" 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