#Bookreview of #VenetianVespers by John Banville

Everything was a puzzle, everything a trap set to mystify and hinder me…
– Venetian Vespers

[ About Venetian Vespers ]

1899. As the new century approaches, English hack-writer Evelyn Dolman marries Laura Rensselaer, the daughter of a wealthy American plutocrat. But in the midst of a mysterious rift between Laura and her father, Evelyn’s plans of a substantial inheritance are thrown into doubt.

As the unhappy newlyweds travel to Venice at Palazzo Dioscuri – the ancestral home of the charming but treacherous Count Barbarigo – a series of seemingly otherworldly occurrences exacerbate Evelyn’s already frayed nerves: is it just the sea mist blanketing the floating city or is he losing his mind?

[ My Review ]

Venetian Vespers by John Banville publishes September 25th with Faber & Faber and is described as ‘this autumn’s eeriest novel’. Set in the swirling mists of Venice on the cusp of the 20th century, John Banville takes the reader on quite an unusual journey with a rather repulsive narrator.

‘There is no doubt of it, I deserved all I got. But as I have said, I must tell my poor sad story as it happened, not as I now remember it, with sorrow and bitter rue.’

Evelyn Dolman is a struggling writer who happens upon the opportunity of a lifetime when he receives a commission to write the biography of a very powerful and wealthy man, Thomas Willard (Twill) Rensselaer, who also happens to be his father-in-law. But very soon after his marriage to Laura Rensselaer, Thomas Willard Rensselaer is killed in a tragic riding accident. In the aftermath the family solicitor passes on the shocking news that Twill has disinherited his daughter, leaving Evelyn and Laura in a bit of a financial predicament. They had postponed their honeymoon, following Twill’s unfortunate demise, but when the aforementioned writing commission is subsequently withdrawn, Evelyn is left in disarray. Fortuitously, the Venetian trip had been agreed pre the death of Twill so, despite reservations on Evelyn’s part, they journey off-season in the grim darkness of winter to a damp and shadowy Venice.

On arrival in Venice neither Laura or Evelyn are in good spirits but, nevertheless, they check into their accommodation, a crumbling Palazzo off St. Mark’s Square. When Laura isn’t to be found the following morning, Evelyn’s world is torn asunder. Evelyn’s shocking behaviour the previous evening is reason enough for Laura to disappear but, in complete denial and in an act of horrendous self-righteousness, Evelyn begins to justify his actions (Please note that the incident in question will be a trigger for some readers so do please proceed with care)

Over the next twenty four hours, Evelyn befriends two individuals who captivate and confuse him in equal measure yet he ends up inviting them to stay at the Palazzo while they sort themselves out. With Laura seemingly after disappearing, Evelyn gets sucked into quite a perverse and extraordinary situation, which he describes as ‘a moving stage…a steadily darkening drama’.

Evelyn Dolman’s behaviour is abhorrent. He is an overbearing, pretentious character with no appealing trait to his personality, a truly vile individual full of his own self-importance. But does he get his just awards? The ending did feel a little rushed with some loose ends left hanging but, as it’s very much a story of smoke and mirrors, was John Banville ever intent on providing that type of finish? What was reality? What was just fantasy?

Venetian Vespers is an extremely atmospheric tale. Make of it what you will but be prepared to feel discomfort yet, also, a sense of awe at Banville’s ability to extract such feelings from his readers. Portraying a much darker side of Venice, John Banville introduces malevolence around every fetid corner and uncertainty in every mysterious face. With a strong gothic element, Venetian Vespers is a claustrophobic novel that both entertains and repels in equal measure.

‘It was Venice that cut me down to size’

[Thank you to Faber Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of Venetian Vespers in exchange for my honest review ]

[ Bio ]

JOHN BANVILLE was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of many novels, including The Book of Evidence, the 2005 Booker Prize-winning The Sea, and, more recently, the bestselling Strafford and Quirke crime series, which has twice been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger.