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The Girl From Venice
A World War II love story set against the romance and danger of occupied Venice.
Cenzo is a world-weary fisherman, determined to sit out the rest of the war. He’s happy to stay out of the way of the SS, quietly going about his business of fishing in the lagoons of northern Italy. Then one night, instead of pulling in his usual haul, Cenzo fishes a young woman out of the canal. Guilia is an Italian Jew who has managed to escape capture and is determined to find her family. This meeting results in them both taking an entirely unexpected journey, and Cenzo suddenly finds himself thrown headlong into the world of international wartime politics, where everyone has their own agenda and nowhere is safe…
Cenzo is a world-weary fisherman, determined to sit out the rest of the war. He’s happy to stay out of the way of the SS, quietly going about his business of fishing in the lagoons of northern Italy. Then one night, instead of pulling in his usual haul, Cenzo fishes a young woman out of the canal. Guilia is an Italian Jew who has managed to escape capture and is determined to find her family. This meeting results in them both taking an entirely unexpected journey, and Cenzo suddenly finds himself thrown headlong into the world of international wartime politics, where everyone has their own agenda and nowhere is safe…
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 18, 2016
1025 people are currently reading
6744 people want to read
About the author
Martin Cruz Smith
53 books1,268 followersMartin Cruz Smith (AKA Simon Quinn, Nick Carter, Jake Logan, and Martin Quinn) was an American writer of mystery and suspense fiction, mostly in an international or historical setting. He was best known for his 11-book series featuring Russian investigator Arkady Renko, who was introduced in 1981 with Gorky Park and appeared in Independence Square (2023) and Hotel Ukraine (2025). [Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,102 reviews
September 4, 2016
This is an engaging historical thriller set in Venice and Salo in Italy in 1945. This is an Italy in turmoil, overflowing with German troops, some looking for vengeance as it becomes clear that Hitler has lost power, a confined Mussolini trying to escape with his mistress. and Italian families having divided loyalties and the uncertainties that come with new realities. Cenzo, a fisherman, has conflicting relationships with his family, his mother is trying to hitch him up with Celestina, Hugo, his brother is dead, a casualty of the war and Giorgio, his other brother is a prominent fascist and actor who had gotten involved with Gina, Cenzo's now dead wife. Needless to say, Cenzo is a seething mass of hate and resentment when it comes to Giorgio. Cenzo's painting of Hugo holds secrets that unfold through the story. Vittorio and Adele Silber, were well assimulated rich Jews in Italian society, who believed that the race laws did not apply to them. They are betrayed and killed, their daughter, Giulia manages to escape.
Out night fishing, Cenzo discovers what he thinks is a dead girl in the water. He discovers Giulia is not dead, and ends up killing a German SS officer to protect her. Despite the initial abrasiveness of Giulia, Cenzo is determined to protect her. She is disguised as his assistant, and becomes able at fishing. Cenzo organises for for her to get a safe getaway only to find his plans go awry later as she goes missing. This leads to Cenzo going to Salo to find her, only to encounter a place where there is much intrigue, betrayal, executions, forged passports, the partisans looking for revenge, the drama that is the fate of Mussolini, film makers, actors and actresses. The author captures the intense atmosphere and the lives and caprices of the characters in tumultuous and changing times. Cenzo searches for Giulia, determined to find out what happened to her.
This is a love story set in the difficult times, as the second world war concludes. It covers Italy's experiences at this time in an authentic manner. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I got engrossed, I was hooked. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of fishing in the book. This is a well constructed story that I enjoyed reading. Highly recommended. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
Out night fishing, Cenzo discovers what he thinks is a dead girl in the water. He discovers Giulia is not dead, and ends up killing a German SS officer to protect her. Despite the initial abrasiveness of Giulia, Cenzo is determined to protect her. She is disguised as his assistant, and becomes able at fishing. Cenzo organises for for her to get a safe getaway only to find his plans go awry later as she goes missing. This leads to Cenzo going to Salo to find her, only to encounter a place where there is much intrigue, betrayal, executions, forged passports, the partisans looking for revenge, the drama that is the fate of Mussolini, film makers, actors and actresses. The author captures the intense atmosphere and the lives and caprices of the characters in tumultuous and changing times. Cenzo searches for Giulia, determined to find out what happened to her.
This is a love story set in the difficult times, as the second world war concludes. It covers Italy's experiences at this time in an authentic manner. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I got engrossed, I was hooked. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of fishing in the book. This is a well constructed story that I enjoyed reading. Highly recommended. Thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
October 22, 2016
I received a free ARC from NetGalley of this for review.
A book with the word Girl in the title? I’ve never seen that before….*cough*
In the last days of World War II in Europe an Italian fisherman named Cenzo hauls in what he thinks is the body of a dead young woman. Only she’s just playing possum, and Cenzo quickly finds out that Giulia is Jewish and on the run from Nazis who just killed her family.
Cenzo hides Giulia, but it turns out that she has a secret that someone is desperate to cover up by killing her. Things get more complicated when his estranged brother who has been doing propaganda films for Mussolini’s government shows up, and Cenzo finds himself drawn into the circle of once powerful people who are now looking for the exits as the Allies approach.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Martin Cruz Smith, particularly his series about Russian detective, Arkady Renko. Like Renko and many of his other characters, Cenzo is a smart guy who generally wants nothing to do with the schemes of the corrupt people above him in society, and yet he’s also incapable of just letting an obvious injustice happen. It’s another Smith staple that many around Cenzo see him as a pawn to use for their own purposes, but he’s got a knack for turning the tables on them while he pursues his own agenda. Smith is also great at setting stories in historically interesting places and periods, and he makes the most out of this one.
This isn’t an action thriller, and it’s also not a straight up whodunit historical fiction. It kind of falls into the category of character drama with some of those elements. Overall it’s Smith doing his usual thing, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
3.58 stars.
A book with the word Girl in the title? I’ve never seen that before….*cough*
In the last days of World War II in Europe an Italian fisherman named Cenzo hauls in what he thinks is the body of a dead young woman. Only she’s just playing possum, and Cenzo quickly finds out that Giulia is Jewish and on the run from Nazis who just killed her family.
Cenzo hides Giulia, but it turns out that she has a secret that someone is desperate to cover up by killing her. Things get more complicated when his estranged brother who has been doing propaganda films for Mussolini’s government shows up, and Cenzo finds himself drawn into the circle of once powerful people who are now looking for the exits as the Allies approach.
I’ve been a longtime fan of Martin Cruz Smith, particularly his series about Russian detective, Arkady Renko. Like Renko and many of his other characters, Cenzo is a smart guy who generally wants nothing to do with the schemes of the corrupt people above him in society, and yet he’s also incapable of just letting an obvious injustice happen. It’s another Smith staple that many around Cenzo see him as a pawn to use for their own purposes, but he’s got a knack for turning the tables on them while he pursues his own agenda. Smith is also great at setting stories in historically interesting places and periods, and he makes the most out of this one.
This isn’t an action thriller, and it’s also not a straight up whodunit historical fiction. It kind of falls into the category of character drama with some of those elements. Overall it’s Smith doing his usual thing, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
3.58 stars.
August 30, 2016
An entertaining historical thriller with the atmospherics of a romance in war time that gives it that “Casablanca” flavor. Cenzo is a thirty-something fisherman who saves an aristocratic Jewish teen, Guilia, from the Nazis and tries to keep her safe in an environment in which virtually no one can be trusted. The sense of the world going to hell in a handbasket and death looming behind every door is often the backdrop for romance, but the bonds in this case feel more like a case of creating a provisional family to stand against the madness afoot and to make up for the losses both characters have sustained.
