The Girl from Venice

By: Martin Cruz Smith

Narrated by: Zach Appelman

A beautiful, heart-wrenching novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Tatiana and Gorky Park, set against the dangers of Italy in World War II as a young couple must outrun the Nazis to protect their forbidden love.

Venice, 1944. The war may be waning, but the city is still occupied and people all over Europe fear the power of the Third Reich. One night, under a sky of brilliant stars, a poor fisherman named Cenzo comes across a girl's body floating in the lagoon. He carries her into his boat and soon discovers that she is very much alive and very much in trouble: Born to a wealthy Jewish family who has been captured and deported by the Nazis, Guilia is on the run after she was found hiding in a local hospital. Cenzo decides it's the right thing to do to help her escape, never anticipating an innocent act of chivalry would quickly turn to love as the two grow closer.

Set against the beauty, mystery, and danger of World War II, The Girl from Venice is a sweeping and romantic love story from one of our most celebrated contemporary suspense writers.

©2016 Titanic Productions. All rights reserved. (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Terrific great Characters

His depiction of Mussolini is so close to trump / guess humans never learn. Love this author! Narrator exceptional !

tedious and trite

it is hard to believe this is a book by Martin Cruz Smith. It is barely more than a sketch for a screenplay. the characters are two-dimensional and unbelievable and the storyline is formulaic. If you love Mr. Smith, do yourself a favor and skip this book.

Brothers...War....and a Girl

Would you listen to The Girl from Venice again? Why?

No...I have too many other books on my list to listen to The Girl from Venice again.

What does Zach Appelman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The story really came to life with Zach Appelman's reading. He does a very good German accent, too. He was able to help me visualize scenes and people by the tone and inflection of his voice.

Great Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Girl from Venice to be better than the print version?

That is how I listened to it, and yes, I would definitely suggest listening to it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Girl from Venice?

The end

What does Zach Appelman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good voice, which some readers do not have

Who was the most memorable character of The Girl from Venice and why?

Chenzo

Any additional comments?

No

If you like fish you'll like this book

This thriller about a reluctant spy who wants nothing more than to go back to his small fishing village in the end of WW2 era Italy, is fascinating and beautiful all the way through. The reader of the story had a rich and relaxing voice and gave the main character a charm I enjoyed throughout. If you like fishing and WW2 this is definitely a book you'll enjoy.

Listening allowed me to hear its poetry

I read this book. Listening allowed me to hear the poetry of Cruz's writing. This is a grand story, the characters are human, only slightly larger than life. I have read most of Cruz's work. This is a fine book. I could not stop listening.

Excellent!

Excellent book! Loved it. Entertaining, insightful of the ways of a Pellestrina fisherman tangled up in a love story and a world of WW2. A must for anyone seeking to read more about Venice and it's history.

Great start, mediocre middle, predictable end.

I can't quite pinpoint my disappointment, but the story didn't really grab me. Too many moving parts mixed in with what seemed like the author was trying show off as knowledge about an array of random subject matter. The end result being padding for what could have been a shorter, more to the point book.

Too bad I can't give it more stars

Where does The Girl from Venice rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Easily the top of the list. Cruz Smith is the master of creating a vibrant, living scene with sympathetic characters. Amazing story all the way around. similar to December 6 purely in period, but creates a uniquely Italian tone rather than the distinct Japanese tone of the other book.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Enough tension from start to finish to keep you riveted. Enough twists from left field to avoid predictability. Takes a time period with natural tension and creates a slice of life.

What does Zach Appelman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Every character can be easily distinguished by his portrayal. Nailed the subtle differences between the brothers.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps the finest author of this genre practicing today. Too bad they don't have his best effort - Rose - available on Audible.

I would listen to this narrator read the phone book

Enjoyable story, plot was a bit thin and lacked back story in some areas but Zach Appleman does a superb job as always with subtle inflections and great accents to help you keep the characters straight.