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The Innamorati
Four eccentric, lovelorn companions journey across a fantastic version of Renaissance Italy to a legendary maze that is rumored to dispel the curses of all unfortunates who enter it
381 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1998
11 people are currently reading
1649 people want to read
About the author
Midori Snyder
47 books88 followersMidori Snyder is the author of eight books for children and adults, published in English, French, and Dutch. She won the Mythopoeic Award for The Innamorati, a novel inspired by early Roman myth and the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte" tradition. Other novels include The Flight of Michael McBride (a mythic western), Soulstring (a lyrical fairy tale), The Oran Trilogy: New Moon, Sadar's Keep, and Beldan's Fire (imaginary-world fantasy, recently re-published in Vikings's Firebird line), and Hannah's Garden (a contemporary faery novel for young adults). Except the Queen, a novel written in collaboration with Jane Yolen is forthcoming in 2010.
Her short stories have appeared in numerous venues including the The Armless Maiden; Black Thorn, White Rose; Xanadu III; Swan Sister; Borderland; and The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Recent stories have appeared in Young Adult anthologies, The Greenman, Tales From the Mythic Forest and Troll's Eye View, A Book of Villianous Tales. Her nonfiction has appeared in Realms of Fantasy and other magazines, and in essay collections including Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales.
In addition to writing, she co-directs The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts with Terri Winding. She co-edited and designed the online Journal of Mythic Arts from 2003 - 2008; and she served as chairwoman on the judges' panel for the 2007 James Tiptree, Jr. Awards.
Midori currently lives in Arizona with her husband, Stephen Haessler.
Her short stories have appeared in numerous venues including the The Armless Maiden; Black Thorn, White Rose; Xanadu III; Swan Sister; Borderland; and The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. Recent stories have appeared in Young Adult anthologies, The Greenman, Tales From the Mythic Forest and Troll's Eye View, A Book of Villianous Tales. Her nonfiction has appeared in Realms of Fantasy and other magazines, and in essay collections including Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Women Writers Explore Their Favorite Fairy Tales.
In addition to writing, she co-directs The Endicott Studio for Mythic Arts with Terri Winding. She co-edited and designed the online Journal of Mythic Arts from 2003 - 2008; and she served as chairwoman on the judges' panel for the 2007 James Tiptree, Jr. Awards.
Midori currently lives in Arizona with her husband, Stephen Haessler.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 16, 2008
It's rare to discover a fantasy novel that breaks new ground in the genre, and a delight to be able to forgo comparisons with Tolkien. The Innamorati, by Midori Snyder, is such a novel.
It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.
The Innamorati, set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, centers on no single protagonist, but instead chronicles the bête noirs that haunt a number of co-protagonists. Ms. Snyder has deftly taken the concept often used in television today - several sub-plots within a single episode, each mini-story tied to an appropriate character - and adapted it for The Innamorati. Among the co-protagonists: a mask-maker from Venice who can no longer make masks; a swordsman from Milan who wishes to give up the sword that rules his life; a would-be actor who speaks with a stutter; and a siren condemned to a silent exile far from the sea and her native island. There is also a poet, who at one time wrote the most beautiful sonnets, who loses his "voice" upon discovering his wife's infidelity. While Ms. Snyder places far too great a burden on this poet for his wife's infidelity, claiming he failed to provide for her wants (one could argue the wife's inability or unwillingness to accept what her husband was able to provide her - magnificent sonnets written to her and about her - as the impetus for her action), it is a subject best saved for debate and certainly not a flaw.
Ms. Snyder writes with a combination of clarity, wisdom and a playfulness that is rare today. Her narrative is evocative; her characters are real, and the reader will be easily drawn to them and able to relate to them on a very personal level. Best of all, The Innamorati is about personal identity - how we perceive ourselves beneath the masks we present to others, and how others perceive us. Readers may find themselves wondering whether they are who they are as a result of how others perceive them. While The Innamorati may not appeal to the purists of the fantasy genre (those who read Robert Jordan or Orson Scott Card), those whose appetite is for something more avant-garde will not be disappointed.
It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.
The Innamorati, set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, centers on no single protagonist, but instead chronicles the bête noirs that haunt a number of co-protagonists. Ms. Snyder has deftly taken the concept often used in television today - several sub-plots within a single episode, each mini-story tied to an appropriate character - and adapted it for The Innamorati. Among the co-protagonists: a mask-maker from Venice who can no longer make masks; a swordsman from Milan who wishes to give up the sword that rules his life; a would-be actor who speaks with a stutter; and a siren condemned to a silent exile far from the sea and her native island. There is also a poet, who at one time wrote the most beautiful sonnets, who loses his "voice" upon discovering his wife's infidelity. While Ms. Snyder places far too great a burden on this poet for his wife's infidelity, claiming he failed to provide for her wants (one could argue the wife's inability or unwillingness to accept what her husband was able to provide her - magnificent sonnets written to her and about her - as the impetus for her action), it is a subject best saved for debate and certainly not a flaw.
