Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Cry to Heaven
Book Review: "Popular" but profound
Summary: 4 Stars
Whatever else may be the value of this novel, it dispels the notion that whatever is popular literature is inferior literature. Rice deftly immerses her readers in the culture, arts and history of the era of the Italian castrati. This novel "works" on a number of levels--for escapist entertainment, for cultural enlightenment, and for profound philosophical exploration of the nature of evil and the role of sexuality in being "human." By casting a eunich as the protagonist, Rice blurs the line between the sexes and explores the psychology of sexuality from a modern perspective. "Not to love what is beautiful and incomprehensible would be vanity, not virtue," the Cardinal professes after Tonio's grand performance. Rice suggests that sexuality is a form of salvation for humans; it is the ultimate act in which we create, foster and treasure intimacy with other human beings. This is a thought provoking premise, and the novel is a brilliant vehicle for its considerationBook Review: A (not) very helpful review... :P
Summary: 5 Stars
I finished this book very quickly, as I could not seem to put it down. I have nothing much else to add as others have already said it. A book worth reading, but not if you can't handle reading about men loving men. There are those out there who would trash this book simply because of that and I find that sad.Book Review: A Voice in the Night
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! This was a surprise. Never knew Anne Rice existed until she joined a chat group and bought my book. I figured the least I could do was return the favor and buy a book of this author I had never heard of. Needless to say, she didn't need my favors. However, I am glad I did. My choice was "Cry to Heaven" as it fell into my realm of understanding; weaving its intricate web around the world of Italian opera in the 18th century. I was well aware of the castrati--castrated young males whose families, mostly impoverished, sacrificed their young boys with beautiful voices in the hopes of preserving the voice and securing a financially advantageous future. What I didn't know, and am still dubious of, is that a castrated male can still have an erection. Tonio, the aristocratic Venetian victim, is castrated by his jealous "brother" (really his banished father who returns to Venice after the death of HIS father) so he will be unable to procreate and therefore not be next in the royal lineage. Anne Rice makes no apologies and spares no details as she describes the services provided by Tonio to just about every male in the book that he encounters: classmate Domenico, teacher Guido, a young man on the street who he lures into his carriage, Vatican Cardinal, fencing partner...
She paints entrancing atmospheres in words: the byways and canals of Venice, the sounds of singing in the night air, the light of the water reflecting off the ceilings of the palaces. The kidnapping and forced castration of the young adolescent, with opium dulling the pain, are chillingly described. (One wonders how many of these unfortunate victims died of secondary infections.) One also wonders how she can make stuff like this up? It's a most twisted and unexpected plot at the beginning and never wastes a moment in mindless meandering. There is always a direction...a purpose to every phrase.
And it is almost as though Ms Rice knows what it is like to sing. She describes the training of the voice, the exercises, the excitement of the performance as though she was a singer in a past lifetime. Exemplary.
The end is for the reader to anticipate. Will Tonio accomplish his objective of sworn revenge upon his TRUE father who was banished from Venice for impregnating a "common" girl--Tonio's mother, or is it enough for him to have the world at his feet as its "Primo Uomo?"
Book Review: A predictable yet engrossing read
Summary: 4 Stars
Anne Rice fans will find much that is familiar in "Cry to Heaven", although unlike her other popular novels, there is no element of the supernatural present here. This is a book that will transport the reader back to 18th century Italy, into a world of politics, intrigue, corruption, and most of all, music. Rice's writing is as full and rich as always, with detailed settings and fully realized characters. The novel is well-researched, I learned much about the time period that I didn't know before.The flaw? I found most of the major plot twists to be extremely predictable. I won't give anything away, but every time something shocking happened, I had already guessed what was to come at least a chapter before. Maybe I've just read too many books. Regardless, I would still recommend this book to any Anne Rice fan.
Book Review: A very well-written story.
Summary: 4 Stars
This was the first book of her's that I've ever read, and it has led me to her others. I liked it in particular because of the content and how it was written. To me, it talks of how 2 lives(Tonio Treschi, Guido Maffeo) are given great gifts, and how they collide together and somewhat fall apart. How the taste of revenge is fulfilled, and hunger for pleasure is somewhat unbearable. Very descriptive in telling how hard they strive to fulfill their goals and come to achieve them, and the rewards that they bring. The best part is that it catches you by surprise when you least expect it, and I couldn't put it down. : ) It was a great book, for those reasons and more.