Review: Breathtakingly Beautiful...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 13, 2014
Warning: I absolutely adored this book, so unabashed gushing follows. For recommendation, skip to the end.Chance writes incandescent prose that engages all five of my senses. I could see, feel, touch, taste and hear everything that the characters did in 19th century Venice. The book is so lush, beautiful, intricate, colorful and mysterious that I read at a snail's pace to prolong the experience. That has happened about ten times in my life after reading thousands of books.In this novel you get to experience historical Venice through the eyes of a painter, a storyteller, a poet and a mysterious patron. All are markedly different, yet equally fascinating. Chance makes transitioning between characters easy, as they switch with chapter headings and her prose is effortless to read, so I had no trouble. Each was equally important to the story, which worked on the theme of universal balance.The plot is amazingly complex and layered; populated by these four magnificent characters that all have significantly challenging backstories which color all of their individual actions and interactions. This is as much a historical tale with a paranormal flavor, as it is a mystery - as much about love of family and lover, as it is about artistic inspiration, and immortal works of art.There is enough foreshadowing throughout the pages to make a veteran reader feel that they have this puzzle in the bag, and you would be only partially correct. Chance sets her reader's up. She gives you a small part, but leaves you in dire straits. While I  thought I knew what was going to happen at the end of the story, I was thoroughly surprised by the final scenes and resolution, as well as the impact and consequences as evidenced by the epilogue.This is when I wish they ranked things on a 100 point basis - not 5 barely discernible stars. This would get 95 points. If you equated this book to food, it would be a seven course French feast with vintage wine, served in a Venetian palace by a huge professional staff. All the diners would be of like mind, witty, humorous and delightful. Elegant, satisfying, beautiful, thrilling and wonderful...I was completely immersed in Venice, and lost an entire night of sleep because I just didn't want to leave the beautiful, mysterious world that Chance created. I am an artist, so colors, textures, composition, shadows, how things appear all mean a lot to me. I can see every single scene of this book in my mind without effort because Chance is such a singular writer that it makes it so very simple. Most writers not so much, or not at all. Cinematic is a word that gets tossed around a lot, but that is only two senses: hearing and vision. Chance gets all five. I call it Imagovision™.Bottom Line: If you are a good person, have a close family relationship, love your spouse, ever gotten a creative urge, been inspired by something beautiful, YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK NOW! Top Book of 2014 by far...