I found this to be an interesting but uneven essay collection. Many of the essays were very short in length and felt slapdash.

For me, the chapters on Leon's early teaching in Iran and notes on writing the Brunetti novels were by far the most interesting and I would have liked to have seen more memoir material included.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC copy. I will not be reviewing this for print.

I, like thousands if not millions, of readers world wide am a fan of the 33 Brunetti/Venice mystery novels. Written by Donna Leon. I barely read in this genre anymore. Leon's Brunetti is a rare exception to a mystery world filled with drudge characters and less -than-sparkling writing. Being such a fan of these books makes me want to know more about their author. Donna Leon is an American ex-pat, currently living in Zurich (?) and formerly living in Venice. In this book Leon spends a fair amount of time writing about her love of baroque opera, her 4-5 years teaching English in Iran, her admiration for Ruth Rendell especially, but also for Ross Macdonald, Raymond Chandler, and Tolstoy"s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. She talks a little bit about other things, like where she grew up. She spends at best one-half a page on Guido Brunetti. If you are a fan of Leon then you can decide whether to read this book of not. If you aren't a fan, don't bother.
I once had the pleasure of hearing Leon speak, and a couple of things I remember: Leon's general good humor and decency and the fact that she had no idea of what Brunetti looked like. She also acknowledged at the time (probably around book 28) that Brunetti's children, his wife, and himself had probably aged about 7 years over a 28 year period.
My favorite bit from this book: Much of academic life is spent reading the unreadable and then, worse, talking about it, and then, worse still, writing about it.

Essay collections like this are always a bit hit and miss but this one did keep my attention. The essays focusing on Venice and Venetians particularly held my attention, and the city shines through Leon’s writing, as always; the one about the diamond dealer was probably my favourite. I also really liked the essays on reading and Leon has a talent for being able to provide a fresh and insightful perspective on a book like Pride and Prejudice that has been discussed endlessly. Overall, there is much to recommend here, to readers of course and particularly to those interested in the craft of writing.

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

As a long time fan of the Inspector Brunetti novels, I was eager to read this book of essays from the author and was not disappointed. The short essays focus on various aspects of her life and the sources of inspiration for her books. There are accounts of the challenges of living in Venice, the colourful characters she meets in the course of doing research for her novels. She recounts on episodes in her life including a dramatic time as an English teacher in Iran around the time of the revolution, and reflects what she has learnt from them.

The details in each of her stories make them satisfying to read and the touches of humour add to the pleasure. We learn about her love of baroque opera, the writers she admires (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Ruth Rendell amongst others) as well as her thoughts on writing and what has motivated her own work.

It was an easy and enjoyable read and felt like a couple of hours spent in the company of an compassionate, erudite and thoughtful person.