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Journey from Venice
This beautifully written memoir narrates the story of Ruth Cracknell's husband's illness, which begins on a visit to Venice, and follows the story through to his death. Journey from Venice is confronting yet deeply comforting - an acknowledgement of the miracle that is unconditional love. And this story, above all, is a love story.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 15, 2010
Book clubbers were greatly divided on this one: I fell into the 'why did she bother' camp. Anyone but one of Australia's greatest actresses wouldn't have got it past a publisher - which admittedly we all acknowledged - but that wasn't enough for me. It's a book that she wrote for herself, for her own healing and grieving process, and perhaps it should have stayed that way.
The style ended up like a travel diary; we did this, then went to that, ate here, met this person, had this doctor, that bed .....etc etc. I didn't learn anything from the journey other than don't get sick in Venice. Shame - I love Ruth's character work and the book left me more than a little disappointed, and just so very saddened by her loss of her wonderful husband.
The style ended up like a travel diary; we did this, then went to that, ate here, met this person, had this doctor, that bed .....etc etc. I didn't learn anything from the journey other than don't get sick in Venice. Shame - I love Ruth's character work and the book left me more than a little disappointed, and just so very saddened by her loss of her wonderful husband.
November 9, 2016
I picked up this memoir to read from my local library. Not knowing what the book was about, I assumed it would focus on some of Ruth Cracknell's career. I couldn't have been more wrong. Reading the first few pages, I was stunned. This woman was sharing a parallel journey to my own, with the sudden sickness and death of her husband in a short time. Everything she had written is what I had experienced 7 months ago, although it was a much shorter time frame for my husband. However, I identified completely with her pain and pathos. Her diary entries are very similar to my own, even down to having much the same language and feelings. As I was reading, I said to a colleague "Oh why did I borrow this book?" The pain was being stirred up within me again. Yet I feel that I was led to this memoir, as I believe everything in life happens for a reason.
This isn't the Ruth Cracknell of stage and screen : not the doddery old character of Mother and Son fame, or the old lady from Spider and Rose. This is a personal reflection from a devoted wife and mother, away from bright lights and acting commitments, loving the thought of a wonderful holiday with her husband Eric in Venice. They had finally managed to clear both of their work schedules (Eric was an art gallery owner) to make it happen. The pain she feels for her husband is palpable. She never leaves his side. Her writing is honest, frank, down to earth. I felt every tear, every groan, every frustration, every tired moment described. I admired this woman. Her strength of spirit shines through, but so does her human frailty. The year was 1998, and Ruth herself died less than 4 years later in 2002. It is a well recommended read-just have plenty of tissues handy. I have been encouraged to continue working on my own diary entries, which I have been sharing on my author blog site, and I think I've been given a message. Keep writing. Publish it in book form some day. Use to to help others in the same situation. Be real.
This isn't the Ruth Cracknell of stage and screen : not the doddery old character of Mother and Son fame, or the old lady from Spider and Rose. This is a personal reflection from a devoted wife and mother, away from bright lights and acting commitments, loving the thought of a wonderful holiday with her husband Eric in Venice. They had finally managed to clear both of their work schedules (Eric was an art gallery owner) to make it happen. The pain she feels for her husband is palpable. She never leaves his side. Her writing is honest, frank, down to earth. I felt every tear, every groan, every frustration, every tired moment described. I admired this woman. Her strength of spirit shines through, but so does her human frailty. The year was 1998, and Ruth herself died less than 4 years later in 2002. It is a well recommended read-just have plenty of tissues handy. I have been encouraged to continue working on my own diary entries, which I have been sharing on my author blog site, and I think I've been given a message. Keep writing. Publish it in book form some day. Use to to help others in the same situation. Be real.
July 9, 2014
I read this when it was published in 2000. I thought it was ok then, but having encountered a similar situation to Ruth Cracknell I was drawn to re-reading it. I appreciated the writing in new ways, not because its particularly beautiful but for its freshly imprinted emotions telling it as it was. not a deeply personal memoir, and yet enough of her raw honesty to help me in my grief journey.
July 11, 2021
2.5★s
This book presents a minutely-detailed account of the daily routines of a much-loved Australian actress, devastated by the discovery of her husband's terminal illness while on holiday in Venice, Italy. There were a number of well-written, almost lyrical passages in this memoir, but overall I found it quite dull and tedious reading.
