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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
466 global ratings
5 star
72%
4 star
13%
3 star
9%
2 star
4%
1 star
3%
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Elsabeth
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't get the Audible version
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2018
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This is an excellent, well written novel. I've never read anything about this subject previously so found myself constantly googling things and learning a lot - and Anne Rice did her homework. It hits all my requirements for 5 stars: long enough to immerse yourself in completely, well written without grammatical or other errors, and interesting subject matter and characters. This is my first non-supernatural Anne Rice novel and it might be one of my favorite books I've ever read.

That said, the audiobook was a huge disappointment. The book itself was so good that I couldn't knock off a star for this, but readers should be aware that when they say the audible version is "abridged", they mean it. It is 3 hours long and skipped over nearly the entire book. For reference, Outlander is a novel of similar length and the audiobook is over 32 hours long.
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Wayne
3.0 out of 5 stars A self indulgent Anne Rice
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2020
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There is no doubt of Anne Rice’s talents, and no doubt as well to her commitment to authenticity achieved through hard tireless work. Both show themselves in this seemingly historically faithful story of an inadvertent castrati with such talents and torments. Yet one could not help but feel Ms Rice was padding the story with endless passages of wretched introspection filled with angst and self denial, yet mixed with never-ending declarations of love, hate, and passion. Devotees of homo-erotica might be enticed for a while but even these passages become trite and boring. As a short story, this would have deserved five stars. As a novella perhaps four. But lacking a fearless editor with a thick blue pencil I can offer but three ... even that somewhat begrudgingly.
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Kindle Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous writing but gratuitous sex
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2020
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I loved the writing style here, the nuance at some times and raw directness at others, the poetry and lyricism, and the great sweeping story of love and revenge and unexpected trials and triumphs. I loved that so much, and Tonio was a phenomenally developed character, his arc was unforgettable. But just a personal preference, I did not like all the massive amounts of often gratuitous sex with seemingly everyone in the book. And on a deeper level, I was disturbed by the dubious level of consent in most of the encounters. If I could, I would give this book a 3.5, but I have to settle at 3 stars (why doesn't Goodreads allow half stars?)
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ByrdMan
5.0 out of 5 stars WOW~! Just Stunning . . .
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
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I first read this in 1982 when it had just been released in the Hardbound Edition and I remembered it vividly. Now that I have a kindle, I decided to read it again after 32 years. This is Anne Rice before Vampires, Zombies, Jesus and the Computer --- when she was a wonderful writer with a truly addictive narrative force that propels a brilliant historical story into the literary stratosphere. I did not want to eat, work, sleep ---I was addicted to this tale of the world of The Great Castrati and the Machiavellian machinations of the world of the 17th Century Opera. Like any great Detective Story, I did not want to put it down. Gripping! Stunning! Unforgettably Erotic! Truly touches the heart AND the libido. WOW~!
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leander
5.0 out of 5 stars I have been a fan of Anne Rice since 'Interview With
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2018
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A Vampire'. In my opinion, as a writer she is in com petion with only herself and she never fails to carry her readers into worlds made real and vibrant by her brilliant use of language as an art form. 'Cry to Heaven succeeds on every level. The story is from a unique page in history some think as impossible as her 'Vampire Chronicles' but history it is brought to life with all the flair and poetry I have come to expect from this extraordinary author. Thank You, Mrs. Rice for another magnificent ride and for bringing this fascinating story to life.
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Alicja Z.
4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful but long
Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2013
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Marc Antonio "Tonio" Treschi, a son of a Councillor of Venice in the 18th century, leads a life of comfort while minding his tutors and taking care of his mother who seemes to suffer from depression. However, as he grows up he uncovers family secrets that veer his destiny from following his father's footsteps into a world both amazing and terrifying, and resembling nothing of the future he had imagined; a world that could build him up or destroy him, a world where his path merges with Guido Maffeo, a castrato who lost his voice years ago and places his hopes and dreams into the hands of others.

This is a hard book to review. I have read many of Rice's vampire books about 10 to 15 years ago and loved them. Here her writing isn't as refined (or maybe I just have years more experience reading and writing and it never was as refined as it seemed back in high school/college). Honestly, the first 100 pages bored (even annoyed) me; many were long winded descriptions that felt uninspired. What kept me going were the flashes of great potential brewing within her characters. And on that account she doesn't disappoint. The more that was revealed about Tonio and Guido, the more I fell in love with them. Their fears and dreams, defeats and successes are brilliantly interwoven into their developing personalities. The drama of their lives evolves in bits and pieces and we don't see the entire picture until the very end. And what an ending! In contrast to the shaky and bland start, the ending was so wonderfully brilliant it made reading the novel (and struggling through the rough parts) completely worth it. Overall, an amazing story with memorable leading characters (and some memorable secondary characters) and a great plot although it could have been 100 pages shorter and the novel wouldn't have suffered for it. Just have patience at the beginning (skip some pages if you must) for a heart wrenching, bittersweet payoff.
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LaBellePersonneTop Contributor: Coloring
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time and money on this garbage
Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2020
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The book is extremely over-written. The story wanders and meanders, and goes no place really. There is so little plot the characters really have nothing to do.

It is positively boring. I read about 18% of it and simply could not go any further, and returned it.

I purchased it because it was supposed to be about the castrati of Italian and I wanted to know more about them. You certainly won't learn any more about them from this badly written, badly researched mess.
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PamW
3.0 out of 5 stars Cry to Heaven
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2020
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Good read.
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Jill
5.0 out of 5 stars an emotional read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 14, 2013
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a moving and very absorbing story. Loved the main characters whose emotions were beautifully written. the period setting was brought to life by the excellent descriptions.
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Koala
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2015
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Good read
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Jennie goguen
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific reading
Reviewed in Canada on August 5, 2021
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I just loved this book and it’s story ,about thirty years ago I read it for the first time .it’s a story that never left me in all the years passed,l saw it again and am now rereading it again , the story is very well written takes you back to those times in history ,really l can,t say enough good things about it , l,m sure that l will reread it again in my life time .the author did a wonderful job in the research of the time it was in .
Thank you for a story very well written
J Goguen
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Germano Mascheroni
4.0 out of 5 stars Cry to Heaven
Reviewed in Italy on May 22, 2017
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Interessante romanzo basato su ricerche storiche di un'epoca i cui costumi (limitatamente al contesto in questione) non potevo immaginare.

Mia colpa non aver verificato in anticipo formato e numero di pagine, con il risultato che i caratteri sono piuttosto piccoli e che le oltre 500 pagine in inglese richiederanno pertanto un lungo periodo di lettura.

Comunque nessun problema su ordine e consegna: ricevuto con appropriato imballo presso un locker secondo la data prevista.
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