The Glassblower of Murano

Oct 28, 2008 Judy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I seem to have read several historical novels recently which interweave a modern story with one from the past - this is another along the same lines.

The modern-day story is about an English woman, half Venetian, who moves to Venice after her marriage breaks up and starts tracing the story of her famous ancestor, a master glass-maker. She also follows in his footsteps by working for a traditional glassmaker.

It's well-written and an easy, flowing read - the historical parts are better than the mod...more

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Apr 11, 2009 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advanced-copy, 2009, firstreads

I received an advanced copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

This is a story about Nora/Leonora (present day) and her ancestor, Corradino (17th Century). Nora was born in Venice, but her mother took her to England when she was a baby. Her husband just left her for another woman (older and not as pretty), so to try and move on from the pain, she decides to return to Venice and follow in the footsteps of her ancestor to become a glassblower. Corradino was a maestro glassblower imprisone...more I received an advanced copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.

This is a story about Nora/Leonora (present day) and her ancestor, Corradino (17th Century). Nora was born in Venice, but her mother took her to England when she was a baby. Her husband just left her for another woman (older and not as pretty), so to try and move on from the pain, she decides to return to Venice and follow in the footsteps of her ancestor to become a glassblower. Corradino was a maestro glassblower imprisoned on the island of Murano as all glassblowers are. He is followed by The Ten (the rulers of Venice) at all times because his father was a conspirator against The Ten.

The story follows Nora as she becomes Leonora (her given name) and she connects to her ancestor. There is a mystery surrounding his death and she is determined to find out more about him.

This book was difficult to read in the beginning. Nora's story could be followed, but Corradino's jumped back and forth without any understanding of what time it was--you have to figure it out yourself (many times books will give you a time/date stamp at the beginning of the chapter, but not this one). It took until about 100 pages or so into the book to really start to feel the timeline and not get confused.

The book is written in third person, but mostly from the POV of Leonora or Corradino--occasionally it will jump to another character. There is very little dialogue throughout much of the book--almost none at the beginning where there are lots of descriptions--of everything.

The story was fairly well written with the development of Corradino's story coinciding with Leonora's discoveries paralleled well. The writing tries to give you a sense of the Venician people--not really the city. It does that. I did feel like I understood more about how they people live/lived.

I didn't love this book, though. I was bothered by Leonora's relationship with Alessandro until the end. She seemed too uncertain (and pitiful) and it never gave you Alessandro's side until the very end. Also, my one pet peeve is in this book. I won't give it away, but it deals with Leonora and what happens to her--it comes across as if things that don't work will all of a sudden work when you aren't in the same setting anymore. I disagree with the speed of the change--it can happen, but it usually takes longer. I understand it was important to the story, but it annoyed me and it was the second book in a row with this pet peeve! Ugh.

My final assessment is that this is a decent book. Very different from most of the books that I read, but worth the read. I can't give it 5 or even 4 stars for some of the reasons I've stated, but it is better than 3 stars. I would give it 3.5 stars.
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Feb 20, 2012 Jacquelynn Luben rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was a good read with one or two flaws. Again, (since I seem to be reading more and more books set in two time-frames,) it was a book set in both the present, or near present and the past – like my own novel, Tainted Tree.

However, the past was a far distant past – the 17th century, when, to quote Wikipedia, ‘mirrors were among the most expensive items to possess and, at the time, the Venetian Republic held the monopoly on the manufacture of mirrors. In order to maintain the integrity of his...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really wanted to like this book. I liked the format (chapters on the life of a present-day woman alternating with chapters related to her Venetian glass-blower ancestor in the mid- to late-1600s). I did not like the modern-day character, Nora/Leonora. Not liking her was not a problem, as there are many characters I did not like in other books, but I still had a respect for the character (like a well-drawn villain or a likably insecure person). With Nora/Leonora, it seemed the author intended h...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Averil rated it 3 of 5 stars

Had this novel been set in ANY other city than my beloved Venice, I'd have rated it 2 stars - finding it rather bland and unexciting with, too often, less than adequate writing. As it is though, and penned by a half-Venetian author who clearly ADORES the city and understands so much of its majestic history, The Glassblower of Murano temporarily satisfied my cravings for enchanting Venezia! Unfortunately though, there were also detracting paragraphs, multiple plot problems, grammatical errors &...more

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May 07, 2013 Mark Davis rated it 1 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying I much prefer recommending good books over warning people away from bad ones. But sometimes the only right, responsible thing to do is tell others to be wary. This is such a case.

