I have never read the author's renowned book about the cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. I'm not even certain if I've ever seen the Clint Eastwood movie adaptation. However, upon reading "Falling Angels," I can easily understand why that book won so many awards, including being a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Because, wow! This guy can write!

Like peeling the layers of an onion, the fire is merely the starting point of a book that peels back the layers of Venetian history. I don't think he was even intending to write a book about the opera house or its infamous fire. For that, I guess I need to buy another book (I got the one by Giuseppe Pugliese). "Falling Angels" is not about the riches of the theater, nor is it a definitive exploration of the fire. What it is, is a book about Venice. But, wait! No one can possibly say anything new about Venice. Hasn't everything already been said?

I have a growing library of books about Venice, and this one is one of my absolute favorites. I love the image of the falling angels. Venice was falling apart. Statues of angels were literally falling off the roofs of churches. It was so dangerous that the owner of Harry's Bar put up a sign at Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore: "Beware of falling angels." People have complained that Venetians live off their past, feeding on the corpse of Venice. And what city other than Jerusalem has this much intrigue? This much history? Venice is a ground zero. And it also has Venetian art.

So, the book begins with the fire of the opera house, which was home to the richest collection of opera history on earth. I thought it would stay focused on that, but it immediately branches off in a thousand directions, from the glass on Murano (a fascinating history that I loved of the Seguso Murano glass family) to Byron to the Barbaro palace. This ended up being my favorite part of the book, in fact. The history of the palazzo was incredibly interesting, all the way down to its purchase by the American Curtis family in the late 19th century. The Curtis family had quite a social circle as the house became the "center of American artistic life in Venice with visits from Sargent, Henry James, Whistler, Robert Browning, and Claude Monet. Other members of the “Barbaro Circle” included Bernard Berenson, William Merritt Chase, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Edith Wharton, and Charles Eliot Norton" (Wiki). We immediately re-watch the Venetian episode of "Brideshead Revisited," which was filmed here. Also, this was the setting for "Wings of a Dove."

Toward the end, the book circles back around to the trial of the fire. Two electricians were convicted of intentionally setting this fire. Was it supposed to be a small job to just get rid of their legal culpability on a job they had been working on in the theater, or were there darker Mafia forces pushing them behind the scenes?

The city of falling angels needs so much restoration, not just the theater. There was a long and utterly fascinating chapter on Save Venice, which led into the renovation of the opera house, including a long interview with one of my favorite Venetians, Francesco da Mosti, who was involved in the restoration. They were lucky that 18th-century plans of the theater were found, which were extraordinarily detailed, and this allowed La Fenice to be constructed in such a way that had a shot at recreating the original soundscape of the theater, which was thought to be perfect. Wonderful book that I cannot recommend enough. John Julis Norwich has a book on 19th-century Venice that goes over some of the same ground as "City of Falling Angels." His book is called "Paradise of Cities."

This book is truly one that I have a great inclination to read over and over again. John Berendt, a former magazine writer, made a remarkable debut with his first book, "Midnight In The Garden of Good And Evil." It offered a captivating glimpse into Savannah society and also provided an inside look at the judicial system, as it followed the trials of Jim Williams for murder. He was tried multiple times for the same murder and acquitted each time, which added an element of mystery and intrigue.

"The City of Falling Angels" then shifts its focus to the ancient Italian city of Venice and the tragic fire that ravaged the famous opera house there. This is a true story that not only details the fire but also delves into several scandals that shook Venetian society. The book is filled with characters who are so vivid and colorful that they seem almost too good to be true, yet in reality, they are.

I highly recommend reading this book. It will transport you to different worlds, both in Savannah and Venice, and expose you to the fascinating and often scandalous lives of the people who inhabit them. You will be enthralled by the stories and the characters, and you will come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of these two unique cities.

MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL has always been my all-time favorite book. This is precisely the reason why I was filled with such excitement when I picked up this new book to read. However, it turned out to be a completely different story. Although it had its own merits, it simply wasn't as captivating as my beloved favorites. The characters in this book lacked the vividness and memorability that I had come to expect.

