Rating: 
Summary: MESMERIZING
Review: I've read a lot of novels in my time. And I've seen it all, or so I thought. CRY TO HEAVEN is probably one of Anne Rice's best novels and one of the best novels I have ever read. Period! I must admit, I didn't care for INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, it was slow and dragged a bit. But that was her first novel, I can see she's improved a lot since that time. This novel was so beautifully written, the settings of 18th century Italy are magnificent. I could honestly imagine being there witnessing the sounds, colors and smells of the period. Her characters are so richly drawn, that I felt like I knew them personally. But above all, the plot is wonderful, a story of adventure, revenge and the struggle of personal identity. Not the mention a wonderful ending that had me glued. Sadly, I've noticed that this book is always obscured by her Vampire and Witch novels. Personally I feel this book is better than those. So forget Vampires and Witches for once and try this not so well known gem. Ironically this novel has been out for 20 years and no one I ask has read it and some never even heard of it. A lot of my friends would say that they always see the book on the shelf but never had a desire to read it. So I guess the real reason I read it was because no one else has and I was curious to find out what was it all about. I'm glad I did, now it will be my little secret.
Rating:
Summary: Magnificent chronicle, beautifully written!
Review: "And Guido perceived that when the woman is taken out of an entire realm of life that must need to imitate the world itself, then some substitute for that woman is inevitable. Something must rise to take the place of what is feminine. Something must rise to be feminine. And the castrati were not mere singers, players, anomalies; they had become woman herself." -Anne Rice Set in Venice, Naples, Rome, and Florence during the time of Vivaldi, this exquisitely written work is the story of Marc Antonio Treschi, a castrato. A Venetian nobleman, Tonio was blessed with many things -- a beautiful mother, a fine family, a gentlemanly upbringing, and not least of all, a beautiful singing voice. Tonio led a very sheltered early life, and as he begins the journey to manhood, he starts to discover some dark secrets of the House of Treschi. A word to the wise: This author does not shy away from taboo subjects. Music was the passion and preoccupation of many people in Europe during this time. In the name of producing great music, mutilations were routinely done during these times to little boys from poor families -- boys with voices which showed promise. How Tonio came to his experience with the knife will best be discovered by reading this wonderful book, and spoiling the experience by detailing the plot is something which will not be done in this review. This book is a compelling adventure, and it is written by a masterful writer. Anne Rice excels in transporting her reader to magical times & places, and introducing them to interesting people, who then spring to life. She takes her readers on a mystical journey, always choosing the perfect word. Simply, magically, elegantly, she weaves a tapestry of wonder, and through it all, holds one spellbound. She can describe a walk through a grand old square in Italy, and everything she has outlined can be envisioned, right down to the smells and sounds. Rice's characters are larger than life, they are compelling, and they are detailed down to their fingernails and the texture of their hair. Their thoughts are perfectly articulated, and they are set forth in extremely beautiful prose. If one contemplates a "Cry to Heaven," one could think of many things that could conjure up such a cry: Religion, Remorse, Regret, Angst, Guilt, Pain, Sorrow, Love, Rapture, Longing, Esctacy, and of course, Great Music! All of these are found in this work. Highly, Highly Recommended!!!
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Summary: Anne Rice's stand-alone masterpiece!
Review: Let me add my enthusiastic "bravo!" to the list. Read this book! This novel is a wonderful tale of music and the passion of lives fully lived...and the pain to which that fullness is wed. What thrilling, erotic read. This is the story of an 18th century castrato who is torn between getting revenge against those who mutilated him...or rising above that-- with his angelic voice and impossible good looks-- to become Italy's next opera star. Rice steeped her novel in betrayal, obsession, the drive for revenge, the lust for power, and the need of a astarved soul to find love. But beyond all these "bodice-ripper" adjectives, Cry to Heaven is at its heart an unflinching character study of a man who has his manhood stolen from him, and of how his mind has to twist in on itself to cope with this loss. Ms. Rice's protagonist, Tonio Treschi is wonderfully nuanced, and we get to see into his tortured soul at every step of his journey-- from the confused and unfocused pain of being castrated, to the cold, focused revenge on the one responsible. Masterful! Add to this the lush backdrop of the intrigue of the opera scene in Naples, Venice, Milan and Rome...well, this is truly a feast. And I ate every morsel. After reading this novel, you'll felt like you've earned a PhD in musicology, opera seria, and Italian political history-- it's that detailed. But the details NEVER bog down the story, just make it richer and richer. Again, bravo, bravo Anne Rice!