Ms. Snyder writes with a combination of clarity, wisdom and a playfulness that is rare today. Her narrative is evocative; her characters are real, and the reader will be easily drawn to them and able to relate to them on a very personal level. Best of all, The Innamorati is about personal identity - how we perceive ourselves beneath the masks we present to others, and how others perceive us. Readers may find themselves wondering whether they are who they are as a result of how others perceive them. While The Innamorati may not appeal to the purists of the fantasy genre (those who read Robert Jordan or Orson Scott Card), those whose appetite is for something more avant-garde will not be disappointed.
October 11, 2007
This book has certainly gained a special place in my heart. The story is just amazing, it mixes fantasy with Renaissance Italy and Comedia del'Arte. The Italian comedy theatre where some of the characters, the best well known today, were Harlequin, Columbina, Pulcinella, and others I didn't know before. It's so magical and well crafted, and in my opinion really original. The destination of the cursed characters: in the city of Labirinto there's a magical maze that is supposed to be able to lift all curses...
October 17, 2020
This is very much like a fantasy Dante. It is very lyrical and filled with Greek myth and legend. Very much Dante.
January 19, 2016
If you felt your life was somehow cursed, and you could rid yourself of that curse by walking the Maze in the city Labirinto, would you do it? Could you confront your deepest fears and sorrows? The wonderfully imaginative stories of some who did unfold in the well-written pages of The Innamorati.
I found this book utterly fascinating; blending mythology, theater, history, humor, and a lively cast of characters in an alternate Renaissance Italy setting. Highly recommend this book.
I found this book utterly fascinating; blending mythology, theater, history, humor, and a lively cast of characters in an alternate Renaissance Italy setting. Highly recommend this book.
September 28, 2010
A multi-layered tapestry woven of threads from Renaissance Italy and Greco-Roman mythology, The Innamorati tells the story of the magical maze in the city of Labirinto, where it is said that curses may be lifted, and of the pilgrims who enter the maze: Anna, the mask-maker who cannot make masks; the actor Fabrizio, who stutters; Rinaldo, cursed to live by the sword; Erminia, the siren, condemned to silence and exile from the sea; Zizola, the street girl whose curse almost dooms the maze and its inhabitants; and many others, whose stories start separately and then intertwine into a satisfying conclusion.
Apart from the occasional awkwardness of language, I found this an entrancing book, with picturesque but realistic characters and a deeply imaginative storyline.
Apart from the occasional awkwardness of language, I found this an entrancing book, with picturesque but realistic characters and a deeply imaginative storyline.
December 29, 2014
This book is set in a fictional Renaissance Italy and follows a cast of characters all of whom believe they are cursed and many of whom have some link to the theatre. There is a carnevale mask-maker, a siren, a duelist, a beggar girl. Each character is somehow plagued and either intentionally or unintentionally makes his/her way to a legendary maze hoping that by traversing the maze his/her curse will be dispelled.
My reaction to this book was very uneven. Part of my problem is that I am not overly fond of stereotypical Italian culture. The drama and emotional volatility just comes across as annoying to me. Having been in Italy one time I would attest to the fact that there is truth to that stereotype, but I still found Snyder played it up too much. Additionally, having the theatre being a theme within the book seemed to just celebrate the lack of emotion regulation rather than pointing out that this inability to handle emotion well causes the majority of the problems the characters face. The fact that characters do seem to curse each other with distressing frequency (often with dire consequences) also seemed a symptom of this to me.
I will say that the first section of the book was the weakest. Snyder introduces her enormous cast but without making any of them particularly sympathetic. While that is a brave move, I found it interfered with my ability to connect with the story. I couldn't help wondering if any of the characters had an altruistic bone in his/her body. Later we realize that this is likely a symptom of their suffering, but it made the book difficult to plow through. The first third of the book also seemed somewhat disjointed as Snyder follows the threads of the story of each of her many characters until they all reach the maze. I recognize that some fragmentation is inevitable with the number of characters Snyder takes on, but I still felt the book would have been better if we'd spent more time with a smaller cast (did we really need the duelist and the prostitute). It almost felt like Snyder didn't trust the first groups of characters to be interesting enough to hold our attention and instead had to continuously bring in more people. For that matter, the climax of the entire novel features a heroine that didn't appear until the last third of the book.
What I did like about the book really comes down to the maze. With the maze Snyder has created an archetypal representation of the unconscious with all its symbols and mysticism. The way each character goes through a personal transformation when confronted with those symbols goes back to what is most powerful in any system of mythology, Italian/Roman or otherwise. Snyder's language, particularly in how she confronts her characters with the maze accentuated the affect. I somehow wish Snyder had given us just a series of short stories linked by the maze. So while I enjoyed the novel, I am far from recommending it wholeheartedly.
