Rating: 
Summary: a perfect novel
Review: For someone who has been to Italy, this novel is sheer perfection. For those unlucky enough to have missed out on the experience, this should be the spur to go. One of the great surprises of this book is how Hellenga managed to convey what it must be like to be a woman. I put my whole life on hold when this fine novel landed in my grateful lap
Rating:
Summary: Discovering What You Long For??
Review: I didn't know what to expect when I read this and I was very pleased. Robert Hellenga transported me into the soul of Margot Harrington and into the
beautiful city of Florence, Italy. He juxtaposed the naivete of her being with the beautiful, historical, sensual, lavish city of Florence. The story captivated me as Margot's attempt to save and restore the erotic volumes of the Sixteen Pleasures, she also discovered what was yearning in her heart, mind, and body and to accept it unyieldingly. A great, touching,
and self-exploration read!!
Rating:
Summary: The author draws you into the story immediately.
Review: It is not often I find a book that I can not put down. From the opening pages of The Sixteen Pleasures to its end, I found myself enchanted with the story Robert Hellenga has to tell. The story regards a young woman's adventure that begins with an innocent attempt to offer her book binding restorative skills to save book treasures in Florence Italy during the mid 60's. She was called a mud angel because she was among the other volunteers who had come to assist the Italian government to salvage works of art damaged be the floods resulting from the rains in Florence. Although this in itself is a worthy act, the reader is guided through her adventures and at the same time see this naive woman develop into a women of culture and knowledge, not only of art but also of herself. All of this results from her association with the restoration of an erotic book from the Renaissance period. If this is not enough for the reader, you learn little tidbits along the way like how a fresco is removed from the ceiling of a chapel. This book is meant to be read again and again
Rating:
Summary: A definite 'Must Read'!
Review: I read 'The Sixteen Pleasures' prior to a trip to Florence and fell in love with the book. The descriptions of Florence are enticing, the story is fascinating and will hold you in its grip. It's the novel I always wanted to write.
Rating:
Summary: Menlo Park book club says: 5 thumbs up!
Review: ...and that's 5 out of 5. Some books we read don't elicit much discussion, so that our group has plenty of time to catch up on gossip, but "The Sixteen Pleasures" engaged us in coversation for a full hour--certainly a record for our book club.
The plot involves a woman in her mid-twenties who goes to Florence to help after the big flood there. She is an expert in book restoration, and gets to restore a rare medieval book of erotica that some nun-friends of hers have. We enjoyed the main character's development; found her credible, likeable; same for her family and the complex emotions involved with them. Some of our members barely tolerated the details about art and book restoration, but others enjoyed learning about it. The novel's plot gets moderately gripping at the end, although it takes a long build-up to get there. And the very end of the book is satisfyingly ambiguous; no pat endings here.
One universal disappointment: the cover promises an erotic adventure, but of all the sixteen pleasures, we only get to hear about one of them in much detail. Oh well. Italy is its own erotic adventure, so read it for that.
Rating:
Summary: Hellenga is simply versatile - not just a "male author"
Review: Books that go into rich details typically don't interest me. "Get to the point already!" is something I might think if an author diddles around too long on description without advancing the plot or the character development.Hellenga goes into a great detail about art and books and their restoration and somehow makes it all interesting. Perhaps he's tapped into the psyche of book lovers by addressing one of our fears: Imagine your most favorite, rare books that you've collected have been damaged and need to be restored or they'll be lost forever. In this case, the author is talking about the treasures of an entire country and not just one person. But this is just the setting and background. Hellenga is also able to apply his same sensual descriptions to his characters and describes the thoughts and life of an American woman in Italy quite ably. I've given several copies of "The Sixteen Pleasures" to my friends, particularly women. It's that good. Quite simply, it is sumptuous and sensual and a pleasure to read. Far too many readers make a point of Hellenga being a man. Donna Tart wrote as a man in "The Secret History" and Jeffrey Eugenides wrote as a hermaphrodite in "Middlesex." In both cases the authors nailed their characters. Why so hard to believe that Hellenga, as a man, can't handle a female character? Besides, anyone with the illusion that Hellenga is all touchy feely only needs to read his book "The Fall of the Sparrow" in which he describes the life of a typical older professor who has frequent sex with one of his female students. If anything, he's versatile. If you love "Pleasures" you might not be as enthralled with "Sparrow" which, although a good read in my opinion, just has a different reading audience.
Rating: 
Summary: A poetic and pleasureable read.
Review: I enjoyed the mystery and poetry of this book. The combination of a nunnery, erotic engravings, and a 29 year old American woman in Florence... well what else can I say.
Rating: 
Summary: Visit Florence, Italy
Review: and learn how to restore Renaissance monographs at the same time. Very well written. Characters are fully drawn. Most satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: Una Bella Cosa
Review: Robert Hellenga's ability to capture both a woman's voice and the Italian landscape is true evidence of his talent. Each sentence, each situation, and each character embraces the most sensuous dimensions of Italian life. Set in post-WWII Florence, the narrator arrives in search of a way to help rebuild the ruined city. Throughout her journey she not only finds passion in her work, but she discovers herself in a city where so many young American women have done the same. Anyone who has ever lived, studied, or just fallen in love with Florence will find herself on its streets again through the lyrical poetry of "The Sixteen Pleasures."
Rating:
Summary: Watch Me Become Venus
Review: Ok, so maybe not Venus. Our heroine, Margot, goes to Florence (where else?)to find some adventure before she becomes to old and timid to seek adventure. She does no small piece of finding adventure, either. Margot begins the story in one way, but through her experiences, becomes a transformed person. She truly finds the Venus within. The reader is brought along as witness. First, she sleeps with an academic, who happens to be a cad, but at least amuses her for the moment. There is a scene depicted in the book where the two are making love when Margot realizes that her girlfriend is in the room with them. While Margot is trying to shoo her out behind her lovers back, her friend is directing Margot on how to move her body to give her lover more pleasure. It is quite funny. Next, she ends up becoming embroiled in an affair with a much older, married, Italian gentleman. While carrying on this affair, Margot is helping an order of nuns restore their library collection which has been ruined in a terrible flood. During this restoration the abess brings to her attention a 16th century pornographic drawing collection, The Sixteen Pleasures, once order by the pope to be burned, now likely worth tons of money if authentic. The abess very much would like to have the book, if authentic, sold so that the abbey could remain financially independant and therefore free from the tyrannical rule of the local bishop. The tale of Margot's authenticating and selling the book stand interwoven with Morgot's affair. Eventually Morgot finds that she has fallen in love, both with her lover and with the women in the abbey. You must read the book to find out what choices she makes. The tale reads like a wonderful cabernet wine. It is rich with emotional complexity, real world problems, and struggles of conscience. Interesting information about art restoration is craftily splashed into the story as well. The only problem that I felt this book suffered was a bit of heavy handed narration in the descriptions of Florence and some of the artworks. Perhaps this might have been justified if Florence had been brought alive for me the same way that the Congo was in Barbara Kingsolvers The Poisonwood Bible. Unfortunately, the descriptions remained flat description instead of word pictures and ended up simply giving the book a bogged down feeling now and again.
|
