Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Chatto and Windus (1990), Hardcover, 544 pages
Description
In a sweeping saga of music and vengeance, the acclaimed author of The Vampire Chronicles draws readers into eighteenth-century Italy, bringing to life the decadence beneath the shimmering surface of Venice, the wild frivolity of Naples, and the magnetic terror of its shadow, Vesuvius. This is the story of the castrati, the exquisite and otherworldly sopranos whose graceful bodies and glorious voices win the adulation of royal courts and grand opera houses throughout Europe. These men are revered as idols--and, at the same time, scorned for all they are not. Praise for Anne Rice and Cry to Heaven "Daring and imaginative . . . [Anne] Rice seems like nothing less than a magician: It is a pure and uncanny talent that can give a voice to monsters and angels both."--The New York Times Book Review "To read Anne Rice is to become giddy as if spinnning through the mind of time."--San Francisco Chronicle "If you surrender and go with her . . . you have surrendered to enchantment, as in a voluptuous dream."--The Boston Globe "Rice is eerily good at making the impossible seem self-evident."--Time… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member StellaSandberg
Interesting and entertaining enough to read to the end, though it felt unnecessarily long at times. Stylistically, it's quite dull, with Rice's favourite stylistic device being to start sentences with "And..." to create a sort of artificial forward momentum in really quite static passages. As
If milieus are her forte, character descriptions are her weakness. She can capture precisely looks and expressions (much like the milieus) which is enough for minor characters, but I find it problematic that the protagonists too are just clichéd "types" who succeed in everything they're doing (frankly, Mary Sues). The few female characters are particularly, annoyingly paper-thin and stereotypical - it's quite amazing how a female author can write such sexist portrayals of women.
This is my first Anne Rice novel and I read it mostly for the theme - castrati singers and opera history. On the one hand, Rice has obviously done a lot of research, down to the training routines at the conservatories. On the other hand, there are some blatant absurdities which show her basic lack of understanding for the art of singing. Tonio always sings like an angel, no matter how he's been treating his voice. The most extreme example is how he proves himself a great singer the day after having breathed in lots of smoke and coughing his lungs up, furthermore after not having sung for months. There are other similar examples where he's been up late, losing sleep, drinking, getting cold and drenched by rain etc. without any negative effects on his voice. "Warming up" the voice here consists of tiring it by singing lots of difficult arias all day and then doing something else, like going out shopping or dining, the hours right before the performance - quite the opposite to how it's really done as far as I understand.
All in all, worth reading mostly if you have a special interest in Anne Rice, 18th century Italy or music history.
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exceptions to the stylistic dullness, there are now and then some extremely vivid and beautiful milieu descriptions, such as from a rainy Venice. If milieus are her forte, character descriptions are her weakness. She can capture precisely looks and expressions (much like the milieus) which is enough for minor characters, but I find it problematic that the protagonists too are just clichéd "types" who succeed in everything they're doing (frankly, Mary Sues). The few female characters are particularly, annoyingly paper-thin and stereotypical - it's quite amazing how a female author can write such sexist portrayals of women.
This is my first Anne Rice novel and I read it mostly for the theme - castrati singers and opera history. On the one hand, Rice has obviously done a lot of research, down to the training routines at the conservatories. On the other hand, there are some blatant absurdities which show her basic lack of understanding for the art of singing. Tonio always sings like an angel, no matter how he's been treating his voice. The most extreme example is how he proves himself a great singer the day after having breathed in lots of smoke and coughing his lungs up, furthermore after not having sung for months. There are other similar examples where he's been up late, losing sleep, drinking, getting cold and drenched by rain etc. without any negative effects on his voice. "Warming up" the voice here consists of tiring it by singing lots of difficult arias all day and then doing something else, like going out shopping or dining, the hours right before the performance - quite the opposite to how it's really done as far as I understand.
All in all, worth reading mostly if you have a special interest in Anne Rice, 18th century Italy or music history.
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LibraryThing member Menagerie
This is Anne Rice at her finest. She takes a subject little is known about - castrati singers - and opens it up to people everywhere. Her story about a boy who is kidnapped and forcibly castrated, making him a castrati singer, is gripping and dramatic. It is a story about revenge, redemption, and
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finding a way to live with regret. This book is memorable and one of Rice's best. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bestine
Fascinating, dark, erotic. Not so much 'homosexual' as 'pansexual.' This historical novel of love, hate, despair, exaltation, music, art and revenge set in early 18th century Venice, Naples and Rome is my favorite of all of Ms. Rice's works.