My reaction to this book was very uneven. Part of my problem is that I am not overly fond of stereotypical Italian culture. The drama and emotional volatility just comes across as annoying to me. Having been in Italy one time I would attest to the fact that there is truth to that stereotype, but I still found Snyder played it up too much. Additionally, having the theatre being a theme within the book seemed to just celebrate the lack of emotion regulation rather than pointing out that this inability to handle emotion well causes the majority of the problems the characters face. The fact that characters do seem to curse each other with distressing frequency (often with dire consequences) also seemed a symptom of this to me.
I will say that the first section of the book was the weakest. Snyder introduces her enormous cast but without making any of them particularly sympathetic. While that is a brave move, I found it interfered with my ability to connect with the story. I couldn't help wondering if any of the characters had an altruistic bone in his/her body. Later we realize that this is likely a symptom of their suffering, but it made the book difficult to plow through. The first third of the book also seemed somewhat disjointed as Snyder follows the threads of the story of each of her many characters until they all reach the maze. I recognize that some fragmentation is inevitable with the number of characters Snyder takes on, but I still felt the book would have been better if we'd spent more time with a smaller cast (did we really need the duelist and the prostitute). It almost felt like Snyder didn't trust the first groups of characters to be interesting enough to hold our attention and instead had to continuously bring in more people. For that matter, the climax of the entire novel features a heroine that didn't appear until the last third of the book.
What I did like about the book really comes down to the maze. With the maze Snyder has created an archetypal representation of the unconscious with all its symbols and mysticism. The way each character goes through a personal transformation when confronted with those symbols goes back to what is most powerful in any system of mythology, Italian/Roman or otherwise. Snyder's language, particularly in how she confronts her characters with the maze accentuated the affect. I somehow wish Snyder had given us just a series of short stories linked by the maze. So while I enjoyed the novel, I am far from recommending it wholeheartedly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2010
This was a thoroughly entertaining romp through old Italy when Commedia del Arte ruled. And since I did Commedia theatre, it was especially amusing. There's some fine characters, as a matter of fact all of them were people I would like to know in real life. Well, except for one or 2, but even those, not quite human, have their purpose and even become redeemable. Extremely clever spin on journeying through a life-changing maze.
So why only 3 stars? That's actually a darn decent rating from me! At this point I don't know if the book will stick, with flashes of memories, or if it was a Good Read at the time.
So why only 3 stars? That's actually a darn decent rating from me! At this point I don't know if the book will stick, with flashes of memories, or if it was a Good Read at the time.
February 29, 2012
Pretty good book. The beginning was somewhat boring and the characters seemed unempathetic, but as the book continued it got better. Lighthearted and entertaining while dealing with characters' deep-seated internal issues. The resolution and ending were satisfying. Descriptions of the maze: likewise good. A little too earthy for my taste, but it suited the milieu so I'll only point that out as a caveat to others who might be discomfited by it.
February 6, 2014
This. Book. Is. STUNNING.
I gasped aloud. I laughed noisily in public. I held my breath for fear of sighing too loudly.
This is a delectable, delicious, mind-boggling love letter to Commedia dell'Arte, a theatrical form and tradition very near to my own heart. This book fills the mind with what ifs and then whats, and I shall read it over and over and over again.
I gasped aloud. I laughed noisily in public. I held my breath for fear of sighing too loudly.
This is a delectable, delicious, mind-boggling love letter to Commedia dell'Arte, a theatrical form and tradition very near to my own heart. This book fills the mind with what ifs and then whats, and I shall read it over and over and over again.
June 12, 2017
What a way with language Snyder has! A rather droll, slow-paced fantasy, expertly done. The Shakespearean cast of characters makes it hard to remember who everyone is. Characters sharing the same initial letter of their names (Roberto, Rinaldo) doesn't help. An enjoyable read. A new favorite author!
February 16, 2021
What is a curse? she asked herself. An utterly worthless form of revenge. No, a curse was a gob of spit launched into the wind that returned to strike the spitter in the face.
What a strange, clever little book.
The Innamorati introduces a broad cast of characters with unique stories and afflictions, all equal players in one overarching narrative about a maze that can cure the curses of anyone who enters it. Against a background of Renaissance Italy, it combines Roman mythology and Commedia dell'Arte to interweave the individual stories. It's clever, ambitious, magical, sometimes profound, and often quite crude (rather excessively, in my opinion). It's a testament to Snyder's vision and skill to intertwine ten different characters' stories and make them all almost equally sympathetic (For whatever reason, I was never partial to Anna).
Unfortunately, it took me about 100 pages to finally find them all sympathetic, and for all the characters to even be introduced. My main dissatisfaction with The Innamorati is the slow beginning-- we come to appreciate the backstories of each character later, but I struggled through the first third. I think I'm settling on a 3 1/2 star rating, because of the clever characters and fascinating premise, the way the characters were creatively paired off once they reached the maze (I'm a sucker for unlikely allies), and the way everyone's stories were connected in the end.
