When I originally picked up this book, I thought for sure that it would be a fiction novel. I had no idea what ‘city’ Berendt could possibly be referring to. I opened the dust jacket to read, ‘Venice….’ I closed the book and added it to my to be read list, only knowing that Venice would be the subject.

I found a lot more than I expected in this book. For starters, it was a non-fiction book rather than the fiction I thought it was. I debated casting it aside in favor of some fiction, but found that my eye stayed on it. So I picked it up and began reading about the author’s visit to Venice and the results he had decided to share with anyone willing to read.

Berendt arrived in Venice on a random vacation and found the city in an alternate state from what he had experienced on his previous visits. It did not take him long to discover that the Fenice Theatre, one of the highlights of Venetian life, had been destroyed by a fire only three days prior to his arrival. He moved to the city and began a personal investigation on the fire, whose fault it was, and its effects to the Venetians themselves.

Along the way, he meets an array of friends: from the Plant Man, selling his specimens on the street, to Count Marcello, offering a helping hand; from the Rat Man of Treviso, attempting to describe his methods of poisoning the rodents, to Mario Stefani, a beloved poet with a hidden message. Counts, glassblowers, shop owners, and political figures - they are all there, with the Fenice fire being the intertwining theme. I had not been expecting such a spectacle to unfold from a simple fire, yet something kept me reading, kept me intrigued till the end arrived. Perhaps I was wondering who would poke their head in the door next.

By the time of the completion of this book, I had gained such an interesting perspective of Venice that I wanted more. I feel like I understand the city even though I have not been there. Reading this did not feel like reading a non-fiction book. The stories seemed too surreal to be true, yet they are. Perhaps that is the magical touch that Venice added.

This book was very enjoyable, personally. I would highly recommend it to just about anyone. If you use the book as your map and Berendt as your guide, I do not see how it could not be savored. Despite the task of keeping the people and places organized, this one still gets 5 out of 5 from me.

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