From Publishers Weekly
The author of Fear of Flying and Fanny utilizes her poetry, interwoven with that of Shakespeare, to convey the mutable, none-too-serene Venice in which this semi-fantastical novel is set. Arriving to judge the Venice film festival, movie star Jessica Pruitt carries the old weight of her mother's suicide and the recent loss of her only daughter in a custody battle. When the festival erupts in mayhem, possibly ruining her chance to star in a brilliant adaptation of The Merchant of Venice, she retreats into a fever that transports her back to the 16th century Jewish ghetto. There, as Shalach's daughter Jessica, she entrances a young Will Shakespeare traveling with his lover, Lord Southhampton. Although their romance and its perils are a grand showcase for Jong's novelistic skill, uneven, excessively florid prose and brittle interjections frequently disrupt the narrative, to jarring effect. 100,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
With a Shakespearean fairy tale as a point of departure, Jong creates a literary fantasy: an American actress, who has always found succor in Shakespeare, wishes herself back in time to become the bard's muse and lover. It could happen only in the wondrous city of Venice, which draws Jessica Pruitt to its film festival and to the role of Shylock's daughter in a film based on The Merchant of Venice. The festival is a disaster, and Jessicawith the power of a witch's magic and her own willis back in the Venice of 1592. As in Fanny ( LJ 7/80), Jong writes wonderfully in the language of the past, capturing its rhythm and vocabulary while adding a modern twist. Jong the novelist is playful, sometimes bawdy, but Jong the poet also leaves her shimmery touch on this delightful fantasy. Literary Guild alternate. Michele Leber, Fairfax Cty. P.L., Va.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
