In a city as ancient as Venice, myths and legends passed down from generation to generation are the storehouse of a city’s mores, emblems of its identity. In Venetian Curiosities, acclaimed 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. Venetian Curiosities is beautifully illustrated, and like Handel’s Bestiary, it comes with an accompanying CD. Here the music is by Antonio Vivaldi, with tracks for each section of the book, expertly recorded by Il Complesso Barocco. With the splendid music, the delightful images, and the perceptive, amusing words of Donna Leon, Venetian Curiosities is a harmonious exploration of one of the world’s most beloved cities.
Author
Donna Leon (born September 29, 1942, in Montclair, New Jersey) is an American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. Donna Leon has lived in Venice for over twenty-five years. She has worked as a lecturer in English Literature for the University of Maryland University College - Europe (UMUC-Europe) in Italy, then as a Professor from 1981 to 1999 at the american military base of Vicenza (Italy) and a writer. Her crime novels are all situated in or near Venice. They are written in English and translated into many foreign languages, although not, by her request, into Italian. Her ninth Brunetti novel, Friends in High Places, won the Crime Writers' Association Silver Dagger in 2000. Series: * Commissario Brunetti
