Much like The Princess Bride in style - which is a Good Thing. ( )

The gondoliers of Venice were once regarded as the finest singers in the world, but for years they have been mysteriously silent. At the heart of this mystery is a young gondolier named Luigi. Luigi is an incredibly gifted gondolier, able to navigate what other gondoliers refer to as SPLAT Corner with the greatest of ease. However, when it comes to his vocal abilities, Luigi is severely lacking. In fact, his singing is so appalling that the citizens of Venice throw fish at him from their windows. His customers, wary of being pelted by flying seafood during their leisurely gondola rides, soon disappear. His fellow gondoliers, fearing for their own livelihoods, demand that Luigi never work as a gondolier again.

The disgraced Luigi then goes to work in the Gondolier’s Tavern, washing dishes to earn his living. But still he dreams of the day when he can sing his heart out on the Grand Canal. After ten years he saves up enough money to take vocal lessons, but the only instructor who will take him on is a deaf man. Luigi’s dream looks as though it will never be attainable, but an act of great bravery and skill will eventually change how his fellow gondoliers look at Luigi.

This is a fast and enjoyable read with a fair amount of charm, but The Silent Gondoliers doesn’t quite live up the genius of Goldman’s better known work, The Princess Bride. Luigi’s story is not a must-read, but it is a pleasant tale that can be read in under an hour. ( )

Entertaining, but not nearly as good as The Princess Bride. A very fast read. But I did laugh out loud -- frequently. ( )

Short but sweet. I wouldn't have picked it up if not for The Princess Bride, which I love, but it was a nice little diversion. This book (almost felt like more of a short story than a book - took under half an hour to read) tells the story of Luigi, who wants nothing more than to be a gondolier, but who is unfortunately tone-deaf: unacceptable in a city that prides itself on its singing gondoliers. Charming, funny, and lovely illustrations that add to the flavor of the story, although the ending felt a bit abrupt and the answer to the mystery (Why did the gondoliers stop singing) is left a little ambiguous, that's okay. It's not a meaty or ambitious book or anything like that, but sometimes you just need something light and sweet, and this serves admirably. ( )

http://www.sff.net/people/lucy-snyder... ( )