Near the beginning of the book, someone tells him, “Venetians never tell the truth. With a knack for enlivening eccentric personalities, Berendt introduces two camps of antiquarians-those who relish the philanthropic limelight and those who work behind the scenes. His narrative, The City of Fallen Angels, explores not only the fire itself and its aftermath but also the attitudes of the men and women involved in Save Venice projects that are keeping the city and its aged architecture above water and in half-way decent repair. Fascinated by the citizens’ reactions, Berendt decides to stay awhile and investigate further. John Berendt goes to Venice for a brief stay that coincides with the 1996 fire that destroyed the Gran Teatro La Fenice, a renowned Venetian opera house built in the eighteenth century. By the end of the novel, Julia is embracing friends and scenery alike. She goes to concerts, listens to music unlike any she has heard before. She visits churches and museums and revels in the local color. Julia’s transformation lies at the heart of Miss Garnet’s Angel, and Venice is responsible for much of her growth.
Unlike her West London existence, Miss Garnet determines to talk to other people and to embrace experiences more fully than she ever has before, to become personable Julia rather than the stand-offish spinster Miss Garnet. Following the death of a friend, she realizes her own life has been lifeless and chooses Venice for a change of scene. Miss Garnet is a sixty-year-old British woman on her own. If these books are travelogues of a sort, they are populated with genuinely knowledgeable and stimulating characters. Both pursue in-depth conversations with a wide array of local citizens and long-time expatriates who know the city well. Both individuals, and this is key to the success of both books, are interested not only in the art and architecture of Venice but also in the people. Both take lodging in a Venetian home rather than a hotel, and both begin to explore their surroundings by walking endlessly along twisted streets and across arched and aged bridges. Together, the two books magically brought the mystique of the city to life, pulling me far from home and propelling me through the miasma that is Venice.Įach book features someone-Miss Julia Garnet and John Berendt-who arrives in Venice mid-winter, hoping to experience a city populated by locals rather than tourists.
I recently spent several days in Venice, first reading Salley Vickers’ novel, Miss Garnet’s Angel, and then John Berendt’s nonfiction portrait, The City of Falling Angels. Since the coronavirus has curtailed travel this year, books must take us to new and different destinations. MISS GARNET’S ANGEL and THE CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS
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