Customer Reviews

Last Voyage of the Valentina

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The cover of this book promised a "dark mystery" that would sweep me from "war-torn Italy to aristocratic 1960s London." [1970s actually!] Since, however, the characters are unpleasant, the settings are charmless, and the situations are not only unlikely but also reminiscent of twice-viewed (and better-told) Italian films, I was swept off to sleep.

In turgid prose [The words "her strange eyes" recur at least four times], the author relates the story of Alba Arbuckle, who is constantly wriggling about in Mary Quant mini-skirts and flashing her knickers (or lack of them) at local vicars and anyone else who happens to enter her orbit. One day, after a steamy session of casual love-in-the-afternoon, Alba discovers a scroll under her bed [Where else?]. It is a pastel drawing of her long-dead mother, and it is inscribed by her father [in bad Latin: "dum spiro, ti amo"-- "Amo" takes the accusative "te" in Latin.]. This plot device sends Alba on a quest to discover the secret of her past (She should have stood in bed!).

As a lover of Italy, I was hoping that the flashbacks set in a mythical town "Incantellaria" on the Amalfi Coast, would be worth persuing. I was disappointed. We have olive and cypress trees, purple wisteria, noisy cicadas--pasta with "fish sauce," even (117), and the beauteous Valentina, who, of course, wears a semitransparent dress and walks like a duck: "her feet turning outward, she held her stomach in, pushed her bottom out, and swung her hips" (112). Valentina, Alba's mother, is identified by the scent of figs, making me wonder if the author has ever stood in a grove of fig trees, which give off a strong smell that recalls uric acid.

I suppose I should have been warned by the words "old-fashioned blockbuster" in the blurb on the back of the book, but I was seduced by "the olive groves of the Amalfi coast," an enchanted setting, which, now that I think about it, is noted not for its olives but for its lemons.

Limoncello, anyone?

I liked the prose of the novel, the settings, the descriptions of the atmosphere. Alba was an interesting character. But in the end, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of an ending, or the open ending. I have no idea what the writer intended, but I was left with a sour sense. In the end, I felt by doing what she did, she was NO better than Valentina. Her behavior was hurtful to Fitz, and selfish.

I stopped reading this book about 100 pages in, and that's unusual for me. I rarely give up on a book...it seems wasteful somehow. But I am learning to...since there are so many fabulous books to read, why waste my time with something bad? The main character is a spoiled whiny brat, but of course she's gorgeous so she has her choice of any man on the planet and indulges in endless slutty behavior. And there aren't even any good sex scenes, if that's your thing. The book is supposed to show her inner beauty and how she finds love and peace. Don't waste your time. She has no inner beauty.

I liked the author's other book, The French Gardener, so I thought I would try this one. I was so tired how beautiful Valentina and Alba were (did they every do anything constructive?) I read and reread the ending and couldn't figure out what the author wanted us to believe. I admit it kept my interest but the ending left me flat.

What a wonderful enriching novel this is! With a host of wonderful and unique characters and a blend of evocative scenery of old world Italy, this precious treat will be truly enjoyed by anyone who reads it. A deeply emotional and sensitive piece that keeps the reader glued to the pages from start to finish while totally getting wrapped up in the lives of each player. This is about the quest of one young woman who wishes to find her Italian roots and to search for the answers to who her mother was and the truth about her death. Truly this a beautiful book!

The story itself is good but it just wasn't developed well enough. I didn't think that the characters were developed as well as they could have been. Yes, there is a murder mystery, yes there is a great love story, but it just didn't touch me the way I was hoping it would. The way this book is written, it sort of rushes through the plot. It felt as if the writer was in a hurry to finish the book. And on top of that - the ending wasn't conclusive. I wish it was more concrete.

the entire plot was hackneyed,unbelievable situations.ending definitely let door open for a sequel.
this author could do better!

No, this won't win a pulitzer, but it kept my interest the whole way through. I liked the unexpected twists and the open ending was a bit annoying but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story as a whole. The characters were not deeply developed but enough so that I grew to like them and felt drawn in by their trials and heartaches. I didn't feel at all that the the author was rushing to the end. It was not a believeable story, but it is fiction, afterall. I would recommend it for the sense of mystery and hope to find other books from this author that I like as well.

Considering the subject matter, I hoped for more. This book was hugely overwritten on a slightly rancid theme. Not worth the candle.

Not the great American (or Italian) novel, but a fun read with several twists and a good glimpse into some English and Italian characters, history and landscape. Trite, but loosen up and have fun.