Cenzo fishes a lot at night on the lagoon, and his first encounter with Giula is of her floating on the water pretending to be dead. Despite just escaping the SS she is resourceful enough to fool him. He lets her stay at his shack, and slowly they develop enough trust to share some of their secrets. We come to learn that she is not just a bubble-brained privileged teenager, and he is not just a low-class, ignorant peasant. Their friendship was delightful to see emerge, especially when she dresses as a boy and takes up as his assistant at fishing:
He taught her how to set a circle of nets at high tide and collect stranded fish at low. How to rake clams. How to spear a ray. How to get behind and push the boat when it ran aground. At night, watching the stars from the deck of the shack, how to track the Great Bear as he swung by its tail. How to earn the right to ask questions.
Eventually, the inspections by patrol boats become too dangerous, and he feels obligated to negotiate a hand-off to communist partisans to smuggle her out of the country. Later, he learns that the operation was betrayed and that she has disappeared. Different factions are looking for her for some reason. His cold detachment gives way to a desperate urge to either avenge her death or free her from whoever has her. His first step is to engage the help of his older brother whom he hates, which we learn is well justified, but has a lot of connections with the Fascist regime through his work as a radio propagandist.
The plot at this point brings in a host of interesting and colorful characters in the city of Salo, where Mussolini’s government has set up shop in the face of the Allies slowly fighting their way toward Rome from their Sicily invasion. A lot of fishing metaphors come in handy, such as those that relate to camoflage. Some people he sees as corrupt and selfish turn out to be good eggs, and some that appear benign turn out to be very dangerous indeed. As the war appears to be near the end, everyone is trying to make the right move to survive well into the future. Even Mussolini has to choose where to take his gold and whether to face the end with his wife or his mistress. Cenzo has to deal with a lot of madness and traps. He had fighting experience from a tour with Italy’s imperial campaigns in North Africa, so his amazing courage has some foundation.
I appreciate Smith’s portrayal of the rich complexities of this unusual time and place, the dialog, and cast of characters. I’ve enjoyed 8 of 9 of his Cold War series featuring downtrodden Soviet detective Arkady Renko, but the two I appreciated most for his creative ingenuity have been his World War 2 espionage thrillers, “Stallion Gate” (intrigue at the A-bomb project in New Mexico) and “December 6” (a British anti-hero trying to survive in Tokyo on the verge of Pearl Harbor). This is not quite as good, so my rating is 3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was provided by the publisher through the Netgalley program and is due for publication on October 18.
Cenzo fishes a lot at night on the lagoon, and his first encounter with Giula is of her floating on the water pretending to be dead. Despite just escaping the SS she is resourceful enough to fool him. He lets her stay at his shack, and slowly they develop enough trust to share some of their secrets. We come to learn that she is not just a bubble-brained privileged teenager, and he is not just a low-class, ignorant peasant. Their friendship was delightful to see emerge, especially when she dresses as a boy and takes up as his assistant at fishing:
He taught her how to set a circle of nets at high tide and collect stranded fish at low. How to rake clams. How to spear a ray. How to get behind and push the boat when it ran aground. At night, watching the stars from the deck of the shack, how to track the Great Bear as he swung by its tail. How to earn the right to ask questions.
Eventually, the inspections by patrol boats become too dangerous, and he feels obligated to negotiate a hand-off to communist partisans to smuggle her out of the country. Later, he learns that the operation was betrayed and that she has disappeared. Different factions are looking for her for some reason. His cold detachment gives way to a desperate urge to either avenge her death or free her from whoever has her. His first step is to engage the help of his older brother whom he hates, which we learn is well justified, but has a lot of connections with the Fascist regime through his work as a radio propagandist.
The plot at this point brings in a host of interesting and colorful characters in the city of Salo, where Mussolini’s government has set up shop in the face of the Allies slowly fighting their way toward Rome from their Sicily invasion. A lot of fishing metaphors come in handy, such as those that relate to camoflage. Some people he sees as corrupt and selfish turn out to be good eggs, and some that appear benign turn out to be very dangerous indeed. As the war appears to be near the end, everyone is trying to make the right move to survive well into the future. Even Mussolini has to choose where to take his gold and whether to face the end with his wife or his mistress. Cenzo has to deal with a lot of madness and traps. He had fighting experience from a tour with Italy’s imperial campaigns in North Africa, so his amazing courage has some foundation.
I appreciate Smith’s portrayal of the rich complexities of this unusual time and place, the dialog, and cast of characters. I’ve enjoyed 8 of 9 of his Cold War series featuring downtrodden Soviet detective Arkady Renko, but the two I appreciated most for his creative ingenuity have been his World War 2 espionage thrillers, “Stallion Gate” (intrigue at the A-bomb project in New Mexico) and “December 6” (a British anti-hero trying to survive in Tokyo on the verge of Pearl Harbor). This is not quite as good, so my rating is 3.5 stars rounded up.
This book was provided by the publisher through the Netgalley program and is due for publication on October 18.
December 30, 2016
I’m thankful to this novel for proving that I haven’t grown so cynical, after an acrimonious divorce this year, that I can’t still enjoy a good love story well told and that I can still enjoy lighter fiction without the dreaded literary snob within rising up and telling me off for wasting my reading time.
This is a WW2 story set in Venice. A fisherman out on his boat at night discovers the body of a young female in the water. At first he assumes she’s dead. However she isn’t dead; she’s a Jewess who has just escaped an SS roundup at the hospital where she was hiding with her family. She’s from a very wealthy sophisticated family.
What made this novel so enjoyable was the vitality and love with which it was told. It’s witty, it’s sophisticated and it’s fabulously researched. If at times it’s a bit outlandish it gets away with it because of the liveliness of the writing. I loved learning about fishing in Venice’s lagoons. And I loved the depiction of the Italians (I have Italian blood). It’s largely motored by dialogue rather than long descriptive passages which makes it very easy to read. The plot keeps you involved with murderous sibling rivalries, deceitful friends, interfering mothers and a truly engaging love story which manages to avoid cliché and cheese completely.
It won’t be anyone’s favourite novel they’ve read this year and it won’t win any literary prizes but I thoroughly enjoyed it. And, of course, it was wonderful to spend Christmas in Venice, albeit only in imagination. Happy New Year to all my fabulous GR friends. My first year here and I've loved it!
This is a WW2 story set in Venice. A fisherman out on his boat at night discovers the body of a young female in the water. At first he assumes she’s dead. However she isn’t dead; she’s a Jewess who has just escaped an SS roundup at the hospital where she was hiding with her family. She’s from a very wealthy sophisticated family.
What made this novel so enjoyable was the vitality and love with which it was told. It’s witty, it’s sophisticated and it’s fabulously researched. If at times it’s a bit outlandish it gets away with it because of the liveliness of the writing. I loved learning about fishing in Venice’s lagoons. And I loved the depiction of the Italians (I have Italian blood). It’s largely motored by dialogue rather than long descriptive passages which makes it very easy to read. The plot keeps you involved with murderous sibling rivalries, deceitful friends, interfering mothers and a truly engaging love story which manages to avoid cliché and cheese completely.
It won’t be anyone’s favourite novel they’ve read this year and it won’t win any literary prizes but I thoroughly enjoyed it. And, of course, it was wonderful to spend Christmas in Venice, albeit only in imagination. Happy New Year to all my fabulous GR friends. My first year here and I've loved it!