LibraryThing member aripie
I absolutely adore this book. I must have read it maybe 15 times. It really reflects what young men had to go through in order to pursue their passions as opera singers. I always wince when they discuss the castration of the boys...but then become uplifted again at the love that is produced from
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such tender and fragile souls. I think Anne Rice was probably the first person to introduce me to the enjoyment of boys loving boys and equally as interesting male love in general. As a woman, I am certainly not a pervert considering who wrote the book...haha, but seeing the gender that exemplifies masculinity and machismo still keep their balance while confessing love to one another, truly makes my heart flutter. Show Less
LibraryThing member valentipoetry
I prefer cry to heaven and feast of all saints over the vampire novels.
LibraryThing member erikitten
Quite a beautiful book. Describes the life of castrati including joyful and morose times taking the reader through many emotions. I have never read any of the vampire chronicles so I can't compare but I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.
LibraryThing member simris2k
This is probably one of my favorite books by Anne Rice. I like the off-angle tangent of a book about castrati. Who in their wildest minds would write on such a subject or even give it any common-day thought. The book allows you to look into the qoutidien life of Renaissance Italy and get a
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non-fictional glimpse of past fluid sexuality. Show Less
LibraryThing member jshillingford
For me, this is the best book Anne Rice has ever written (and I loved Lestat!). This is a wrenching story of what it meant to be a Castrati. Decades ago in Italy, young boys were sold to musical schools and institutions to be castrated to create the only true male sopranos. Supposedly, a male
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soprano has a more rich and beautiful voice than a female soprano. But not every boy who was castrated kept their voice, and their fate was often cruel. This story is fiction, but the Castrati were real. Visit their world. Show Less
LibraryThing member thairishgrl
An interesting topic for a book. I'm not sure how much of the information about castrati is accurate, but it was facinating.
LibraryThing member AprilHamilton
Review of unabridged Audible audiobook.
Yes, it's a little trashy and yes, it's got melodrama to spare, but I still recommend this audiobook very highly. The historical detail on the livesof castrati is fascinating, and Tim Curry's narration is outstanding.
Yes, it's a little trashy and yes, it's got melodrama to spare, but I still recommend this audiobook very highly. The historical detail on the livesof castrati is fascinating, and Tim Curry's narration is outstanding.
LibraryThing member Alinevada
My favorite book by Anne Rice. It utterly transported to me to a world that I knew nothing about, opera, Venice and the unique lives of the castrati. None of these are topics of usual interest to me and I was fascinated with each and every detail of the story. Well written and a refreshing change
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of pace from the Vampire writer. Show Less
LibraryThing member MoiraStirling
Very nicely written in the typical gilt and blood style of Anne Rice. A bit much on the homoerotic side for me, and I got the feeling this was (yet again) her attempt to come to grips with her son's sexuality. However, I really enjoyed the depth and layers of Castrati history and fiction together.
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As usual, her visualizations were beautiful, and a joy to get lost in. Show Less
LibraryThing member kraaivrouw
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
The novel follows Tonio & Guido - a castrato cut as a child who nevertheless lost his voice, but became a composer. These two stories intertwine to create a story that brings to life the colors of its settings & the sheer beauty of the music. If you've never listened to Baroque opera, now is the time. It's not what you think it is.
The story is poignant & beautiful & it is a joy to watch these characters move through their changes. All of the characters are fully fleshed & complex & believable as is the plot. This book is a pleasure. I wish she'd kept writing at this level.
Cry to Heaven is the
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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. There are a lot of reasons for why this happens to him that I won't go into here, but the story is rich & wonderful.The novel follows Tonio & Guido - a castrato cut as a child who nevertheless lost his voice, but became a composer. These two stories intertwine to create a story that brings to life the colors of its settings & the sheer beauty of the music. If you've never listened to Baroque opera, now is the time. It's not what you think it is.
The story is poignant & beautiful & it is a joy to watch these characters move through their changes. All of the characters are fully fleshed & complex & believable as is the plot. This book is a pleasure. I wish she'd kept writing at this level.
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LibraryThing member sdtaylor555
Really good non-fantasy Rice book. Don't read if you are a homophobe. Too bad for you though...it's a good book.
LibraryThing member thioviolight
How I missed the lush writing and opulent worlds of Anne Rice! I very much enjoyed the journey I took in "Cry To Heaven" and loved the vivid Italian landscapes that Rice has painted. (In general I enjoy the Venetian setting in stories.) I felt the characters and became deeply engrossed in the tale
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of Tonio Treschi. The novel is now one of my favorite works of Rice. A fine and marvelous read! Show Less
LibraryThing member Cats_Critters
A good book with an intersecting story to tell. This is a story about a boy about to become a man, who has that and his future stolen from him. If you love Anne Rice this is worth the read.