On the positive side, I felt that I gained a great deal of knowledge about Venice and the local way of life there. Having been to Venice myself, many of the descriptions of the canals and bridges really struck a chord with me. It was as if I could picture those scenes clearly in my mind's eye. The story itself was decent, but unfortunately, it didn't have that page-turning quality that would keep me glued to the book from start to finish. It took me a rather long time to finally finish reading it, but I did manage to persevere and complete it.

I really wanted there to be a lurid murder like in Berendt's Midnight. However, I guess there are certain limitations to what a literary non-fiction author can do for the sake of his craft.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the book. Oh, and it made me long to be a mysterious American expat occupying a palazzo.

Audiobook note: Well done. Thank you, Holter Graham, for not attempting Italian accents! I truly appreciate a voice talent who understands that he is narrating a book and not acting out a radio play. It adds a sense of authenticity and allows the listener to fully immerse in the story without any distractions. The way he reads brings the words to life and makes the listening experience even more enjoyable. Overall, it was a great choice for this audiobook.

An interesting look at modern Venice. Berendt makes it seem like a small town with all the gossip of one. It's truly a captivating portrayal. He delves into the various aspects of Venetian life, from the charming canals to the unique characters that inhabit the city. The way he describes the gossip and the goings-on gives the reader a sense of being right there in the heart of the action. I really wanted to visit after reading this book. It sparked my imagination and made me long to experience the beauty and mystery of Venice for myself. To walk along the narrow streets, cross the bridges, and soak in the atmosphere that Berendt so vividly brings to life. I can just picture myself sitting in a small café, sipping a cappuccino, and watching the world go by. Venice seems like a place that is both full of history and yet still very much alive and kicking in the present day.

I realize this is oxymoronic but this book was exceptionally unexceptional.

It was a real struggle for me to stay interested. I never had that super excited feeling to pick it back up. Every time I opened it, it was as if I couldn't recall anything I had read before. Moreover, if you were to ask me to summarize the plot, I literally don't think I could. Each chapter seemed like its own vignette of a different random character or situation. However, it wasn't executed in a cool way. Instead, it was more confusing and disengaging. By the end, I was just impatient to finish the book because I have other things I want to read.

Okay, also this is not meant to diss John Berendt altogether. Because "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was truly much better and I do recommend that one. It had a captivating plot and engaging characters that kept me hooked from start to finish. In contrast, this other book just failed to capture my attention and left me feeling disappointed.

I reread this and edited my review. It's not three stars; it's definitely two.

Do not fret for John Berendt.

Now that he’s famous, he’s stepped up his digs from the American South (Savanah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). He’s in Venice this time, but his modus operandi is basically the same. Berendt moves to an interesting place, meets weird and interesting (mostly rich) people, and reports it all back to us.

He always tries to organize everything around one central story. In Venice, a 1997 fire laid waste to La Fenice, one of Europe’s premiere opera houses. Here he fails. He is overtaken by tangents, some of them stretching 49 pages. Though people grifting Peggy Guggenheim and the widowed mistress of Anti-Semite Ezra Pound may be fascinating, these stories do not give up any information about the fire, the investigation, or the theater's rebuilding.

OK, this is where I must digress. In college, I spent a few months in Venice, working for La Fenice, pawning tickets to tourists as part of an “internship.” The opera building, like the entire city, was a sumptuous, smelly, and crumbling firetrap.

And corrupt! In order to get a phone line, my roommate and I had to find the man who hooked up the phones, get him purposefully drunk, and then dare him to connect us in the middle of the night. And it worked! And we never once saw a phone bill!

Berendt’s colorful reporting only lightly skims this corruption. I kept wondering if he was secretly hired by the Italian tourist board. In fact, the whole book is really just a charming travelogue, with lots of side-tracking. The fire investigation is completely forgotten for whole chapters. As heartbreaking as it is to hear of a family having to sell off part of their home, why does he even pretend that's connected to the fire?

In the end, I wondered if Berendt didn't really have enough meat for a book about the fire. Perhaps investigative writing - true writing about structure and evidence - isn't his strong suit, meaning he shouldn't have written this book. He hopes his distracting, smoke-and-mirrors approach - that these are all Venetian characters - will not seem to be the flimsiest thread. Unfortunately, this approach does not make for a fascinating expose, and the tangents become very frustrating. (By my estimation, only about 30 percent of this book is actually about the fire.)

