If you felt your life was somehow cursed, and you could rid yourself of that curse by walking the Maze in the city Labirinto, would you do it? Could you confront your deepest fears and sorrows? The wonderfully imaginative stories of some who did unfold in the well-written pages of The Innamorati.I found this book utterly fascinating; blending mythology, theater, history, humor, and a lively cast of characters in an alternate Renaissance Italy setting. Highly recommend this book.

This book is set in a fictional Renaissance Italy and follows a cast of characters all of whom believe they are cursed and many of whom have some link to the theatre. There is a carnevale mask-maker, a siren, a duelist, a beggar girl. Each character is somehow plagued and either intentionally or unintentionally makes his/her way to a legendary maze hoping that by traversing the maze his/her curse will be dispelled.My reaction to this book was very uneven. Part of my problem is that I am not over...

Pretty good book. The beginning was somewhat boring and the characters seemed unempathetic, but as the book continued it got better. Lighthearted and entertaining while dealing with characters' deep-seated internal issues. The resolution and ending were satisfying. Descriptions of the maze: likewise good. A little too earthy for my taste, but it suited the milieu so I'll only point that out as a caveat to others who might be discomfited by it.

Italian cursesThe masks we wearLearning to live with traumaA morality playI really enjoyed this book. One doesn't come across too many fantasies set in Renaissance Italy, which is an interesting change of pace. Loved the premise of the magic maze and the masked actors. Great character growth and a satisfying conclusion. A little hard to track down since there doesn't appear to be an ebook version, but it's definitely worth finding a copy.

This book has certainly gained a special place in my heart. The story is just amazing, it mixes fantasy with Renaissance Italy and Comedia del'Arte. The Italian comedy theatre where some of the characters, the best well known today, were Harlequin, Columbina, Pulcinella, and others I didn't know before. It's so magical and well crafted, and in my opinion really original. The destination of the cursed characters: in the city of Labirinto there's a magical maze that is supposed to be able to lift

This is very much like a fantasy Dante. It is very lyrical and filled with Greek myth and legend. Very much Dante.

It's rare to discover a fantasy novel that breaks new ground in the genre, and a delight to be able to forgo comparisons with Tolkien. The Innamorati, by Midori Snyder, is such a novel.It is said that to enter the great maze at the center of the city of Labirinto, one can lose any curse that might haunt them. Thus begins the story of The Innamorati, and from the first page the reader will find himself engrossed in Ms. Snyder's story and unwilling to stop turning the pages.The Innamorati, set aga...

A multi-layered tapestry woven of threads from Renaissance Italy and Greco-Roman mythology, The Innamorati tells the story of the magical maze in the city of Labirinto, where it is said that curses may be lifted, and of the pilgrims who enter the maze: Anna, the mask-maker who cannot make masks; the actor Fabrizio, who stutters; Rinaldo, cursed to live by the sword; Erminia, the siren, condemned to silence and exile from the sea; Zizola, the street girl whose curse almost dooms the maze and its

This was a thoroughly entertaining romp through old Italy when Commedia del Arte ruled. And since I did Commedia theatre, it was especially amusing. There's some fine characters, as a matter of fact all of them were people I would like to know in real life. Well, except for one or 2, but even those, not quite human, have their purpose and even become redeemable. Extremely clever spin on journeying through a life-changing maze.So why only 3 stars? That's actually a darn decent rating from me! At

This. Book. Is. STUNNING. I gasped aloud. I laughed noisily in public. I held my breath for fear of sighing too loudly. This is a delectable, delicious, mind-boggling love letter to Commedia dell'Arte, a theatrical form and tradition very near to my own heart. This book fills the mind with what ifs and then whats, and I shall read it over and over and over again.

This book has been in our library for I don't know how long, and I finally got around the reading it, and I don't know why it took so long. (I mean, other than the reason it takes me forever to get to just about anything. The List is very long.) I really enjoyed this book, and will be seeking out more of her work for sure.She did take her time introducing all the (many) characters, setting up their problems and why they might want to try their luck in the maze, and that did become a bit... tedio...

I’ve begun a new personal challenge of reading all the Mythopoeic and World Fantasy Award winners. I’ve already read just over twenty over the years and I have about eighty to go. This challenge should last me about 2 years or so. So my blog entries will have mostly fantasy reviews for a while. The first of this new challenge is a Mythopoeic winner from 2001. It’s an alternate Renaissance Italy with some interesting magic based on mythology and the Commedia dell’Arte. Innamorati itself means the...

What a way with language Snyder has! A rather droll, slow-paced fantasy, expertly done. The Shakespearean cast of characters makes it hard to remember who everyone is. Characters sharing the same initial letter of their names (Roberto, Rinaldo) doesn't help. An enjoyable read. A new favorite author!

Wow, an unexpected surprise, I picked this up in a jumble sale thinking it looked interesting. Struggled a bit through the first thirty pages, working out what was going on, and then loved it. This is an excellent book, deserving of a wider audience.

Cool premise but so much sex and so long windedly written I can't get into it. Dnf :(

What is a curse? she asked herself. An utterly worthless form of revenge. No, a curse was a gob of spit launched into the wind that returned to strike the spitter in the face.What a strange, clever little book.The Innamorati introduces a broad cast of characters with unique stories and afflictions, all equal players in one overarching narrative about a maze that can cure the curses of anyone who enters it. Against a background of Renaissance Italy, it combines Roman mythology and Commedia dell'A...

This was a great read that brought me to tears more than once. The first thing that caught my eye was the Italian Renaissance setting - I've been studying Italian and am very interested in the period - and the flap notes sold me on giving it a go.I'm glad I did! This one is a bit genre-bending. You could call it historical fantasy, but to me it reads more like magic realism in a Renaissance rather than contemporary setting. The addition of the magical elements is not to create alternate reality,...

4.5 stars What an interesting, remarkable book ! Beautifully written, almost lyrical. The style reminds of some more recent authors such as Madeline Miller and Erin Morgenstern. Amazingly inventive. It mixes elements of Roman mythology with Italian Renaissance theatre with a dash of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and even a hint of Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness. At times witty, adventurous, romantic and sad. The only reason I didn't round up to 5 stars was, because the book was so literate, at times

The characters are so loveable.The insults and quips are SEARING. Seriously, this book has some of the most masterfully crafted curse word strings ever.The descriptions of food and cuisine in this book are enticing, you're gonna get hungry reading certain parts of this book.Overall a nice read, and an interesting approach to fantasy genre.

Wasted potential.