Hmm, this book was original! I picked it up expecting a book on travel, but while it shared some similarities to the genre it was more about the author and his fraught relationship with his father.
I suppose that traveling alone allows a great deal of time for introspection. Add to that the experience of staying in Venice during the lockdowns of COVID – it makes for a spooky time. The author’s explorations of the city are light on history and more about how he experiences them. He doesn’t really seem to capture the vibe of the city (at least not the Venice that I visited) but I think that was not his intention.
It is a very creative book, especially a passage towards the end that was really well-written and surreal. It was at its best when it was considering deeper issues: identity, guilt and the power of a grudge.
However I felt that author seemed oddly oversensitive to the people around him – he admits to having these issues – and sort of blames it on his upbringing and the uncomfortable position his racial identity places him. Some of his behavior struck me as odd – but not out of the ordinary for someone with an artistic bent.
It was a short, unusual book but I enjoyed the experience of peeking into the mind of a Minotaur. Next I am reading The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.
