The Italian House [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Teresa Crane (Author), Selina Griffiths (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1996

Set in 1922, a novel in which a married woman is bequeathed a house in Tuscany, when she falls in love with her cousin, whose true colours are revealed when he attempts to kill her after arranging the death of her husband.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In early December 1922, oppressed, unhappy young British wife Carrie Stowe inherits the beloved Tuscan home of her grandmother. This windfall gains her, through the intricacies of Italian testamentary law, a short respite from her punctilious and vaguely sinister husband, Arthur, for she must claim her bequest in person. When she arrives in Italy, she finds Leo, her first cousin and childhood companion (who's been disinherited for the sins of his father), in the house. Delighted, she asks him to stay and help her. He does, and among the gewgaws and priceless objets d'art, they succumb to a forbidden passion. Carrie's grandmother's faithful nurse, the ancient Maria, inveighs against this doubly sinful love affair, warning that it's likely to call up demons of the past. For grandmama had a guilty secret-one that has already cost one life. In comparison with Crane's vividly characterized Freedom's Banner, this work suffers from Carrie's sentimentality and incredible naivete. Leo, hardened by his experience in WW I, intrigues, but his dark side remains too mysterious, as does the fascinating and poorly developed grandmother, who could have carried the book. For all its faults of character and tone, the plot-involving revelations of murder, bigamy and greed-is solid, and the descriptions of the Italian landscapes and seasons are positively lyrical.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'She spins a wonderfully rich web of intrigue and romance, love and betrayal... She has created a particularly evocative landscape against which to set her protagonists- I was completely caught up in her heroine's dilema. Couldn't put the book down.' Barabra Erskine 'Beautifully written with a nice little twist at the end.' WOMAN AND HOME --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Chivers Audio Books; Unabridged edition (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745166342
• ISBN-13: 978-0745166346
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,374,515 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extra Star Awarded for Tuscan Ambiance, March 26, 2003

By 

Diana F. Von Behren "reneofc" (Kenner, LA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Italian House (Hardcover)

In the early 1920s, Carrie Stone, trapped in a drab existence with a stodgy punctilious husband, dreams of the halycon days of her youth which she spent at her grandmother's mountain villa in a small Tuscan village. When her grandmother dies, Carrie pleased to inherit the house, struggles with mixed emotions regarding her own need for freedom and her determination to be a good wife. Her husband wants the house sold quickly and complains about her need to settle Italian legalities in person. However, his avarious nature lends to allowing her to undertake the trip without his company. Upon her arrival, Carrie senses real freedom for the first time from her husband's imposed mediocrity. She finds sexual release in the form of her handsome yet WWI battle-haunted cousin, Leo and mystery in the secrets kept by her grandmother's long-time companion, Maria. Carrie finds her actions strangely paralleling those of her grandmother; only through her own strength does she find the courage to combat the obstacles set in front of her and follow her own path.

Crane's language is simple; the story unfolds from Carrie's perspective although it is not told in the first person. We sense Carrie's unhappiness perhaps a bit repeatedly; Crane's background information regarding Carrie is a bit trite, something any reader of romance is over familiar with. Carrie's eventual understanding of the situation between herself and her cousin dawns slowly and painfully; the denouement is not as knife-sharp as one would wish, nor are Carrie's musings quite so relevant at the end of the novel as she sits pondering in her grandmother's garden.

Perhaps it is because I have read so many romances, that I found this one so easy to pigeonhole. However, that does not detract from the overall tone or sense of place that Crane renders so well. I recommend this small sad little story to new discoverers of the romance genre---those interested in an operatic plot with little bodice ripping will be quite pleased.

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Enjoyable, December 31, 2001

By 

Robin Curless (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Italian House (Paperback)

I listened to the audio version of this book. It was an enjoyable "read" with a twist at the end. I appreciated the descriptions of Italy. Carrie Stone is a bit too trusting and at times a little unbelievable. I also wish that Ms. Crane would have developed some of the characters a little more. The romantic scenes in the book remain relatively romantic and don't become too bawdy. Overall, it was a good book and well written. I would recommend it and I plan to read additional works by Ms. Crane.