October 4, 2016
I don't know how to say this any other way but I loved this book. Cenzo Vianello is one of my favorite characters in a book ever. He is exactly what he is, a fisherman in the lagoons near Venice, Italy. I had no idea that they fished there. I always just pictured it was full of gondolas but apparently before and during WWII, they did.
Besides being a fisherman he is the brother of Italy's famous and handsome actor and Mussolini spokesman, Giorgio. Giorgio had seduced Cenzo's wife and swept her away before she was killed in the war. He had another brother killed in the war whose widow is desperate to marry him much against his wishes.
One night while fishing he picks up an apparent dead body of a young woman. The only problem? She's not dead and she is a Jew running from the Germans who desperately want to kill her. It's a wonderful family story who are just trying to survive the ending days of the War.
It was interesting to note that by unspoken agreement that Venice was not bombed during the fighting. Thank goodness for that. As the war is ending, all these different groups come out- the fleeing Germans, the remaining Italians with ties to the Germans, fascists, partisans, and those that just want desperately left alone. Cenzo just wants to fish. He had piloted a reconnaissance plane in Ethiopia earlier in the war but refused to drop poison gas on the natives. He was relieved of his service and labeled a coward. He vowed then to keep to himself.
You may think you don't want to read another WWII novel but this is different. It is just so entertaining. The picture of Mussolini going from bank to bank trying to amass some money so he can start over is funny. He is portrayed as so dithering that it's hard to imagine anybody following him.
I hope you will read this and fall in love with Cenzo as I did. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
Besides being a fisherman he is the brother of Italy's famous and handsome actor and Mussolini spokesman, Giorgio. Giorgio had seduced Cenzo's wife and swept her away before she was killed in the war. He had another brother killed in the war whose widow is desperate to marry him much against his wishes.
One night while fishing he picks up an apparent dead body of a young woman. The only problem? She's not dead and she is a Jew running from the Germans who desperately want to kill her. It's a wonderful family story who are just trying to survive the ending days of the War.
It was interesting to note that by unspoken agreement that Venice was not bombed during the fighting. Thank goodness for that. As the war is ending, all these different groups come out- the fleeing Germans, the remaining Italians with ties to the Germans, fascists, partisans, and those that just want desperately left alone. Cenzo just wants to fish. He had piloted a reconnaissance plane in Ethiopia earlier in the war but refused to drop poison gas on the natives. He was relieved of his service and labeled a coward. He vowed then to keep to himself.
You may think you don't want to read another WWII novel but this is different. It is just so entertaining. The picture of Mussolini going from bank to bank trying to amass some money so he can start over is funny. He is portrayed as so dithering that it's hard to imagine anybody following him.
I hope you will read this and fall in love with Cenzo as I did. Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.
October 25, 2016
3.5 STARS
Venice, 1945. The war may be waning, but the city known as La Serenissima is still occupied and the people of Italy fear the power of the Third Reich. One night, under a canopy of stars, a fisherman named Cenzo comes across a young woman’s body floating in the lagoon and soon discovers that she is still alive and in trouble.
Born to a wealthy Jewish family, Giulia is on the run from the SS. Cenzo chooses to protect Giulia rather than hand her over to the Nazis. This act of kindness leads them into the world of Partisans, random executions, the arts of forgery and high explosives, Mussolini’s broken promises, the black market and gold, and, everywhere, the enigmatic maze of the Venice Lagoon.
This was a different read for me; like many others stated in their reviews, I realized I had not read any books pertaining to Italy during WWII. Granted, this one begins as the war is coming to a close, but it still gave me a totally different perspective on a time that so many books have been written about. There's no hiding the fact that WWII historical fiction has been uber popular this year, and at first I saw the jacket summary and thought "Dear God, ANOTHER WWII BOOK?!", but this one held it's own and gave a unique read with thriller and mystery-esque traits. If you are reading this thinking "Wow I like thrillers", this isn't really a thriller per say. It's not really chocked full of action scenes and the pages didn't fly for me; that being said I DID enjoy this for what it was.
It did take me a bit to really get into this one, and the pacing is very steady, but I felt the pay off in the end was worth the time it took me to get there. I've come to realize this year that books aren't about how fast you can read them (ok, but sometimes they are). I'M GROWING UP Y'ALL! :) This one definitely had a lighter feel than I expected; again, not a criticism, just an unexpected observation. It was fairly short in length but I felt the author tapped into everything he needed to in terms of fleshing out the story. The love story was a nice touch and I thought the development of Giorgio and his evilness was really well done. I've not read any of the author's other work, but would like to check them out per recommendations of friends.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via Goodreads Giveaway!
Venice, 1945. The war may be waning, but the city known as La Serenissima is still occupied and the people of Italy fear the power of the Third Reich. One night, under a canopy of stars, a fisherman named Cenzo comes across a young woman’s body floating in the lagoon and soon discovers that she is still alive and in trouble.
Born to a wealthy Jewish family, Giulia is on the run from the SS. Cenzo chooses to protect Giulia rather than hand her over to the Nazis. This act of kindness leads them into the world of Partisans, random executions, the arts of forgery and high explosives, Mussolini’s broken promises, the black market and gold, and, everywhere, the enigmatic maze of the Venice Lagoon.
This was a different read for me; like many others stated in their reviews, I realized I had not read any books pertaining to Italy during WWII. Granted, this one begins as the war is coming to a close, but it still gave me a totally different perspective on a time that so many books have been written about. There's no hiding the fact that WWII historical fiction has been uber popular this year, and at first I saw the jacket summary and thought "Dear God, ANOTHER WWII BOOK?!", but this one held it's own and gave a unique read with thriller and mystery-esque traits. If you are reading this thinking "Wow I like thrillers", this isn't really a thriller per say. It's not really chocked full of action scenes and the pages didn't fly for me; that being said I DID enjoy this for what it was.
It did take me a bit to really get into this one, and the pacing is very steady, but I felt the pay off in the end was worth the time it took me to get there. I've come to realize this year that books aren't about how fast you can read them (ok, but sometimes they are). I'M GROWING UP Y'ALL! :) This one definitely had a lighter feel than I expected; again, not a criticism, just an unexpected observation. It was fairly short in length but I felt the author tapped into everything he needed to in terms of fleshing out the story. The love story was a nice touch and I thought the development of Giorgio and his evilness was really well done. I've not read any of the author's other work, but would like to check them out per recommendations of friends.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via Goodreads Giveaway!
October 19, 2016
3.5 Three brothers, Hugo whose death provides fodder later on, Giorgio who becomes an actor, the lion of Italy and later Mussolini's propaganda chief and Cenzio, who wants only to be a fisherman on his island Pellistrina , plying his trade on the Ventian canals. On one such trip he discovers a young girl floating in the canal, a Jewish girl who has escaped the death of her father and others. Cenzio's life as a peaceful fisherman will come to an abrupt end.
I found this an engaging read, much of it takes place in Sala at the end of the war, occupied by German soldiers, partisans, diplomats, a fading Mussolini, who is basically a well kept prisoner of the Germans and an invading American force. So this covers many different types of genres, historical, adventure and a love story.
I loved the lighter tone, enjoyed Canzo and some of my favorite parts were learning about fishing the canals and how to catch the different fish. Also takes place in an area I have read little of and a time in history of which I knew nothing. Seems I have read little of Italy's history during WWII. Engaging story, family quarrels and Cenzio trying to save Giuila while surviving the many different forces in play. A lighter historical but a good one.
