Rate this book

The Jewels Of Paradise (2012)

by Donna Leon(Favorite Author)

3.01 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0802120644 (ISBN13: 9780802120649)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Atlantic Monthly Press

review 1: I enjoyed the book, it is a stand alone, so not part of her series. Jewels of Paradise has what makes Leon's books so great - a deep appreciation of family and a great feel of Venice. This one has a female protagonist who returns to Venice and Italy, so that is new, but the emotions and thoughts that come out of that were very well written. The big questions dealt with in the novel were about what gives something value and I really liked the thoughts brought up in that seeking.
review 2: I have to swim against the flow of opinion on this book. I found it to be a delicious character study which could have been a perfect book had it been at least half again as long. The main character and the composer who was the subject of her research were both flawed people wh... moreo became dear to me and of whom I would have liked to learn more. Venice and food, major players in the Brunetti series, made minor appearances here; just enough to be enjoyable without derailing the main plot line. Since I had read Donna Leon's essays, the fact that the music was the third major character didn't surprise me too much. Were I a much better musician or music-lover, it would have been that much more enjoyable, but Leon did a good job of keeping it accessible to readers with little musical background. (No doubt readers who have little interest in food curse her numerous descriptions of meals in the Brunetti series. Unfortunately, I think the general public is more accepting of descriptions of food than they are of descriptions of music.)My quibble with the book is that while the first two thirds advanced in a delicious, languorous pace which I found thoroughly engaging, the last third was a rush to solve the mystery. There were several points where I could see I'd been handed a Clue-with-a-capital-c, but understanding its importance would have required my closing the book and googling the information. Had the end of the book not been so rushed, I'm sure Leon could have unfurled the petals of these little beauties so that they properly balanced the rest of the bouquet. This would have made the penultimate scene and final twist both more understandable and vastly more enjoyable. As it was, after finishing the book, I had to puzzle over various characters' reactions and actions, go back and do my research, and finally, reread the last third with my new knowledge, when everything fell into place beautifully.I hope that Leon has the opportunity to branch out into a longer format, where she would have room to flex her character development and storytelling muscles. This book was a fine first step in that direction. less

Download links for: The Jewels of Paradise

Advertising