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geekmom's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
A tightly written, well-paced mystery. It's interesting to observe Donna Leon honing her craft over the course of this series and bringing in some deeper themes through Brunetti's reflections on his work. The theme of the seven deadly sins that ties everything together in this book was particularly interesting!
pattiillbee11's review
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hardcoverhearts's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as usual. Paola is the bomb! What is Signorina Elettra doing with her Wednesday mornings? Teaching computer classes to the elderly?
stmchester's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid 3. Not one of my favorites, but there was enough going on to keep me interested.
elysahenegar's review against another edition
3.0
Another entertaining Donna Leon mystery set against the backdrop of Italian politics and government, with Leon's distinct, if cynical, voice.
xavi3r's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Agradable novela policíaca del comisario Brunetti ambientada en Venecia. La narración es muy fluida y el interés de la trama se mantiene hasta el final.
raely's review against another edition
2.0
I had this book on my shelf for years. I also read it without having any other books in the series— so my opinion should absolutely be taken with a grain of salt. In fact, if I knew how to make reviews private I would, because this is mainly so I remember my feelings around this book.
I wanted something relaxing and I think this pacing (afternoon naps and all) makes this series really conducive to that cozy detective fiction feel.
I know the protagonist is supposed to be old fashioned, observing the changes to Venice with a wary but also somewhat pragmatic eye. Still, there were some moments of racism and homophobia that were just hard to overlook when reading this book almost twenty years after it’s release. I don’t think Leon writes without nuance, but it took me out of the story and I’m not certain it would be worth it for me to revisit any older works. Click through the spoiler tag for an example.
“Dot Indians or Feather Indians?”Raffi asked.
“Feather Indians, of course,” Chiara answered, oblivious to the racist overtones of Raffi’s question.
Guido and Paola seem interested in letting their kids figure things out, and Leon writes with an almost languid tone that is masterful in showing flawed people do what they will do and observing their nature. But this, and a few other instances of the story, didn’t actually have anything to do with the plot and just took me out of the story. She acknowledges the racism, but there’s no further comment from the characters nor is it addressed in any way. Perhaps it is setting it up for Raffi and Chiara’s future reckoning, but as a casual reader it just seemed unnecessary. This happens several times in the book— sometimes acknowledged, sometimes not.
Also, I don’t remember when I started this book because I think it took me over a month to read for some reason. That’s on me.
I wanted something relaxing and I think this pacing (afternoon naps and all) makes this series really conducive to that cozy detective fiction feel.
I know the protagonist is supposed to be old fashioned, observing the changes to Venice with a wary but also somewhat pragmatic eye. Still, there were some moments of racism and homophobia that were just hard to overlook when reading this book almost twenty years after it’s release. I don’t think Leon writes without nuance, but it took me out of the story and I’m not certain it would be worth it for me to revisit any older works. Click through the spoiler tag for an example.
Spoiler
Late in the book there’s this exchange:“Dot Indians or Feather Indians?”Raffi asked.
“Feather Indians, of course,” Chiara answered, oblivious to the racist overtones of Raffi’s question.
Guido and Paola seem interested in letting their kids figure things out, and Leon writes with an almost languid tone that is masterful in showing flawed people do what they will do and observing their nature. But this, and a few other instances of the story, didn’t actually have anything to do with the plot and just took me out of the story. She acknowledges the racism, but there’s no further comment from the characters nor is it addressed in any way. Perhaps it is setting it up for Raffi and Chiara’s future reckoning, but as a casual reader it just seemed unnecessary. This happens several times in the book— sometimes acknowledged, sometimes not.
Also, I don’t remember when I started this book because I think it took me over a month to read for some reason. That’s on me.