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Corto Maltese #7

Fable of Venice

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Paperback

75 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

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504 people want to read

About the author

Hugo Pratt

718 books416 followers
Hugo Pratt, born Ugo Eugenio Prat (1927–1995), was an Italian comic book writer and artist. Internationally known for Corto Maltese, a series of adventure comics first published in Italy and France between 1967 and 1991, Pratt is regarded as a pioneer of the literary graphic novel.

Born in Rimini, Italy, Pratt spent his childhood in Venice in a cosmopolitan family environment. In 1937, ten-years old Hugo moved with his parents to Ethiopia, East Africa, following the Italian occupation of the country. Pratt's father eventually died as a prisoner of war in 1942. Hugo himself and his mother spent some time in a British prison camp in Africa, before being sent back to Venice. This childhood experiences shaped Pratt's fascination with military uniforms, machineries and settings, a visual constant in most of his adult works.
As a young artist in post-war Italy, Pratt was part of the so-called 'Venice Group', which also included cartoonists Alberto Ongaro, Mario Faustinelli. Their magazine Asso di Picche, launched in 1945, mostly featured adventure comics.
In 1949 Pratt moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he worked for various local publishers and interacted with well-known Argentine cartoonists, most notably Alberto Breccia and Solano López, while also teaching at the Escuela Panamericana de Arte. During this period he produced his first notable comic books: Sgt. Kirk and Ernie Pike, written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld; Anna nella jungla, Capitan Cormorant and Wheeling, as a complete author.
From the summer of 1959 to the summer of 1960, Pratt lived in London drawing war comics by British scriptwriters for Fleetway Publications. He returned to Argentina for a couple more years, then moved back to Italy in 1962. Here he started collaborating with the comics magazine Il Corriere dei Piccoli, for which he adapted several classics, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson.
In 1967, Hugo Pratt and entrepreneur Florenzo Ivaldi created the comics magazine Il Sergente Kirk, named after one of Pratt's original characters. Pratt's most famous work, Una ballata del mare salato (1967, The Ballad of the Salty Sea) was serialised in the pages of this magazine. The story can be seen as one of the first modern graphic novels. It also introduced Pratt's best known character, mariner and adventurer Corto Maltese. Corto became the protagonist of its own series three years later in the French comics magazine Pif gadget. Pratt would continue releasing new Corto Maltese books every few years until 1991. Corto's stories are set in various parts of the world, in a given moment in the first three decades of the 20th century. They often tangently deal with real historical events or real historical figures. The series gave Pratt international notoriety, being eventually translated into fifteen languages.
Pratt's other works include Gli scorpioni del deserto (1969-1992), a series of military adventures set in East Africa during WWII, and a few one-shots published for Bonelli's comic magazine Un Uomo Un'Avventura ('One Man One Adventure'), most notably the short story Jesuit Joe (1980, The Man from the Great North). He also scripted a couple of stories for his pupil Milo Manara.
Pratt lived in France from 1970 to 1984, then in Switzerland till his death from bowel cancer in 1995.