Being a history buff with a particular interest in Venice (see John Julius Norwich for something worth your time if Venice interests you), I was looking forward to a light, historical fiction read. I was even OK with the romance angle -- the cover looked decent enough and didn't scream "stay away"...more

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Aug 21, 2012 Swapna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked the book knowing nothing about author or the storyline. Two things attracted me, the word “Glassblower” and the book cover.

I started reading this book in a flight back to Bangalore. The opening was good, but very soon I realized that they have used lots of Italian. This language is totally foreign to me. As I proceeded further and the Corradino character started forming I indulged in a book.

Actually I started believing it’s a real story of a Glassblower in Murano. Once I was in the acc...more

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Apr 16, 2012 CookieDemon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction

(This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk)

What a fabulous book! Whilst I love stories based in Italy, I was a bit concerned that this one would be unfairly balanced with too much of a focus on the past, so it was a relief to be proved wrong. This novel concentrates in equal parts on modern day and 16th century Venice and was a real treat to read.

If you're looking for a novel to become fully engrossed in, to the extent where you feel like you can almost walk directly into the pages and become imm...more

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Jul 23, 2011 V H rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book switches between Corradino's life during the Renaissance and Nora's in the present day. The parts about Corradino was written so well that I thought he might have been a real person, I actually looked him up on the internet, but he's just a character Fiorato has made up.

Corradino's first couple of chapters were a little confusing, but when I got into the story it was really exciting. There is murder, corruption, a secret daughter and amazing description of glassblowing, and also of Veni...more

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Jul 20, 2011 Candace rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-ish

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read more for the story than the writing, which was itself merely adequate. I thought that the characters were interesting, but not quite compelling, and I almost wish that the author had simply focused on Leonora’s story, because although Corradino’s was interesting, it didn’t give me the same sense of forward motion or agency.

And it bothered me a little that Alessandro turned out to be such a nice guy — if you ask me, that was just too good to be true. It was difficult for me to believe that...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Karen (Kew) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found this book completely absorbing, as another reviewer has said, I actually found myself googling Corradino Manin to check whether he was a real character from history. I have been to Venice a couple of times and this book really recreates the feel of the city; not surprising as the author is half venetian! The book swiches between the modern and the historical as the modern day descendant of Manin gradually unravels the mystery of the past; the outcome of which will have a profound affect...more

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Apr 26, 2011 Elaine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Antonio Vivaldi, Florentine. Priest. Wrote "The Four Seasons" in 1723. First rehearsed it with his orphan girls.Four violin concertos. His best known work

"The Ten" Ruthless overseers of Venice. letters dropped into the mouth of the Lion were used to denounce citizens of wrongdoing.The Council of Ten, or simply the Ten, was, from 1310 to 1797, one of the major governing bodies of the Republic of Venice whose actions were often secretive. Although some sources may indicate that the Council of Ten...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I finally read this book that I borrowed from Denise forever ago (thanks, Denise!). And I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it! I just picked it up because I was still too scared to start The Instructions, but then I zipped through this in a few hours. No, it's not the best writing ever. But, wow, I wanted to run away to Venice. And become a glassblower. And maybe marry a handsome Venetian man (he was kind of a dick, though, right?). Whatever, details, details. And, wow, it's been a lo...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Merry rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

The synchronicity in book reading is amazing; co-incidence and books that you happen to pick up and which just hit the moment, or smash glaringly into the moment in the wrong way. Perhaps it happens all the time, perhaps it is ‘meant to be’ – perhaps I just notice when I’m extra sensitive.

