The Venetian's Wife: A Strangely Sensual Tale of a Renaissance Explorer, a Computer, and a Metamorphosis by Nick Bantock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hindu Statues Are More Sexy than Mere Text Sara Wolfe is a repressed art restorer working for a San Francisco museum when she is headhunted (hearthunted!) via email by Mr. N. Conti, a mysterious rich old man who hires her to help him locate and acquire four statues of Hindu divinities (Ganesha, a Celestial Woman, Kali, and Parvati). Her new boss has unlimited funds and computer access. He also strangely knows a lot about Sara, including her emotions and private communications. (Sara has been shy and reserved, unwilling to get involved with someone romantically, but she's full of erotic potential, judging by her response to a drawing of Shiva which sends her fleeing and deflecting, "Getting aroused has always been pointless for me.") Nick Bantock's The Venetian's Wife (1996) is a collage of Sarah's computer journals (complete with her quirky illustrations), the emails she exchanges with Conti, and some other documents (like an excerpt from an art-catalogue), as well as some narration by Conti. It is a high production value book, with vividly and beautifully reproduced art. As Mr. Conti learns more about Sara, so she learns more about him, including the story of his apparent ancestor Niccolo Dei Conti, the 15th-century Venetian merchant explorer who originally accumulated the collection of 42 statues that the current Conti wants to finish reassembling. As Sara travels around trying to find and acquire the statues, the novel develops the relationships between Conti and his wife Yasoda, Conti and Sarah, and Sarah and Marco (a guy she's been attracted to at the museum where she worked). It also reveals interesting details about some of the Hindu gods and goddesses and their relationships, metamorphoses, and meanings. At its best, Bantock's writing is elliptical and rich, as in this account of Niccolo's demise on the first page of the novel: "He's considering the solitude of his wifeless bed when a visitor arrives. She moves like Mercury, circling the room, touching with golden fingers the pots, pans, candle holders and all things metal. She discovers the knife that Niccolo Dei Conti's hand rests on, and because his feet are firmly planted on the floor she burns out his heart." "Niccolo Dei Conti has his wish; lightening has separated his spirit from his tired body. But his journey is not over. He has been a traveler all his life and he still has far to go." This is a romantic book about the power of love to both persist over centuries and to grow up suddenly. It's a paean to exotic, erotic, beautiful art. However, despite the subtitle of the novel ("A strangely sensual tale of a renaissance explorer, a computer, and a metamorphosis"), the text is less sensual than the photos of statues of Parvati and company, who look nearly 3D in their sexy, stony curves. Furthermore, Conti is a bit too deus ex machina in his limitless wealth and access to computer networks, the story a bit too neat. Nevertheless, the art and the passion do feel physical and spiritual and potent, and Sara and Conti are likeable co-protagonists. Conti's enticing job offer to Sara describes Bantock's ideal reader: "The job I'm offering you will require resourcefulness, imagination, willingness to travel, plus a deep love of artifact." Yes, people interested in art, travel, romance, Hindu divinities, ghost stories, and books that are beautiful objects should enjoy this short illustrated novel. But for all its beauty and love, I suspect it will not long remain with me. View all my reviews
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