The Sixteen Pleasures

Books that go into rich details typically don't interest me. "Get to the point already!" is something I might think if an author diddles around too long on description without advancing the plot or the character development.Hellenga goes into a great detail about art and books and their restoration and somehow makes it all interesting. Perhaps he's tapped into the psyche of book lovers by addressing one of our fears: Imagine your most favorite, rare books that you've collected have been damaged and need to be restored or they'll be lost forever. In this case, the author is talking about the treasures of an entire country and not just one person.But this is just the setting and background. Hellenga is also able to apply his same sensual descriptions to his characters and describes the thoughts and life of an American woman in Italy quite ably. I've given several copies of "The Sixteen Pleasures" to my friends, particularly women. It's that good. Quite simply, it is sumptuous and sensual and a pleasure to read.Far too many readers make a point of Hellenga being a man. Donna Tart wrote as a man in "The Secret History" and Jeffrey Eugenides wrote as a hermaphrodite in "Middlesex." In both cases the authors nailed their characters. Why so hard to believe that Hellenga, as a man, can't handle a female character? Besides, anyone with the illusion that Hellenga is all touchy feely only needs to read his book "The Fall of the Sparrow" in which he describes the life of a typical older professor who has frequent sex with one of his female students. If anything, he's versatile. If you love "Pleasures" you might not be as enthralled with "Sparrow" which, although a good read in my opinion, just has a different reading audience.

This was written by a MAN??Wow, the fact that a man wrote this book will blow your slippers off.In The Sixteen Pleasures, Margot, a young American book conservator, goes to Florence in 1966to offer assistance after the devastating flood that destroyed so much priceless art. But she has a secondary agenda: she's seeking passion, adventure, excitement. She gets her wish in spades when a nun places into her hands a pornographic volume bound as a prayer book. The novel could have stayed on the surface of this story, remaining nothing more than an adventure/romance. Author Hellenga, however, digs deeper, and readers come away with a great feeling for the city of Florence, for the art of book preservation, for wall frescoes, and for European city life.Splendid.

THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES epitomizes perfection in a novel. This is a small book that uses language which is quiet, and phrasing that is careful and deliberate. The novel tells a story which is distinctive, complex and compelling; the plot is unpredictable right up until the last page. Only after completing THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES does it become obvious how rich and full a novel it actually is. THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES is set in Florence, definitely one of the most beautiful places on our planet. As the tale unfolds, the reader is instructed about the great flooding of the Arno in 1966, about cloistered religious orders, and about the preservation of rare books. The "pleasures" of the title allude to a medieval ... manual that is the property of a religious order of nuns, a manual which has been damaged in the flood. The whole novel is reported in the first person by the narrator, a female book restorer from America. She is seduced by everything with which she comes in contact, including the life of a cloistered nun, the Tuscan region itself, and a male art restorer with whom she re-enacts some of the pleasures. At all times, the language, under the control of author Robert Hellenga, is lyrical. THE SIXTEEN PLEASURES is as close to perfection as a novel gets.

I was in Florence this past summer and, coincidentally, the book I picked up from the used book store in Florence was this one. Robert Hellenga does a wonderful job of describing this beautiful city. This is an excellent story about a young woman, Margot, who takes off to Florence to save precious artwork damaged from the flood. She comes across a valuable and rare book from a convent library that stirs controversy. Margot walked where I had walked. Whenever I saw the flood's markings on the city walls or strolled the same piazzas, Margot was right beside me.

... I found a book in the cupboard next to my bed where I keep books I intend to read. My sister had lent it to me, saying it was very good. But it was one of those books about an American in Florence, and since I am American expat in Florence I was skeptical. Usually these stories are based on preconceived ideas of Italy as a 3rd world country with charming farmers living next to your summer rental which is falling apart in such a charming way as you sip your cheap red wine. A new paperback, the book was musty smelling as I started reading this fascinating story about a woman who came to Florence after the flood in 1966, armed with amazing expertise in book conservation, and a lot of courage I'd say, given that she didn't have much to back her up in terms of money or connections. She finds her way day by day, new friend by new friend, establishing herself in her new city. I found the description of her story as it evolved very natural, and very familiar. Those of us who have moved to this city, trying to make it our new home, have all experienced the wonderful taste of trust from strangers who take us under their wings, protect us, and show us the way through the Italian labyrinth, and the betrayal by lovers who leave us or employers who dump us. So, if you find this book in the cupboard next to your bed, read it! It's a treasure.