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257th out of 3,140 books
—
13,774 voters
Cry to Heaven
by
Anne Rice
Anne Rice brings to life the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half-men.
As we are d...more
As we are d...more
Paperback, 566 pages
Published
April 1st 1995
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1982)
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My husband is a big fan of Anne Rice's early works, but he won't read this one, for obvious reasons (just read the first sentence of the book and you'll understand). I thought the whole book was wonderful; I love stories of transformations, and the main character changes so much from the beginning to the end that he becomes a completely different person. Heck, it's almost as if he becomes a different species. Anne Rice spends a lot of time describing the gorgeous exotic world of the Venetian cas...more
I found "Cry to Heaven" to be as rich, baroque and sensual as the previous works, I've read, by Anne Rice. [The Mayfair witch series]
A young boy was brutally castrated because of a struggle for power in a Venetian household of the 18th century. After a life-time of study and vocal training, he eventually becomes a star of the opera in Rome. The public is entranced by his remarkable voice and stunning good looks. He can play both male and female roles with authenticity, and is larger than life o...more
A young boy was brutally castrated because of a struggle for power in a Venetian household of the 18th century. After a life-time of study and vocal training, he eventually becomes a star of the opera in Rome. The public is entranced by his remarkable voice and stunning good looks. He can play both male and female roles with authenticity, and is larger than life o...more
I don't even have words to begin to describe the sorrow and poignancy of "Cry to Heaven". The novel's protagonist is Tonio, who is unwillingly castrated in a series of events riddled with deceit and betrayal. Enraged and tormented, at first Tonio refuses his fate, but as the novel progresses he is slowly transformed into an ultimately triumphant figure. Lush, sensual prose and an ending that will hold you by the throat, this is a book that will stay with you long, long after it is read.
This book was the first time I really understood what a brave writer Anne Rice is. I had read many of her books and appreciated her style, but this book took me to a dark place that I dreaded going and figured she couldn't possibly go...but she went there, just as she promised. When I met her, this is the book I had her sign (even though she was touring in support of a different book).
Oh my God!!! Castrati!!!
Unless the idea of men who have had their balls cut off having sex will sustain you for however many hundred pages this book was, you will find it deadly boring. And the writing was painful, too. It made me wish for a good castration to take my mind off the pain of her stilted dialog.
Unless the idea of men who have had their balls cut off having sex will sustain you for however many hundred pages this book was, you will find it deadly boring. And the writing was painful, too. It made me wish for a good castration to take my mind off the pain of her stilted dialog.
Feb 06, 2009
Nirmala mcafee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Adults
Recommended to Nirmala by:
Samantha
Cry to Heaven is a gem! I couldn't believe that this subject would interest me in the way that it did. Although I read Rice's early works, I soon grew tired of the Vampire series. I wasn't going to give her another chance until my niece swore to me that I'd enjoy this book. She said it was one of her favorite books! I read it to be more "connected" to her. What a great decision. I flew through the book! It is amazing. What a story. I passed it on to my husband and he, too, was riveted. It is mor...more
In my opinion, Cry to Heaven is definitely one of Anne Rice's finest books. Beautifully written in the lush, gorgeous prose for which Rice is famous, Cry to Heaven is rich in detail and presents a fascinating look at the lives of Italy's 18th century castrati. The protagonist, Tonio is extremely well-drawn and memorable. His struggles to come to terms with both his life as a whole and his sexuality in particular are nothing less than soul-wrenching. I found the erotic scenes, criticized by some...more
I absolutely adored this one. When Anne Rice is good, she is really good (of course when she's bad, she's pretty deplorable).