ARC from Netgalley.
I found this an engaging read, much of it takes place in Sala at the end of the war, occupied by German soldiers, partisans, diplomats, a fading Mussolini, who is basically a well kept prisoner of the Germans and an invading American force. So this covers many different types of genres, historical, adventure and a love story.
I loved the lighter tone, enjoyed Canzo and some of my favorite parts were learning about fishing the canals and how to catch the different fish. Also takes place in an area I have read little of and a time in history of which I knew nothing. Seems I have read little of Italy's history during WWII. Engaging story, family quarrels and Cenzio trying to save Giuila while surviving the many different forces in play. A lighter historical but a good one.
ARC from Netgalley.
March 11, 2018
I re-read this novel as a book club read ... the beginning is superb: two well-developed characters and a fascinating plot opening. There is reason to expect a wonderful love story set against the end of WWII in Italy. However, after 75 or so pages, the book falls apart. The plot expands to include uninteresting and confusing side stories. The girl, who is the glue, disappears. By the time she returns at the end, it is too late to save the story, and the ending is weak anyway. This was a great opportunity lost.
August 7, 2016
2.5 stars
It's been awhile since I've read a book by Martin Cruz Smith. I enjoyed Gorky Park and a few others in the Arkady Renko series but then didn't care for one and gave up on him. So I was pleased that netgalley provided me with an advance copy of The Girl From Venice so I could give him another chance.
Cruz Smith’s writing is sparse. He tells the story without much in the way of embellishment. The story takes place at the end of WII in Italy. The Germans are desperate and no one knows who to trust. Cruz Smith does a good job of portraying that horrible sense of unease.
Cenzo is a “simple” fisherman. So there's lots of talk about fishing. And while it may help explain Cenzo, it's also boring as hell. But then, as the plot progresses, he always have the skill necessary.
This is not a fast paced book. It takes a while to get to the meat of the plot. And once there, it still takes its time. It was interesting from a historic point of view. Unlike Germany, I haven't read much about Italy at the end of the war. But it just didn't grab me. The characters felt flat. Cruz Smith's attempts to flesh them out just didn't make me care for them. And I'm a reader that wants/needs to care about the characters of a book. And there were some major gaps in the storyline which left me feeling very dissatisfied.
Thank you to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.
It's been awhile since I've read a book by Martin Cruz Smith. I enjoyed Gorky Park and a few others in the Arkady Renko series but then didn't care for one and gave up on him. So I was pleased that netgalley provided me with an advance copy of The Girl From Venice so I could give him another chance.
Cruz Smith’s writing is sparse. He tells the story without much in the way of embellishment. The story takes place at the end of WII in Italy. The Germans are desperate and no one knows who to trust. Cruz Smith does a good job of portraying that horrible sense of unease.
Cenzo is a “simple” fisherman. So there's lots of talk about fishing. And while it may help explain Cenzo, it's also boring as hell. But then, as the plot progresses, he always have the skill necessary.
This is not a fast paced book. It takes a while to get to the meat of the plot. And once there, it still takes its time. It was interesting from a historic point of view. Unlike Germany, I haven't read much about Italy at the end of the war. But it just didn't grab me. The characters felt flat. Cruz Smith's attempts to flesh them out just didn't make me care for them. And I'm a reader that wants/needs to care about the characters of a book. And there were some major gaps in the storyline which left me feeling very dissatisfied.
Thank you to netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.
October 3, 2016
The Girl From Venice- 2.5 stars...
When I opted to read The Girl From Venice I was hoping for an engaging war story rich in the Venetian atmosphere but instead of feeling completely immersed in the story and time period, I felt more like an outsider looking in. If you've ever been with a group of people that are talking about something that happened when you weren't there, so you don't quite get what the fuss is about, then you'll understand how I felt about the author's writing. It seemed like we were only given scattered parts of the whole story and the political dynamics among the major players- Mussolini, Fascists, Partisans, Italy, Germany, America etc., weren't fleshed out well enough for me to fully engage in it.
The characters were also very flat. Normally if I read a really good historical war story, I feel emotionally involved in the characters and sympathize with their circumstances but in this story I didn't feel anything at all for any of the characters. There just wasn't enough character development and the stage wasn't set adequately enough for me to get invested in either the characters or the story.
If you already have a deep understanding of the Italy's role in the war then you may appreciate the story more then I did but if you don't, then you'll probably come away from it feeling like you're missing crucial parts of this historical period.
*I received this ARC from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
When I opted to read The Girl From Venice I was hoping for an engaging war story rich in the Venetian atmosphere but instead of feeling completely immersed in the story and time period, I felt more like an outsider looking in. If you've ever been with a group of people that are talking about something that happened when you weren't there, so you don't quite get what the fuss is about, then you'll understand how I felt about the author's writing. It seemed like we were only given scattered parts of the whole story and the political dynamics among the major players- Mussolini, Fascists, Partisans, Italy, Germany, America etc., weren't fleshed out well enough for me to fully engage in it.
The characters were also very flat. Normally if I read a really good historical war story, I feel emotionally involved in the characters and sympathize with their circumstances but in this story I didn't feel anything at all for any of the characters. There just wasn't enough character development and the stage wasn't set adequately enough for me to get invested in either the characters or the story.
If you already have a deep understanding of the Italy's role in the war then you may appreciate the story more then I did but if you don't, then you'll probably come away from it feeling like you're missing crucial parts of this historical period.
*I received this ARC from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 21, 2016
*3.5 stars. The Girl from Venice is an engaging thriller and love story set in Venice and its countryside waterways in the waning days of WWII. Cenzo Vianello, a young fisherman of Salo, is fishing at night when he discovers the body of a young girl floating in the water. Thinking she is dead, he pulls the body aboard the Fatima and covers her with a tarp. Soon afterward, a German gunboat appears and soldiers board his boat, searching for something...the girl? She has disappeared so she must be alive but where did she go?
When she does reappear, she tells Cenzo her story: she is a wealthy Jewish girl named Giulia who has been in hiding for two years in Venice with her family and friends. Recently they were betrayed by a man named DaCosta and her father helped her alone to escape. She has found her way into the lagoons but the Germans are hot on her trail. How far will Cenzo go to help her? Things are complicated by the large number of war-time allegiances. Whom should he trust? The partisans? The black market smugglers? Certainly not his brother Giorgio, the famous movie actor who once made a cuckold of his brother, nor any of Giorgio's wealthy society friends.
Martin Cruz Smith takes the reader fishing in the streams, lagoons and mudflats of the Italian countryside, and then to the war-torn streets of Venice, where they are awaiting the arrival of the American army, the Liberators, with mixed emotions. Along the way, we meet some pretty interesting characters--a few heroes but many others who are desperate, greedy and despicable.
I enjoyed the way the plot built momentum to its exciting conclusion and felt the scenario described was an unique perspective from which to tell a love story. I would expect to see a movie version done some day. This is all very Bogart-esque, especially the night scenes on the water. Great stuff!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this new thriller by the author of Gorky Park.
When she does reappear, she tells Cenzo her story: she is a wealthy Jewish girl named Giulia who has been in hiding for two years in Venice with her family and friends. Recently they were betrayed by a man named DaCosta and her father helped her alone to escape. She has found her way into the lagoons but the Germans are hot on her trail. How far will Cenzo go to help her? Things are complicated by the large number of war-time allegiances. Whom should he trust? The partisans? The black market smugglers? Certainly not his brother Giorgio, the famous movie actor who once made a cuckold of his brother, nor any of Giorgio's wealthy society friends.