I could not help but wonder if Ruth and Eric had been ordinary suburban Aussies, would they have received the same level of attention and assistance from the authorities and medical professionals.
This book presents a minutely-detailed account of the daily routines of a much-loved Australian actress, devastated by the discovery of her husband's terminal illness while on holiday in Venice, Italy. There were a number of well-written, almost lyrical passages in this memoir, but overall I found it quite dull and tedious reading.
I could not help but wonder if Ruth and Eric had been ordinary suburban Aussies, would they have received the same level of attention and assistance from the authorities and medical professionals.
December 12, 2020
A very personal story of grief and deep love, it seems like maybe noone dared ask the author to edit this because it might have seemed sacrilegious to mess with it. Nevertheless I don't think as it stands it should have been published. It reads as someone's private journal- emotional, self-indulgent (understandably), switching between tenses and voices, some parts stream of consciousness or bringing in allusions meaningful only to the writer.
Cracknell states (in the book) that she is a good writer. Even good writers need editing, all the more when their judgement is clouded by this level of emotion.
On the plus side, for anyone who likes "The fault in our stars" this is a real life version and as such better. But still to me this is personal and meaningful to the family but does not make a great memoir for public consumption.
Cracknell states (in the book) that she is a good writer. Even good writers need editing, all the more when their judgement is clouded by this level of emotion.
On the plus side, for anyone who likes "The fault in our stars" this is a real life version and as such better. But still to me this is personal and meaningful to the family but does not make a great memoir for public consumption.
December 23, 2021
I have wanted to visit Venice since being given Sasek's 'This is Venice' as a child, only to be thwarted in 2020 by the Coronavirus outbreak. I was therefore interested to read this memoir by Ruth Cracknell, the well-known Australian actress. She and her husband, Eric, travelled to Venice for a holiday but he became seriously ill a week after their arrival, necessitating a medical evacuation and he died three months later.
The parts of this book describing their first week in Venice were lovely but it then became all about Eric's illness and the negotiation of first the Venetian medical system and then the Australian one. I sense that the journey was not just Eric's but that of Ruth in moving through the grief of her unforeseen loss. Too much personal detail for me.
The parts of this book describing their first week in Venice were lovely but it then became all about Eric's illness and the negotiation of first the Venetian medical system and then the Australian one. I sense that the journey was not just Eric's but that of Ruth in moving through the grief of her unforeseen loss. Too much personal detail for me.
January 4, 2022
1.5/5 Stars - FINE
A good memoir requires, at least, one of four features: an author with either a unique voice, perspective, experience, or insight into the world. Ruth Cracknell has part of an experience and nothing else to offer.
Journey from Venice records Cracknell's support of her husband, Eric Phillips, as he falls ill during a holiday in Venice, Italy. When these events sit at the forefront of the work, there is hope for the memoir being a valuable read. However, Cracknell insists on Venice only powering half of her story. The rest struggles to elevate beyond a synopsis of incidents that millions of families go through each year. Granted, it is tragic and painful, and the writing of a book helps heal the wounds, but the product is ultimately one of self-service.
That is not to diminish its execution. It is a competently written piece - at times even compelling. Its basis is a matter-of-fact style that allows Cracknell to adapt the structure and prose to suit the action on the page: long and clear sentences depicting periods of calm routine; non sequiturs and sporadic language depicting anxiety; introspective and even poetic language for revelatory moments. If only this attention to style and detail remained consistent.
At times it is an itinerary of landmarks and portraiture. At other points Cracknell lifts content directly from her travel dairy. She also manages to work in her rolodex of acquaintances from her annals of geo-politics, the arts, and medicine. There are even points of poetic reflection that fall flat solely because of Cracknell's completely sheltered life, leaving her out of touch with even the most basic of realities.
For those like me who do not know, Cracknell was an Australian actress from 1946 up until her death in 2002. It is not an exaggeration to say that one of her great revelations in the book's Epilogue was that . This is only the terminus in a long line of unlikable quirks she reveals in the pages of the book: a general main-character mentality to the world around her; being the centre of attention (often positively) to every medical establishment she and her husband set foot in; having the exclusive right to exhibit road rage; little hesitancy in looking down at those around her she deems lesser.