The Innamorati uses masks and character archetypes to speak profoundly about identity, about self-imposed curses, about our expectations for ourselves and the ones we love-- and the reality beneath those expectations.
Could you love your damsel, even if she showed you her fangs? Could you embrace what is terrifying in her as well as what is lovely? ...True love, Signore, must be willing to lift the mask and kiss whatever hides beneath.
What a strange, clever little book.
The Innamorati introduces a broad cast of characters with unique stories and afflictions, all equal players in one overarching narrative about a maze that can cure the curses of anyone who enters it. Against a background of Renaissance Italy, it combines Roman mythology and Commedia dell'Arte to interweave the individual stories. It's clever, ambitious, magical, sometimes profound, and often quite crude (rather excessively, in my opinion). It's a testament to Snyder's vision and skill to intertwine ten different characters' stories and make them all almost equally sympathetic (For whatever reason, I was never partial to Anna).
Unfortunately, it took me about 100 pages to finally find them all sympathetic, and for all the characters to even be introduced. My main dissatisfaction with The Innamorati is the slow beginning-- we come to appreciate the backstories of each character later, but I struggled through the first third. I think I'm settling on a 3 1/2 star rating, because of the clever characters and fascinating premise, the way the characters were creatively paired off once they reached the maze (I'm a sucker for unlikely allies), and the way everyone's stories were connected in the end.
The Innamorati uses masks and character archetypes to speak profoundly about identity, about self-imposed curses, about our expectations for ourselves and the ones we love-- and the reality beneath those expectations.
Could you love your damsel, even if she showed you her fangs? Could you embrace what is terrifying in her as well as what is lovely? ...True love, Signore, must be willing to lift the mask and kiss whatever hides beneath.
October 24, 2019
This book has been in our library for I don't know how long, and I finally got around the reading it, and I don't know why it took so long. (I mean, other than the reason it takes me forever to get to just about anything. The List is very long.) I really enjoyed this book, and will be seeking out more of her work for sure.
She did take her time introducing all the (many) characters, setting up their problems and why they might want to try their luck in the maze, and that did become a bit... tedious after a while, and I just wanted them to get on with whatever was going to happen in the maze. But by "a bit tedious," I don't mean it was ever actually boring. The characters were all nicely fleshed out, and I cared what happened to them.
And once they were all in the maze, recombined into different groupings, each with their own personal quests and demons, it really started flying along toward an impressively convoluted climax.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. I can't pin it down without proper analysis (which I will not be doing), but I got a bit of a Guy Gavriel Kay vibe from a lot of it, both in the use of language and the way the story was told, and of course, that's obviously a big plus in my book. So yeah. Really liked this book a lot, and I will be adding the rest of Snyder's œuvre to The List immediately (or, you know, as soon as I get around to it...).
She did take her time introducing all the (many) characters, setting up their problems and why they might want to try their luck in the maze, and that did become a bit... tedious after a while, and I just wanted them to get on with whatever was going to happen in the maze. But by "a bit tedious," I don't mean it was ever actually boring. The characters were all nicely fleshed out, and I cared what happened to them.
And once they were all in the maze, recombined into different groupings, each with their own personal quests and demons, it really started flying along toward an impressively convoluted climax.
I also really enjoyed the writing style. I can't pin it down without proper analysis (which I will not be doing), but I got a bit of a Guy Gavriel Kay vibe from a lot of it, both in the use of language and the way the story was told, and of course, that's obviously a big plus in my book. So yeah. Really liked this book a lot, and I will be adding the rest of Snyder's œuvre to The List immediately (or, you know, as soon as I get around to it...).
July 26, 2020
This was a great read that brought me to tears more than once. The first thing that caught my eye was the Italian Renaissance setting - I've been studying Italian and am very interested in the period - and the flap notes sold me on giving it a go.
I'm glad I did! This one is a bit genre-bending. You could call it historical fantasy, but to me it reads more like magic realism in a Renaissance rather than contemporary setting. The addition of the magical elements is not to create alternate reality, but as the Wikipedia article on magic realism puts it, it "uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality". In this case, points about personal loss and redemption.
It does this through an artful lens of Italian theatrical tradition. Without going into any spoilers, the book takes us on each character's inner and outer journeys to a very satisfying denouement.
Highly recommended!
I'm glad I did! This one is a bit genre-bending. You could call it historical fantasy, but to me it reads more like magic realism in a Renaissance rather than contemporary setting. The addition of the magical elements is not to create alternate reality, but as the Wikipedia article on magic realism puts it, it "uses a substantial amount of realistic detail and employs magical elements to make a point about reality". In this case, points about personal loss and redemption.
It does this through an artful lens of Italian theatrical tradition. Without going into any spoilers, the book takes us on each character's inner and outer journeys to a very satisfying denouement.
Highly recommended!