Rating:
Summary: Did not want it to end!
Review: An amazing book! You will not want it to end. I keep looking to pick it up again to read. You will fall in love with the main character, Tonio. Anne Rice describes 18th century Italy and the castrato in a way that will bring you back to that time. You can feel what her characters are feeling, you can picture Italy as it was back then. Please do not think you have to be an Anne Rice fan to enjoy this book. It is nothing like her vampire chronicles. There are some pretty graphic sex scenes in it, but I think they actual help to make you understand who the characters are and what they feel. It would be a shame for any avid reader to miss this book. It is definitely one to add to your collection.
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Summary: The best writing Anne Rice ever did!
Review: I read just about everything Anne Rice has written up to the past 3 years, and this novel is my absolute favorite. It is totally unique and fresh. She takes the voice of a male protagonist, and makes the character so real, so vital, that this poignant story will never leave you. Whether you, the reader, are male or female, you MUST identify with this character. Incredibly sensuous description, and stirringly erotic scenes do not make this a seamy book, but give depth and reality to it. I am amazed and moved by the depth of the author's imaginative empathy portraying this life in another time and essentially another world.
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Summary: The One to Read
Review: I have read all of Anne's books and rate this number one. While
I love the vampire and witches series, a Cry to Heaven is a
superior writing style and a story that will keep you hooked.
Rating:
Summary: an addictive little thing
Review: This is the written equivilant of "The Jerry Springer Show". Every ten pages (or every ten lines if it's during a homoromantic love triangle -- it doesn't matter that they're eunuchs; this is Anne Rice), you ask yourself, "Why am I reading this sheist?" But you keep on reading anyway. Though some may find the author's treatment of gender (psychological vs. biological, mainly) amusing, my favorite aspect of this book is Tonio's surreal life after being, ahem, snipped. How does the mind adapt to such a change in the body, and what of the man survives that trauma? The author's answers to these questions take a few hundred pages, but they're fascinating answers. Though Freud would have probably considered the sword to be a phallic symbol, it's remarkable just how far the author carries this symbolism. The way the protagonist balances a life of castrati opera and swordfighting isn't, in sum, androgynous; it's something far more complex than that. Overall, the history is well researched; Rice stretches it by making a fifteen year-old into a eunuch (most singers would be castrated well before puberty), but that's not technically impossible, just improbable. Her writing and plot at times mimic the melodrama of an Italian opera, but it's no cheesier than those goth vampires in her other books, and the fact that it's based in reality is refreshing.
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Summary: Fascinating Story about Castrati
Review: As a former music student, I have always been fascinated by Castrati and their historical importance. I loved the movie Farinelli, and when I heard about this book I thought I would give it a read. I found Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' a bit hard to get into, but did not have the same problem with this book. It is erotic, historical, dramatic, and just plain interesting. Totally worth a read--even if you haven't enjoyed other Anne Rice works.
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Summary: Guess what? No vampires
Review: Anne Rice's historically accurate novel, Cry to Heaven, is set in Rome during an era when a papal ban prohibited women from performing on stage. The inevitable substitute, men who were capable of singing soprano roles in opera, were the castrati, castrated boys whose voices would never change to that of men.
In Rice's novel, we are privy to the life, study, and hard work of the castrato student: vocal exercises, music lessons, technical exercises, and the proper wearing of the black tunic with the red sash and the black ribbon at the neck which identified them as castrati - and finally, the stage performance.
Ann Rice is a complex, complicated, multi-talented writer with a wide range of talents and interests. This one, I believe, is unique.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: The characters and emotions are so real. I loved this book. I feel it is Anne Rice's best. You become completely immersed in the world she describes. The story is exciting, moving, arousing, and dark. I highly reccommend this book. Tonio, the main character, has become my favorite character of any book I have ever read. I love Tonio! And you will enjoy reading and following along on his journey.
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