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5 stars
749 (44%)
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594 (34%)
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274 (16%)
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73 (4%)
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9 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
Profile Image for Albus Eugene Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
587 reviews96 followers
October 18, 2020
“Cado spesso un poco dalle nuvole”
Corto, nella Favola di Venezia, arriva per la terza volta a Venezia, incontra Hipazia e va alla ricerca di una clavicola di Salomone.
Ne L’angelo della finestra d’Oriente, un padre francescano consegna a Corto la mappa del mitico Eldorado, rozzamente disegnata sulla pelle di un confratello, scuoiato nel 1750 dagli indios jivaro huambiza dell’alto Marañon.
Il fascino della Venezia reale e di quella immaginifica di Corto.
Il confine tra sogno e realtà, sottilissimo esso è...
Profile Image for Michael de_Zayas.
19 reviews3 followers
September 30, 2011
I've never read "Fable of Venice." This review is of a different book, not listed anywhere on the Goodreads site. But if you ever go to Venice, I urge you to meet me first; I will hand this other book to you. kate and I planned three days there this year; at the end of each we looked at each other and said "just one more day." Yes, the city. But really, because we were hooked on this book, which became the city for us. It's a sort of imaginary guide book, a treasure map with no destination, one of journeying -- in *the* most magical city we have to explore on our planet.
The book is called "The Secret Venice of Corto Maltese" by Hugo Pratt. I plan to adapt this concept to produce a series of fantastical e-guides for children (different guides will be produced for kids of different ages as my children get older) on a point system that rewards curiosity and discovery and wandering. And the inspiration came from this magical book of "fantastic and hidden itineraries" in which you trace the steps of the fictitious Corto Maltese, or at least the whiffs of stories people tell who saw him, knew him, claimed to have loved him; rumors and hints about his days here guide you around. Above all, though tangentially, surreptitiously, adventitiously, this is a culinary guide through the city's osterias. (!Yes!) Aren't the best things the ones that are continually surprising?
Profile Image for Philippe Malzieu.
Author 2 books137 followers
April 14, 2015
Venice is a black book, an alchemical treaty, an athanor. Corto course the city. It is a search. He seeks the clavicle of Solomon, a mythical object for the freemasons. Of course he will not find it. but that does not have any importance.

"Point n'est besoin d'espérer pour entreprendre, ni de réussir pour persévérer" Guillaume I° Orange

(No need to hope in order to undertake, nor to succeed in order to persevere)
Profile Image for Davide Emanuele.
112 reviews1 follower
June 18, 2024
Stupendo, teatrale, leggetelo lo amerete.

"Perché tua madre ha una gamba d'argento?"
"È una storia d'amore. Mia madre prima di incontrare un suo spasimante battitore di rame aveva una gamba di legno."
Profile Image for Cristina.
692 reviews48 followers
March 14, 2018
https://osrascunhos.com/2018/03/14/co...

O livro começa com uma pequena introdução onde se discorre sobre uma avô em Veneza que levaria o neto a visitar uma amiga. A casa desta amiga seria uma espécie de labirinto, construído como resultado do cruzamento de várias crenças e mitos, religiões e culturas, numa sucessão de enigmas cabálicos e obscuros – um lugar mágico que alimenta a imaginação da criança e, mais tarde, do homem.

Neste Fábula de Veneza Corto Maltese explora a cidade em busca de uma pedra rara numa aventura carregada de referências à experiência infantil do autor. A aventura começa com a interrupção de um encontro maçónico, onde Corto Maltese cai do telhado. Entre amigos de interesses diversos (e opostos), vai seguindo as pistas de um enigma impossível deixado por um antigo e louco poeta.

Se outros encontram, nas referências do poema chave, um intrincado obscuro de palavras, Corto desembrulha-as sem grande dificuldade, entrelaçando lendas e culturas, e encontrando, na própria cidade os pontos associados às pistas. A pesquisa é carregada dos usuais sobressaltos – não falta uma aparição de Rasputine, mulheres belíssimas que se revelam vilãs ou conhecidos que enlouquecem por amor ou por dinheiro. Todos estes elementos são comuns a outras histórias de Corto Maltese e voltam a ser usados aqui, eficazmente.

Mais curta que as histórias que li antes deste volume, Fábula de Veneza sabe a pouco, deixando alguns mistérios por resolver e possuindo um final que não me foi totalmente satisfatório. Claro que, sendo Corto Maltese estamos a falar de um volume de qualidade bastante acima da média, que fascina pelas referências históricas e culturais, sobretudo quando toca nas histórias de tesouros perdidos e antigas apostas milionárias entre personalidades divergentes.

