The Eye Stone: The First Medieval Noir about the Birth of Venice

Tiraboschi, Roberto

ISBN 10: 1609452658 / ISBN 13: 9781609452650

Published by Europa Editions, 2015

Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G1609452658I3N00

Synopsis:

In the twelfth century AD, Venice is little more than an agglomeration of small islands snatched from the muddy tides. The magnificent city-lagoon of Venice, the rich and powerful Serene Republic, is yet to be born. Here, in this northern backwater, a group of artisans have proven themselves to be unrivalled in an art form that produces works of such astounding beauty that many consider it mystical in nature and think its practitioners possessed of otherworldly gifts: glassmaking. Presciently aware of the power they wield and the role they will play in the Venice of the future, the Venetian glassmakers inhabit a world of esoteric practices and secret knowledge that they protect at all costs.

Into this world steps Edgardo D’Arduino, a cleric and a professional copyist. Edgardo’s eyesight has begun to waver―a curse for a man who makes his living copying sacred texts. But he has heard stories, perhaps legends, that in Venice, city of glassmakers, there exists a stone, the “lapides ad legendum,” that can restore one’s sight. However, finding men who have knowledge of this wondrous stone proves almost impossible. After much searching, Edgardo meets a mysterious man who offers him a deal: he will lead him to the makers of the lapides ad legendum in exchange for Edgardo’s stealing a secret Arabic scientific text that is kept in the abbey where Edgardo lodges. When a series of horrific crimes shakes the cloistered world of the glassmakers, Edgardo realizes that there is much more at stake that his faltering eyesight.

About the Authors: Roberto Tiraboschi was born in Bergamo, Italy. He is known as one of Italy’s most stylish screenwriters and playwrights, having worked with Nobel laureate Dario Fo and written screenplays for a number of Italian directors, including Marco Pontecorvo, Silvio Soldini, and Liliana Cavani among others. His novels have enjoyed success with both critics and readers. The Eye Stone (Europa, 2015) was his English debut.

Katherine Gregor translates from Italian, Russian and French. She is also a playwright and a fiction writer and maintains a regular blog.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Eye Stone: The First Medieval Noir about...
Publisher: Europa Editions
Publication Date: 2015
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket