Synopses & Reviews
Venice, 1468. The beautiful yet heartless Sosia Simeon is making her mark on the city, driven by a dark compulsion to steal pleasure with men from all walks of life. Across the Grand Canal, Wendelin von Speyer has just arrived from Germany, bringing with him a cultural revolution: Gutenberg's movable type. Together with the young editor Bruno Uguccione and the seductive scribe Felice Feliciano, he starts the city's first printing press. Before long a love triangle develops between Sosia, Felice, and Bruno -- who has become entranced by the verse of Catullus, the Roman erotic poet. But a far greater scandal erupts when Wendelin tempts fate by publishing the poet -- and changes all of their lives forever.
Sosia, the heartless sensualist; Felice, a man who loves the crevices of the alphabet the way other men love the crevices of women; Lussieta, whose anguish gives the story its soulful heart: these and many other characters make The Floating Book an unforgettable experience for lovers of romance, history, and the printed word.
Review
"In this age of 'creative' writing courses, lowest-common-denominator fiction and the staggeringly overrated 'art' of the screenplay, it is refreshing and heartening to read a book by a writer who is genuinely interested in words." The Washington Post
Review
"Lovric's big, lush novel follows a vibrant cast of characters in the bustling Venice of 1486....Meticulous historical detail and a splendid, complex story make this portrait of Venice and its denizens memorable and moving." Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Readers looking for a good yarn will get lost in the window dressing, while those seeking a novel of elegance and depth may not feel rewarded enough for their perseverance." Publishers Weekly
Review
"The novel is rich in sensual descriptions of the city and its citizenry. Maddeningly over the top and self-important, but as seductive as Venice." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
This ravishing historical novel is set in the alleys and canals of 15th-century Venice as the revolution of movable type captivates and terrifies the city.
Synopsis
"Fans of historical romance are going to eat this novel up. Lovric has a splendid sense of setting and her imagery is lush and unique."
About the Author
Michele Lovric is a student of European literature and Venetian culture. The editor of the New York Times bestseller Love Letters, she divides her time between Venice and London, where she lives in a Venetian-style house on the Thames near Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The Floating Book is her first novel to be published in the United States.