Cry to Heaven is first and foremost, an intensely romantic novel. And Anne Rice is really best at crafting deeply romantic, decadent, excessively beautiful, homosexuality-laden erotica, which is exactly what this is, along with pedophilic elements. Her prose is deliberate, ponderous and Gothic (as if taking after Mary Shelley's style), the plot is very dramatic and, well,...more
Cry to Heaven is first and foremost, an intensely romantic novel. And Anne Rice is really best at crafting deeply romantic, decadent, excessively beautiful, homosexuality-laden erotica, which is exactly what this is, along with pedophilic elements. Her prose is deliberate, ponderous and Gothic (as if taking after Mary Shelley's style), the plot is very dramatic and, well,...more
I enjoyed this book though at many points it read too much like a romance novel for my taste. If you can't stand "his throbbing member" lines then the plot will be lost on you, particularly if you're turned off by her sometimes S&M overtones. Also the plot was a bit predictable and at over 500 pages this novel could have been a much more worthwhile read had it been considerably shorter. That said, Rice's 18th Century Italy is a vivid world and it is an engaging work. I'd recommend her "Feast...more
In this mesmerizing novel, the acclaimed author of THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES and the LIVES OF THE MAYFAIR WITCHES makes real for us the exquisite and otherworldly society of the eighteenth-century castrati, the delicate and alluring male sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices brought them the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe, men who lived as idols, concealing their pain as they were adored as angels, yet shunned as half-men.As we are drawn into their dark...more
May 06, 2012
Laurel LaFlamme
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommended to Laurel by:
Dianne Marriott Mistrot
Cry to Heaven was the second Anne Rice novel I ever read. The subject matter is intense (sometimes graphic) from PAGE ONE; yet too fascinating to put down!
What I did NOT now until way after the fact, is Anne's work in this well written book is historically correct and highly researched.
Among other things, Cry to Heaven is a story of life-long revenge! It's steeped in rich historicity of 18th Century Opera, the Church, the history of the "Castrati" -- and some other sexuality explicit, yet appa...more
What I did NOT now until way after the fact, is Anne's work in this well written book is historically correct and highly researched.
Among other things, Cry to Heaven is a story of life-long revenge! It's steeped in rich historicity of 18th Century Opera, the Church, the history of the "Castrati" -- and some other sexuality explicit, yet appa...more
Una de las cosas particulares que siempre he amado de leer a Anne Rice es su manera de llevarnos a una lectura que podría categorizar como sensual y elegante. Obviamente cuándo uno habla de vampirismo, es el misterio de la criatura oscura, poderosa, y hasta sexual de tomar a sus víctimas lo que conlleva una facilidad para escribir con el erotismo y belleza que ha categorizado a Anne Rice en las novelas que he leído de ella.
Sin embargo, en esta ocasión, y después de escuchar que dejó atrás los v...more
Sin embargo, en esta ocasión, y después de escuchar que dejó atrás los v...more
An abysmal soap opera that contains lines such as "Yes, for this time we have together, I love him, I truly love him, and for as long as he desires me, I want to give him pleasure in every way". Cheap and annoying pornographic melodrama. Predictable plot (you can even foresee a specific castration) and one-dimensional characters (Tonio, the lead eunuch, seems to be ridiculously oh-so-perfect and everything happening to him or he does just happens to be ridiculously and laughably oh-so-perfect an...more
I am a huge Anne Rice fan. She writes eloquently stories about interesting topics. That, of course, was all captured in Cry to Heaven too. Unfortunately, the story seemed repetitive at times. The homo-erotic passages, for the most part, seemed too drawn out and these encounters took too much of a precedence in the book. The story was excellent and the world of the Castrati is the perfect subject matter for Rice. However, the repeated sexual encounters (even the hetero-erotic ones) seemed to brea...more
Interspersed with the well-known Vampire Chronicles and Mayfair Witches stories, Anne Rice wrote some stand-alone novels, the best of which, in my opinion is Cry to Heaven, published in 1982.