Overall, while Berendt's writing is engaging and full of interesting characters and stories, the book ultimately fails to deliver a comprehensive and satisfying account of the La Fenice fire and its aftermath. It feels more like a collection of loosely connected anecdotes than a focused work of non-fiction.

An American embarks on a journey around Venice, attempting to explain its unique peculiarities. He has been granted access that very few other Americans would ever receive.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, the ones who come across as odd here are the other American expatriates who consider this place their home. The Ezra Pound and Save Venice incidents mainly involve dubious Americans with enormous egos that require constant stroking. The absurdities described in the book are truly worth reading about, especially if one is familiar with the NYC socialites whose names are mentioned within its pages.

I did enjoy the book, although not as much as Berendt's previous tome on Savannah (which admittedly he had a difficult time concluding, and Clint Eastwood had an even harder time filming). As a result, I am now moving Venice higher up on my "to visit" list. Now that Berendt has identified the charms of the off-season when Venice is strictly for the Venetians, I'm afraid they won't be alone anymore to enjoy their town during those 3 lovely weeks.

This was such an interesting read about Venice and its inhabitants.

I was completely captivated by the chapter about the Rat man of Treviso, which was truly hilarious.

John Berendt arrives in Venice just a few days after the Fenice Theatre burned down. As he leads us through the narrow streets of the city to encounter the most unexpected people, Berendt closely follows the investigation into the Fenice fire, right up until its climax in the courtroom.

Each person the author meets in Venice is not only highly unique but also exudes an authentic charm, making the book an absolute pleasure to read. Berendt demonstrates real talent in delving into the pasts of some influential families, thereby explaining their current power or lack thereof within the city.

Venice has always seemed like a mysterious place to me, and Berendt has lifted the veil for us, allowing us to feel, for a few pages at least, as if we were part of this enchanting city.

2.5 stars rounded up.

If you have a passion for Venice and its more recent history, then this book might be a suitable choice for you.

There were certain aspects of this work that I truly relished. Some of the characters were quite engaging, and their snarky quotes added a touch of humor. The descriptions of the city and its people were vivid, painting a detailed picture in the reader's mind. It was evident that Berendt had conducted a significant amount of research.

The mystery surrounding the Fenice fire was indeed intriguing. However, I believe that Berendt should have placed more emphasis on this central mystery. Instead, there were numerous side stories that didn't seem to fit well with the main arc. I found myself not fully compelled by all of these tangential narratives.

As a result, the book gave the impression of being rather self-indulgent. It was as if Berendt had accumulated a wealth of research on various topics and met many interesting people, and then simply wanted to cram it all into this one book. In my opinion, it would have been preferable to either focus solely on the Fenice or present a series of vignettes about the people and places in Venice, rather than attempting to force these two elements together.

John Berendt, a remarkable figure with the merits of both a journalist and a writer, showcases these qualities splendidly in this book.

The true story commences with his arrival in Venice just three days after the fire at the Teatro La Fenice. Driven by his reporter's instinct, he embarks on a quest for answers that might explain the accident. In his search, he presents us with a collection of eccentric characters (all real) and also some less obvious illustrated postcards of the most beautiful man-made work that is the Serenissima.

Interestingly, to write this book, Berendt lived in Venice for 2 to 3 months over the course of 9 years.

Nota: Going to Venice is mandatory.

"If Venice didn't have a bridge to Europe, it would be an island." Mario Stefani.

John Berendt, what an absolute genius he is!

He has this remarkable ability to make his nonfiction works more captivating and engaging than the vast majority of novels out there.

In this particular piece, Berendt takes us on an enthralling visit to Venice. It's not the Venice that is swarmed by gawking tourists, but rather the Venice of the residents whose Venetian bona fides date back centuries.

The story kicks off in 1996, when Venice's renowned opera house, La Fenice, tragically burns down. It then concludes in 2003, when La Fenice miraculously arises from the ashes, just like its namesake phoenix.

In between these two timeframes, readers are treated to an exclusive insider's view of a city where almost nothing resembles the tourist's typical perception of Venice.

It's truly a remarkable read, and I wholeheartedly wish I could give it more than just five stars! It's that good.