Venice Is a Fish: A Sensual Guide (Advance Uncorredted Proof)

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Gotham Books, 2008. 1st Edition 1st Printing Full # line. Soft cover. As New. *Advance Uncorrected Proof* first printing, paperback copy of the Gotham hardcover. Has a inscription to someone from Jen. Otherwise mint condition. "One of Italy's brightest literary lights reinvents travel writing with a seductive, intoxicating celebration of the magical saltwater city." from back wrapper. "Venice is a fish," writes Tiziano Scarpa. "It's like a vast sole stretched out against the deep. How did this marvelous beast make its way up the Adriatic and fetch up here, of all places?" Paying homage to his native city in a lyrical and evocative style, he guides readers down tiny alleys, over bridges, and through squares, daring us to lose ourselves, forget the guidebooks, and experience Venice as Venetians do. No hotel ratings or museum hours. Instead, in a delightful initiation, Scarpa tells us how to balance while standing on a gondola; where lovers will find the best secret hiding places; the finer points of etiquette and navigation during an agua alta; and how best to defend ourselves from the pitiless beauty of one of the world's most stimulating cities. Images, secret history, and hidden lore; a treasure map of the senses. -- from back wrapper.