The Glassblower of Murano is a story told across two time lines; it follows the story of a Venetian glass blower from the time when Venice was a principality and the glass blowers were virtual prisoners of the...more The synchronicity in book reading is amazing; co-incidence and books that you happen to pick up and which just hit the moment, or smash glaringly into the moment in the wrong way. Perhaps it happens all the time, perhaps it is ‘meant to be’ – perhaps I just notice when I’m extra sensitive.

The Glassblower of Murano is a story told across two time lines; it follows the story of a Venetian glass blower from the time when Venice was a principality and the glass blowers were virtual prisoners of the city, the prized possession of a city state run by “The Ten” who rule and police the city. Corradino is a talented glass blower who risks the wrath of the city to follow a dream and seek happiness. The story is told in tandem with that of his descendant, Leonora, who follows her heart to find work in Venice following the end of her marriage and finds out not only more than she expected about her famous ancestor, but also a whole new life.

It isn’t a plot with masses of surprises, in fact, a little like The Pull of the Moon, some of it is told from the very beginning, but the writing is elegant and enjoyable and the characters believable and easy to like. None of them are too perfect or too horrid, the nature of ‘The Ten’ fits well enough into the understanding of some governments now to make them a threatening shade and introduce a dimension of tension to the plot and the love affair that begins somehow fits comfortably into the main plot as to not take it over, while still managing to be difficult to gauge how it will end. It is a book with strength in how it is balanced and real colour and atmosphere in the prose and I found it a pleasure to read.

One of the elements I enjoyed was that, although the plot starts with a marriage break up and infertility as a theme, the main character, Leonora, has moved on. She’s still healing, but it isn’t one of the endless ‘hurt, moves to pastures new, meets a man, happy ending’ types of books. Sure, that is sort of what happens, but something in the way the character is drawn means that you aren’t forced to go through it with her – and that appeals to me, because I’ve got all of that type of stuff I can take! The chick lit element of the book occupies perhaps a quarter of it, the rest, historical, literary fiction, mystery, is all there and adds masses of meat to the bones of an already enticing story. I learned something new reading it too, about a place and a time and a people – and that ticks lots of boxes for me.

For the record, this isn’t a book for the most sensitive of my babyloss mother blog friends either. Infertility, child loss, birth and babies all feature. (Yes, I picked another book with all those in it!) But I’d give The Glassblower of Murano a resounding 9/10 – I’m sure I will read it again.

After that, I moved on to another that was recommended to me; I’ve put it on indefinite hold for now though, because it starts with someone in very raw grief over a miscarriage and… well, I’m not ready. I wanted to like it very much, but I was a bit unnerved by a character turning, in a blink of an eye, from likeable to hideous and had to stop. I suspect that says more about me than the book, but the speed of the change felt a little unreal. Still, the book gets good reviews and I’ll give it another go in a few months and report back :) So that made three books with babies in it out of 3 in the last week!

And then I moved on to Learning By Heart which I picked up at the library and needs reading quickly! I think I’ll like this even if it does start with marriage break up, a little boy and a whole lot of loss. It also has a plot run on two time lines, is set in Italy and within the first 3 chapters, mentions the glass blowers of Murano.

Honestly, if you tried to do it on purpose, you couldn’t!(less)

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Mar 06, 2011 Lynne Norman rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-group-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The first thing I'd like to do is find the person responsible for proof-reading this novel and slapping them, followed by recommending that they be fired from employment with the publishing house. There are numerous occassions during the book where words are completely missing from the text and, on page 105 (I was so annoyed I memorised the page number)the narrator refers to Corradino's ancestors when what is clearly meant is descendants.

The shoddy proof-reading wasn't my only issue with this no...more The first thing I'd like to do is find the person responsible for proof-reading this novel and slapping them, followed by recommending that they be fired from employment with the publishing house. There are numerous occassions during the book where words are completely missing from the text and, on page 105 (I was so annoyed I memorised the page number)the narrator refers to Corradino's ancestors when what is clearly meant is descendants.

