Scan barcode
monsteraxiv's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
sarkiste's review against another edition
5.0
ENGL:
A beautiful book that took me to Venice in 1755. I love it when I can see a time where the book is set in front of my eyes and this is a case with this one. I enjoyed a story about friendship and I loved descriptions of that beautiful place. Truly amazing book.
------------------------------------------------
SRB:
Divna knjiga koja me je vodila kroz Veneciju iz 1700-te. Svidelo mi se kako sam mogla da vidim vreme u kome se knjiga odigrava pred mojim očima kao i sam opširan i živopisan opis knjige. Ućivala sam u ovoj priči o prijateljstvu. Divna knjiga.
A beautiful book that took me to Venice in 1755. I love it when I can see a time where the book is set in front of my eyes and this is a case with this one. I enjoyed a story about friendship and I loved descriptions of that beautiful place. Truly amazing book.
------------------------------------------------
SRB:
Divna knjiga koja me je vodila kroz Veneciju iz 1700-te. Svidelo mi se kako sam mogla da vidim vreme u kome se knjiga odigrava pred mojim očima kao i sam opširan i živopisan opis knjige. Ućivala sam u ovoj priči o prijateljstvu. Divna knjiga.
jennwolfe's review against another edition
3.0
Fun book! Liked all the Venetian references, particularly since I was just there.
_sphinx568_'s review
3.0
I'd have given this book four stars if Laker's writing wasn't so mechanical.
doc_k55's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of two orphan girls raised within the Ospedale della Pieta, a convent, orphanage and music school in Venice. Set at the end of the eighteenth century, it was a time of excess and Venetian decline. The story follows them through their adventures, marriages and tribulations.
On the plus side: Laker does a great job setting the scene. the descriptions are vivid and one can easily "see" all that she describes. The sense of a lost time is evident throughout along with an understanding of why America was so much freer than Old Europe
The not as good: shifting POV, too much information, lots of telling rather than showing. I think the story would have been stronger had it been pared down much more brutally: we get many details not necessary to move the story or develop the characters, who are largely flat. Laker often tells the reader how to feel, leaving little to chance, but as a reader I found that frustrating. Unlike some other readers, the use of many dramatic romance novel tropes didn't bother me - just that they weren't all used effectively or believably. It's ok to use a trope to create drama - it just has to be used well.
That said, I mostly enjoyed this and felt like I was dipping my toes into the past as I read it. It didn't hurt that I have been to Venice more than once, or that I am currently streaming The Borgias. So...do I recommend it? It's no worse than others in this genre. If you liked Pillars of the Earth, this will probably appeal
On the plus side: Laker does a great job setting the scene. the descriptions are vivid and one can easily "see" all that she describes. The sense of a lost time is evident throughout along with an understanding of why America was so much freer than Old Europe
The not as good: shifting POV, too much information, lots of telling rather than showing. I think the story would have been stronger had it been pared down much more brutally: we get many details not necessary to move the story or develop the characters, who are largely flat. Laker often tells the reader how to feel, leaving little to chance, but as a reader I found that frustrating. Unlike some other readers, the use of many dramatic romance novel tropes didn't bother me - just that they weren't all used effectively or believably. It's ok to use a trope to create drama - it just has to be used well.
That said, I mostly enjoyed this and felt like I was dipping my toes into the past as I read it. It didn't hurt that I have been to Venice more than once, or that I am currently streaming The Borgias. So...do I recommend it? It's no worse than others in this genre. If you liked Pillars of the Earth, this will probably appeal
p3ggy's review
5.0
I read this just after high school. My parents love this author and many of her books have graced their bookshelves for as long as I can remember. I think this is the first of hers that I read. My mother is a history buff and therefore eschews any historical fiction without clearly impeccable research. Rosalind Laker's books land you right into the time, place and people of which she writes. She tends to focus on professions, in this case the mask maker's for carnival in Venice. I could not put this book down and read it in one night (finished at 3 AM). It is still my favorite Rosalind Laker.
klwalker91's review against another edition
2.0
The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker is a dramatic and romantic novel about two orphaned girls, who reside in the famous Ospedale Della Pieta. The Pieta is renowned for its beautiful and innocent girls, who are presented to society through their music and artistic talents. Marietta and Elena, as they reach adulthood, each engage in personal and often devastating pursuits for love, all the while maintaining that cherished and long-lasting friendship that they have created.
Like many other romance novels, I am left feeling utterly confused by this book. I both love and hate it. I love the sweeping romances, the implausible plot-lines and the daring schemes which occur. However, I did not enjoy the writing, nor did I find the characters particularly believable.
Rosalind tends to narrate the book in the viewpoint of whomever is most important to the plot. However, as these perspectives are not segmented into chapters, there is often a quick and random switch to other characters, which can not only get incredibly confusing but also annoying. By knowing other characters thoughts, an element of mystery is also lost, as key moments are divulged to the reader without a focus on suspense.
