Death in Venice, California

This novel, based on Thomas Mann’s classic Death in Venice, follows protagonist Jameson Frame as he moves himself from Manhattan to Venice, CA in hopes of finding something more. He is an established poet and is almost immediately consumed by the characters that Venice has to offer. The main object of his affection is the vibrant youth named Chase who Jameson finds himself inexplicably lusting after. Jameson’s two other close friends, Elsa and Vera, take him under their wing to show him the Venice lifestyle including everything from beach outings, to plastic surgery, to lavish dinner gatherings. It is driven by the basic themes seen in Thomas Mann’s novel, but handled in an interesting way.

Death in Venice, California includes an interesting cast of characters and author Vinton Rafe McCabe has written in a very distinct voice. The novel was not entirely what I expected and some sections bordered on being a bit disturbing to read while being intriguing all the way through to the end. Structurally, some of the sentences were hard to read at times but I really enjoyed reading about the Venice that McCabe created and how it was portrayed. It presented a romantic view of Venice that I had not previously attributed to the city.