I feel like this book took me forever to read. It's not that I didn't like it, because I did, mostly. But the middle part . . . I think the middle part was too long. I really started to dislike the main character during her whole Byron drama, which just seemed to go on and on and on. I liked the beginning of the book, and it ended the way I wanted it to, but I think the middle chunk could have been much shorter and still told the story effectively.

~Have you ever noticed how often, in a painting, a cat lends it ironic subtly to a scene? By its mere presence, a cat gives a cometary, adds dignity and humanity to the direst of poor hovels, and pathos to the ridiculous deaths of gentle saints. Dogs and lions do merely what dogs and lions do, but a cat - his every gesture is there to be read.~

~What people want to see in their portraits is what they want to know, but cannot see in their own faces: some kind of inner truth behind their own eyes. The truth they seek is always this: How much shall I be loved?

~Locked inside the portrait is the story of the subject, and the story of the painter, and the story of their relationship.~

~When [cats] dislike one of our kind, or if he becomes old, or damaged, we kill him. Humans are more cruel.~

~Remember that in this world the word 'artist' automatically denotes a male, unless 'female' is additionally specified. Every woman artist is accustomed to be celebrated as an exceptional member of her species; she is a curiosity.~

~I know this all now because Love made me a spy.~

Sometimes, I really ought to pay more attention to the blurb on the back of the book.

I picked up Carnevale expecting a book about a female portrait painter from Venice in the late 1700's. Which, it is. But, I completely neglected the summary and was a bit shocked by what I had picked up. So, just in case you missed the blurb as well: Cecelia, at age 13, is lured out of her bathtub one night by Casanova's cat (yes, THAT Casanova) and she immediately becomes his lover. He teaches her many things - including how to paint what people want to see. The first part of the book follows their love affair and Cecelia's growing up. The next part of the book takes place 25 years later when Cecelia is a very sought-after portrait painter. She is in Albania commissioned (or commanded, rather) to be at the court of Ali Pasha. There she meets Lord Byron and begins an affair with the infamous English poet.

This book is really a very true and very thorough history of both Casanova and George Gordon, Lord Byron - as anything discussed, written, known, etc. by them follow their history to a T. The only fiction in this book is the woman artist (Cecelia), her family, the gondolier, and the cat. I went into this book not expecting at all what it turned out to be. I knew next to nothing re: Casanova (I mean, I've never really felt the pull to read his 3,000 page tome) and quite a bit more re: Lord Byron... I will say that it is extremely well-written. Cecelia's voice is clear and sounds like it belongs to the time and place. The descriptions of painting, Venice, its people and buildings are magnificent. I feel like I've learned so much from this book.

Yet whole parts of the book just seemed to drag for me.

I would suggest that if you want to read this, you should prepare yourself for Casanova, Lord Byron, and lots of naughty bits. Though it is billed as historical fiction (& even romance in some instances), it can be such a slog to get through.

Probably longer than it really needed to be.

Pffffft.

I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at this book.

I feel like it would have been a lot better if not for the ENDLESS namedropping - if Casanova and Byron were replaced as characters by fictional dudes with similar personalities, then maybe it would have been a little more bearable.

DNF at page 80. The words are good, but the storyline is lacking. No conflict, no growth, no plot.