The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis [Hardcover]

Nick Bantock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1996

Nick Bantock's illustrated novel, The Venetian's Wife, is part love story, part mystery, and part ghostly tale—and an altogether bewitching brew of sensuality and lost treasures. Thoroughly bored with her job at the local museum, Sarah heads to the gallery to take another look at that new drawing, the one she can't stop thinking about, the one of the Hindu god Shiva, who dances...That's when it all begins. The next day, an e-mail message brings her a job offer: to find the few remaining pieces of a 15th-century adventurer's renowned collection of Indian sculptures. Her employer, curiously, wishes to communicate only by computer. She has no idea who he is or why he wants her. But other mysteries soon preoccupy her, such as the meaning of an enigmatic illuminated manuscript—and the sensual transformation that seems to be overtaking her. Through her quirkily decorated diary and the artful e-mail exchanges between Sara and her mentor, Nick Bantock has conjured up a richly illustrated tale of a relentless quest, an amorous legacy, and the resonating power of art—a lush, romantic adventure of the soul that tantalizes the reader to the last line.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The subtitle of this oversized, lavishly illustrated volume confirms that we are once again in the kind of quasi-mythical kingdom that provided the setting for writer and illustrator Bantok's bestselling Griffin and Sabine series. Phrased thusly: "A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis," the subtitle also suggests a major difference in this work: the traditional epistolary tools (letters and postcards) that were the vehicles of communication in the trilogy are here replaced by e-mail messages exchanged by the two protagonists. Fans of the trilogy may not be disappointed that Bantok repeats himself in another respect, however. The situation that bridges time and place is nearly identical to that of the previous books; that is, one of the protagonists is contacted by the other, whom she does not know, but who seems to be able to read her mind. In this case, San Francisco art conservator Sara Wolfe, who is fascinated by a drawing of the Indian god Shiva hanging on the walls of the museum where she works, receives an e-mail message from one N. Conti, who somehow is aware of her obsession and offers her a job traveling around the world assembling Indian art for his collection. The narrative proceeds via these e-mail messages and through the protagonists' entries into their computer journals. In this story, however, Sara and Conti are not fated to be lovers. The latter, in fact, is the ghost of a real-life figure, wealthy Renaissance merchant and indefatigable traveler Niccolo Dei Conti, who died in 1469 and needs Sara's help in order to be reunited with his wife, Yasod, in the afterlife. And Sara, with Conti's help, discovers her own destined mate, a colleague called Marco (surely Bantok's humorous reference to another fabled traveler). The mysteries around which the plot hinge?Conti's identity and his ultimate purpose in reassembling his collection?are suspensefully maintained, augmented by Bantok's intensely colorful and often sensual illustrations. If Bantok has essentially chosen to repeat his winning formula, he has again produced another handsome volume that readers can enjoy. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Nick Bantock is the author of numerous illustrated novels, including Griffin & Sabine , Sabine's Notebook , The Golden Mean , The Gryphon , and Alexandria , which together spent 100 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list. Born in England, he now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 132 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1st edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811811409
• ISBN-13: 978-0811811408
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #509,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Reveiw For Nick Bantock's The Venetian's Wife, April 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis (Hardcover)

The Venetian's Wife is a book that takes the mind on an unforgetable adventure.It dishes out the unbelievable in reality.Nick Bantock's style of writing mixed with his transaction of words,which flow together beautifully,paint a vivid picture in the mind.I love the way you can read the personal letters meant someone else and not feel any guilt.I also enjoyed learning about the Hindu culture while reading this book.I think that Nick Bantock has an extroidanary talent that can make you look at the world from a different vantage point.It mixes up a romantic love story with a reality-check situation that really challenges and urges your thinking of mind to go further than the average mind.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An eerie story, May 11, 2004

By 

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis (Hardcover)

... but I mean that in a good way. Sara, the heroine, receives cryptic messages from a (seemingly) all-knowing spirit. He hangs in the half-world between life and death, with some arcane task not yet finished. She helps him complete what was not completed in life, and then ...

That would be telling. The fact is, the spirit (Conti) is a friendly, chatty sort and offers fair pay for services rendered. He even arranges some interesting (and quite businesslike) travel. He also has some suggestions regarding her would-be boyfriend. As it turns out, the suggestions aren't needed. Something larger than Conti is also involving itself with Sara, and is quite the opposite of the ominous, evil force that Sara might have feared.

This story may be Bantock's finest. It includes all of the themes that seem to fascinate Bantock: the alternatives to life and death, exchange between the human and the supernatural, and the growth of intimacy as a force in itself. Also, the story is wholly contained in one volume. I like that: I can see how the plot plays out without waiting a year or two for the next chapter. Some people might feel that closure impairs the sense of mystery. That's a matter of personal taste, though, so I can neither agree nor disagree.

Sad to say, the "Wife" includes less of Bantock's incredible artwork than any other book I've seen. His layered, complex story almost makes up for lack of his layered, complex art, but not quite.

Bantock fans: this a must-have. Bantock newcomers: you'll find more of his signature art in any of the other books published to date.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Engaging, A feast for the mind and the senses., May 19, 1999

By 

Kate Katzer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis (Hardcover)

The Venetian's Wife is the perfect companion to the Griffin and Sabine Trilogy. The imagery is inescapable, as intended, and transports you to a realm where identification and reality are illusions. It's a beautiful tale that rings too true.