Martin Cruz Smith takes the reader fishing in the streams, lagoons and mudflats of the Italian countryside, and then to the war-torn streets of Venice, where they are awaiting the arrival of the American army, the Liberators, with mixed emotions. Along the way, we meet some pretty interesting characters--a few heroes but many others who are desperate, greedy and despicable.
I enjoyed the way the plot built momentum to its exciting conclusion and felt the scenario described was an unique perspective from which to tell a love story. I would expect to see a movie version done some day. This is all very Bogart-esque, especially the night scenes on the water. Great stuff!
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this new thriller by the author of Gorky Park.
July 21, 2020
In the waning days of WWII in Italy, a fisherman retrieves a girl from a lagoon and finds out she is an escapee from a converted asylum holding Jewish prisoners. He teaches her about fishing and decides to help her find sanctuary. When she disappears, he searches for her, and his journey takes him to Salo, Italy, where he encounters administrators, police, Nazi collaborators, resistance fighters, diplomats, and a friend of Mussolini’s mistress. The fisherman’s brother is a well-loved actor; however, there is no love lost between the brothers, and their backstory is a significant subplot.
I very much enjoyed the first half of this book. However, in the second half, after the girl has disappeared, it loses momentum and is set adrift in a sea of too many side stories. I usually do not care for mature men romancing teenage girls, and in this case, the girl is eighteen, so it appears less love story and more hero worship of someone who rescued her. Speaking of heroes, the protagonist is a bit of a MacGyver – he can do “everything” and will do it all by the time this is over.
So, this book has a promising premise, an interesting setup, and a compelling first half, but it falls on the weight of too many side plots and implausibility. The ending is a letdown. Three stars.
I very much enjoyed the first half of this book. However, in the second half, after the girl has disappeared, it loses momentum and is set adrift in a sea of too many side stories. I usually do not care for mature men romancing teenage girls, and in this case, the girl is eighteen, so it appears less love story and more hero worship of someone who rescued her. Speaking of heroes, the protagonist is a bit of a MacGyver – he can do “everything” and will do it all by the time this is over.
So, this book has a promising premise, an interesting setup, and a compelling first half, but it falls on the weight of too many side plots and implausibility. The ending is a letdown. Three stars.
August 17, 2021
A somewhat flimsy and flippant tale set in world war two Italy. It begins with a fisherman rescuing a young feisty Jewish girl who has escaped the SS. The fisherman soon turns into an action hero, a role his brother plays as an actor in the film industry. The plot becomes as implausible as it is senseless. Essentially we get the love story of a flawed but admirable man going to the rescue of an idealised young woman, sufficiently independent and intelligent to appeal to modern taste. There's an awful lot of banter between characters which serves little purpose and a backstory of brotherly rivalry. Never though came alive for me.
November 1, 2016
Innocenzo (Cenzo) Vianello was a fisherman; he called himself just a “simple fisherman” who worked the canals at night and slept during the day. The little shack he called home was perched on the edge of the river next to where he moored his fishing vessel. When he lost his brother Hugo to the war, their father was so traumatised that his own death came soon afterwards. His other brother Giorgio became an actor but the bad blood between Cenzo and Giorgio was known throughout the community. Cenzo was grieving deeply; he was also angry.
The night Cenzo spied a body floating in the lagoon was the beginning of a string of episodes that was to change many lives. Giulia was a Jewish girl who had escaped the SS – Cenzo was determined to keep her safe from the Nazis who would execute her immediately. What followed took Cenzo out of the comfort of his fishing life in Pellistrina and into a world of partisans, murder and intense danger…
Set at the end of WWII in northern Italy and Venice, The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith started off in an engaging way. I enjoyed getting to know Cenzo and how much he loved the craft he’d plied for so long. The descriptions of the lagoons, the appearances of the German gunboats during the night to “check on the fishermen”; all proved haunting and atmospheric. But the pace was slow, the characters (other than Cenzo and Giulia) felt to me like they had no depth. So I was a little disappointed the story didn’t continue in the same vein. But that said, I would still recommend this one.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
The night Cenzo spied a body floating in the lagoon was the beginning of a string of episodes that was to change many lives. Giulia was a Jewish girl who had escaped the SS – Cenzo was determined to keep her safe from the Nazis who would execute her immediately. What followed took Cenzo out of the comfort of his fishing life in Pellistrina and into a world of partisans, murder and intense danger…
Set at the end of WWII in northern Italy and Venice, The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith started off in an engaging way. I enjoyed getting to know Cenzo and how much he loved the craft he’d plied for so long. The descriptions of the lagoons, the appearances of the German gunboats during the night to “check on the fishermen”; all proved haunting and atmospheric. But the pace was slow, the characters (other than Cenzo and Giulia) felt to me like they had no depth. So I was a little disappointed the story didn’t continue in the same vein. But that said, I would still recommend this one.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
October 2, 2016
3.5 stars
The Girl from Venice takes place in Italy towards the end of World War II. Martin Cruz Smith starts the book as the war is almost at a close and chose occupied Venice as the setting. As I was starting this book, I realized that I have read a ton of World War II fiction, but not a single book that took place in Italy during the war. Occupied Venice is a fascinating place with a number of warring factions, which at times I found a little hard to keep straight. While the Italians are waiting on the Americans to arrive and liberate them, the Nazis are attempting to wipe out every Jew that they can and punish those Italians who were not loyal supporters of the Nazis.
As the story opens, Cenzo, a local fisherman is out fishing at night on the Venice lagoon when he pulls a young girl from the water. He soon discovers that the Nazis are searching for her because she is Jewish and is the lone survivor of a coordinated attack on a group that had been in hiding for several years. Cenzo chooses to protect her, and this choice draws him into the world of the SS, spies, the Partisans, and numerous other individuals.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the historical aspects of Venice and neighboring Salo at the end of the war though I found it to be fairly confusing at times trying to distinguish who was who exactly. I did think there was way too much time spent on the fishing aspects early on and skimmed some of those sections.
The Girl from Venice was an interesting read, and I felt I learned a lot. Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Girl from Venice takes place in Italy towards the end of World War II. Martin Cruz Smith starts the book as the war is almost at a close and chose occupied Venice as the setting. As I was starting this book, I realized that I have read a ton of World War II fiction, but not a single book that took place in Italy during the war. Occupied Venice is a fascinating place with a number of warring factions, which at times I found a little hard to keep straight. While the Italians are waiting on the Americans to arrive and liberate them, the Nazis are attempting to wipe out every Jew that they can and punish those Italians who were not loyal supporters of the Nazis.
As the story opens, Cenzo, a local fisherman is out fishing at night on the Venice lagoon when he pulls a young girl from the water. He soon discovers that the Nazis are searching for her because she is Jewish and is the lone survivor of a coordinated attack on a group that had been in hiding for several years. Cenzo chooses to protect her, and this choice draws him into the world of the SS, spies, the Partisans, and numerous other individuals.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the historical aspects of Venice and neighboring Salo at the end of the war though I found it to be fairly confusing at times trying to distinguish who was who exactly. I did think there was way too much time spent on the fishing aspects early on and skimmed some of those sections.
The Girl from Venice was an interesting read, and I felt I learned a lot. Thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2017
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway; thank you Goodreads.
Sort of disappointing overall...
The story of Cenzo, a fisherman from Venice, who helps a Jewish girl, Giulia, at the end of WWII. She escapes - when her family is betrayed and arrested - by diving into the lagoon where Cenzo is fishing and what happens after...
