The Venetian Mask

by Rosalind Laker

Book Overview

Enduring friendships and long-held vendettas come alive against the splendor and decadence of eighteenth-century Venice. In 1775 Venice--known to outsiders as "the brothel of Europe"--the tradition of mask-wearing has allowed adultery and debauchery to flourish. But Marietta and Elena, two friends at the Ospedale della Pieta, a world-famous orphanage and music school for girls, know little of that milieu--until they come of age. Elena is forced to...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385421907
• ISBN13: 9780385421904
• Release Date: December 1992
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 422 Pages
• Weight: 1.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Very good.

This was a very good book. I have spent many extended stays in Venice and read dozens of books on Venice and the Venetians. The book relates a lot of Venetian history and the types of Venetian masks used in Venice. There was A LOT of female bonding and experiences. If you like Venice, it is a good read.

Laker does it again!

I know when I pick up a Rosalind Laker novel that it will be excellent from beginning to end and this one was no exception. Laker is able to describe breathtakingly beautiful scenes in a way that a painter creates one on canvas. After having read "Golden Tulip" & "To Dance With Kings", I wondered if she would be able, in a venue like Venice, I was not disappointed.

Vendettas, murder and secrets

I've been binging on historical novels lately. I'm not exactly certain as to why this is a genre that I keep coming back to, but I do enjoy them a great deal, and it's a great way to explore times and places that I haven't had much time to study in more traditional ways. One author that I've been taking another look at is Rosalind Laker, who tends to blend not just history, but also art as one of her topics in her novels. A recent reprint has been The Venetian Mask, set in the hectic days of the city-state in the late eighteenth century. Marietta, a young girl, has worked beside her mother all of her life, learning how to craft the extravagant masks so popular during Carnival season. When she is left an orphan by her mother's death, she joins a charity hospital, the Pieta, a school that takes in the orphan girls of Venice and trains them to sing in a renowned choir. Among the other girls, her very best friend is Elena, a blond vocalist who shares Marietta's own liveliness. Together they find themselves not just applauded for their voices, but also their voices, and find themselves courted by several young men. For Elena, it is the heir of the Celano family, Marco, who wants to marry her, and soon she is living with his family, and learning the ways of a great lady of Venice. His family, however, isn't quite so happy at her arrival, especially her witch of a mother-in-law to be, and Filippo, Marco's brother, who wants Elena for himself. Marietta finds herself falling for an attractive young Frenchman, Alix, who promises that he will make her his wife, but what the young lovers are not counting on is the opposition from his friends and family, who feel that he could do much better than this nobody. When the worst happens, Marietta finds herself taken under the protection of a powerful nobleman, Domenico Torisi, a man who is both smart and sensitive, and who has an unknown tie to Marietta. But badly for everyone involved, there is also the long vendetta between the Celanos and the Torisis. Murder, lies and a heartbreaking choice bor the two friends is what is at the center of the novel, and gives momentum to this story of a city on the verge of losing its empire to Napoleon's armies. Let's be honest, this is a historical romance novel. Love and passion is certainly the centre of this novel, and it shows. A very great portion of the story is given over to lovers mooning over each other, jealousy, and every single emotion. But to leaven that there are plenty of duels, wicked plots, details of daily living and the riches of Venice. One aspect of Rosalind Laker's writing is that she tends (so far) to focus on the artistic endevours of the time. Besides the music of the time, there are discussions of art, clothing, the political manueverings, what a Doge was, and a plethora of little details that create a very vivid picture of the time and place. This is one reason why I enjoy reading historical novels so much, and why I've gotten to enjoy Lak

Another success for this genre of literature

I can't say enough about this author, she is witty and can write the glory and despair of amore. In this book she does that, but she lets up no slack on writing vivid details of the life in Venice that brings two friends together, and sometimes apart. The unique setting of the Pieta, where the girls are raised by nuns and taught the arts of music and song, was brought to life by her descriptions. The characters are wonderful and shown with true light revealing greatness in them and flaws as well. I enjoyed the theme of the "mask", the detail that she illuminates into its creation and purpose for this society. I enjoyed this book and the author's writing style as I always have, and she brings the tale to a glorious ending.

A wonderful story about the mystery of Venice.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I have read it a total of six times. I love it just as much as the first time I read it. This story is about a friendship that endures throught the hardest trials. Two best friends who after marraige are no longer alowed to see each other still help each other through all of their problems. Due to a vendetta between their husbands families they experiece harsh opposition to their friendship. They are surrounded by many intrigueing characters. A truly remarkable book.