LibraryThing member Aerow
This is one of the most beautiful novels I've read by Anne Rice. Both dark and delicious, Anne breathes life into a subject I previously knew nothing of. As a historical novel, it transcends her work with Feast of all Saints, in my opinion. Feverishly researched, a history book with mostly
This novel is about the castrati of the 17th and 18th centuries in Italy. Of the two main characters, one is a castrato by choice and the other was forced to become one. And this is the tale of their lives, the thoughts, prejudice, and music industry of the day, and how all of this affected society both outside and inside of this group of people.
Absolutely unforgettable from beginning to end, the story of this novel with sit with me forever.
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fictional characters that are completely believable. I feel like I've read the accounts of actual people. I'm glad I took my time with it.This novel is about the castrati of the 17th and 18th centuries in Italy. Of the two main characters, one is a castrato by choice and the other was forced to become one. And this is the tale of their lives, the thoughts, prejudice, and music industry of the day, and how all of this affected society both outside and inside of this group of people.
Absolutely unforgettable from beginning to end, the story of this novel with sit with me forever.
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LibraryThing member presto
Tonio Treschi is the young son of an aging Venetian, the Grand Counsellor, he lives in his father’s great palazzo with his young mother, not knowing other children to play with. But his real love is singing, and this he enjoys with his talented mother and his tutors. Guido Maffeo has no heritage,
Cry to Heaven is a remarkable epic of love, betrayal and vengeance. Yet that is to put it far too simply, for the loves are complex, often unselfish but always beautiful; the betrayal is perhaps of the most shocking nature; the vengeance ultimately unsought.
Anne Rice writing with an assured hand plunges us into the flamboyant, luxurious and at times sordid world of eighteenth century Venice, Naples and Rome with an eye for detail that brings it all vividly to life. Her cast of characters is beautifully drawn, the handsome Tonio being especially appealing. Her careful research into the music and musical practices of the period lends the whole plausibility.
The result is a gripping, tale which at times luxuriates in the sheer pleasure of life, and others is drawn to the depths of despair. A tale where one act of barbarism may have even the reading needing time to come to terms with. It is a moving, at times heart-wrenching, story of triumph over adversity.
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but is simply a young boy from a large and very poor family; he has known only hardship and ill treatment. That is until his beautiful voice, a voice which at a very young age will cost him his future manhood, takes him away from all this. He is taken to Naples and trained by the finest singing masters. The lives of Tonio and Guido will eventually becoming inextricably linked when Toni’s father dies and his banished brother returns to claims his inheritance. Cry to Heaven is a remarkable epic of love, betrayal and vengeance. Yet that is to put it far too simply, for the loves are complex, often unselfish but always beautiful; the betrayal is perhaps of the most shocking nature; the vengeance ultimately unsought.
Anne Rice writing with an assured hand plunges us into the flamboyant, luxurious and at times sordid world of eighteenth century Venice, Naples and Rome with an eye for detail that brings it all vividly to life. Her cast of characters is beautifully drawn, the handsome Tonio being especially appealing. Her careful research into the music and musical practices of the period lends the whole plausibility.
The result is a gripping, tale which at times luxuriates in the sheer pleasure of life, and others is drawn to the depths of despair. A tale where one act of barbarism may have even the reading needing time to come to terms with. It is a moving, at times heart-wrenching, story of triumph over adversity.
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LibraryThing member Krumbs
I've never been a great fan of her writing style, but this book just sucked me in. I started reading it when I was completely trapped without anything else around me to read, and ended up devouring this in less than a day. She just presents the world of the castrati in a way I never looked at them.
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Did they think their art was worth their sacrifice? Show Less
LibraryThing member IreneF
Why did I finish this book? Force of habit, I suppose.
Let me tell you why I started it: because I had very much enjoyed Interview With the Vampire and because I like historical novels. I thought nothing could be as bad as The Vampire Lestat, which I didn't finish out of embarrassment for the
You'd think a reasonably historically accurate novel set in 18th century Italy, with lots of sex--repeat, lots of sex--would be exciting or at least interesting. It wasn't. It was boring. For one thing, it seriously challenged my suspension of disbelief; for another, it was full of the ruminations of a person whose mind ran over the same tracks again and again. Kind of a mental milk run, except the stops were Disgrace, Revenge, Love, Sex, Music, Disgrace, Revenge . . . .
When you're bored, you start to notice things. As, Anne Rice isn't a very good writer. Her prose is pretty flat. I think her success is due to the amped-up Byronic hero she relies on, plus the wish-fulfilling fantasies that she allows free rein, and which resonate with her readers. I started to wish for a vampire.
