Monday, April 23, 2012

Donna Leon's Venetian Curiousities

I'm a big fan of Donna Leon's novels. I recently received a charming new book by Donna Leon: Venetian Curiosities.

Venetian Curiosities is beautifully illustrated and comes with a CD of the music of Antonio Vivaldi, with tracks for each section of the book, played by Il Complesso Barocco.Il Compresso Barocco, an international ensemble, founded by Alan Curtis. The music is played on original instruments.

With the fabulous music, the beautiful images, and the perceptive, amusing words of Donna Leon, Venetian Curiosities is a harmonious exploration of one of the world’s most beloved cities.

In a city as ancient as Venice, myths and legends passed down from generation to generation record more than just love or murder. They are the storehouse of a city’s mores, emblems of its identity. In Venetian Curiosities,  novelist Donna Leon recounts some of Venice’s most intriguing tales: an elephant brought in for Carnival wreaks havoc upon the city before seeking refuge in a church, the city employs prostitutes in an attempt to prevent homosexuality, innocent men are mistakenly condemned to death, a gambler bets the family palazzo. In an introduction and seven essays, Leon offers enchanting details and astute insights into Venetian customs of the past and present--accompanied by Vivaldi.

Donna Leon's latest Commissario Brunetti novel is Beastly Things.

2 comments:

Priscilla said...

Trust Donna Leon to do something unique! Look forward to this.

David Klein said...

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