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Released in 1990
Foreign translations
Falsetto(German)
La Voix des Anges(French)
Notable characters
Carlo, Christina, Guido, Marianna, Tonio
In eigthteenth century Italy the castrati recreated heaven on earth.
Their exquisite voices soared above the glittering world of courtiers and nobility. Those who achieved fame were showered with riches and sexual favours. But their success also hid a terrible sadness.
Tonio, of noble birth, is the victim of a vengeful brother. Disinherited and forced to join the ranks of the castrati, he plans his revenge while striving to become the greatest of all singers.
Guido, sacrificed to the knife at an early age, composes opera and dreams of the perfect voice to give it life. He discovers Tonio and becomes his teacher.
As together they reach the very pinnacle of success, Tonio is pushed to the extremes of endurance as he tries to resolve his lust for glory and vengeance.
- My opinion -
I found this book fascinating since I previously had very little knowledge about the castrati. I expect those who have seen the film 'Farinelli' would love this novel. Tonio is an interesting enough character and yet another example of how well Anne write bisexual characters. I particularly enjoyed his troubled relationship with Guido which seemed a lot more believable to me than his relationship with Christina. My only complaint would be that the conclusion and Tonio's ultimate trimuph was rather predictable.
If Cry to Heaven is your favourite novel vote for it.
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