The other big belief bubble that she couldn't maintain was the matter of sex. Her castrati--and most of the characters were castrati--had lots and lots of sex of the more or less conventional sort. They had erections, they had orgasms. Whereas a man castrated after sexual maturity might have been able to perform, everything I know about male sexual function indicates a need for testosterone for physical development, interest, and performance.
You can tell I was bored because I wondered why no one contracted an STD.
Looking back on the other reviews, I can see I'm an outlier. Ignore me if the things I mentioned don't bother you.
Let me tell you why I started it: because I had very much enjoyed Interview With the Vampire and because I like historical novels. I thought nothing could be as bad as The Vampire Lestat, which I didn't finish out of embarrassment for the
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author. Let me tell you, I was wrong. This is a bad book.You'd think a reasonably historically accurate novel set in 18th century Italy, with lots of sex--repeat, lots of sex--would be exciting or at least interesting. It wasn't. It was boring. For one thing, it seriously challenged my suspension of disbelief; for another, it was full of the ruminations of a person whose mind ran over the same tracks again and again. Kind of a mental milk run, except the stops were Disgrace, Revenge, Love, Sex, Music, Disgrace, Revenge . . . .
When you're bored, you start to notice things. As, Anne Rice isn't a very good writer. Her prose is pretty flat. I think her success is due to the amped-up Byronic hero she relies on, plus the wish-fulfilling fantasies that she allows free rein, and which resonate with her readers. I started to wish for a vampire.
The other big belief bubble that she couldn't maintain was the matter of sex. Her castrati--and most of the characters were castrati--had lots and lots of sex of the more or less conventional sort. They had erections, they had orgasms. Whereas a man castrated after sexual maturity might have been able to perform, everything I know about male sexual function indicates a need for testosterone for physical development, interest, and performance.
You can tell I was bored because I wondered why no one contracted an STD.
Looking back on the other reviews, I can see I'm an outlier. Ignore me if the things I mentioned don't bother you.
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LibraryThing member aryadeschain
Let's just say that what the book Violin failed to be, this book succeeded. Cry to Heaven has an interesting story and is very rich and full of details. It's the story of a young boy gifted with a beautiful voice and forced to be a castrato, leaving behind a life full of pleasantries to play the
Those who read any other books from Anne Rice's Vampires series will feel very comfortable with the scenario and the humongous amount of descriptions, which give a pretty nice picture of Rome/Italy, but after a certain while it actually gets a little bit tiring. Still, the characters are pretty solid and the story's progression does make you looking forward to know what's about to happen. The only thing that, in my opinion, was a let down is that the focus of the story was 80% on Tonio. Guido is a great character, he could have had more space in this book.
Either way, Cry to Heaven is a delectable book. One of those kinds of readings that must be savored word by word.
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role of a deity while living with the angsty thought that he lost everything.Those who read any other books from Anne Rice's Vampires series will feel very comfortable with the scenario and the humongous amount of descriptions, which give a pretty nice picture of Rome/Italy, but after a certain while it actually gets a little bit tiring. Still, the characters are pretty solid and the story's progression does make you looking forward to know what's about to happen. The only thing that, in my opinion, was a let down is that the focus of the story was 80% on Tonio. Guido is a great character, he could have had more space in this book.
Either way, Cry to Heaven is a delectable book. One of those kinds of readings that must be savored word by word.
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LibraryThing member Swissmama
A rare glimpse into the world of the castrati and Baroque music culture. Stellar! Must read for everyone! Watch "Farinelli" to get a visual into this exotic and toxic world!
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
This is, without a doubt, the *best* book by Anne Rice. I think the fact that Rice is well acquainted with homosexuality gives her an edge on folk who might feel different growing up. Parts of this book are agonizing and others are ecstatic.
LibraryThing member scot2
I have read many of Anne Rice's vampire books. This is different. I loved the premise and the setting. It was in some ways beautiful and also sad. However, there were too many extremely graphic sex scenes for my taste.
LibraryThing member AllAndAnyBooks
This book is addicting. The story in itself is amazing but there are times when it's a bit too detailed or something. Thought the whole book, something kept me reading. It wasn't anything spectacular but the amazing way of writing in this book just kept me hooked until the end. I can't really
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describe it but there is something that won't let you stop reading until you finish the book. I'm serious! Show Less
Original publication date
1982
Physical description
544 p.; 9.3 inches
ISBN
0701135786 / 9780701135782
Local notes
Taking place in Italy during the eighteenth century, the story follows the paths of two unlikely collaborators: Tonio Treschi, a castrato Venetian noble and Guido Maffeo, a maestro from Calabria, both trying to succeed in the world of the opera.
A well-researched historical tale.
A well-researched historical tale.