Interesting to hear about Venetians rather than simply descriptions of it's architecture. Fascinating. Reminds me of what travel was about .. sitting about with oddbods chatting about all sorts of things.

I enjoyed Berendt's other novel, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil", and this novel, "City of Falling Angels" inspired a lively discussion at our book club meeting. I found the little tidbits about Venice intriguing, and it led me to do more research on some of the anecdotes he contributes. The backdrop of outlandish personalities that populate Venice made it lively and a great launching pad for our discussion. For those who have traveled to Venice, it was a different perspective on a city with a history of drama and suspense.

I eventually so enjoyed this book. However, I had to be very patient. The first 100 pages or more were slow, almost pointless. I finally couldn't put the book down, but I did feel that it took way too long to get there. In the end, I am happy to have read it and felt that I learned quite a lot about strange and intriguing Venice. Now, I want to go back for another visit, with different eyes.