February 20, 2023
Je hebt de Commedia dell'arte en je hebt de Innamorati. Dit boek gaat over de laatste groep mensen. Het zijn allemaal verdoolde zielen die het in de meeste gevallen niet al te best hebben getroffen in het leven. Er is een door Orpheus verbannen sirene, een beroepsduelleur, een dichter die altijd de waarheid wil spreken en daardoor niet meer kan dichten en meer van dat soort mensen. In het eerste gedeelte worden alle hoofdpersonages uitgelicht en leren we ze een beetje kennen. Ze voelen zich eigenlijk allemaal vervloek en in het middelste gedeelte worden ze allemaal aangetrokken door het verhaal over een labyrint waar in iedereen bevrijd zou kunnen worden van die vloek. Daarvoor moeten ze allerlei obstakels overwinnen, vechten met saters en dat soort fantasie creaturen.
Het boek leest makkelijk en ik heb het echt wel een fijne ervaring gevonden om te lezen. Ik twijfelde nog even tussen een 7 en een 8, maar uiteindelijk is het toch een 8 geworden.
Het boek leest makkelijk en ik heb het echt wel een fijne ervaring gevonden om te lezen. Ik twijfelde nog even tussen een 7 en een 8, maar uiteindelijk is het toch een 8 geworden.
October 25, 2021
I’ve begun a new personal challenge of reading all the Mythopoeic and World Fantasy Award winners. I’ve already read just over twenty over the years and I have about eighty to go. This challenge should last me about 2 years or so. So my blog entries will have mostly fantasy reviews for a while. The first of this new challenge is a Mythopoeic winner from 2001. It’s an alternate Renaissance Italy with some interesting magic based on mythology and the Commedia dell’Arte. Innamorati itself means the lovers, stock characters from the Commedia whose sole purpose was to fall in love and win in the end. I learned a lot about the Commedia in this very interesting and well written novel. It was very intriguing and once I got my bearings in the book, was really gripped by it.
Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...
Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...
April 22, 2020
4.5 stars What an interesting, remarkable book ! Beautifully written, almost lyrical. The style reminds of some more recent authors such as Madeline Miller and Erin Morgenstern. Amazingly inventive. It mixes elements of Roman mythology with Italian Renaissance theatre with a dash of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and even a hint of Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. At times witty, adventurous, romantic and sad. The only reason I didn't round up to 5 stars was, because the book was so literate, at times I found it a bit of a chore to read, unlike my usual escapist fare. Still, all in all, I am very glad I made the effort.
September 20, 2021
Italian curses
The masks we wear
Learning to live with trauma
A morality play
I really enjoyed this book. One doesn't come across too many fantasies set in Renaissance Italy, which is an interesting change of pace. Loved the premise of the magic maze and the masked actors. Great character growth and a satisfying conclusion. A little hard to track down since there doesn't appear to be an ebook version, but it's definitely worth finding a copy.
The masks we wear
Learning to live with trauma
A morality play
I really enjoyed this book. One doesn't come across too many fantasies set in Renaissance Italy, which is an interesting change of pace. Loved the premise of the magic maze and the masked actors. Great character growth and a satisfying conclusion. A little hard to track down since there doesn't appear to be an ebook version, but it's definitely worth finding a copy.
July 15, 2019
The characters are so loveable.
The insults and quips are SEARING. Seriously, this book has some of the most masterfully crafted curse word strings ever.
The descriptions of food and cuisine in this book are enticing, you're gonna get hungry reading certain parts of this book.
Overall a nice read, and an interesting approach to fantasy genre.
The insults and quips are SEARING. Seriously, this book has some of the most masterfully crafted curse word strings ever.
The descriptions of food and cuisine in this book are enticing, you're gonna get hungry reading certain parts of this book.
Overall a nice read, and an interesting approach to fantasy genre.
August 24, 2017
Wow, an unexpected surprise, I picked this up in a jumble sale thinking it looked interesting. Struggled a bit through the first thirty pages, working out what was going on, and then loved it. This is an excellent book, deserving of a wider audience.
February 21, 2018
De setting is absoluut mijn ding niet (historisch Italië - toneelgebeuren), maar de vermenging met mythen en fantasy maakt het aanvaardbaar :).
January 6, 2020
Wasted potential.
February 2, 2022
Cool premise but so much sex and so long windedly written I can't get into it. Dnf :(
December 7, 2024
One of the most disjointed stories I've ever read. Lacked any kind of narrative cohesion. Writing was often clumsy and out of place.
March 21, 2015
What a change from the other Midori Snyder books that I have read, and what a delight. Based on, and sometimes about, the characters of the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, The Innamorati features a huge cast of lovers, con artists, thieves, actors, mask makers, degenerates, a Siren (that was unexpected!), killers, whores, magicians, and a Pantheon of Greek gods. From across Italy, they meet in the mysterious Maze of Labirinto.
If I got nothing else out of this book, I got a wonderful sense of how dramatic and over the top curses in Italian are! A simple English "damn" would never be sufficient for one of these characters. They curse and insult each other extravagantly, vulgarly, and thoroughly.
"I curse you, you pox-faced shiteater."
"Fuck off, you shitty, bed-pissing hangman's knot!"
"You slimy snot-nosed, prickless son of a bitch! I'll beat you to a pulp if you don't shove off!"
"You old nun's fart!"
"Tool of another's lust!"
"Drawbridge mouth that's always open!"
"Stinking sardine!"
"Bowel builder!"
And they love with just as much fervor:
"Columbina, my little cheese, do you know that I love you?" the mask asked.
"Arlecchino, my big sausage, tell me the whole of it!" Mirabella answered.
"I love you more than sailors love their cabin boys!" the mask crooned.
"I love you more than girls love rich old men!"
"I love you more than friars love brandy!"
"I love you more than actors love applause!"
"Hold it right there," Arlecchino exclaimed, a finger held up in the air. "That's too much!"
"Yes, I can't help it. Look, Giano," she said, pointing. "They seem so small, so helpless from up here. And yet I think each one of them deserves a happy ending. Life should be full of the good things, a warm bed..."
"Sex!"
"Food!"
"Sex!"
"You said that already," Zizola grinned.
"Sorry. How about love then? That encompasses all of it. You can love the roasted capon or the pretty wife of your neighbor, the act of sucking on peaches or your neighbor's pretty wife's--"
"What makes a man leave the comfort of his table, take to the road, brave dragons and savage women that threaten to tear him into shreds? It isn't the promise of thumping ripe melons or acquiring a widow's wealth," he said good-humoredly. "It's the power of the woman herself. It's the force of her glance that penetrates like the arrows of Eros. It's the silk of her skin, the sweet scent of her breath, the strength of her hands. I could do nothing else but follow. When Anna left Venice, nothing else in Venice existed."
Sigh...
The Innamorati, The Lovers, mixes a real Italy with one that exists only on stage, in between the covers of books, and in our imaginations. It is dark, dangerous and dirty, though it is also filled with acts of kindness, sacrifice, humor, and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have heard, on her website, that Midori Snyder may be writing a sequel, or companion book, that takes us back to the world of the Maze. I would like that...
If I got nothing else out of this book, I got a wonderful sense of how dramatic and over the top curses in Italian are! A simple English "damn" would never be sufficient for one of these characters. They curse and insult each other extravagantly, vulgarly, and thoroughly.
"I curse you, you pox-faced shiteater."
"Fuck off, you shitty, bed-pissing hangman's knot!"
"You slimy snot-nosed, prickless son of a bitch! I'll beat you to a pulp if you don't shove off!"
"You old nun's fart!"
"Tool of another's lust!"
"Drawbridge mouth that's always open!"
"Stinking sardine!"
"Bowel builder!"
And they love with just as much fervor:
"Columbina, my little cheese, do you know that I love you?" the mask asked.
"Arlecchino, my big sausage, tell me the whole of it!" Mirabella answered.
"I love you more than sailors love their cabin boys!" the mask crooned.
"I love you more than girls love rich old men!"
"I love you more than friars love brandy!"
"I love you more than actors love applause!"
"Hold it right there," Arlecchino exclaimed, a finger held up in the air. "That's too much!"
"Yes, I can't help it. Look, Giano," she said, pointing. "They seem so small, so helpless from up here. And yet I think each one of them deserves a happy ending. Life should be full of the good things, a warm bed..."
"Sex!"
"Food!"
"Sex!"
"You said that already," Zizola grinned.
"Sorry. How about love then? That encompasses all of it. You can love the roasted capon or the pretty wife of your neighbor, the act of sucking on peaches or your neighbor's pretty wife's--"
"What makes a man leave the comfort of his table, take to the road, brave dragons and savage women that threaten to tear him into shreds? It isn't the promise of thumping ripe melons or acquiring a widow's wealth," he said good-humoredly. "It's the power of the woman herself. It's the force of her glance that penetrates like the arrows of Eros. It's the silk of her skin, the sweet scent of her breath, the strength of her hands. I could do nothing else but follow. When Anna left Venice, nothing else in Venice existed."
Sigh...
The Innamorati, The Lovers, mixes a real Italy with one that exists only on stage, in between the covers of books, and in our imaginations. It is dark, dangerous and dirty, though it is also filled with acts of kindness, sacrifice, humor, and love. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have heard, on her website, that Midori Snyder may be writing a sequel, or companion book, that takes us back to the world of the Maze. I would like that...
July 13, 2024
What if your mom was such a hot MILF she had to drag you on an entire quest about it? What if your situationship robbed you blind and accidentally framed you for murder? What if you, um...turned a bunch of people...into...coral? Yeah, there's a lot going on in this book.
