Guest blog: The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt

I have been trying to get Thora to read this book because she's going to Venice this fall and even though I agree with all reviewers it's not as good as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it does give you a whole new understanding of the living city of Venice that still hangs on amidst all those crumbling castles with their falling stone angels. There is obviously an ancient and extremely peculiar community still persisting, and it makes very good reading whether you have the great good sense to be planning a leisurely stay there this fall or not. There are several fascinating subplots involving the burning of the big opera house (it turned out to be arson, did you know that? I didn't), Ezra Pound's love nest, Peggy Guggeheim's legacy, nobilty who believe in aliens, etc. The usual Berendt mix. Recommended.

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