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The City of Falling Angels Audiobook
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(3.00) - 7,652 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
It was seven years ago that Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil achieved a record-breaking four-year run on the New York Times bestseller list. John Berendt's inimitable brand of nonfiction brought the dark mystique of Savannah so startlingly to life for millions of people that tourism to Savannah increased by 46%. It is Berendt and only Berendt who can capture Venice--a city of masks, a city of riddles, where the narrow, meandering passageways form a giant maze, confounding all who have not grown up wandering into its depths. Venice, a city steeped in a thousand years of history, art and architecture, teeters in precarious balance between endurance and decay. Its architectural treasures crumble--foundations shift, marble ornaments fall--even as efforts to preserve them are underway. THE CITY OF FALLING ANGELS opens on the evening of January 29, 1996, when a dramatic fire destroys the historic Fenice opera house. The loss of the Fenice, where five of Verdi's operas premiered, is a catastrophe for Venetians. Arriving in Venice three days after the fire, Berendt becomes a kind of detective--inquiring into the nature of life in this remarkable museum-city-- while gradually revealing the truth about the fire. In the course of his investigations, Berendt introduces us to a rich cast of characters: a prominent Venetian poet whose shocking 'suicide' prompts his skeptical friends to pursue a murder suspect on their own; the First Family of American expatriates who lose possession of the family palace after four generations of ownership; an organization of high-society, party-going Americans who raise money to preserve the art and architecture of Venice, while quarreling in public among themselves, questioning each other's motives and drawing startled Venetians into the fray; a contemporary Venetian surrealist painter and outrageous provocateur; the master glassblower of Venice; and numerous others--stool-pigeons, scapegoats, hustlers, sleepwalkers, believers in Martians, the Plant Man, the Rat Man, and Henry James. Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to reveal a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting. The fire and its aftermath serve as a leitmotif that runs throughout, adding to the elements of chaos, corruption and crime, and contributing to the ever-mounting suspense of this brilliant audiobook. Bonus feature includes an exclusive interview with the author!
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"A must read if you are going or have been to Venice. This is a fascinating easy read with extremely interesting characters. I found the style of switching between the many characters and time frames effective. i especially like all the historical characters in the book. If I ever plan on returning to Venice I will definitely repeat this book"
— Betsy (5 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
The City of Falling Angels Listener Reviews
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" I love Italy and Italians. Reading this book took me back. "
— Courtney, 2/18/2014 -
" I loved his first book so much that I was thrilled to find another... Until I read this one. I was really disappointed. The story didn't seem to go anywhere. Loved the imagery and short history of Venice but the overall story left me wanting more. "
— Joelle, 2/14/2014 -
" I was a big fan of Berendt's most famous novel and since I'm in such a European phase right now, I was happy to see that he wrote a novel about Venice, at least one particular event that occurred in Venice. The book describes in detail the Fenice Opera House burning down in 1996 and all the politics, bureaucracy, and emotions that follow. In the 8 years that he lives there, he meets all the who's who of Venice and gets to see some pretty amazing palaces. A lot of the study was conversations and backgrounds on these Venetians, which has a loose attachment to the event, but does stray quite a bit. It does make me want to see Venice but from how it's described, it seems as though Venetians are more pleased with themselves than outsiders, though they for the most part seemed to have taken Berendt in as a friend and colleague. It was an enjoyable read but not quite what I expected. "
— Amanda, 2/12/2014 -
" An interesting look at Venetian society and its quirky characters. "
— Kailani, 2/9/2014 -
" How can Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil be sooooo good and this book be so boring? I have been to Venice once, where this book is set, and it was a beautiful, romantic, and wonderful city. I enjoyed "visiting" it again through this book, but that was not enough to keep me engaged in the endless descriptions of Venetion society necessary for attempting to solve the mystery of who burned down La Fenice. Such a bummer. "
— Kristen, 2/3/2014 -
" Reasonably good book, but not the "read" that Midnight in the Garden...was. That it takes place in Venice is one of its charms for me. "