I remember reading Midori Snyder's Oran trilogy as a kid, and then looking back on it later and deciding her storytelling style is best described as "Game of Thrones—For Girls!" (by which I mean there are a lot of realistic and complex women characters, but they are still subjected to a lot of violence and the writing never shies away from portraying the casual ugliness of life, sometimes graphically.) That was true of this book too! Although it's a standalone, it features a huge ensemble cast of 10+ protagonists, all with unique conflicts that slowly intersect and converge as they all wind up in this enchanted maze together (almost half the book is devoted to setting up each character and their backstory/conflict and just geographically moving the various pieces to the maze.) Each character subtly represents a Commedia dell'Arte stock character, though they're far more complex and realistic, of course. Commedia itself exists in-universe, with the characters frequently using the masks and referencing the classic tropes and scenarios to communicate and express emotion. The masks themselves also appear, speaking in the voices of their characters and sometimes giving the human characters a magical nudge in the right direction. At least one Commedia troupe appears, and various real historical troupes and actors are referenced.
As a person already very familiar with Commedia, that was this book's true joy for me! I loved finding all the easter eggs and going "Yeah, theTime Knife scenario where Arlecchino tricks the Capitano, we've all seen it." TBH I'm not sure I would have enjoyed The Innamorati nearly as much without that Commedia background. I don't think you need to know about Commedia to understand the book, but I'm not sure it would have been fun otherwise.
Oh, and there were also numerous references to Greek and Roman mythology. It was a swirling Mediterranean tornado of ideas and cultures. Sometimes it worked, other times not.
In conclusion, while I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to most people (and do seek out content warnings if that's a Thing for you) I can see why it won the mythopoeia award and I'm glad I personally read it!
I remember reading Midori Snyder's Oran trilogy as a kid, and then looking back on it later and deciding her storytelling style is best described as "Game of Thrones—For Girls!" (by which I mean there are a lot of realistic and complex women characters, but they are still subjected to a lot of violence and the writing never shies away from portraying the casual ugliness of life, sometimes graphically.) That was true of this book too! Although it's a standalone, it features a huge ensemble cast of 10+ protagonists, all with unique conflicts that slowly intersect and converge as they all wind up in this enchanted maze together (almost half the book is devoted to setting up each character and their backstory/conflict and just geographically moving the various pieces to the maze.) Each character subtly represents a Commedia dell'Arte stock character, though they're far more complex and realistic, of course. Commedia itself exists in-universe, with the characters frequently using the masks and referencing the classic tropes and scenarios to communicate and express emotion. The masks themselves also appear, speaking in the voices of their characters and sometimes giving the human characters a magical nudge in the right direction. At least one Commedia troupe appears, and various real historical troupes and actors are referenced.
As a person already very familiar with Commedia, that was this book's true joy for me! I loved finding all the easter eggs and going "Yeah, the
Oh, and there were also numerous references to Greek and Roman mythology. It was a swirling Mediterranean tornado of ideas and cultures. Sometimes it worked, other times not.
In conclusion, while I'm not sure I'd recommend this book to most people (and do seek out content warnings if that's a Thing for you) I can see why it won the mythopoeia award and I'm glad I personally read it!
February 23, 2016
Wow... Just WOW.
5 strong solid stars.
Is this my new favorite book? I mean, I already want to read it again.
I am for once, blown away. I was left speechless for 24 hours after finishing this book because my brain needed time to absorb and relish this delicious meal of a story.
I loved this book so much, that now I am actually taking a break from everything in the world, Because I am in mourning....
::throws self to the floor::
AYY MADDDDOONNNNAAA MIAAA
::puts both palms to face::
"what am I supposed to do with myself now??? Ohhhh the Drama that is this cruel life!!!"
::spits twice into palm and holds to the sky::
"Uncurse me God!! allow me to read another story as good as this in my lifetime!!"
This is an epic tale that includes beautiful unique characters that have different paths and intertwine at the center of the Labyrinth. It is chock full of suspense, drama, romance, humor, and mythological references. There is not ONE boring section to this story.
This book captures what it is really like to be an italian. I think we are just naturally dramatic and over the top. This Labyrinth world is so surreal, and mysterious and full of superstition. As an Italian American woman, I am fully satisfied with what the author did with these characters and the construction of this story.
I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I was truly touched, and most of all it made me even more PROUD to be an Italian. <3
This is TRUE literature in its finest form!
ENCORE!!!!!!!!!! ENCORE!!!!!
5 strong solid stars.
Is this my new favorite book? I mean, I already want to read it again.
I am for once, blown away. I was left speechless for 24 hours after finishing this book because my brain needed time to absorb and relish this delicious meal of a story.
I loved this book so much, that now I am actually taking a break from everything in the world, Because I am in mourning....
::throws self to the floor::
AYY MADDDDOONNNNAAA MIAAA
::puts both palms to face::
"what am I supposed to do with myself now??? Ohhhh the Drama that is this cruel life!!!"
::spits twice into palm and holds to the sky::
"Uncurse me God!! allow me to read another story as good as this in my lifetime!!"
This is an epic tale that includes beautiful unique characters that have different paths and intertwine at the center of the Labyrinth. It is chock full of suspense, drama, romance, humor, and mythological references. There is not ONE boring section to this story.
This book captures what it is really like to be an italian. I think we are just naturally dramatic and over the top. This Labyrinth world is so surreal, and mysterious and full of superstition. As an Italian American woman, I am fully satisfied with what the author did with these characters and the construction of this story.
I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I was truly touched, and most of all it made me even more PROUD to be an Italian. <3
This is TRUE literature in its finest form!
ENCORE!!!!!!!!!! ENCORE!!!!!
Read
June 3, 2015This book is really hard to rate. I'm not giving it a rating, because I don't want recommendations based on it. (I'm looking at you, DeLint. You stay off my recommendations.) One of the cover blurbs is a Charles DeLint compliment. If you like DeLint, don't believe anything negative I say in this review. You'll love The Innamorati. DeLint has really neat ideas and really gorgeous cover art, and manages to just fall so very, very flat for me every time.
The Innamorati didn't quite fall flat. I enjoyed it more than a DeLint book. But every time I started to really care about the characters, the perspective changed again, so that overall it felt very flat and artificial. That's a shame, because it was a fabulous, layered, interesting book whose conclusion wrapped up terribly well-- I just never felt that YES to any of the characters.
Maybe that's what Snyder was going for? It IS a book about masks.
But maybe if they'd spent a few less paragraphs shouting the love scene about the sausages at each other, they could have had just a little more ... other stuff...
The Innamorati didn't quite fall flat. I enjoyed it more than a DeLint book. But every time I started to really care about the characters, the perspective changed again, so that overall it felt very flat and artificial. That's a shame, because it was a fabulous, layered, interesting book whose conclusion wrapped up terribly well-- I just never felt that YES to any of the characters.
Maybe that's what Snyder was going for? It IS a book about masks.
But maybe if they'd spent a few less paragraphs shouting the love scene about the sausages at each other, they could have had just a little more ... other stuff...
November 7, 2013
(3.5 stars) Set in a alternate time comparable to Renaissance Italy, this novel starts out with the stories of several individuals who have difficulties in their lives that cause them to head on a pilgrimage to the city of Labirinto. The city contains a mystical Maze and it is rumored that those who find the center can have their wishes granted. While some of the stories of the pilgrims appear to be somewhat conventional, as the story unfolds, more of the magical elements appear, such as the mask maker whose masks are so realistic that they actually talk to her and her daughter, the fighter with the sword who never lets him lose, and the siren who has lost her voice and disguises herself to look dull and ugly. As they converge on the Labirinto, we find out that the Maze itself has its own rules for whom it lets in and it contains many wonders inside. The Commedia dell'Arte plays an important role in the events of the story, as the characters come together to face the creator of the Maze and a malevolent force that has been unwittingly unleashed.
April 22, 2013
I didn't know whether to rate this 3 or 4 stars. I found the beginning hard to go through. It went all a little slow, with a lot of storylines, not making sense for a long time.
But, at a certain point, it got closer and closer to the actual labyrint, and the pace went up. This is the point where I finally was glued to the book. I wanted to know what would happen to everyone, and I was even rooting for a couple. Sure, the romance wasn't great, but that was just the way life was back then.
I was sad that not everyone survived the book, but it made sense. It would've been to unrealistic for that to happen.
I liked the labyrint, but I would've liked a little more hurdles. The mythology was great though! I was disappointed by the Roman of it all, since I prefer the Greek, but in the end, it's the same with different names!
All in all, I enjoyed the book. You just have to get through the first half, and remember all of the names closely!
But, at a certain point, it got closer and closer to the actual labyrint, and the pace went up. This is the point where I finally was glued to the book. I wanted to know what would happen to everyone, and I was even rooting for a couple. Sure, the romance wasn't great, but that was just the way life was back then.
I was sad that not everyone survived the book, but it made sense. It would've been to unrealistic for that to happen.
I liked the labyrint, but I would've liked a little more hurdles. The mythology was great though! I was disappointed by the Roman of it all, since I prefer the Greek, but in the end, it's the same with different names!
All in all, I enjoyed the book. You just have to get through the first half, and remember all of the names closely!
August 1, 2008
The Innamorati is an elaborate fest of Renaissance Italians ranging from whores to serial duelists and maskmakers all seeking the resolution of the miseries in their lives. A mystical labyrinth offers pilgrims the hope of removing the curses that plague them as they roam around a world of nymphs, satyrs, and gods. The character development for each is in beautiful parallel to the Commedia dell'arte and the story is unusual epic fantasy. Everything is beautifully written from sex scenes involving masks and grapes to battles with maenads.
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