The characters also could have been written with more flaws. Although that may sound bitter, especially as all females are explained as being impossibly beautiful, there is something to be said about being normal. However, all four of the main characters are popular for their beauty or their hair or some other characteristic which has men dying over them. With the knowledge that they are beautiful, it's difficult to see any real personal development occur about their bodies, as everything is always connected to a lover's opinion on beauty or a tragedy of sickness. As these are young girls, it was strikingly odd to read about characters who felt absolutely convinced that they were beautiful.
I also thought that her portrayal of them was really strange. Rosalind definitely tries to make them seem quite individual, feminist and strong willed. However, a lot of what happens and the way that they interact with others around them does not seem to encourage this view point. The women's dependency on male attention is incredibly evident, especially as their inability to refuse attention from higher classed men often leads them into horrifying situations. While I understand that they are repressed and such, being women in that time period, their endless pursuit for love and attention by men makes them seem almost needy and desperate.
The plot-lines were also very familiar territory and I did not really feel that the authoress took a chance with her story. It was very much the unhappy wife, the barren woman, the disappointed lover or the pinning young gentlemen. While she pulled these stories off quite well, it would have been interesting to have included the rawer side of Venice, as in the prostitutes, smugglers and thieves. By focusing so intently on the nobility, it was almost a disconnect from the fact that there were other sides to the floating city. While she made it very clear that the nobility were heavily flawed, she did not venture past that class and into the poorer regions, which would have been really interesting.
However, as a lover of Venice who had just returned from the city, I was really drawn into the book by the authoress's ability to create atmosphere or really enrich the scene with her explanations of scenery. She quite romantically builds a scene of the city.
Although I really enjoyed her explanations of the city and the plot-lines that, although predictable, were entertaining, I don't think I can give this book any higher then a two star rating. As the rating states, 'it was okay,' but I can definitely see the flaws in it.
Like many other romance novels, I am left feeling utterly confused by this book. I both love and hate it. I love the sweeping romances, the implausible plot-lines and the daring schemes which occur. However, I did not enjoy the writing, nor did I find the characters particularly believable.
Rosalind tends to narrate the book in the viewpoint of whomever is most important to the plot. However, as these perspectives are not segmented into chapters, there is often a quick and random switch to other characters, which can not only get incredibly confusing but also annoying. By knowing other characters thoughts, an element of mystery is also lost, as key moments are divulged to the reader without a focus on suspense.
The characters also could have been written with more flaws. Although that may sound bitter, especially as all females are explained as being impossibly beautiful, there is something to be said about being normal. However, all four of the main characters are popular for their beauty or their hair or some other characteristic which has men dying over them. With the knowledge that they are beautiful, it's difficult to see any real personal development occur about their bodies, as everything is always connected to a lover's opinion on beauty or a tragedy of sickness. As these are young girls, it was strikingly odd to read about characters who felt absolutely convinced that they were beautiful.
I also thought that her portrayal of them was really strange. Rosalind definitely tries to make them seem quite individual, feminist and strong willed. However, a lot of what happens and the way that they interact with others around them does not seem to encourage this view point. The women's dependency on male attention is incredibly evident, especially as their inability to refuse attention from higher classed men often leads them into horrifying situations. While I understand that they are repressed and such, being women in that time period, their endless pursuit for love and attention by men makes them seem almost needy and desperate.
The plot-lines were also very familiar territory and I did not really feel that the authoress took a chance with her story. It was very much the unhappy wife, the barren woman, the disappointed lover or the pinning young gentlemen. While she pulled these stories off quite well, it would have been interesting to have included the rawer side of Venice, as in the prostitutes, smugglers and thieves. By focusing so intently on the nobility, it was almost a disconnect from the fact that there were other sides to the floating city. While she made it very clear that the nobility were heavily flawed, she did not venture past that class and into the poorer regions, which would have been really interesting.
However, as a lover of Venice who had just returned from the city, I was really drawn into the book by the authoress's ability to create atmosphere or really enrich the scene with her explanations of scenery. She quite romantically builds a scene of the city.
Although I really enjoyed her explanations of the city and the plot-lines that, although predictable, were entertaining, I don't think I can give this book any higher then a two star rating. As the rating states, 'it was okay,' but I can definitely see the flaws in it.
jventer's review against another edition
3.0
It took me a good 50+ pages to get into the meat of the book and the ending felt a tad rushed, but on the whole this book was quite enjoyable. If anyone is a fan of Casanova or Venetian based tales, this book is a treat. Laker does a nice job of setting the scene for what living in late 18th century Venice, but there were a couple of places/characters that I thought could have been a bit better developed. Not a bad way to pass a rainy afternoon.
tamara12561's review against another edition
2.0
The plot described in the jacket copy of this novel doesn't even come into play until past the half-way point. I felt that it was much more "romance" than historical fiction, so I felt I had been misled. I was disappointed and felt that it was simplistic.
More...