Profile Image for Nadia.
737 reviews186 followers
June 11, 2019
Secondo me non uno dei migliori episodi di Corto Maltese, ma comunque godibile.
Profile Image for Ricardo.
140 reviews6 followers
July 11, 2017
Santos da casa não fazem milagres mas imagino que, há 50 anos atrás, todo o mundo do cartoon europeu que conhecesse Hugo Pratt e o seu marinheiro, já tivesse enviado uma carta ao autor a pedir uma aventura com Veneza como pano de fundo. Uma Veneza que eu adoraria explorar (mesmo que também tivesse de cair do telhado das casas algumas vezes).
A clavícula de Salomão, que inclui uma cobiçada esmeralda, serve como objetivo do herói, "desafiado" por um falecido escritor inglês. Numa Itália de Mussolini, numa Veneza de maçons, judeus e reminiscências árabes e gregas, o protagonista enamora-se da cidade e do mistério que pretende resolver. Mistério que visa dar tributo a uma cidade-estado com uma história de comércio, intercâmbio cultural e pilhagens com 1500 anos de história, que a tornou (não por estas razões, infelizmente) num formigueiro de turistas.
Profile Image for StrictlySequential.
3,969 reviews20 followers
August 10, 2018
This eigth chapter in the travels of a curious sailor with a death wish that he isn't aware of is full of intrigue and great characters but a little cumbersome. Still, it's a great read and full of semi real and esoteric history but I'm very tempted to give it ****. Since it was done in 1981 AND I'm not immersed in the nuance within Italian sequentials AND one never knows what suffered in translation- it gets the top rating.

Any work of graphic literature is significantly better when the writer and the artist are the same person with very few exceptions percentage-wise so that always at least rounds up a rating.

In this case a collaboration would have suffered to the greatest degree as he had been tinkering with his curiosity of the esoteric in Venice since he was a little boy hearing stories and looking at inscriptions that he replicated throughout this in the scenery that was authentically Venetian.

I have never rated an introduction but his introduction was very confusing to the uninitiated which would make the vast majority of his readers. It had descriptions of pictures that weren't there and very vague descriptions of everything else. I believe it would have been better if he stuck to describing things he could do in appropriate detail but due to the nature of the content he would probably have had to go deep into the matter and it would have been burdensome so I'm not going to let the introduction go into the review of the work.

He also leaves you with a cute ending after the story itself has ended (you'll see what I mean) which I believe was ahead of its time or at least visionary.
Profile Image for Alex.
797 reviews37 followers
June 19, 2017
Το "Βενετσιάνικο Παραμύθι" είναι η τρίτη ιστορία Κόρτο που διαβάζω μετά την Μπαλάντα και την Κρυφή αυλή. Κατάφερε σε μία δική μου κατάταξη των άλμπουμ να μπει εμβόλιμα μεταξύ των δύο με ίση απόσταση μεταξύ τους. Ήταν πιο προσεγμένο σχεδιαστικά/σεναριακά από την Μπαλάντα η οποία περνάει 3η αλλά ταυτόχρονα πιο απροσδιόριστο και αέριο από την Κρυφή αυλή του μυστηρίου.

Με την λέξη απροσδιόριστο τείνω περισσότερο προς το ασυνεχές παρά προς το ασαφές. Ειδικά προς το τέλος που ανακαλύφθηκε το κόλπο του Βαρώνου και οι χαρακτήρες σαν άλλοι ηθοποιοί θεάτρου υποκλίθηκαν στη σκηνή, με άφησε λίγο μπερδεμένο ως προς την αλληγορία που κρύβεται από πίσω. Ή πολύ απλά ο Πραττ ήθελε να καταστήσει σαφή την ματαιότητα μιας τόσο ακραίας αναζήτησης και ήθελε να την παρομοιάσει με μια υποκριτική παράσταση.

Εν πάση περιπτώσει ο Κόρτο σε αυτή την περιπέτεια ξεδιπλώνει ένα ακόμα χαρακτηριστικό του: Στο τέλος της ημέρας δεν τον ενδιαφέρει το βραβείο αλλά ο αγώνας μέχρι να το φτάσει. Ο τύπος ζει την στιγμή και γουστάρει χωρίς να δίνει δεκάρα αν εν τέλει έχει κανένα νόημα όλο αυτό. Και μεις γουστάρουμε μαζί του.

