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Book Review: Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice.
Oct. 27th, 2006 08:41 pmTitle: Cry to Heaven
Author: Anne Rice
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1982 (1995)
Page Count: 566
Total Page Count: 32,331
Text Number: 93
Read For: my own enjoyment
Short review: Tonio Treschi is a growing boy, the heir a small but noble Venetian family, and he has the singing voice of an angel. Guido Maffeo is a grown castrato who lost his singing voice in adolescence and now teaches young castrati and composes music. When Tonio is castrated at the order of a jealous and vengeful relative, he is forced into Guido's care and banished from Venice. Guido takes him to the school for castrati where he himself was taught, and endeavors to train Tonio's voice and make him into the best singer the world has ever seen. Old enough to know the world of men, but now removed from it forever, Tonio is caught between a desire to avenge the crime against him, mourning for what he has lost, and the first chance at happiness that he has ever know. Cry to Heaven is a well-plotted story and competently told, but lacks the sincerity to make it truly meaningful or memorable. The characters aren't nearly as compelling as some of the others in Rice's books, and the issues within the book are generally dealt with too bluntly and without much thought or detail. It is a fast, entertaining read and never becomes difficult or slow, but its lasting impact is somewhat limited. As a result, I recommend this book only hesitantly.
( Long review. )
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
Author: Anne Rice
Published: New York: Ballantine Books, 1982 (1995)
Page Count: 566
Total Page Count: 32,331
Text Number: 93
Read For: my own enjoyment
Short review: Tonio Treschi is a growing boy, the heir a small but noble Venetian family, and he has the singing voice of an angel. Guido Maffeo is a grown castrato who lost his singing voice in adolescence and now teaches young castrati and composes music. When Tonio is castrated at the order of a jealous and vengeful relative, he is forced into Guido's care and banished from Venice. Guido takes him to the school for castrati where he himself was taught, and endeavors to train Tonio's voice and make him into the best singer the world has ever seen. Old enough to know the world of men, but now removed from it forever, Tonio is caught between a desire to avenge the crime against him, mourning for what he has lost, and the first chance at happiness that he has ever know. Cry to Heaven is a well-plotted story and competently told, but lacks the sincerity to make it truly meaningful or memorable. The characters aren't nearly as compelling as some of the others in Rice's books, and the issues within the book are generally dealt with too bluntly and without much thought or detail. It is a fast, entertaining read and never becomes difficult or slow, but its lasting impact is somewhat limited. As a result, I recommend this book only hesitantly.
( Long review. )
Review posted here at Amazon.com.