— Nomanisan, 2/3/2014 -
" I got confused and thought this was the next book by Erik Larson, who wrote The Devil in the White City. It most decidedly was not. Instead, this book took a sort of investigative journalist/travelogue approach to Venice just before and after its famous opera house burned down. The work/reward balance for this book tilted too much toward work for my tastes. "
— Sam, 1/17/2014 -
" I thought this would be like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but it wasn't "
— Mandy, 1/16/2014 -
" This book made me want to visit Venice much like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil made me want to visit Savannah. Great characters. "
— Vic, 1/11/2014 -
" Very much like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - central story is about a court case/event of note in the city but lots of stories/gossip about personalities along the way. "
— Jen, 1/9/2014 -
" Evocative portrait of Venice and its people, based on events surrounding the burning of the Fenice Opera House. "
— Elaine, 11/26/2013 -
" Theres just something about his storytelling skills that is SO captivating and easy to read...even when theres not much of a story. "
— Jeremy, 11/15/2013 -
" Great history on Venice. Not as flowing of a read as "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil". "
— Gerri, 11/3/2013 -
" A very interesting journalistic mystery, steeped in history about the city. "
— Ben, 10/26/2013 -
" Not quite as good as Midnight... but the man tells a beautiful story. "
— Mary, 10/9/2013 -
" Historical facts were amazing but the story tosses you from one side story to another. Even though the city is amazing I had a hard time staying focused with the book. "
— Cathy, 8/30/2013 -
" This book has made me want to visit Venice "
— Saturday's, 8/7/2013 -
" This a a very interesting books that gives some insight into the occupants of many of the lovely homes in Venice. Surprisingly, many are Americans. I doubt this book would be of much interest to anyone who has not been to Venice. "
— Janet, 2/16/2013 -
" Loved the way that it paints Venice as a city and a culture. "
— Bec79, 11/27/2012 -
" Enjoyed this very much. I love the way he tells THE story by weaving together the stories and points of view of the many rich characters. Wish he had more novels. "
— Keith, 10/21/2012 -
" Trying to follow midnight in the garden of good an evil proves to be too much for the author. It's a great read if you are planning a visit there, but there are many books to read over this one. I wouldn't rush to it. "
— Brendan, 7/24/2012 -
" Captures the atmosphere of Venice... "
— Hummingbird, 5/9/2012 -
" This is non-fiction, very readable book about the burning of the opera house in Venice. Venice is high on my list of places to visit so I really enjoyed learning about the city, its' geography, neighborhoods and people. "
— Lisa, 2/14/2012 -
" great book if you've ever been to, or are interested in Venice. "
— Scott, 1/18/2012 -
" Intriguing view of a fascinating city. Venice itself is the main character of this well-written account. It certainly enriched my recent visit. "
— Chris, 5/23/2011 -
" The author paints an amazing picture of Venice and really engrosses you in the culture of the city and the personalities of the inhabitants.Unfortunately for me that was all that got me through this book.The plot and mystery of who burned the Fenice just didn't capture my interest as I had hoped. "
— Anna, 4/27/2011 -
" True stories of Venetians set in Venice surrounding the fire of the Fenice Opera House. It was interesting--sometimes fascinating, sometimes tedious. Only my love for history kept me committed to staying with this book to the end, but, overall, a good read. "
— Laura, 4/19/2011 -
" slow moving,....what else can I say. Having a hard time staying with it. Except there's the fire. We'll see. "
— Kris, 3/9/2011 -
" If you love Venice, you'll find this book to be very interesting. "
— Jennie, 3/6/2011
About John Berendt
John Berendt grew up in Syracuse, New York. He earned a BA in English from Harvard University, where he worked on the staff of the Harvard Lampoon. After graduating in 1961, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in publishing. He was editor of New York magazine from 1977 to 1979, and wrote a monthly column for Esquire from 1982 to 1994. Berendt first traveled to Savannah in the early 80’s, and spent more and more time there over the next few years, until he was there more often than he was in New York.
About Holter Graham
Holter Graham, winner of three of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voice of the Year awards, is a stage, television, and screen actor. He has recorded numerous audiobooks and earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actor, his film credits include Fly Away Home, Maximum Overdrive, Hairspray, and The Diversion, a short film which he acted in and produced. On television, he has appeared in Army Wives, Damages, As the World Turns, Rescue Me, Law & Order, and New York Undercover. He received a BA degree from Skidmore College and an MFA from Vermont College.