The shoddy proof-reading wasn't my only issue with this novel. Whilst the history that inspired the story was new to me and extremely fascinating, it wasn't enough to earn any extra stars... Where to begin? How about with the annoying, italicised, random thoughts that constantly interrupt the story as Fiorato allows her characters to find their own voice? I say their own voice, but actually all these voices sound the same and none of them are convincing. Most of the time what they have to say simply insults the intelligence ('In case you, the reader, didn't notice, the glass here is a metaphor for...').

Next up you have the modern-day storyline, which reads like really bad chick-lit - annoying heroine (check); unconvincing romance with no basis for the attachment other than the fact the guy looks pretty (check); a feeling that feminism never happened and it's still okay to use the word 'barren' (check)... grr.

Finally, it's all so convenient. Of course you can turn up in a gift shop, ask for a job as a glass blower and get it. Of course infertility can be solved by falling for the right man. Of course, when your ancestor's integrity is called into question, his personal note book will appear just in time to exonerate him (in the store room of the orphanage his daughter grew up in - because, even though she loved her father and was moved to tears when the notebook was given to her following his death, she carelessly neglected to take it with her to the mansion she was moving to).

It's a pity really, because the historical fiction aspect of this novel was pretty readable. (less)

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Feb 28, 2011 Nadine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Nora ist Künstlerin, sie arbeitet am liebsten mit Glas und ist sich dabei ihrer Abstammung bewußt, sie ist eine Nachfahrin eines der bekanntesten Glasbläsers von Murano. Nach ihrer Scheidung beschließt sie, nach Venedig zu gehen und sich als Glasbläserin auf Murano zu bewerben. Sie beginnt Nachforschungen über ihnen Vorfahren anzustellen und ist fasziniert von seiner Geschichte.
Parallel dazu wird die Geschichte ihres Vorfahren im 17. Jahrhundert erzählt. Corradino lebt mit den anderen Glasbläser...more Nora ist Künstlerin, sie arbeitet am liebsten mit Glas und ist sich dabei ihrer Abstammung bewußt, sie ist eine Nachfahrin eines der bekanntesten Glasbläsers von Murano. Nach ihrer Scheidung beschließt sie, nach Venedig zu gehen und sich als Glasbläserin auf Murano zu bewerben. Sie beginnt Nachforschungen über ihnen Vorfahren anzustellen und ist fasziniert von seiner Geschichte.
Parallel dazu wird die Geschichte ihres Vorfahren im 17. Jahrhundert erzählt. Corradino lebt mit den anderen Glasbläsern auf der kleinen Insel Murano, der Rat der Stadt Venedig, verteidigt den Schatz des Wissens über das weltberühmte Murano Glas und dessen Herstellung so vehement, dass die Glasbläser die Insel nicht verlassen dürfen und wie Gefangene gehalten werden. Corradino darf dank seiner Ausnahmestellung hin und wieder nach Venedig übersetzen, um dort zu arbeiten, er spürt aber immer Spione in seinem Nacken, die ihn beobachten und etwaige Fehltritte sofort melden würden. Eines Tages beschließt er zu fliehen.
Das Buch hatte einige Zeit auf meinem SUB geschlummert und ich bin froh, dass ich es vorgekramt habe. Sowohl die Geschichte von Corradino als auch die von Nora sind recht spannend und gut miteinander verwoben (vielleicht ein bisschen zu gut, nach einem Kapitel über die Friedhofsinsel, die Nora besucht, spielt auch das folgende Kapitel mit Corradino dort, hin und wieder recht nett, aber auf die Dauer etwas zu "gewollt".). Was mir nicht so gut gefallen hat, ist die Art, wie den Geschichten schon viel vorweggenommen wird, so weiß man im ersten Kapitel wie Corradino stirbt, was später einiges an Spannung nimmt, auch wenn der Mord an ihm, mit einem Glasdolch, den er selbst gefertigt hat ein spannender Auftakt ist.
Die Geschichten plätschern nett und flüssig daher, aber so richtig spannend wird es nie. Die Protagonisten sind durchaus sympathisch und man ist gespannt, was als nächstes passiert. Was das Buch für mich wirklich lesenswert gemacht hat, war die Geschichte der Glasbläser und von Murano. Venedig wird wunderbar beschrieben, sowohl "damals" als auch "heute", man hatte wirklich das Gefühl dort zu sein und die Kanäle plätschern zu hören.(less)