Συνολικά ένα πολύ ικανοποιητικό άλμπουμ αλλά αισθάνομαι ότι χάνει μερικά κλικ από την μέχρι στιγμής πρώτη με διαφορά "Σιβηρική περιπέτεια". Αναρωτιέμαι πόσο εύκολα του δόθηκαν οι πληροφορίες για τις λειτουργίες των συνεδριάσεων των στοών. Η πένα του Πραττ εδώ έχει πάρει φωτιά και το σχέδιο πετάει σε άλλα ύψη.
Profile Image for Oneirosophos.
1,586 reviews73 followers
April 20, 2020
Review για την έκδοση του Μικρού Ήρωα:

Αέρινο, όμορφο, θεατρικό και συνάμα ό,τι καλύτερο έχω διαβάσει από Κόρτο μέχρι στιγμής. Όμως, παραμένει προβληματικό σε ό,τι αφορά τη ροή, αλλά οκ, είναι τουλάχιστον τιτλοφορημένο "Παραμύθι", οπότε αυτό δικαιολογεί το πολλάκις σπάσιμο του 4th wall, αν και με αξιοπερίεργο τρόπο πάντα.

Μάλλον δεν είναι ο Κόρτο για μένα τελικά, καθώς ούτε η Μπαλάντα με ενθουσίασε... Το Κόρτο προσπαθεί να είναι και noir και ταξιδιάρικο και σουρεαλιστικό και το αποτέλεσμα είναι απλά περίεργο.

Απομένει η Σαμαρκάνδη...
Profile Image for Robert.
4,549 reviews29 followers
April 12, 2019
The slimmest of the volumes I've red so far, and the most disappointing. It has all the Hallmarks of the other Corto tales, but the parts don't fit together well. To many non-sequiturs and (I find it hard to believe I'm typing this) to many digressions into obscure nooks of history distract from the tale and make it a disappointing read.
Profile Image for Rui Alves de Sousa.
315 reviews50 followers
June 12, 2023
Mais uma divertida aventura de Corto Maltese, com Hugo Pratt no seu melhor: no relato das lendas, na mistura entre os sonhos e a caça ao tesouro, e no magnífico leque de personagens que se cruzam com o protagonista.
Profile Image for Javier Avilés.
Author 9 books142 followers
August 22, 2017
Una de las historias del Corto Maltés que más me gustan. Esta y la del sueño de una noche de verano... y la del Barón Rojo y...
Un placer volver a visitar Venecia de la mano de Pratt.
Profile Image for Aljoša Harlamov.
381 reviews52 followers
August 11, 2025
Precej nesrečen izbor za prvi prevod, čeprav najbrž zato, ker se dogaja v Benetkah. Kot v najslabših epizodah Martina Misterije ekspozicija zavzame tri četrtine stripa, pri čemer se še nekajkrat po nepotrebnem ponovi, kar je akcije, je pa zmedena, za lase privlečena in pohitrena. Na koncu se scenarist skuša izmotati z neko sanjskostjo, ampak na tisti točki ti je že precej vseeno. Če niti ne omenjam, da so fašisti prikazani kot prijazni, kozmopolitski pesniki.
Profile Image for Никола Тасковић.
11 reviews3 followers
January 9, 2023
После неприкосновене "Баладе" ово је можда и најбоља прича о Корту. Потрага за Соломоновим кључем, легенде, загонетке, тајна друштва, мистериозне жене и предивна Пратова поетика у дијалозима и стилизованом цртежу. Нека места на пар последњих табли ми се нису толико свидела, али ме је последња вињета одушевила. Право је уживање конзумирати сновитост коју Прат пренесе на папир.
Profile Image for Ondra Král.
1,451 reviews122 followers
June 29, 2023
Budu za barbara, ale kultovní Corto mi přišlo děsně nudné a hloupé. Chce to být dobrodružná honba za pokladem alá TinTin nebo Kačeři, ale ve výsledku jen postavy pobíhají po Benátkách a pořád dokola opakují ty stejné věci.
81 reviews2 followers
December 23, 2025
Τον συμπαθώ όλο και περισσότερο τον Κόρτο Μαλτέζε!
Profile Image for J.
1,559 reviews37 followers
November 27, 2017
Another classic Corto Maltese story, this time set in Venice (again) as Corto has to solve a mystery involving the freemasons and ancient history. Love this IDW series. Top notch reproduction here.
Profile Image for Μιχάλης Παπαχατζάκης.
371 reviews20 followers
December 21, 2021
ο Κόρτο Μαλτέζε, ένας φασίστας, ορισμένοι μασόνοι, ένας εγγλέζος λογοτέχνης, σ' ένα βενετσιάνικο ανατολίτικο παραμύθι, με βενετσιάνους, άραβες, εβραίους, βυζαντινούς, βαράγγους. Εκπληκτικά σχέδια σε μια πολύ ανακατεμένη και περίπλοκη ιστορία που δίνει και μια άλλη όψη στη Βενετία.
Profile Image for Grady.
712 reviews50 followers
August 27, 2017
This episode is shorter than average for the series, but the characters are distinct and interesting, the plot is easy to follow, and the drawing is especially crisp. Fans of Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum may appreciate this tale, which doesn't really seem to advance the overall arc of Corto Maltese' life, but is a lot of fun anyway.
Profile Image for Psychophant.
546 reviews21 followers
November 23, 2009
This book is both a great story and a love song to Venice, the beauty of the city, both real and imaginary, beautifully translated in images. Pratt not only makes us wish to visit the city, but transports us to that troublesome time after the Great War.