And while its blurb and quoted reviews highlight the love story angle, the actions reflect the bare minimum of what a loving family would do when one of their own is in trouble.
With each of these issues weighing it down, what should be a short, snappy read drags. Ongoing repetition of medical evaluations and family reunions that rather than reading for effect come across as summaries of events. Cracknell's observations of her experience seem to be written with a tone of poignancy, but instead resonate with the dulcet tones of "is that it?"
Really, Journey from Venice boils down to being a book that had the weight and appeal of a built-in audience brought about by fame. While I do not regret my time with the book - and I didn't come away from it with less than I began - it just barely balances itself out to being fine. Some readers may be helped in knowing that others have experiences similar to theirs, but far better texts exist to help with that sort of healing process.
A good memoir requires, at least, one of four features: an author with either a unique voice, perspective, experience, or insight into the world. Ruth Cracknell has part of an experience and nothing else to offer.
Journey from Venice records Cracknell's support of her husband, Eric Phillips, as he falls ill during a holiday in Venice, Italy. When these events sit at the forefront of the work, there is hope for the memoir being a valuable read. However, Cracknell insists on Venice only powering half of her story. The rest struggles to elevate beyond a synopsis of incidents that millions of families go through each year. Granted, it is tragic and painful, and the writing of a book helps heal the wounds, but the product is ultimately one of self-service.
That is not to diminish its execution. It is a competently written piece - at times even compelling. Its basis is a matter-of-fact style that allows Cracknell to adapt the structure and prose to suit the action on the page: long and clear sentences depicting periods of calm routine; non sequiturs and sporadic language depicting anxiety; introspective and even poetic language for revelatory moments. If only this attention to style and detail remained consistent.
At times it is an itinerary of landmarks and portraiture. At other points Cracknell lifts content directly from her travel dairy. She also manages to work in her rolodex of acquaintances from her annals of geo-politics, the arts, and medicine. There are even points of poetic reflection that fall flat solely because of Cracknell's completely sheltered life, leaving her out of touch with even the most basic of realities.
For those like me who do not know, Cracknell was an Australian actress from 1946 up until her death in 2002. It is not an exaggeration to say that one of her great revelations in the book's Epilogue was that . This is only the terminus in a long line of unlikable quirks she reveals in the pages of the book: a general main-character mentality to the world around her; being the centre of attention (often positively) to every medical establishment she and her husband set foot in; having the exclusive right to exhibit road rage; little hesitancy in looking down at those around her she deems lesser.
And while its blurb and quoted reviews highlight the love story angle, the actions reflect the bare minimum of what a loving family would do when one of their own is in trouble.
With each of these issues weighing it down, what should be a short, snappy read drags. Ongoing repetition of medical evaluations and family reunions that rather than reading for effect come across as summaries of events. Cracknell's observations of her experience seem to be written with a tone of poignancy, but instead resonate with the dulcet tones of "is that it?"
Really, Journey from Venice boils down to being a book that had the weight and appeal of a built-in audience brought about by fame. While I do not regret my time with the book - and I didn't come away from it with less than I began - it just barely balances itself out to being fine. Some readers may be helped in knowing that others have experiences similar to theirs, but far better texts exist to help with that sort of healing process.
November 7, 2011
As sad as this book was, considering it was simply about the quick illness and death of Ruth's husband, I thought it was written beautifully.
January 19, 2025
This was a good experience. It somehow didn’t bore me at all even though it was quite a simple preface. I liked the diary style of it, and how it seemed self reflective instead of outwardly entertaining, which is often how these styles of writing can feel. It felt like she was her who she was writing for, but also her family, and also strangers and also me. I don’t know how she did it. I liked that verse about the wax heart melting. It was nice all the help they received. It was interesting, Eric’s attitude towards his own death. He seemed like a chiller. Anyway. This was a nice book. Well written. An interesting peek into people and moments I don’t know and have never been in. Good book. also i don't know who the hell ruth cracknell is and gathered from reading that she was some sort of ?? playwright or something. i didn't realise she was clouted. also looked her movies up after and will not be watching any of them. anyway. sorry. it was good.
December 13, 2020
Can't quite give this 5 stars but certainly 4.5.
