Rating: 
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: There are good books, and there are great books. And then, there are books that impress you even more. This was a like that for me.She writes a romance, with "the stranger" she met by chance and begins with again and then again a new life, she writes with such a romance - I who read hundreds of romances, did not find one having so much of it. She is in love, more, not only with "the stranger", her husband then and still the stranger, but with a town and its people, and also the places she's decorating romantically, and the foods, and the markets, and - is it a memoir ? true or not ? probably is true, this sensual love of materials, "étoffes", taftas and silk etc. cannot be not true. I fell in love with them, and her book, too. I would like to read more memories, more books by her !
Rating: 
Summary: Romantic, sensual tale.........
Review: Venice immediately conjures up visions of romance and beauty, so with a wonderful backdrop this love story has a sensual headstart. This is the story of two unlikely people that fall in love in Venice and then through a series of events that are both funny and endearing, decide to spend their lives together. It is the tale of them learning about each other and in this process, they also learn about themselves. Venice is so delicately and intimately described that the author's love for this city is clear. The discussions of the meals and wines and the strolls through the shops paint a warm and vivid picture. When the author learns to adjust to the cultural differences of her new life in Venice and her life in the United States she learns much about herself, her lover and the people in general. This is a romantic adventure that is a delight to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Food, Travel and a Little Romance
Review: Just finished reading "A Thousand Days in Venice" and am now ready to travel to Italy. Seriously, this was an enjoyable book, full of poetic alliteration, great descriptions of Venice and some helpful background history to a city I knew little about. I learned more about Venetian courtesans, for instance, than I'd ever imagined. It's a true story by and about middle-aged Marlena De Blasi, a professional chef & writer from Missouri, who travels to Venice on business and meets "the stranger". She falls in love, sells practically all her (beautiful) earthly possessions, moves into his grimy, Spartan apartment and marries him. The book focuses mostly on how both she and the stranger change themselves and each other & how Venice touches their lives. It's also about food...lots and lots of food. I found myself simultaneously admiring and wanting to throttle Ms. de Blasi at times, both for her ability at spontaneity and her tendency to allow this Italian male to boss her around. Luckily the later happened less often as the book progressed so I was able to calm down and enjoy the story. If you like beautifully descriptive travel books, European history and especially great food, "1000 Days" is worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Go for it girl, but tone down the pretentious writing
Review: As a middle-aged divorced woman, I have absolutely no problem understanding Marlena's decision to go for it. Chucking it all for an unknowable outcome is part of recreating oneself for the second part of life and in any event, what's the worst that could have happened to Marlena if Venice didn't work out? I didn't find what she did silly, shallow or unrealistic - in fact I found it inspirational! I did, though, find the way she wrote about it a bit pretentious. In every sentence, she seemed to go out of her way to take the long route to get to the point. Excessive description, arcane words, and too-frequent poetic phraseology left me exhausted, begging for simple declarative sentences. I sometimes felt she was writing about someone other than herself, as I missed the inner emotional dialog I expected from someone who'd make the kind of dramatic life choice she did. I adore Italy and have been to Venice although again, because of her writing style, I often felt bogged down in the slosh of a lengthy description and ... maybe that's why I read Naipaul and not Hemmingway. In the end, I found the read "okay". Marlena sounds like the kind of woman I'd love to meet and I wish her the very best of a wonderful life in Italy.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and true love story
Review: In St. Louis, Marlena lives alone having been divorced and her two adult children out from the roost. She is a successful chef and food writer, but has little to show in her recent personal life. Marlena travels to Venice where the Stranger stares at her as if she is Miss Italy. Banker Fernando believes that he has found his soul mate. They talk and share a romantic interlude before she returns to Missouri. Surprisingly, he travels to the States to persuade Marlena that this is love. She agrees to go to Venice because this may be love. Neither understands the desires of the other except for the passion between them, yet a warm relationship forms as love, indeed, flourishes. However, will her spontaneity and her love for cooking die or will she bring her beloved into the world of the gourmand. Marlena de Blasi provides uses the novel format to explain how she and her beloved met, fell in love, and forged a relationship. The true story simmers slowly so that those who demand instant gratification will want to pass. Those readers who relish a tasteful morsel (and a few recipes) will appreciate this true eternal love story found during the author's middle age when society catalogues folks as part of the over the hill gang. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: So much richness
Review: The greatest appeal of this glittering memoir is the self-possession of its author. Here is a woman who understands herself well, and she shapes her story with great skill and aliveness. De Blasi paints many beautiful word picture for us, revealing the inner and outer richness of her lush mid-life adventure. She is equally articulate on the history of Venice, the psychology of love, and gourmet cooking. I wasn't riveted by every chapter, but A Thousand Days in Venice left me admiring De Blasi as a woman and a writer. I came away from this read with a renewed commitment to the romantic life and a wish in my heart for De Blasi's lasting happiness...
Rating:
Summary: Compelling love story and travel book
Review: I read the hardcover recently, somewhat reluctantly as I was afraid this would just be another disappointing take on recent travel memoir books, a la Provence or Tuscany. This story is about an American chef who meets a Venetian by chance, falls almost immediately in love, and then she packs up her life and moves to Venice to marry him. As I read I thought at first that the love story element was overwrought, but as it moved on I sometimes surprised myself with my eyes welling with tears. The prose isn't perfect, but the story has wonderful details. And the sights and sounds and food of Venice, are on almost every page, which is really the reason I so highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Venice. Great details especially on the Lido area, which many visitors to Venice don't really get to know.
Proofreading was bad on the hardcover version, there were several typos. This is great light summer reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Overuse of words
Review: Her passion is evident, but it didn't need to be described in so many words. It was almost an overabuse of adjectives. It's fine to paint a picture, but it need not be the Sistine Chapel. The cover, which is spectacular, actually said it all.
Rating:
Summary: Silly and Shallow
Review: I bought this book based on the mostly glowing reviews. I lived two years in Italy, as a student 20 years ago, and have read many travelogs about Italy. I was especially interested in this book because my husband, daughter, and I were planning our vacation to Venice. But this book was rather disappointing. The author is a rather silly, middle-aged American woman with a very superficial knowledge about Italy, Italians, and Venice. I felt she was crafting her story to include only what made her look romantic and clever--glossing over or excluding everything to the contrary. With reservations, I lent this book to a friend (who also lived two years in Italy as a student). She also found the book to be shallow. My friend couldn't believe a middle-aged woman would run off to Italy with a man she had known barely a few months and NOT have her adult children or any American friends at the big romantic wedding (complete with white gown and gondola). The descriptions of Venice--the reason I bought the book--were so superficial that they would be interesting only to someone who had never been to Venice or who had been there very briefly as a tourist.
Rating:
Summary: Worth Reading But Not for the Romance
Review: I agree with those few reviewers who find the author a bit over the top when she searches to paint a picture of some moment or event. On the other hand, I think she has done a pretty good job painting the Venetians for us--and that is a considerable gift. For persons like me who love the city but wonder a lot about who lives there and how they do it, the glimpses at custom, attitude, and daily round are most welcome.
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