::: The Castrati :::
During the Baroque period, when the Catholic Church forbade women from performing, the stars of the Church choirs and opera stages were the castrati, men who had been castrated in order to preserve the pure soprano voices that left with the onset of puberty. As Cry to Heaven begins, we me...more
::: The Castrati :::
During the Baroque period, when the Catholic Church forbade women from performing, the stars of the Church choirs and opera stages were the castrati, men who had been castrated in order to preserve the pure soprano voices that left with the onset of puberty. As Cry to Heaven begins, we me...more
Aug 14, 2012
Dennis Troy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lisa Marie Parker
Recommended to Dennis by:
a friend
Anne Rice is an author who showed great promise in the early stages of her writing career. She then devolved into mass produced, contrived, poorly written dreck. I always found that very disappointing because some of her early work is quite good. This is one of those books.
Cry to Heaven is the story of a Venetian castrato in the 18th century. Unlike most castrati, Tonio wasn't cut as a child, but rather as a teenager - right before the onslaught of puberty & the inevitable change in voice. T...more
Cry to Heaven is the story of a Venetian castrato in the 18th century. Unlike most castrati, Tonio wasn't cut as a child, but rather as a teenager - right before the onslaught of puberty & the inevitable change in voice. T...more
Castrati. It stirred a distant memory of a conversation between my mother and me about the Vienna Boys Choir; that even with their beautiful voices, they are only second to the eunochs of long ago. And so I was interested. I have not read any of Anne Rice's works before but through her writing in this book, I easily understood why she has gained fame.
This is the story of Marc Antonio Treschi, a princeling from Venice who was dealt a harsh hand. It tells of his struggle to overcome a bitter fate,...more
This is the story of Marc Antonio Treschi, a princeling from Venice who was dealt a harsh hand. It tells of his struggle to overcome a bitter fate,...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Anne Rice is an author who showed great promise in the early stages of her writing career. She then devolved into mass produced, contrived, poorly written dreck. I always found that very disappointing because some of her early work is quite good. This is one of those books.
Cry to Heaven is the story of a Venetian castrato in the 18th century. Unlike most castrati, Tonio wasn't cut as a child, but rather as a teenager - right before the onslaught of puberty & the inevitable change in voice. T...more
Cry to Heaven is the story of a Venetian castrato in the 18th century. Unlike most castrati, Tonio wasn't cut as a child, but rather as a teenager - right before the onslaught of puberty & the inevitable change in voice. T...more
Feb 05, 2009
Samantha
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone with compassion and a heart
Recommended to Samantha by:
My Aunt Jamise
Top 5. This is a truly captivating historical novel about 18th century Opera, life of the Castrati, and an unwilling participant. Cry to Heaven will lure you into the past. You will hear the music, see the streets, and feel the turmoil and plight of the characters. If you've ever felt out of place or like there was something different about you. If you enjoy history, but want a dramatic plot to go with it. If you want to be shocked and appalled while simultaneously feeling the muscles around you...more
I consider myself one of Anne Rice's biggest fans. Despite her great body of work "Cry to Heaven" hands down is my favourite of all her books.
The castrati of 18th century Naples is a world few know. Why would anyone give up so much for music?
Not willingly; as most of these males were castrated prior to puberty. Sent away by parents who dreamed of glory and fame and wealth and a path out of poverty.
Between 1720-1730 this was a fad, a craze and according to Wikipedia over 4,000 boys were castrat...more
The castrati of 18th century Naples is a world few know. Why would anyone give up so much for music?
Not willingly; as most of these males were castrated prior to puberty. Sent away by parents who dreamed of glory and fame and wealth and a path out of poverty.
Between 1720-1730 this was a fad, a craze and according to Wikipedia over 4,000 boys were castrat...more
Feb 22, 2011
Camilla ~ ♥Qhuay At Last♥ ~
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
hardback
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jul 02, 2008
Barry
added it
One of my favorite books, not only from Anne Rice's collection of works, but of all time. A sprawling, romantic, erotic, vengeful tale of a young castrati opera singer who was castrated against his will as a child and sent to live the large life of an opera star, Cry to Heaven is a gorgeous, haunting story. One I will re-read throughout my life.
