Synopses & Reviews
From the author of the acclaimed
Venetian Stories, a captivating new collection about Venice from the perspective of its residents.
A professor writes lectures on Venetian literature for American millionaires. A baroness falls in love with the architect restoring the ancient palazzo of her husband's family. An ambitious gallery owner sells a young artist's work faster than he can paint it. A salesman finds a way to trip up a narcissistic race car driver who seems to be able to get away with anything. As her characters negotiate the conflict between tradition and a rapidly changing city, Jane Turner Rylands draws us deep into a society all but unknown to outsiders.
Review
"Rylands picks up masterfully where her previous collection...left off....Individually and as a collective piece, the stories provide a wonderful insight into the author's beloved city." Booklist
Review
"[T]hese stories suggest...that the real wonder of Venice is not its network of canals but its community of people....Elegant, worldly-wise and as captivating as the city it celebrates." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"[A]lthough its depiction of the broad scope of Venetian society can have a satisfyingly Rashomon aspect, the weakness of Across the Bridge of Sighs lies in the insufficient luster of its individual portraits." Elizabeth Gaffney, The New York Times Book Review
Review
"Machiavellian characters and the wicked humor of Rylands's prose make this a suitable purchase..." Library Journal
Review
"One of the pleasures of reading Rylands is that she gives her readers an insiders' tour of Venice....If you've ever longed for a more intimate glimpse at this sorceress of a city, Rylands draws back the veil." Seattle Times
Review
"Rylands's stories are like a teaspoon of grated Parmesan washed down a swallow of hearty red wine. They're a discreet indulgence." Salon
Synopsis
A new anthology of twelve evocative stories set in the complex heart of Venice focuses on the lives of characters from different neighborhoods, social and economic classes, and backgrounds, whose destinies intertwine in unexpected ways, in such works as "Mobility," "Restoration," "Youth," and "Probability." Reprint. 12,500 first printing.
Synopsis
The author of Venetian Stories returns with 12 more witty, elegant, and captivating stories in which the conflicting forces of progress and tradition add to the complications of daily life.
About the Author
Jane Turner Rylands is the author of the collection Venetian Stories and has lived in Venice for more than three decades. She is married to Philip Rylands, the director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.