A #1 New York Times Bestseller! "Funny, insightful, illuminating . . ." —The Boston Globe Twelve years ago, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil exploded into a monumental success, residing a record-breaking four years on the New York Times bestseller list (longer than any work of fiction or nonfiction had before) and turning John Berendt into a household name. The City of Falling Angels is Berendt's first book since Midnight, and it immediately reminds one what all the fuss was about. Turning to the magic, mystery, and decadence of Venice, Berendt gradually reveals the truth behind a sensational fire that in 1996 destroyed the historic Fenice opera house. Encountering a rich cast of characters, Berendt tells a tale full of atmosphere and surprise as the stories build, one after the other, ultimately coming together to portray a world as finely drawn as a still-life painting.

ジョン・ベレントの筆致は、事実を積み重ねながらも極上の幻想小説のような陶酔感を与えてくれます。本作のヴェネツィアは単なる背景ではなく、美と退廃が同居する一個の生命体です。劇場の焼失を起点に、都市の深淵に潜む虚栄と真実が、磨き抜かれた文体で浮き彫りにされる様は見事というほかありません。 そこには仮面を脱ぎ捨てられない人々の、滑稽で愛おしい人間模様が凝縮されています。歴史の断片が織りなす神秘的な空気は、読者を運河の迷宮へと誘い、知的な興奮と心地よい孤独を味わせてくれるでしょう。静物画のように精緻で、ページをめくる手が止まらない至高のノンフィクションです。