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#67 The Venetian Mask
The Venetian Mask: A Novel
Although I purchased The Golden Tulip last year, this is the first novel I’ve read by Rosalind Laker. It tells the story of Marietta, a girl who lost her parents at an early age. Her mother loved her so much that she ensured that her daughter was given a home at the Pieta, a Roman Catholic home for orphaned girls. This was the place for Marietta because it gave her the opportunity to make the most of her beautiful singing voice. There, she becomes best friends with Elena. The two grow up together like sisters, only to marry into two Venetian families embroiled in a generation’s old vendetta.
While thinking about this novel over the weekend, I kept making comparisons to The Tea Rose. This was because both heroines are similarly strong women, but even more so because everything they touched in business turned to gold. They certainly worked hard for their success, but there is this little part of me that feels that it came too readily. It’s not that I wanted Marietta or Fiona to have an exhaustingly difficult experience building their businesses. I think it would be more realistic to have a tiny idea or two that didn’t pan out.
My feelings for the novels as a whole are similar as well. They both had portions that kept me reading as well as portions that felt too long. Still, I really enjoyed my trip through beauty, lust, and intrigue of Venice. I loved the descriptions of the masks and the parties. I am also interested in learning more about the city’s history. Much like Devourer of Books, I found Venice to be equally compelling and perhaps more fleshed than Marietta or Elena. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t recommend this book. Laker has good writing skills and creates an interesting world. Given its pacing, it would make a good choice if you want to work on a book when you can’t devote all of your time to it. It’s a pleasant diversion that can easily be picked back up after a while without losing its charm.
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April 28, 2008 | Filed Under Books
Comments
3 Responses to “#67 The Venetian Mask”
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Linda Brower
Posted: May 5th, 2008 at 3:24 pm1Reply to this comment.When you mentioned a comparison to The Tea Rose, I was immediately intrigued. I thoroughly enjoyed that book and its sequel. Would love to give this book a try. I’ve never read any of Laker’s books, but have heard lots of positive things about her writing.
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kegsoccer
Posted: May 9th, 2008 at 12:22 am2Reply to this comment.Seems that you and Devourer of Books have pretty much the same opinion. I’ve been told it’s not really worth paying full price so I should try to pick it up cheap, but if you’re giving it away, I’d love to get my hands on it simply to read the descriptions of Venice
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pingback:
Posted: Aug 5th, 2008 at 10:08 pm3#92 The Four Seasons « The Literate Housewife ReviewReply to this comment.[...] this year I read and reviewed The Venetian Mask by Rosalind Laker. I enjoyed learning about Venetian history and about the Pieta specifically. So, [...]
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