Customer Reviews

Living In Venice (New Edition)

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'It is four o'clock in the morning. A foreigner asks a Venetian the way back to his hotel. The man thinks for a moment, then replies 'The fastest or the most beautiful?' This is the flavor writer Frederic Vitoux, literary and film critic, novelist, writer on Rossini and Celine, uses to describe Venice the way that only those who have lived there can share the wonders of this mysterious city. Vitoux lived on the 'canal level' of an apartment house for a winter and took his time absorbing all the history, tales, architecture, gardens, and atmosphere of Venice and in this wonderful book he warmly relates his experience and lessons from that Venetian winter.

Vitoux is accompanied by photographer Jerome Darblay in this visual excursion into the private and public places that the two contributors have selected to share. Darblay is well known as a photographer of interiors and he captures more details, bric-a-brac, and priceless bibelots than most photographers. And that is not to say he ignores the exterior aspects of Venice! His images of the canals in all periods of the daylight and nightlight are magical and his vistas of the squares, walkways, facades, carvings on buildings, people, animals - all are first rate photographs.

There are many books on Venice, each with its own vantage, but for the personal inside view of how Venetians live and feel about their special city, this book is among the best. Recommended. Grady Harp, January 06

This book has some incredibly beautiful photographs of a fantastically beautiful city. There are the standard photos of the Grand Canal palazzi, but also pictures of the details that make Venice so special... gardens, small statues guarding stone walls, interiors - both palatial and practical, artisans' workshops, brown robed monks on San Giorgio looking towards Venice ... From the back cover: "A comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide to the grand style and traditions of Venice and its inhabitants. Through rich text and over 430 breathtaking photographs, discover and explore the more intimate, picturesque, and rarely seen sides of this majestic city." This is a Beautiful and Inspiring book.

This book happily fills in some gaps in my knowledge of the city, as even though I have now been lucky enough to visit twice, you still do not get the personal feel of homes and communities that come with this lovely book.

I just need the opportunity to go back to this fabulous city again to look at it more closely!