It's too contrived, too confusing and seriously, every character in this book has the same 'voice' or personality. They're wise-cracking smart alecks. Everything's a joke or has a double or triple meaning. The book is dialogue-rich, which doesn't bother me. (I love dialogue!) But if you took out 'Cenzo said,' or 'Giulia replied,' you'd have no idea who's talking to who. Seriously, from the Fascist Italians to the bartender, even to Cenzo's mother, they're all the same person, the same voice. There's the wife of the Argentinian consul, same voice. The friend of Mussolini's lover, same voice. The Nazis, the Italians, the film producers, same, same, same. No one says anything to anyone without being a wise guy. It got tiring. Even the partisans who 'help' Cenzo by promising to get Giulia to safety speak in the same tone.
As for the writing itself? It's sort of 'choppy.' It sounded - in my head while I read - like someone tapping out a rather monotone, musical arrangement on piano. Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah and maybe a 'dum' thrown in there. A book to get sleepy by.
Still and all, decent enough story. Three stars.
Or, C-.
Sort of disappointing overall...
The story of Cenzo, a fisherman from Venice, who helps a Jewish girl, Giulia, at the end of WWII. She escapes - when her family is betrayed and arrested - by diving into the lagoon where Cenzo is fishing and what happens after...
It's too contrived, too confusing and seriously, every character in this book has the same 'voice' or personality. They're wise-cracking smart alecks. Everything's a joke or has a double or triple meaning. The book is dialogue-rich, which doesn't bother me. (I love dialogue!) But if you took out 'Cenzo said,' or 'Giulia replied,' you'd have no idea who's talking to who. Seriously, from the Fascist Italians to the bartender, even to Cenzo's mother, they're all the same person, the same voice. There's the wife of the Argentinian consul, same voice. The friend of Mussolini's lover, same voice. The Nazis, the Italians, the film producers, same, same, same. No one says anything to anyone without being a wise guy. It got tiring. Even the partisans who 'help' Cenzo by promising to get Giulia to safety speak in the same tone.
As for the writing itself? It's sort of 'choppy.' It sounded - in my head while I read - like someone tapping out a rather monotone, musical arrangement on piano. Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah and maybe a 'dum' thrown in there. A book to get sleepy by.
Still and all, decent enough story. Three stars.
Or, C-.
October 28, 2016
I enjoyed this stand alone by the author. I have read ten of his books and enjoyed all of them. This book starts with Cenzo, a simple fisherman in Venice, who finds the body of a young woman in a lagoon where he is fishing in the dark. Quote: "Fisherman were nocturnal creatures who slept by day and fished by night." He brings the girl aboard his boat, but then a German gunboat comes to him and boards his boat. They search his boat, but don't find the girl. She is alive and slipped into the water. She is a Jewish escapee from a hospital where she was hiding with her family. But they and other Jews were betrayed and Giulia can identify the traitor. Only Giulia escaped and the Nazi SS are hunting her. Cenzo decides to shelter her. He is led gradually into a web of intrigue, with Fascists, Partisans and his brother Giorgio all interacting with Cenzo. This book takes place in at the end of the war--1945 and everyone is trying to survive.
Cenzo and Giorgio have a difficult relationship. Cenzo's wife left him for Giorgio, who is a film star and is a magnet for women.
I thought the characters were realistic and the plot moved along at at a very good pace. Recommended for Cruz Smith fans. I rate it 4 out 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
Cenzo and Giorgio have a difficult relationship. Cenzo's wife left him for Giorgio, who is a film star and is a magnet for women.
I thought the characters were realistic and the plot moved along at at a very good pace. Recommended for Cruz Smith fans. I rate it 4 out 5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
September 11, 2017
I just wanted to lose myself in a story, and this was the perfect fit. I'm not sure why but it reminded me a little of Beautiful Ruins with the way it meandered around the different characters without a real beginning or end but just sort of took a vacation and landed plop in the middle of their lives. I loved it.
January 11, 2024
I like Martin Cruz Smith a lot, probably because I like his balance of character-driven and plot-driven stories. Here, it's the last month of WWII in Venice. The Nazis (who have been occupying Italy for more than a year) are still working to murder the last of Italy's Jews while Italian fascists rally around Il Duce and communists prepare for the coming government collapse. Cenzo, a young fisherman from a family of fishermen, saves Giulia, a smart, educated Jewish girl from the lagoon. The SS know she escaped the roundup and are searching for her, but so is a faction of the German army who wants her as a go-between for peace negotiations. [In actuality, German generals in Italy DID make peace overtures. The feelers were soundly rejected as the US stuck to FDR's declaration of unconditional surrender, reinforced by Stalin's feigned outrage that the US was in contact with German authorities.]
Cenzo is compelled to protect Giulia, even as he has to thread his way between fascists, partisans, and gangsters to survive the chaos as the war lurches to an end.
Cenzo is compelled to protect Giulia, even as he has to thread his way between fascists, partisans, and gangsters to survive the chaos as the war lurches to an end.
September 4, 2016
This is the latest stand alone by the ever prolific Martin Cruz Smith. The author is primarily known for his series and I'm not a fan of series as such, so I haven't read him until now. This book, though, looked interesting enough and was available on Netgalley, so why not. Set in the last days of WWII in Italy, it's a love story of impossible odds between a fisherman from a small village and a young Jewish woman he rescues. It starts off relatively small, but later as the protagonist, Cenzo, goes after the girl, navigating the choppy waters of the waning Republic of Salo (aka Italian Socialist Republic) and the high society of fascinating characters doing their best to stay afloat, it gets more evolved and complex. I'm not sure which part I preferred, both worked quite well. It's such an interesting setting, such an interesting time. The novel is dynamic, very dialogue driven, moves along swimmingly for its size. For all its positive qualities, though, I can't quite say that I loved it, though I enjoyed reading it. It's a competently written book, Smith has had decades to perfect his skills, he does particularly well with the moral ambiguities (used often as sheer survival techniques) of its cast, it just missed something...that something that makes one emotionally respond to the book. Still though not great, solidly good read. Pardon the H2O puns, but Venice is in the title. Thanks Netgalley.
January 12, 2018
After reading this book I understand why it isn't more popular. Set in Venice during the last days of World War II, it is the story of Cenzo, a fisherman, who rescues Giula, who has escaped the Nazis. The character Cenzo is a bit of a schemer and jokester. There are scant descriptions of Venice, and I prefer stories of wartime that are serious. This was "almost good" but not quite.
January 10, 2017
For those that are familiar with the work of Martin Cruz Smith the author of GORKY PARK, STALIN’S GHOST, TATIANA, among others, his latest effort, THE GIRL FROM VENICE should prove very satisfying. The novel is centered in Venice in the small fishing village of Pellestrina. One evening during the spring, 1945, Innocenzo Vianello, a poor fisherman is watching allied planes pass overhead on their way to rain havoc on Turin, Milan, or Verona, as he tries to secure his catch, when he notices a body floating in the water. The body turns out to be a survivor of a Nazi SS raid on San Clemente, a mental institution. The survivor is Giulia Silber, from a wealthy Jewish family, whose parents, aunts and uncles, in addition to many others have been seized by the Nazis and are presumed dead. Cenzo, against his better judgement rescues the girl and immediately is confronted by an SS boat in a lagoon. It seems the SS is looking for the escaped Jewess. Cenzo hides the girl and an incident will occur that makes him as much of a target as Giulia.
