Venice: The Collected Traveler: An Inspired Anthology and Travel Resource

by Barrie Kerper

Release Date: 30 July, 2002

Edition: Paperback

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A mess!!

I have visited Venice & the Veneto more times than I can count since 1969, as well as Trieste & its surrounding area. It is an area of Italy I love dearly & intend to visit again. I have visited many of the places the author recommends, some more than once.

There is a lot of information in this book, but much of it is repetitive & not edited at all. Much of it can also be found in other guide books, in a much easier to read format. The "introductory" text is really where most of the useful information is to be found (in maddeningly small type) - not in the mishmash of articles that are given pride of place & significantly larger type. While endlessly telling the reader that this is not a book about food & wine, probably a quarter (or more) of the text involves those topics (& a lot of that is maddeningly repetitive.) The lack of editing is pathetic. For example, she allows the inclusion of 4 (or 5) different spellings for a particular dish (a special kind of ravioli w/ 40 ingredients, cialzons or is it ciarson or cjialzones or ??) - without telling the reader that it's the same thing. She recommends the same book in multiple places and prattles on a about it each time as if it does not appear elsewhere.

What is perhaps most unforgiveable in a book of 700 pages (& if uniform type were used throughout, would be at least 1,000 pages) is the lack of an index. Needlessly cumbersome.

What is good about the book is that the author's personality & love of the area comes through. But less self-indulgence is critical to make this book truly useful (or essenziale, as the author so often says). Basta!

For the bowerbird

Having really enjoyed Ms Kerper's book on Paris (also reviewed), I bought this with much anticipation, and was not disappointed.

The book combines articles collected from elsewhere, listings, personal views and insights. It is a true travellers' companion - useful prior to, during or after a visit, or when merely wishing and dreaming.

Not a guidebook in the traditional sense, don't buy this expecting to be guided through the tourist sites, where to stay etc. But if you are looking for something to accompany you on your journey, or even in the excellent listings section, a guide as to which guidebook might be best for you, then this is thoroughly recommended.