Sunday, January 31, 2010

Friday Finds at the Bookstore: In Lucia's Eyes by Arthur Japin

 Published 2007 (In Bookstores now)

I am usually not a big Casanova fan but the cover completely sucked me in on this one!

Synopsis:  (From the Publisher)
Amsterdam 1758, and a man is artfully seducing a woman. He is, to all appearances, Monsieur le Chevalier de Seingalt, a French government envoy selling shares to the Dutch; she is a courtesan, wellknown in Amsterdam for the fact that she never removes her veil. He sets her a challenge: if she can find a woman who has suffered after falling in love with him, she is entitled to resist his charms; if not, she should succumb. What Seingalt doesn't know is that he has already met the veiled woman many years ago, in another life. What Lucia doesn’t know is that Seingalt will go down in history as one of
the world’s greatest lovers, Casanova. The inspiration for this perfectly plotted, wonderfully romantic historical novel lies in Casanova’s memoirs, and a tiny reference to the woman he fell in love with at seventeen, but later met, hideously disfigured, in an Amsterdam brothel. Arthur Japin has expanded this anecdote into a deliciously entertaining and moving story of innocence and experience, love and sacrifice - all seen through eyes of the woman who first broke Casanova’s heart. His cunning narrative takes the reader on an entrancing journey from the canals of Amsterdam to those of Venice, painting a glorious portrait of the eighteenth century with all its contradictions of reason and instinct, wit and sensuality, head and heart.


9 comments:

Melissa (i swim for oceans) said...

Ooooh this one looks addictive! :)

Mary Simonsen said...

My 23-year old daughter would be interested in this. Thanks for the review.

Anonymous said...

I like that book cover! Sounds good to read too.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I remember this one! It had a different cover when it was first published. Sort of a pewter photograph - very gothic looking.

Anonymous said...

i noticed we are the same austen heroine!

ciao

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Rowenna said...

The cover would have suckered me in, as well! And the story doesn't sound bad, either! Added to the TBR, for certain!

Jenny Girl said...

Consider me sucked in :)
Ledgers Casanova film wasn't too bad. He is hot and Venice is just gorgeous. nice way to kill two hours.

Tales of Whimsy said...

Oh this cover makes me dream of costume balls and Die fledermaus