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Jan 19, 2011 Our Library Mornington rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: we-recommend

The very first chapter opens with a glassmaker stabbed in the back with a dagger made from Murano glass and this opening scene definitely sets the mood for the intrigue to follow. The glassmaker’s life is told in reverse as a flashback and treachery follows him.

Set in Venice, the plot follows two generations of the Manin family – a brilliant glassblower from the 17th century and his 21st century descendant – also an excellent glassblower. The narrative alternates between time periods and the cha...more

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Nov 13, 2010 Mrsgaskell rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 6-star, bookcrossing

I love Venice and have also visited the nearby island of Murano including a glassblowing factory so when I heard about this historical novel, I was really interested in reading it. And thanks to a generous bookcrosser I soon had the opportunity!

The story shifts between the present day and the 17th century. Corradino Manin is the young son of a noble family, but when his family is denounced, chance circumstance leads to his being saved by a Murano glassmaker. He learns the trade and becomes a mas...more I love Venice and have also visited the nearby island of Murano including a glassblowing factory so when I heard about this historical novel, I was really interested in reading it. And thanks to a generous bookcrosser I soon had the opportunity!

The story shifts between the present day and the 17th century. Corradino Manin is the young son of a noble family, but when his family is denounced, chance circumstance leads to his being saved by a Murano glassmaker. He learns the trade and becomes a master glassmaker with secret techniques for making beautiful mirrors and chandeliers. The state of Venice will stop at nothing to protect its monopoly and the glass makers are almost prisoners on Murano. But Corradino is allowed more freedom because of his special skills. When he is approached by a Frenchman to sell his secrets, he must consider the safety of the daughter born as a result of his trips to Venice. The modern day story concerns his descendant Leonora (Nora) born in Venice but raised in England by her English mother. After her divorce she pursues a dream of going to Venice to become a glassblower. She learns about her ancestry and Corradino’s possible betrayal. She also finds romance.

I found the historical thread by far the more interesting of the two stories and I think it would have been better to develop that storyline more deeply and leave the modern romance out of it. It’s a good read, but not a particularly well-written first novel. The author used the word "ancestor" instead of the correct "descendant" on three occasions. Also, I found the frequent italicized interjections of the characters' thoughts didn’t add anything and, therefore, were somewhat irritating. But I did enjoy the setting and the historical background very much. Having visited Venice and seen the lion’s mouth at the Palace of the Doges, it was interesting to read a story where such a denunciation was made. The romance was a bit predictable, and some of the incidents pertaining to it felt rather contrived. Overall it was a good easy and entertaining summer read. (less)

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Oct 05, 2010 Kiersten rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was drawn to this book by the promise of reading about Venice and Murano. Unfortunately, I found The Glassblower of Murano to be not so good.

First of all, there's the heroine. Leonora/Nora Manin grew up in London but was born in Venice. Her mother, an Englishwoman, we studying art abroad when she met the Titian-esque Bruno, a vaporetti driver. Of course, she immediately became pregnant, had the baby, and returned to England. Bruno, meanwhile, stayed in Venice and didn't write, ostensibly beca...more I was drawn to this book by the promise of reading about Venice and Murano. Unfortunately, I found The Glassblower of Murano to be not so good.

First of all, there's the heroine. Leonora/Nora Manin grew up in London but was born in Venice. Her mother, an Englishwoman, we studying art abroad when she met the Titian-esque Bruno, a vaporetti driver. Of course, she immediately became pregnant, had the baby, and returned to England. Bruno, meanwhile, stayed in Venice and didn't write, ostensibly because he had died of a heart attack. At the age of 23. I would have been concerned about this, if I were Leonora. Perhaps I would have scheduled an electrocardiogram for myself, but that seemed to be the one thing that didn't put Leonora in a tizzy. Angry that Bruno didn't leave his family and homeland to follow her to Europe before dying, Leonora's mother became a bitter, hippie feminist. Leonora, however, became the weakest, most disappointing heroine, no, make that protagonist, that I've ever read.

Despite the luck of being able to move to Venice, immediately getting an impossible job as a glassblower, and finding a gorgeous canal-side flat in her ancestral home, she spends the first half of the book feeling sorry for herself because of her recent divorce, and the last half of the book mooning about, pining over her new Italian love, whining when he isn't as attentive as she thinks he should be, and yet refusing to say anything to him about it. It was quite pathetic.

There were a lot of Stephenie Meyer-esque repetitions going on (We know, Corradino doesn't have fingerprints. Please stop telling us about it.), and those became very irritating. As it was when Fiorato repeated the entire first chapter of the book toward the end of the book. It wasn't a cute little literary device, and it was a long chapter. One that I didn't really like reading the first time, to be honest. I also did not like the way Fiorato wrote her characters' thoughts in little italicized statements between paragraphs. Again, it was just a little stylistic affectation, and it was irritating. Plus, when thinking things in their heads, people's thoughts are not as stilted as these statements were. People do not, when remembering something silently to themselves, think the words "I remember when...." It just didn't work for me.

Then there were the plot problems. There were just too many things that were not feasible. I didn't like any of the relationships, and I didn't think that peoples' motives were explained well enough, particularly with regard to Corradino. His reasons for leaving, his reasons for returning, and his supposed exoneration at the book's conclusion--none of it was very convincing, in my opinion. (less)

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Aug 16, 2010 Carrie Rundhaug rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Glassblower of Murano was not a book that I searched out however I went into the bookstore here in town and saw it on the shelf. It was the only one left and it looked interesting. I had been looking for a new book to read and this one "spoke" to me.

Onto the book, The Glassblower of Murano was written by Marina Fiorato. This book starts with the end of Leonora Manin's marriage. She thought she had a perfect life then however a friend lets her know that her husband is having an affair. She d...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, italy

Leonora Manin has decided to leave London and move to Venice after her marriage falls apart. While there she intends to find out information about her ancestor Corradino Manin. Corradino was a glassblower in Murano in the late 17th century. The book follows both Leonora and Corradino in alternating chapters. I had thought this would be more of a historical fiction book, but felt that the modern day story with Leonora took importance throughout the book. I also didn't like that in the beginning s...more

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Jan 25, 2010 fennie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. i'm not going to lie, but my favorite parts of this book were the descriptions of venice. of course it helps that i was just there less than 6 months ago, so i felt that i could appreciate fiorato's tale much more.

this is a tale of two parts: of corradino manin and his struggle to stay alive, while protecting his 'secret' daughter and that of leonora manin, corradino's descendant, who has fallen on some hard times in regards to her english marriage and wants to start anew in venice, the city of...more

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Oct 18, 2009 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Man, I was really excited. I thought this was the first Goodreads First Reads book I'd get where I could rate it a four or a five. And then I hit the last 30 pages. This had an awesome middle, but had some serious missteps at the beginning and end. If the ending had been better it would get a four.

First, the middle.

The middle of this book illustrates the work of glassmaking in an almost visceral manner. It brings alive what it must have been like to make glass hundreds of years ago, and the diff...more Man, I was really excited. I thought this was the first Goodreads First Reads book I'd get where I could rate it a four or a five. And then I hit the last 30 pages. This had an awesome middle, but had some serious missteps at the beginning and end. If the ending had been better it would get a four.

First, the middle.

The middle of this book illustrates the work of glassmaking in an almost visceral manner. It brings alive what it must have been like to make glass hundreds of years ago, and the difficulties of glassmakers on Murano today. I also grew to like the main character, Leonora Manin, who after a difficult divorce has moved to Venice to reconnect with her heritage and further her work in the glass arts. I liked watching her delve into her own history.

So, that's the middle, and the stuff I liked about the book.

The things that knocked it down to a four:

Two-dimensional characterization. We have two "bad guy" characters in the novel, Roberto and Vittoria. Neither of them have any redeeming qualities; they're just self-serving and eeeeeevil. But two-dimensional characters are par for the course here; Leonora's beau Alessandro is similarly two-dimensional, going from perfect lover to jealous lover to last-minute hero without any real deep sense of his motivation.

Unexpected mid-chapter switch in perspective. In the beginning, the story is told in close-third from two perspectives, Leonora and that of her ancestor Corradino. In later chapters, we get the perspective of another character in Corradino's era, and that's...fine. It moves the story forward. But then in Chapter 20, Leonora goes to visit Professore Padovani. In the middle of the chapter, with no warning and no section break (and no real purpose), the perspective shifts to Padovani for a few paragraphs, and then back to Leonora. It doesn't add to the story; it just looks like she wrote a rough draft from Padovani's point of view, switched it to Leonora's, forgot to edit six lines of the original draft, and then the editors rushed and also missed it. This happens several times in the last two hundred pages of the book, and it doesn't add anything - it just takes away from the story.

Massive infodump in Chapter 2. Pages nine through 20 are dull, tedious exposition on Leonora's backstory. We started off so well! So excitingly! In media res! Can't you keep some forward plot motion going and have her backstory revealed during the action? My ex-husband the English composition professor would have given Fiorato a D for chapter 2.

The things that brought it down to a three:
Chapter One and Chapter 38 are the same frickin' chapter. Word for word, cut and paste, eight pages, NO CHANGES. Really? Really? Were you eight pages short of the length required by your publisher? At this point, you've swapped perspectives so often. Can't you give us the same scene from someone else's perspective? Couldn't you at least assume we'd remember what happened?

The ending really left me cold. After all the work Leonora does to find out what really happened with Corradino, her boyfriend - the one who got her pregnant and won't shack up with her and has been totally no help and just THREW her PRICELESS antique NECKLACE made by her ANCESTOR into the GRAND CANAL, for heavens' sake - leaves her standing by the Grand Canal, hares off to the library at the orphanage and finds the book Corradino left behind. Meanwhile, Leonora's off having a baby. (Don't these people have cellphones? I've been to Venice. EVERYONE has a mobile phone! Why wouldn't the hospital call him to say, "Hey, your girlfriend who you won't MOVE IN WITH despite the fact that SHE'S HAVING YOUR BABY is in the midst of a difficult and dangerous breech birth!") Alessandro's basically been the absentee boyfriend for the whole novel, and now at the last minute he saves the day, and basically takes away all the power and self-actualization that Leonora built up through the novel. Because she's got a BABY, see! And that's the most important thing in the WORLD!

As you can see by that incredibly calm and self-possessed critique above, I was a bit annoyed that Fiorato spent 90% of the novel transforming Leonora from someone whose entire identity was formed by others into her own person, and then knocked her back to being the weak woman who is rescued by others. Although, come to think of it, she never really does develop her own identity, does she? She first takes her identity from her husband, then from her ancestor Corradino, then from her husband and son (and after childbirth really seems to lose interest in the whole glass-making thing that was so important before). Ugh. The ending just left a bad taste in my mouth.(less)

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May 05, 2009 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This was an extremely enjoyable read that bounced back and forth between modern-day and 17th century Venice. Reeling from a recent divorce and an infertility diagnosis, Leonora Manin leaves England for Venice, her birthplace and spiritual home. In search of solace and a sense of history, Leonora looks to her father's ancestor and legendary glassblower Corradino to help her find a anchor in a city built on water. As the sometimes sordid details of Corradino's life come to light, Leonora finds her...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-new-author-challenge, 2012-tbr-pile-challenge, 2012-tbr-double-dare, 2012-venice-in-february-reading-cha, 2012-historical-fiction-challenge

The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato is a story with many layers of love and betrayal, set in Venice Italy in the present day as well as the late seventeenth century.