Smith’s writing is very clear and he does a remarkable job developing the relationship between Cenzo and Giulia, from teaching her to be a fisherman, how to enunciate as not to appear upper class, friendship, and finally falling in love. For Cenzo thinking about his own miseries pale in comparison to what Giulia has been through and he becomes very protective of her. They are both in a quandary as to how to proceed when Cenzo’s friend, Eusebio Russo, who was a smuggler, arranged to take Giulia north and turn her over to Communist partisan to allow her to escape. However, at this point Cenzo and Giulia realize they might mean more to each other than they thought.
As the novel progresses the reader will come across a number of interesting characters. There is Cenzo’s brother Giorgio a famous actor and follower of Mussolini who he is estranged from. Nido, the owner of a bar in Pellestrina, who along with his good friend Cenzo oppose the war after their experiences fighting against Haile Selassie’s forces in Abyssinia. Colonel Steiner, a Nazi officer that may have turned against Hitler. Steiner claims he needs to locate Giulia as she is the only witness to what happened at San Clemente when Steiner’s conduit to the Americans disappeared, Vittorio Silber, Giulia’s father. The catch is Steiner wants Cenzo to work with his brother to find her. Maria Paz Rodriguez, the wife of the former Argentine Counsel in in Salo, the capitol of the remainder of the Italian Socialist State. Paz is an interesting character as she is an excellent forger for both Jews and Germans who are fleeing. Otto Klein, supposedly a neutral Swiss filmmaker, but he has ties to the black market, Joseph Goebbles, and seems to want to bring down the Germans. Farina, an Italian Fascist who cannot understand that the war is lost. Lastly, Dante, the partisan leader whose loyalty is to communism.
There is a Kafkaesque quality to the story. As the war winds down everyone thinks it is almost over and they begin to contemplate their lives once hostilities will come to a close. They wonder who will be in charge and most conclude the Germans will just leave, but Italian fascists and partisans will battle for Italy’s soul. Smith provides unique insights into society in the “capitol,” Salo. The nerves of the people are being shredded as they worry about who they will be able to trust. Cenzo will undergo a remarkable transformation as he tries to find Giulia and has to deal with his brother Georgio, but also has nightmares over the death of his younger brother Hugo, who had been killed by an American pilot the year before. The novel has an undercurrent that pervades each page as Cenzo, also a talented artist had painted a picture of the scene where his brother Hugo had been killed. The problem is that Cenzo is transfixed by what he has created, and it takes him almost to the end of the story to finally understand what his unconscious was telling him.
The novel itself is an indictment of Mussolini’s regime and the marionettes that followed him. Smith’s dialogue reeks of sarcasm as he points to the weaknesses and incompetence of Italian fascism. Il Duce is a comic figure, however the story that he is a part of is not. Martin Cruz Smith’s new book is worth engaging and I recommend you take a few hours, get comfortable with a glass of wine, and enjoy-it will be bellissimo!
Smith’s writing is very clear and he does a remarkable job developing the relationship between Cenzo and Giulia, from teaching her to be a fisherman, how to enunciate as not to appear upper class, friendship, and finally falling in love. For Cenzo thinking about his own miseries pale in comparison to what Giulia has been through and he becomes very protective of her. They are both in a quandary as to how to proceed when Cenzo’s friend, Eusebio Russo, who was a smuggler, arranged to take Giulia north and turn her over to Communist partisan to allow her to escape. However, at this point Cenzo and Giulia realize they might mean more to each other than they thought.
As the novel progresses the reader will come across a number of interesting characters. There is Cenzo’s brother Giorgio a famous actor and follower of Mussolini who he is estranged from. Nido, the owner of a bar in Pellestrina, who along with his good friend Cenzo oppose the war after their experiences fighting against Haile Selassie’s forces in Abyssinia. Colonel Steiner, a Nazi officer that may have turned against Hitler. Steiner claims he needs to locate Giulia as she is the only witness to what happened at San Clemente when Steiner’s conduit to the Americans disappeared, Vittorio Silber, Giulia’s father. The catch is Steiner wants Cenzo to work with his brother to find her. Maria Paz Rodriguez, the wife of the former Argentine Counsel in in Salo, the capitol of the remainder of the Italian Socialist State. Paz is an interesting character as she is an excellent forger for both Jews and Germans who are fleeing. Otto Klein, supposedly a neutral Swiss filmmaker, but he has ties to the black market, Joseph Goebbles, and seems to want to bring down the Germans. Farina, an Italian Fascist who cannot understand that the war is lost. Lastly, Dante, the partisan leader whose loyalty is to communism.
There is a Kafkaesque quality to the story. As the war winds down everyone thinks it is almost over and they begin to contemplate their lives once hostilities will come to a close. They wonder who will be in charge and most conclude the Germans will just leave, but Italian fascists and partisans will battle for Italy’s soul. Smith provides unique insights into society in the “capitol,” Salo. The nerves of the people are being shredded as they worry about who they will be able to trust. Cenzo will undergo a remarkable transformation as he tries to find Giulia and has to deal with his brother Georgio, but also has nightmares over the death of his younger brother Hugo, who had been killed by an American pilot the year before. The novel has an undercurrent that pervades each page as Cenzo, also a talented artist had painted a picture of the scene where his brother Hugo had been killed. The problem is that Cenzo is transfixed by what he has created, and it takes him almost to the end of the story to finally understand what his unconscious was telling him.
The novel itself is an indictment of Mussolini’s regime and the marionettes that followed him. Smith’s dialogue reeks of sarcasm as he points to the weaknesses and incompetence of Italian fascism. Il Duce is a comic figure, however the story that he is a part of is not. Martin Cruz Smith’s new book is worth engaging and I recommend you take a few hours, get comfortable with a glass of wine, and enjoy-it will be bellissimo!
March 21, 2017
Easy read with direct and clear style in linear chronological fashion.
This was, for me, a tone that is rarely approached in war time sagas any longer. Where once it was far more often in print and even more so in dozens of movies from different war periods probed into this lighter mode; a kind of darkest intrigue and blight where those near can only appreciate wit and humor in the minutes and hours of wait. (Think a more dramatic but MASH like, the old TV series, type of humor.) It's fiction that is entertaining without being sobbing misery of 1000 descriptions and/or pulling every criteria for heavy politico preaching at the least inconvenience.
It's a style of romance and competition that too is old-fashioned in its portrayal. More about affinity and connection of purpose and type of "seeing" as a couple than it is about sex and carnal activity. But the flirt factor is ALWAYS there.
Loved it! It is certainly not lyrical, nor is it psychological depth or any of the "stuff" that is popular in moderns presently. But it was a fun read.
Giuila and Giorgio were top notch characterizations. BUT Cenzo- he just floats my boat. SS, German gunboat soldiers, Partisans, Black Brigade- in each and every suspended group there were some richly carved under character portrayals.
Venice, even within this horrific crux of being on the crack between portentous eras, it STILL shines- not so shabby at all.
And the lagoon! What channels and aside ditches have been cleared since then.
This would make an excellent movie. The visuals, especially that STORK airplane!
This was, for me, a tone that is rarely approached in war time sagas any longer. Where once it was far more often in print and even more so in dozens of movies from different war periods probed into this lighter mode; a kind of darkest intrigue and blight where those near can only appreciate wit and humor in the minutes and hours of wait. (Think a more dramatic but MASH like, the old TV series, type of humor.) It's fiction that is entertaining without being sobbing misery of 1000 descriptions and/or pulling every criteria for heavy politico preaching at the least inconvenience.
