The Venice Chronicles - Enrico Casarosa

Quick Facts:

Title: The Venice Chronicles

Author:  Enrico Casarosa

Where to buy: Amazon

Number of Pages: 144

Type of Book: Autobiographical Comic/Art Collection book

Review

I picked this book after seeing Mr. Casarosa at his SIGGRAPH presentation for his Pixar short “La Luna”. His presentation held many of his illustrations, and I became enamored of his fun style, as well as his skillful use of textures and coloring.

When I got the book in the mail, the first thing that struck me was how gorgeous this book is. The weight, the feel of the hardcover, the slight raise of the lettering on the cover, this was just a joy to view and hold.  So I of course quickly judged the book by its cover and dove straight into the pages.

This book was especially touching to me personally because my heart seems intertwined with Venice. I visited it once when I was going through a period of depression. I was surprised when I visited how quickly I fell for the city. Thoughts that had been plaguing me for months fled my mind and I found myself wearing a true smile. My heart was lifted and I felt myself floating throughout the city.

An example of the pages found within

There was so much love in this one day trip for me that my fiancé and I decided to spend our honeymoon there.

There could not be a more perfect book to curl up with as I try to de-stress from wedding planning. It reminds me of all I will look forward to during this time, a nice relaxing trip with my loved one, to be filled with new and unique memories.

Mr. Casarosa’s book is a travel log of this joyous city. He manages to capture the wondrous details one may take for granted, and presents his memories in a gentle and touching way. The pacing jumps around a bit, but it isn’t something that detracts from the read. It in fact reminded me of the rush one gets when traveling, the speed one wishes to capture those fleeting moments. I finished the book in one sitting, but I keep going back to it to stare at his art. Aside from documenting his trip to Venice he also speaks of his blossoming romance with his girlfriend. To keep the story going, his character directly addresses the reader and interacts with his shoulder angels.

His angels speak of many issues artists deal with, and its nice to be reminded on how every artist doubts themselves at times.

I'm sure LOTS of people will enjoy it!

I know I did! And I am glad this  got published, it’s a proud addition in my library. Thank you!