Cry to Heaven
by Anne Rice
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Book Reviews of Cry to Heaven
Book Review: Living vicariously
Summary: 4 Stars
I like this book. I first came across this book and author sometime in the 80's, but I wasn't then ready to surrender to this density of historical fiction. However, I never let go of the idea that someday I would start and finish this novel because it seemed appealing nonetheless. I am glad that I never let go. Reading this novel gave me the chance to experience a period of time and place that has long since been remove, and because of the mutilation that took place that's a good thing. The scenery, nevertheless, and perhaps still to this day is described so vividly that it was like I was walking and seeing through the eyes and embodiment of the main character Tonio the Venice streets of Italy. Splendid! It is definitely a place that I must attend some time in the future. For me it was like this pretty much throughout the entire book. Great escape. Finally, sometimes the author can embellish way too much, but in most of this novel it works. It is a juxtaposition that such a crime could take place on young boys and still result in a work of art that only words can now hope to describe. This was the entertainment of the times; the televison, the theatre, the rock concerts all rolled into one. I'm glad I went back to this book and that this time I was ready to surrender.Book Review: When an interesting premise goes awry...
Summary: 1 Stars
This book was recommended to me by a friend, and I bought it because I was ordering a bunch of books at once. I disliked the book version of Interview with a Vampire, and have read only snips of other Anne Rice books. I thought I should give this novel a chance. Wrong-o! As Ash in Army of Darkness says, "Whoa. Wrong book." This story is utter garbage. It toys with an interesting idea, that of a young Venetian noble being forcibly castrated so he cannot inherit. The young man becomes a castrato, one of the prized male singers with high, pure voices. I found the premise intriguing. However, Anne Rice's prose is terrible. She introduces plot points that do not need to happen for her story to go further, and they are awful. The book is full of tawdry and unneccesary sex scenes. I tolerated it for about 300 pages, but when Tonio had sex with the cardinal I put it down. It went on my shelf so I never buy another copy. I cannot finish this work of disgusting refuse.
Ms. Rice could have done SO MUCH MORE with the characters, the plotline, the concepts. She could have used the beautiful Italian words she incorporated to better ends. In short, if you must buy this book, be warned. It reeks. My advice is, if you want to read it, go check it out of the library first.
Book Review: Moving, haunting, amazing
Summary: 4 Stars
Knowing Anne souly through the Chronicles I just didnt Know what to expect from this book . I was vaguely aware that it had something to do with opera, a subject, I admitt, of which I knew nothing but thank God I had this novel to open my eyes.Opera is only one of the many subjects Anne approaches in this fantastic novel. The relationship between Guido and Tonio is so complex and deep that it almost at times made me want to cry. I am a young reader but I thought myself mature enough to deal with the homosexuality in the book. Unlike some of the reviews Ive read I had no problem what so ever with the content of that area and if anything this book shows us that the practise of homosexuality has been around as long as we have and that they can possibly love more deeply than many heterosexuals can. I praise Anne for writing such a powerful book, the charaters were so real that they almost jumped to life from the page. I only had one problem and that was with the character Christina, she seemed bearly one dimensional to me and really I dont think she was needed at all. This was a grade A book, written before Miss Rice fell into the slup that she is now in, but at least we have Cry To Heaven to remind us of the good old daysBook Review: Wonderfull story but too much guy on guy sex!
Summary: 3 Stars
Welpz, that's not to say that i didn't enjoy anne's novel, but i did find it disturbing to read soooo much on guy on guy sex. The story itself was great! and i couldn't have asked for a better plot. but i don't understand why anne likes to write about gay sex. i didn't think Cry to Heaven was an erotica when i bought the book to read, but the first 30 or so made meeh change my mind. there is just too much of gay sex. (i swear, anne has a thing for guy on guy sex. note the vampire chronicals, the mayfair chronicals,and the Feast of all Saints.)the plot is this: this valued and only son of a rich guy gets kidnapped and gets his "pee-pee" cut off. (his brother who's really his father hired the kidnappers) a castrai takes the boy and teaches him to sing. during this time, the son vows revenage. after a few years the boy gets his revenage. (it's kinda funny how it happens)
welpz that's the plot. like i said, the story couldn't be any better. only the gay sex bothered meeh a little. but then if your the type of person who enjoys this kind of stuff, go for it!; otherwise, stick to the vampire and witch chronicals. their gay sex isn't as obvious. =oÞ
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 consideration