Vaporetto 13

by Robert Girardi

Book Overview

Wilson Squire is a currency trader sent by his company to Venice, Italy, to gauge the political climate and its potential effect on the lira. Haunted by recent events in his life and uneasy in the foreign environment, he finds it impossible to sleep, so he takes to walking the damp Venetian streets at midnight. In that labyrinth of alleyways and bridges, Wilson meets the ethereal and perplexing Caterina, a woman who seems to bear the sadness of centuries,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385319479
• ISBN13: 9780385319478
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

much like Madeleine's Ghost

If you enjoyed Madeleine's Ghost as much as I did, you will thoroughly enjoy this novel as well. Again, you must ask yourself what you believe in; a ghost in Madeleine's Ghost, here it's something different (I won't spoil it for you).You have a choice, if you accept that what you see is real and actually exists then you have an opportunity for new experiences and to learn something. If you refuse to believe, you may as well give up and go back to your hum drum unfulfilling life.

As mysterious as the waters of the canals.

Girardi sets your senses on the very edge with Vaporetto 13. It's reading at it's best and Stephen King, no contest!!!

As haunting as "Madeline's Ghost"...

Girardi has a way of presenting facts about a place and its culture without sounding condescending. His descriptions of Venice are far from the "touristy" types of other novels; he can take you on the streets, in the back alleys, in the places guide books avoid or ignore. The only negative is that it was way too short.

Pretty shnifty, but what's with the ending?

I've never read anything else by the author before, but I was very impressed by his language and his knack for storytelling. He tells a haunting tale of old cities and ghosts and stories and all that other great stuff. The ending was a little awkward and seemed a bit rushed, but don't let that deter you--on the whole this a great novel. Short and sweet, and an ideal way to spend a few hours.

Not your typical dead end love affair

Robert Girardi is never content just to write magnificently. Mr. Girardi is, at heart, a philosopher. His philosphy advocates and embraces christianity and the consolation it provides. In this, his third novel, he once again works within a christian (or more precisely, Catholic) framework. The reader is taken to Venice, a city which is literally "dying" as it descends into the ocean, where the hero falls in love with a beautiful woman who has, to put it mildly, a past. This beautiful woman, Caterina, refuses to divulge her history except by inference. It is this mystery which is the horror. Although the engaging writing and exquisite love story make this a compelling read, make no mistake: at its core, this is a terrifying novel. Mr. Girardi confirms some tenants of the Catholic faith which have lately fallen out of fashion (such as the existence of Purgatory, the validity of prayer and the reality of saints). Yet it is the absence of faith which Mr. Girardi is encouraging the reader to abandon--indeed, faith and prayer itself are set out as (literally) being the salvation of others long since dead. Clearly, Mr. Girardi believes that death is not the end. Further, entrance into the next world is most definitely merit based. Hardly a new concept, but always controversial. The love story is a vehicle for Mr. Girardi's bigger point: life isn't about material acquistion, life isn't about sexual conquest, life isn't about senseless narcissism--life is about loving human relationships. And in those relationships are where happiness and salvation can be found. Be warned: indulgence in the deadly sins will most certainly land you in a world where you will have a long time to ponder the mistakes made in life. Beautiful prose, beautiful women, beautiful Venice, beautiful inspiration--get this book and read it. It might save your soul.