The Innamorati

by Midori Snyder

book data

46 ratings, 4.28 average rating, 9 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		47%
4		34%
3		15%
2		2%
1		0%

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published

July 1st 1998 by Tor Books

details

Hardcover, 381 pages

literary awards

Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2001)

isbn

0312861974 (isbn13: 9780312861971)

description

Four companions, the "innamorati", journey across a richly imagined Renaissance Italy to meet at the front of the great labyrinth. Here, the…more

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Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Winners

52 books | 84 voters

Commedia Dell'Arte: The Worlds of Harlequin

31 books | 1 voter

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 108)

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Nov 16, 2008

J. rated it:

It's rare to discover a fantasy novel that breaks new ground in the genre, and a delight to be able to forgo comparisons with Tolkien. The Innamorati, by Midori Snyder, is such a novel.

It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.

...more It's rare to discover a fantasy novel that breaks new ground in the genre, and a delight to be able to forgo comparisons with Tolkien. The Innamorati, by Midori Snyder, is such a novel.

It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.

The Innamorati, set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, centers on no single protagonist, but instead chronicles the bête noirs that haunt a number of co-protagonists. Ms. Snyder has deftly taken the concept often used in television today - several sub-plots within a single episode, each mini-story tied to an appropriate character - and adapted it for The Innamorati. Among the co-protagonists: a mask-maker from Venice who can no longer make masks; a swordsman from Milan who wishes to give up the sword that rules his life; a would-be actor who speaks with a stutter; and a siren condemned to a silent exile far from the sea and her native island. There is also a poet, who at one time wrote the most beautiful sonnets, who loses his "voice" upon discovering his wife's infidelity. While Ms. Snyder places far too great a burden on this poet for his wife's infidelity, claiming he failed to provide for her wants (one could argue the wife's inability or unwillingness to accept what her husband was able to provide her - magnificent sonnets written to her and about her - as the impetus for her action), it is a subject best saved for debate and certainly not a flaw.

Ms. Snyder writes with a combination of clarity, wisdom and a playfulness that is rare today. Her narrative is evocative; her characters are real, and the reader will be easily drawn to them and able to relate to them on a very personal level. Best of all, The Innamorati is about personal identity - how we perceive ourselves beneath the masks we present to others, and how others perceive us. Readers may find themselves wondering whether they are who they are as a result of how others perceive them. While The Innamorati may not appeal to the purists of the fantasy genre (those who read Robert Jordan or Orson Scott Card), those whose appetite is for something more avant-garde will not be disappointed.(less)

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Jul 31, 2008

Anastasia rated it:

The Innamorati is an elaborate fest of Renaissance Italians ranging from whores to serial duelists and maskmakers all seeking the resolution of the miseries in their lives. A mystical labyrinth offers pilgrims the hope of removing the curses that plague them as they roam around a world of nymphs, satyrs, and gods. The character development for each is in beautiful parallel to the Commedia dell'arte and the story is unusual epic fantasy. Everything is beautifully written from sex scenes involving...more

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Sep 03, 2007

Aliera74 rated it:

(review of isbn 031286924X)

bookshelves: fantasy, favourites, owned-and-read

Read in October, 2007

This book has certainly gained a special place in my heart. The story is just amazing, it mixes fantasy with Renaissance Italy and Comedia del'Arte. The Italian comedy theatre where some of the characters, the best well known today, were Harlequin, Columbina, Pulcinella, and others I didn't know before. It's so magical and well crafted, and in my opinion really original. The destination of the cursed characters: in the city of Labirinto there's a magical maze that is supposed to be able to lift ...more

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May 21, 2008

Bridgett rated it:

bookshelves: fairy-tales-mythology, sci-fi-fantasy

I didn't care for the "earthy" humor of this book (not my style), but I liked the idea of the book. The first half was a bit slow for me, but I really liked the second half. I liked all the mythology included, and the various ideas of love and the psyche of humans that were touched upon. The characters' imaginations controlling the maze really made the book fascinating.

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Apr 07, 2008

Sharon rated it:

bookshelves: weird-fiction

Read in March, 2008

This was a pleasant read. None of the characters felt truly real, you could tell that nobody was in any real danger, and the writing wasn't exceptional, but the Renaissance Italy setting was interesting, and I loved the way Snyder incorporated the commedia del' arte masks. It won't knock your socks off, but if you're looking for something relaxing, you could do worse.

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Mar 29, 2007

Trickey rated it:

(review of isbn 031286924X)

bookshelves: adult-fiction

Read in January, 2000

recommends it for: people who like good stories

I made my bookclub read this senior year high school. It is pretty fabulous. There's a lot of theater and fable involved.

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Aug 12, 2008

Jennifer marked it as could-not-finish (review of isbn 031286924X)

bookshelves: could-not-finish

Read in September, 2009

tried really hard, but this book is so long, with such small type, had to stop.

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Dec 14, 2007

Laurie rated it:

(review of isbn 031286924X)

bookshelves: my-favorites

One of my favorite books of all time. It's got everything.

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Dec 28, 2009

fbuser58804991 marked it as to-read

bookshelves: to-read

Read in January, 1999

so i read this when i was about ten and i thought the book was amazing!! im about to read it again (11 years later, eeek) but ive been searching for this book for a long time because i was convinced the title was labyrinth, which it obviously has in it, but thats what happens when you dont read something for over a decade. here i go again!!

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