It is a book of beauty and worth reading for the writing style alone as well as the content.It is the story of the dying of Ruth Cracknell's husband. As is fitting from one of Australia's foremost actors it is written almost as I imagine a set of background notes for a play. The sentences are concise and very spare. There is a visual imagery that is strong as well as a faint suggestion of stage direction in the way events are described. Maybe I am imagining things.
As a story of dying it is something to reflect upon for our own life, all the things one has to come to terms with and all the things that have to be negotiated and decided.
It is a book of beauty and worth reading for the writing style alone as well as the content.It is the story of the dying of Ruth Cracknell's husband. As is fitting from one of Australia's foremost actors it is written almost as I imagine a set of background notes for a play. The sentences are concise and very spare. There is a visual imagery that is strong as well as a faint suggestion of stage direction in the way events are described. Maybe I am imagining things.
As a story of dying it is something to reflect upon for our own life, all the things one has to come to terms with and all the things that have to be negotiated and decided.
Read
August 26, 2023After sumptuous days in Venice and a love story that has endured, one bad nose bleed leads to a stroke and the nightmare begins. Ruth’s husband Eric is very ill and needs help, fast. In between intensive care visits and the Italian hospital system, the dream life ruptures. Their children fly over (a true challenge from Australia if in a rush) and a long tedious stay on the marshy lagoon has this family come together while arrangements are made for an emergency evacuation. A beautiful portrayal of loss and love.
August 22, 2018
3 1/2 stars. An emotional and very personal story. Having read other reviews, I think this book may be more appreciated/understood/emotional? if you have cared for a loved one with a serious illness. Those wandering thoughts and diary-like entries dealing with everyday stuff are exactly how my mind worked under similar stresses. I don't think the story would have resonated with me as much as if I'd read it before my own experiences
November 21, 2020
It took me a few goes to get into the book. Her writing style is a bit terse and not particularly lyrical or beautiful. As I got into it I appreciated it more for what it is - a descriptive episode of a very sad and important life event. A diary that anyone might keep and then turned into a book. Some of the descriptions later in the book of her husband nearing his time are beautiful.
May 4, 2018
For the part in Venice, I would have given this book a five-star rating. The writing is beautiful. It conjurs up the city so well without long, elaborate descriptions. The second part in Australia is, no doubt, of great personal importance to the writer, but is less interesting to read.
September 16, 2018
Started and completed this wonderful book in one day. Nothing more needs to be said. Such emotion, love, heartbreak, joy, love, heroism, emotional roller coasters and a couple for 41 years saying goodbye.
December 4, 2018
Bleh.
That’s my way to describe this book. I got 200 pages in and just couldn’t hack it anymore. The story was okay and the characters were average.
I just had little to no interest in it and it felt pointless to continue.
That’s my way to describe this book. I got 200 pages in and just couldn’t hack it anymore. The story was okay and the characters were average.
I just had little to no interest in it and it felt pointless to continue.
March 30, 2018
Far too medical for my liking. Would have liked more detail on the author's emotional journey.
April 8, 2018
A wonderful memoir from an Australian treasure, Ruth Cracknell. A beautiful book that covers the haunting medical emergency that occurs overseas.
October 27, 2018
Story of her husbands death
April 20, 2019
Memoir writing
at its painful best: for full review please visit http://thebooksmithblog.wordpress.com
at its painful best: for full review please visit http://thebooksmithblog.wordpress.com
October 8, 2020
Could not put it down. Deeply meaningful.
October 18, 2020
Ruth Cracknell writes beautifully about losing her husband and her grieving process.
This is not a feel good reading experience but one that is about the authors own experience of loss.
This is not a feel good reading experience but one that is about the authors own experience of loss.
June 27, 2021
Devastating. There's something about her prose that lilts like poetry and I just adore it.
August 24, 2021
Really enjoyed this profoundly beautiful read
September 23, 2021
Not a bad book, but I could not finish it. It just drags too much for me.
March 16, 2022
Beautiful to see this couple with several decades of marriage, as they face together the end of the earthly journey.
Read
July 29, 2022Read many many years ago
November 26, 2023
This was a slow read in places. Some parts sad but overall okay. It’s hard for someone who has been married for many years to lost their partner.
Read
July 8, 2024A book that has passed down the family, a little dark and sad but overall really nice.
November 15, 2024
A simple read about the death of a loved husband which probably only got published because of who the author was, rather than for the insights or writing. No harm in that.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews