Saturday 11 February 2012

The Book Of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark (Venice In February)


So the first book I read for Venice in February was a bit of a disappointment.  I had high hopes for it too, since I very much enjoyed Newmark's later novel, The Sandalwood Tree.  The Book Of Unholy Mischief tells the story of Luciano, a street thief who is lucky enough to become the apprentice to a top chef in Venice in 1498, just as it is being swept up in mania over a mysterious book, that apparently contains a formula for eternal life as well as the secrets of alchemy.  But why has he been chosen above so many others?

To focus first on what I did like about this novel, I was pleasantly surprised at how in-depth the culinary theme was.  As someone who likes cooking, I enjoyed reading about all the different dishes the chefs prepared and how the busy kitchen worked.  I also liked that the mystery was in some way tied to cooking and cook books (without giving anything away), as this seemed a novel approach.  Some of the dishes sounded absolutely delicious too.

The description of Venice itself was very evocative.  Newmark's Venice is one of secret corners, torture dungeons, dark alleyways and silently moving gondolas.  I could easily imagine the maze of streets and was transported back to the vision of Venice Newmark created;
"Over that bridge, the Cappa Nere conducted criminals and heretics to dark underwater caves where the poor wretches lay chained in dank cells listening to the plash of oars as gondolas passed freely overhead." p66.

Despite this positive aspects of the book, it had two fundamental problems.  The first was the lack of connection I felt with the characters and events of the story.  The main character, Luciano, was a bit of an everyman and the cast of secondary characters were indistinct from each other to the point where it was hard for me to keep them apart in my mind.  The only characters that were memorable were the chef, and the main villain of the piece.  This disconnect meant that it was a struggle for me to get through this book - it took me a week to read it, unheard of for a book I am enjoying.

The other problem was the mystery itself.  There was so much build up in the initial stages of the novel about what might be contained in the mysterious book (eternal life? alchemy?), that when the secret was revealed, I couldn't help but be a bit let down.  There also wasn't that frantic pace towards the end that I associate with a good mystery or thriller, everything moved much too slowly.

For me, these two problems were much larger than the other, positive aspects of the book.  I can appreciate that it was well written and that the historical setting was very vivid, I just didn't enjoy reading it.  One I am glad I borrowed from the library rather than purchased.

Source: Library
First Published: 2008
Score: 2.5 out of 5

14 comments:

  1. I only quickly scanned your post, as I just began this novel today. Now I feel permission to abandon it if it goes as you say. Already, I'm not feeling much of a draw to Luciano...we'll see. Thanks for your thoughts!

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    1. I do hope it goes better for you than it did for me. I had a lot going on in real life whilst I read it, so maybe that effected my enjoyment of it. Let me know how you get on with it...

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  2. It sounds like it would be a great book so I'm sorry it didn't turn out to be. I think I would love the description of all of the food and preparation, but I really want to connect with the characters, which it doesn't sound like I would be able to. Thanks for the honest review!

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    1. The descriptions of food were the best parts, I ate a lot and cooked a lot whilst reading this book! :)s

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  3. I really enjoyed The Sandalwood Tree so I'm sorry to hear this one was a disappointment. It does sound interesting but being able to connect with the characters is very important for me, so I think I would probably have a problem with this book too.

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    1. That's why I was disappointed - The Sandalwood Tree was one of my favourite reads from last year.

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  4. Somehow I missed out on the idea of Venice in February (maybe that was a post when I was not well and marking all as read?), but I love that idea! Venice is one of my favorite places in the world. I only got to spend about 36 hours there but I fell completely in love, despite all the touristy stuff. I'm sorry this book didn't work for you, but I'm looking forward to seeing what else you read! I don't know too many books set in Venice. I did recently read a chick lit book partly set there (You're Not the One by Alexandra Potter) and it was okay. The premise was good, but I didn't realize before i got it that it was chick lit, which isn't my favorite kind of book...

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    1. Venice in February is great fun, I'm sure you could still join in if you want to? At the moment I'm reading The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric and absolutely loving it. I also have Othello, Crossing the Bridge of Sighs and Miss Garnet's Angel waiting for me. I think I might give the chick lit book you mentioned a miss, as it's not exactly my favourite genre either...

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  5. Oh, that's too bad. The culinary theme and Venice setting definitely appeal. Sorry they weren't enough to carry the book.

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    1. I think if it had been made shorter to quicken the pace, it might just have worked. It was just too leisurely for a mystery / thriller.

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  6. I was waiting to find out about this book, and like some others I had high hopes but if I do read this book then I will be very cautious after reading your review.

    Thank you for being honest about it, especially as The Sandalwood Tree was a popular read.

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    1. I know other people have loved the book, it has plenty of 5* reviews on goodreads, so maybe you will enjoy it more than I did...

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  7. Sorry to hear your book was a bummer. At least it seemed to have given you a certain impression on the city. I like auhtors who are able to create atmosphere.

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  8. A rich, luxurious read. It would be a delight to read curled up in a chair with steam rising from your coffee nearby!

    Mica
    Best Reviews for Phoenix SEO Company website

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