city's famed Fenice opera house burns down during a restoration. The Venetian chattering classes, among whom Berendt finds a home, want to know whether it was an accident or arson. Initially, Berendt investigates, but is soon distracted by the city's charming denizens. Early on, he's warned, "Everyone in Venice is acting," which sets the stage for fascinating portraits: a master glassblower creating an homage to the fire in vases, an outspoken surrealist painter, a tenacious prosecutor and others. As the infamous Italian bureaucracy drags out the investigation, Berendt spends more time schmoozing with the expatriate community in long discussions about its role in preserving local art, culture and architecture. By the time the Fenice is rebuilt and reopens, Berendt has delivered an intriguing mosaic of modern life in Venice, which makes for first-rate travel writing, albeit one that lacks a compelling core story to keep one reading into the night. Agent, Suzanne Gluck.