I would give it a 3 and a half, if I could. The second half moved much better than the first. I grew to like Tonio and identify with his struggles, and watch as the book moved toward it's inevitable climax.
Lots of sex, though, which took me away from their world a bit. I could not help but have the nagging feeling that all the incessant sex and carnal passion of the castrati singers was, at best, improbable, and then I found myself putting the book aside to go look in up on the internet.
It also...more
Lots of sex, though, which took me away from their world a bit. I could not help but have the nagging feeling that all the incessant sex and carnal passion of the castrati singers was, at best, improbable, and then I found myself putting the book aside to go look in up on the internet.
It also...more
Ho hum. I read this book because I like historical fiction and opera, so I thought it would be right up my alley. I was wrong. In reading this book, I was reminded of why I did not make it far in trying to read any of The Vampire Chronicles. Characters are one-dimensional and unsympathetic, prose is corny, and the book is way too long. The main character, Tonio, goes through a horrific ordeal that truly changes the trajectory of his life, so I should be sympathetic, but I wasn't. I am no prude,...more
I enjoyed it very much and it's the first book I've read by Anne Rice, as I don't care for horror or fantasy much. Tonio, or Marc Antonio Treschi is the main character and I like the way the story started with his early years, as well as the early years of Guido, the man who becomes his teacher, mentor and lover. It's very sad and riveting as it involves the castration of little boys and young men to maintain their soprano voices. Tonio though, although born into an old noble family and loves to...more
Rating: 4/5
Summary: Marc Antonio “Tonio” Treschi, a son of a Councillor of Venice in the 18th century, leads a life of comfort while minding his tutors and taking care of his mother who seemes to suffer from depression. However, as he grows up he uncovers family secrets that veer his destiny from following his father’s footsteps into a world both amazing and terrifying, and resembling nothing of the future he had imagined; a world that could build him up or destroy him, a world where his path me...more
Summary: Marc Antonio “Tonio” Treschi, a son of a Councillor of Venice in the 18th century, leads a life of comfort while minding his tutors and taking care of his mother who seemes to suffer from depression. However, as he grows up he uncovers family secrets that veer his destiny from following his father’s footsteps into a world both amazing and terrifying, and resembling nothing of the future he had imagined; a world that could build him up or destroy him, a world where his path me...more
A book for music lovers. Truly IMHO the best book Ann Rice has ever written. She gives the reader intimate details of the life of a castrati. A life most of us could never grasp of living. She makes you feel the joys and pains of this life. Deeply moving and thoughtful read.
“Read sometimes for the story . . . Don't be like the book snobs who won't do that. Read sometimes for the words - the language. Don't be like the play-it-safers that won't do that. But when you find a book that has both a good story and good words, treasure that book.”
― Stephen King
I came across the above quote on another author's page. When I read it, it struck me immediately that it summed up my experience with latest book I'd read. It has been a long time since I've read a book that affect...more
― Stephen King
I came across the above quote on another author's page. When I read it, it struck me immediately that it summed up my experience with latest book I'd read. It has been a long time since I've read a book that affect...more
I am an Ann Rice fan but this is her most different and interesting story. It's not a ghost story. It is a story of the 18th century castrati. It is a vivid depiction of 18th century Italian life specifically Venice and Rome. I loved it.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Boo...: Cry to Heaven by Anne Rice | 150 | 17 | 24. September, 09:53 Uhr |
Anne Rice (born Howard Allen Frances O'Brien) is a best-selling American author of gothic, supernatural, historical, erotica, and later religious themed books. Best known for The Vampire Chronicles, her prevailing thematical focus is on love, death, immortality, existentialism, and the human condition. She was married to poet Stan Rice for 41 years until his death in 2002. Her books have sold near...more
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