Product Description

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 and luminous story, as the crowds of Venetians, Neopolitans, and Romans, noblemen and peasants, musicians, prelates, princes, saints, and intriguers swirl around them, Anne Rice brings us into the sweep of eighteenth-century Italian life, into the decadence beneath the shimmering surface of Venice, the wild frivolity of Naples, and the magnetic terror of its shadow, Vesuvius. It is a novel that only Anne Rice could have written, taking us into a heartbreaking and enchanting moment in history, a time of great ambition and great suffering--a tale that challenges our deepest images of the masculine and the feminine.
"To read Anne Rice is to become giddy as if spinning through the mind of time."
--San Francisco Chronicle
"Dazzling in its darkness...Spellbinding."
--The New York Times

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22978 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-01
• Released on: 1995-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 576 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345396938
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
The acclaimed author of Servant of the Bones 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.

Review
Anne Rice seems to be at home everywhere...She makes us believe everything she sees. -- The New York Times Book Review

If you surrender and go with her, you will find that you have surrendered to enchantments, as if in a voluptuous dream. -- The Boston Globe

From the Publisher
I agree with Patrick. CRY TO HEAVEN is my favorite Anne Rice novel, next to MEMNOCH THE DEVIL. Anne Rice has a real gift for transporting her readers to a different time and place. As you read CRY TO HEAVEN, you lose yourself in all the grandeur of eighteenth century Italian life and the otherworldy society of the castrati.

I think I enjoyed this book because it told such a unique story. Before reading CRY TO HEAVEN, I knew nothing about castrati. Anne Rice takes you deep inside their world, showing you their pain at being shunned as "half-men" and their pleasure at being the adulation of the royal courts and grand opera houses of Europe.

-- Jennifer Richards
Publicity

Customer Reviews

DAZZLING IN ITS DARKNESS
In my opinion, Cry to Heaven is definitely Anne Rice's finest book. 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 then soul-wrenching. I found the erotic scenes, criticized by some reviewers, to be beautifully written and central to the book's premise. I did think, though, that the character of Christina, a central figure in Tonio's struggles, could have been more fully drawn and introduced earlier. It seemed to me as though Rice, herself, was not completely acquainted with Christina and I think the book suffers slightly because of this. Cry to Heaven, which contains no witches, vampires or other preternatural beings, is well-plotted and well-paced, something which cannot be said for all of Rice's books. She controls this story masterfully and resists the urge to people the novel with extraneous characters, ultimately ending the story on a haunting but richly rewarding note. With Cry to Heaven, I can pay Anne Rice the highest compliment--this is the novel I wish I had written and I can say that about no other book.

Magnificent chronicle, beautifully written!
And Guido perceived that when the woman is taken out of an entire realm of life that must need to imitate the world itself, then some substitute for that woman is inevitable. Something must rise to take the place of what is feminine. Something must rise to be feminine. And the castrati were not mere singers, players, anomalies; they had become woman herself. -Anne Rice

Set in Venice, Naples, Rome, and Florence during the time of Vivaldi, this exquisitely written work is the story of Marc Antonio Treschi, a castrato. A Venetian nobleman, Tonio was blessed with many things -- a beautiful mother, a fine family, a gentlemanly upbringing, and not least of all, a beautiful singing voice. Tonio led a very sheltered early life, and as he begins the journey to manhood, he starts to discover some dark secrets of the House of Treschi. A word to the wise: This author does not shy away from taboo subjects.

Music was the passion and preoccupation of many people in Europe during this time. In the name of producing great music, mutilations were routinely done during these times to little boys from poor families -- boys with voices that showed promise. How Tonio came to his experience with the knife will best be discovered by reading this wonderful book, and spoiling the experience by detailing the plot is something which will not be done in this review.

This book is a compelling adventure, and it is written by a masterful writer. Anne Rice excels in transporting her reader to magical times & places, and introducing them to interesting people, who then spring to life. She takes her readers on a mystical journey, always choosing the perfect word. Simply, magically, elegantly, she weaves a tapestry of wonder, and through it all, holds one spellbound. She can describe a walk through a grand old square in Italy, and everything she has outlined can be envisioned, right down to the smells and sounds. Rice's characters are larger than life, they are compelling, and they are detailed down to their fingernails and the texture of their hair. Their thoughts are perfectly articulated, and they are set forth in extremely beautiful prose. If one contemplates a "Cry to Heaven," one could think of many things that could conjure up such a cry: Religion, Remorse, Regret, Angst, Guilt, Pain, Sorrow, Love, Rapture, Longing, Ecstasy, and of course, Great Music! All of these are found in this work. Highly, Highly Recommended!!!

a beautiful and emotional book
I never cared much for Anne Rice's vampire novels, and only recently discovered her witches books. So when someone recommended this book to me, I didn't think I would get it. Then I found it again on a listmania list, and decided to check it out, and then ordered it.

Castrati have long held my fascination, and I have often wondered what they sounded like, how their lives were. This book feels so natural, so well researched, that I feel like I have been allowed a step back in time, and a visit to one of the great Castrati.

And yes, the main character is bisexual, and yes, there is sexuality in this book, but if you let that keep you from reading this book, you miss out on so much more. It is so well written, and the main character grabs hold of your heart and does not let it go at the end of the book.

So, for any other non-Anne Rice lovers like me: go read this book. It is so wonderful, and I am veryhappy I gave it a chance.