It's a style of romance and competition that too is old-fashioned in its portrayal. More about affinity and connection of purpose and type of "seeing" as a couple than it is about sex and carnal activity. But the flirt factor is ALWAYS there.
Loved it! It is certainly not lyrical, nor is it psychological depth or any of the "stuff" that is popular in moderns presently. But it was a fun read.
Giuila and Giorgio were top notch characterizations. BUT Cenzo- he just floats my boat. SS, German gunboat soldiers, Partisans, Black Brigade- in each and every suspended group there were some richly carved under character portrayals.
Venice, even within this horrific crux of being on the crack between portentous eras, it STILL shines- not so shabby at all.
And the lagoon! What channels and aside ditches have been cleared since then.
This would make an excellent movie. The visuals, especially that STORK airplane!
July 10, 2017
Scrappymags 3 word review: Quick, lovely lit
5's aren't given freely by me, so know that a 4/5 means I liked this! I'm an English teacher. I nitpick. I can't help it.
What’s good under the hood: It's a quick read. Sweet. Not to heavy for a World War II book that deals with a young Jewish girl who meets an older fisherman who helps her go into hiding.
What’s bad or made me mad: There were too many obscure characters whose roles weren't defined. I wasn't sure what the point was of including so many characters who weren't developed enough to affect the main characters and who didn't have much of a role in the overall narrative. Other than that, the material is serious so I can't use my usual quippy pics. Damn it.
I enjoyed the simiplicity of the story - it is, at its heart, a simple love story in Italy (sigh). boatveniceThemes of overcoming family expectations, dealing with intense sibling rivalry, love over all else, sacrificing oneself for what is important, many of these easily identifiable, time-trusted themes make the book relatable. I also enjoyed the author's prose - lyrical at some points yet direct in others. Enough of a balance to keep me interested, not too much to drive into eye rolls of "make it stop!"
You will like this if... you aren't looking for a deep mystery, like WWII stories, looking for a quick read, realize it's more lit than mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
5's aren't given freely by me, so know that a 4/5 means I liked this! I'm an English teacher. I nitpick. I can't help it.
What’s good under the hood: It's a quick read. Sweet. Not to heavy for a World War II book that deals with a young Jewish girl who meets an older fisherman who helps her go into hiding.
What’s bad or made me mad: There were too many obscure characters whose roles weren't defined. I wasn't sure what the point was of including so many characters who weren't developed enough to affect the main characters and who didn't have much of a role in the overall narrative. Other than that, the material is serious so I can't use my usual quippy pics. Damn it.
I enjoyed the simiplicity of the story - it is, at its heart, a simple love story in Italy (sigh). boatveniceThemes of overcoming family expectations, dealing with intense sibling rivalry, love over all else, sacrificing oneself for what is important, many of these easily identifiable, time-trusted themes make the book relatable. I also enjoyed the author's prose - lyrical at some points yet direct in others. Enough of a balance to keep me interested, not too much to drive into eye rolls of "make it stop!"
You will like this if... you aren't looking for a deep mystery, like WWII stories, looking for a quick read, realize it's more lit than mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for this honest review.
February 7, 2017
Venice, 1945. The Third Reich is facing defeat yet the city is still under German occupation. A fisherman finds a young woman from a wealthy Jewish family hiding in the reeds of the lagoon and shelters her from the Wehrmacht, knowing he is risking death from both the occupiers and Fascist black shirts. Initially under Il Duce, the Jews avoided persecution by being Italians first, but now Mussolini is raiding the banks to save his own skin.
Readers expecting gondolas and famous landmarks will be disappointed, as the action takes place in the maze of waterways away from the famed city, and in the resort town of Saló where Mussolini shifts between his wife and mistress.
Martin Cruz Smith weaves a tale of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances; of sibling rivalry, love and loss, grief and greed, and of enduring friendships. Those working to end the war are opposed by forces clinging to it. Perhaps not his best work, but as a stand alone novel, I give it 3.5★.
Readers expecting gondolas and famous landmarks will be disappointed, as the action takes place in the maze of waterways away from the famed city, and in the resort town of Saló where Mussolini shifts between his wife and mistress.
Martin Cruz Smith weaves a tale of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances; of sibling rivalry, love and loss, grief and greed, and of enduring friendships. Those working to end the war are opposed by forces clinging to it. Perhaps not his best work, but as a stand alone novel, I give it 3.5★.
December 12, 2016
This is the best Martin Cruz Smith I have read in some time. Set in Venice and Salo right at the end of WW2 the plot centres on a runaway young woman of Jewish background and a Venetian fisherman who becomes her protector. This is a slightly bizarre novel, reflecting the strange and unreal behaviour of the surviving Italian Fascists in Salo and the Germans facing imminent defeat. The plot itself does not quite hang together, but the atmosphere created and the spare, sardonic dialogue are excellent.
November 29, 2016
3.5 ⭐️.
Review to follow.
Review to follow.
August 7, 2016
This was on OK story, nothing special.
Having previously read Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park, which I thoroughly enjoyed, this latest novel was a disappointment. Set at the end of WWII in Venice and northern Italy, the story is basic, with a few twist, but nothing gripping. In fact some of the story is a bit far fetched, especially the film star brothers tale.
Having said that though, the sections of the novel set out in the lagoon, the fishing, and the descriptions of the Lido and the Lagoon are good, and quite atmospheric.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Having previously read Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park, which I thoroughly enjoyed, this latest novel was a disappointment. Set at the end of WWII in Venice and northern Italy, the story is basic, with a few twist, but nothing gripping. In fact some of the story is a bit far fetched, especially the film star brothers tale.
Having said that though, the sections of the novel set out in the lagoon, the fishing, and the descriptions of the Lido and the Lagoon are good, and quite atmospheric.
I was given a copy of this novel by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 9, 2021
Cenzo is a fisherman who discovers a young girl, Giulia, floating in a lagoon. She is a Jew, fleeing from the Germans. Cenzo decides to help her and when she disappears, he goes in search of her.
I'm a big fan of WWII books, but this one didn't do it for me. I felt extremely detached from the characters and there was no chemistry between Cenzo and Guilia. The side plot with his movie star brother was far fetched and implausible. Just average.
I'm a big fan of WWII books, but this one didn't do it for me. I felt extremely detached from the characters and there was no chemistry between Cenzo and Guilia. The side plot with his movie star brother was far fetched and implausible. Just average.
July 3, 2017
This is the first book I have read by this author, and I plan to read more of his work. I did enjoy the story. I believe this is also my first World War II fiction book that has comic treatment. It has many elements of fable mixed with history mixed with romance that somehow mostly worked. Still, it was hard for me to digest jokes about SS men. There was a complex structure of republicans, fascists, Nazis, and those who tried to stay under the radar as the war was coming to a close and Venice was hoping to be spared a bombing. The fisherman/rescuer at the center of this story flies off in the plane loaded with gold bars to help a Jewish girl escape, and they were forced to throw the gold out of the plane to stay in the air.
a sample quote:
"'Do you remember Mussolini's plan for air raid alarms?' Otto asked, 'Shouting. Get on your rooftop and shout, "Air raid!" So, no, I do not have any faith in any escape plan concocted by Benito Mussolini.'"
a sample quote:
"'Do you remember Mussolini's plan for air raid alarms?' Otto asked, 'Shouting. Get on your rooftop and shout, "Air raid!" So, no, I do not have any faith in any escape plan concocted by Benito Mussolini.'"
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