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Liked It “emsgurl said: emsgurl 4 stars |
Didn’t Like It “Disappointing. She could not resist the urge to put a 21st century voice into the narrater/main character. It did not fit with the time, setting or sensibilities of the characters. Stiff writing style, plot lacking in interest. The "twist" at the end was too convenient.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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“This book was okay. The writing seemed overwrought and too sentimental at times. I liked learning about Vivaldi though.”
Karen J wrote this review Saturday, May 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“emsgurl said: emsgurl 4 stars
Play Book Tag Shelf wrote this review Saturday, January 17 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
This was one I couldn't put down.
After finishing it, I bought and truly appreciated a piece of classical music for the first time (My ipod is grateful:) I wanted to know more about the music and am not very educated about Vivaldi or other classical composers. The author included a nice reference to music in the back which is helpful for research.
Back to the book: Anna Maria was a beautiful character, but the book wasn't really about her. I found myself entangled in the lives of the girls at the Pieta and the history of this school/orphanage. This book was more about the personal lives and struggles of the girls as they came of age. They encountered similar and different struggles from other girls their age as they were "untouchables" in the church. That book would have driven me crazy as well; I'd have to know. As I read, it was sobering to wonder what life might look like beyond a grille with few trips into the public. These girls were literally sold to the highest bidder or to God, whichever they chose. Their talents and voices were given prices and limits in the form of contracts with the Pieta. Wow! What an imprisonment! In another sense, foundling orphans were actually fed, clothed, and educated by a renowned institution. In a time when women didn't have rights to begin with, these women had an opportunity to live up to higher standards and be taught a rare art. Those who were gifted enough to sing or play well were lucky for the rest of their childhood, but cursed when they moved on as they couldn't sing or play in public or for profit, EVER. Learning about the society surrounding Vivaldi was exciting and spawned my interest in his person as well as his music. "The red priest" had a little mystery of his own which was revealed in the book but never really known in reality. I knew about Anna Maria's mother from the beginning, but really, how could the reader miss it? Discussions range from then taboo subjects of corporal punishment, homosexuality, celibacy, and even masturbation. This is historical fiction, yes, but more than that, a coming-of-age story about sacrifice and how what we often become isn't what we planned on. There is passion, heartbreak, mystery, violence, and music everywhere.
JudithG said: 3 stars….. maybe 4 stars
This is historical fiction about the elaborate Venetian society of the 1700’s. The story is told by Anna Maria da Violin who is an inmate of the Ospedale della Pieta . The Ospedale is a combination of foundling home, music academy and cloister. It is an extremely structured community with rigid rules and its own class structure based in some part upon musical talent. The narrative of the story jumps back and forth between the letters written by Anna as a teenager and her adult self looking back over the events that formed her life. Vivaldi is known to have taught and composed for the musicians of the Ospedale. Anna is an actual historical figure who was known for her great ability as a musician. Vivaldi wrote many compositions for her.
The book jacket compared this story to The Girl with the Pearl Earring. I was reminded of Memoirs of a Geisha. It is a fascinating look at how a woman was able to achieve greatness in her chosen field despite the multiple restrictions placed upon her. I would have liked more detailed descriptions of the workings of Venetian Society since I am not familiar with the period and its history.
”“Disappointing. She could not resist the urge to put a 21st century voice into the narrater/main character. It did not fit with the time, setting or sensibilities of the characters. Stiff writing style, plot lacking in interest. The "twist" at the end was too convenient.”
Katy D wrote this review Thursday, September 25 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Anna Maria is a 14-year-old student of Antonio Vivaldi at the Pieta' music school & foundling home in 18th century Venice amid intrigue, lies, and amazing music.
Lisa W wrote this review Thursday, July 3 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
We have listened over and over to the Classical Kids audio cassette Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery which takes place at this school. Quick's book is probably a lot more realistic; it certainly is a lot more earthy. Vivaldi is a real man. The orphans sneak out, but for more risque purposes than Katarina in Ring of Mystery. But, the music! Oh, the music. Did you know Vivaldi's music was largely unknown until the 20th century? Anyway, this was a satisfying read.”“I love Vivaldi's music and this book is a historical novel. Vivaldi wrote music for girls at a "foundling" school. Their parents left these babies at the nunnery. A great look into life in the early days of Venice.
mary h wrote this review Friday, March 28 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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“read: january 2008”
Debi K wrote this review Tuesday, March 11 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Vivaldi's Virgins is a coming of age story set in 18th century Venice utilizing and transforming a literary form popular during that era. As a violinist, the narrator allows the reader to experience the richness of Vivaldi's music from a perspective unavailable today to modern listeners. Barbara Quick presents a vivid image of 18th century Venice and Vivaldi through the eyes and life of the narrator Anna Maria. An orphan in the cloistered halls of the Ospedale della Pieta, Anna Maria dal Violin has been handpicked at an early age to join the elite musical group within the foundling home and be taught by the maestro Vivaldi. Although cloistered within the Pieta, the reader learns of Venice through those who come to visit the Pieta and through the tours and secret escapes of the curious girls.
Merrimon wrote this review Sunday, September 2 2007. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
Barbara Quick's novel removes the masks so carefully worn by the upper strata of Venice society. Vivaldi is seen through the eyes of his students and musicians. Vivaldi's Virgins is a combination of first person narrative in which Anna Maria tells her life story and an epistolary novel 'a novel told through letters', a genre emerging in popularity during the 18th century. As a disciplinary measure, Sister Laura instructs Anna Maria to write to calm Anna Maria's growing passion. She writes letters to her unknown mother never knowing whether they will be read nor by whom. Anna Maria lies hidden and almost invisible, living behind a grille from the public. Barbara Quick's novel removes the grille and allows the reader to peer inside the life of this 18th century woman who cries out for her mother and makes Vivaldi's genius heard by his public. Anna Maria dal Violin is the body and the violin through which Vivaldi's music is heard. Images of the voice of the violin and the voice of a child's body maturing merge with the search for her mother and her prayers to the Virgin Mother. A special plot twist at the end will delight all readers. This novel will appeal to a wide range of readers: those craving something of literary beauty, Vivaldi and classical music lovers, women wanting to experience history through the eyes of the women who lived it but for whom history rarely relates their story, and anyone wanting to peek into the lesser known history of Venice or music.
In the tradition of Dante Alighieri and his letters to Beatrice also written without certainty that they would ever be read by the intended reader, Barbara Quick cites this medieval reference, combining it with the 18th century epistolary novel and modernizes both. Although a reader need no knowledge of these literary traditions to enjoy this novel, the thoroughness of the author's research heightens the reading pleasure. The historical detail is well researched and the fictional imagination is breathtaking. The poetic language of each sentence is exquisite. Although I am a fast reader, I found myself reading slowly, creeping actually, but pausing on each page to savor its beauty and poetic prose. It has been 17 years since my graduate studies in literature and I thought I had finally conquered my terrible habit of writing in my books. After reading ten pages of Barbara Quick's Vivaldi's Virgins, I broke down and wrote in the book and continued to the end, rereading each line as I underlined. There is a multitude of passages so beautiful that I want to reread them several times.
© Merrimon Book Reviews 2007”
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