The story is good, but for me it is the most visually beautiful of the Corto Maltese books.
Profile Image for Frédéric.
1,971 reviews86 followers
May 17, 2025
Pratt goes in a more mystical direction, which interests me less in this volume. The background to the story is pleasant to read, but the introduction of dream magic and the rather facile conclusion dull my enjoyment, as was also the case with "The Celtics".
The drawing also loses some of its quality, and Pratt doesn't go out of his way to illustrate his story.
Profile Image for Iván Giménez.
121 reviews6 followers
December 31, 2017
Despido el año con esta joya de Hugo Pratt. Una de las historias más iniciáticas y llena de simbolismo de Corto Maltés. También es reconfortante encontrarse con una Venecia misteriosa y que es un personaje más de esta historia que mezcla masones, fascistas, neoplatónicos y viejos relatos de árabes y vikingos. Puro sueño y aventura.
Profile Image for Przemysław Skoczyński.
1,414 reviews48 followers
March 3, 2018
"Bajka wenecka" zawiera wszystko co najlepsze w tej kanonicznej serii. Jest kolejna nieprzeciętna przygoda, jest aura tajemnicy, atmosfera nostalii za przeszłością i elementy oniryczne, dzięki którym nigdy nie wiesz czy to czasem nie "sen wariata". Erudycja autora uwidacznia sie w kazdym karze, więc nie dziwi fakt, że Corto to ulubiona rozrywka wielu intelektualistów. Mistrzostwo świata.
Profile Image for Tiago.
1 review3 followers
May 3, 2012
Para qualquer amante de Banda desenhada, Corto Maltese de Hugo Pratt é um nome incontornável. Neste volume, a narrativa decorre na cidade de Venesa, esta recriada em imagem, com muito pormenor. É uma viagem linda à cidade e mais uma viagem à dimensão de Corto Maltese.
Profile Image for Blu.
194 reviews27 followers
April 11, 2014
Entra nelle storie cadendo dalle nuvole, parla con i pozzi e racconta le favole ai gatti. Un tipo strano questo Corto Maltese, ma... come si fa a non amarlo?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews

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