Venice Revealed: An Intimate Portrait

Rating:
Summary: A FANTASTIC READ
Review: HAVING BEEN TO VENICE TWICE, MR. BARBARO'S BOOK IS EXTREMELY WELL WRIITEN. THE WAY HE WRITES IS SO THAT YOU CAN FEEL THE COLD, SMELL THE SMELLS, AND ACTUALLY FEEL LIKE YOU ARE THERE WITH HIM. BEING A VENETOPHILE I WISH MORE AUTHOR'S WOULD WRITE THIS GOOD ABOUT THE WORLD'S MOST BELOVED CITY, VENICE...
A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO HAS AN INTEREST OR LOVES VENICE.

Rating:
Summary: A Rambling and Essentially Dull Look at Venice
Review: Having visited Venice many times, and being a lover of the City I was most disappointed after reading this book. Born and raised in Venice, the author returns to live there once again, after being absent for many years. The book contains his desultory ruminations on Venice as he wanders it's labyrinth streets. This is not Venice from the perspective of culture or history. It is a native's view of La Serenissima and how time and tourism has changed it. I found the writing amorphous and not terribly interesting. It's difficult to make this City of paradoxes dull, but the author has succeeded in doing so.