For a couple of chapters Morgenstern tells about his research into the question of why the gondoliers in Venice no longer sing. It's hard for him to get a straight answer. Then he launches into his story, which has to do with Luigi, a gondolier who wants to be a great singer but who has a terrible voice. Soon, he's not even a gondolier, because who'd want a gondolier who can't sing?
As in The Princess Bride, Morgenstern uses plenty of digressions and asides to get the story told, but he does get it told. I didn't find it as funny and wonderful as The Princess Bride, which is a great novel, and if you haven't read it, you should shut off your computer right now and find a copy and get started. If you have read it, then you'll probably want to pick up The Silent Gondoliers. While it doesn't have the same magic, it casts a little spell of its own.
3 comments:
I have THE SILENT GONDOLIERS but never read it. I found William Goldman's fiction to be uneven.
I agree wholeheartedly - PRINCESS BRIDE is a classic and this is a wonderful little adjunct to it (as is the short sequel, BUTTERCUPS BABY, to be found in the 25th anniversary edition of PRINCESS). Goldman's great success as a prose writers will hopefully not be overshadowed completed by his Oscar-wining screenwork.
Greta post Bill and congrats too on your remarkable record for weekly posts for Patti!
One of my favorite writers. I love all his books except BROTHERS, and don't hate it.
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