Modern-day protagonist Leonora Manin was born in Venice, but spent all her life in England. When her marriage ends, she returns to the city of her birth, falls in love with the uniqueness of its culture and starts her life over again, learning her family heritage and following her dream to perfect her skill as a glassblower.

S...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Rose Cartolari rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a perfect "in-between" book, for when you would like to read something that absorbs you without requiring too much attention or thinking. It is the story of a young, damaged glassblower who leaves England to escape her story of loss. She goes to Venice, gets a job as an apprentice glassblower and falls in love. Her journey in discovering a Venice with its beauty, history and decay is mirrored in the parallel story of her ancestor: master glass blower Corradino, who leaves behind a myster...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Toni rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fic-history, british

Надявах се да ми хареса и ми хареса.
Роман, написан като изработката на най-финото стъкло, с описания, които пленяват читателя и го карат да препуска неусетно по страниците в търсене на истината зад тайните и бъдещето зад настоящето...!
Наистина беше така. Страшно интересна и увлекателна ми беше през по-голямата част. Всъщност, за да съм по-конкретна - историческата част беше много добре написана. Цялата история на Кородино Манин ме грабна от първата си страница. Описанията на стъкларския занаят б...more Надявах се да ми хареса и ми хареса.
Роман, написан като изработката на най-финото стъкло, с описания, които пленяват читателя и го карат да препуска неусетно по страниците в търсене на истината зад тайните и бъдещето зад настоящето...!
Наистина беше така. Страшно интересна и увлекателна ми беше през по-голямата част. Всъщност, за да съм по-конкретна - историческата част беше много добре написана. Цялата история на Кородино Манин ме грабна от първата си страница. Описанията на стъкларския занаят бяха наистина вълнуващи и интригуващи - буквално те потапят в стъкларското изкуство. Модерната романтична сюжетна линия ми се видя малко изтъркана и дори бих предпочела да я няма и мисля, че книгата би спечелила от това.
Ако си търсите някакво ненатоварващо, но грабващо четиво - пробвайте. Мисля, че би било удоволствие за хора, които не са били във Венеция и още по-голямо за тези, които са я посещавали. Склонна съм да твърдя, че би се събудило желание да отидете до Венеция и да си купите едно сърце от Муранско стъкло - било то червено като пламъка на стъкларските пещи или синьо като водата, в която потапят горещото стъкло.(less)

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Jul 24, 2010 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookcrossing, fiction-general, fiction-womens

I really loved this book. The author artfully switches between two interwoven tales, one modern-day and the other in the 17th-century, both centered in the intriguing and romantic city of Venice, Italy. The story has a bit of everything; romance, history, art, music, murder, intrigue, sacrifice and escapism. I also really enjoyed the central theme of glassblowing, which to me is an amazing art, and made this story even more interesting. The format of this book was wonderful; the chapters are sho...more

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Nov 09, 2009 JayeL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, favorite

I saw this book at the airport on Sunday and it was bought and read by the following Wednesday. That is a minor miracle that could have only been possible if someone else bought it and someone else did! She, then, let me read it first. A true friend!

This is the story of a woman who changes her life by going back to her roots - roots she new barely anything about. A sudden turn of events in Nora's life, which, thankfully, the author deals with quickly and succinctly, leads her to Venice and a new...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Graham Tapper added it

An engrossing story, it follows a common theme of combining the past and the present.

The past relates to a master glass-blower of Venice and his fate at the hands of the then vicious and secretive island state when he reveals the secrets of the production of the fabulous glass that was at that time largely responsible for the untold wealth of the Republic.

The present is of a descendent who's life is in turmoil and who seeks a new direction on that very same island. In doing so she is caught up...more

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