Venetian Dreaming
Similar to Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon, this travel narrative offers a look at daily life in Venice from the perspective of a native New Yorker who knows only a little Italian. A frequent contributor to Town & Country, Weideger had always dreamed of living in Venice, and readers can feel her anxious delight as she describes every detail of her apartment in the Palazzo Dona dalle Rose a Venetian palace she had read about in a history book. Weideger deftly weaves Venetian history and the history of the Dona family (who still occupy the palace) throughout her yearlong explorations of the city's churches, markets, foods, and art. At times, the author as well as the narrative struggle with the landlord's rude attempt to dislodge Weideger to make room for members of a Merchant-Ivory production team. Unfortunately, those tense exchanges taint what is otherwise a wonderful portrayal of Italian life. Reading about how Weideger negotiates the rules, language, and etiquette of life in Venice would be helpful to anyone who plans to visit the city, and tempting for those who don't. Appropriate for all public libraries. Mari Flynn, Keystone Coll., La Plume, PACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.