Reincarnation in Venice (1979 novel)
Encyclopedia
Reincarnation in Venice is a science fiction
or mystery
book written by popular fiction author Max Simon Ehrlich
and published in 1979 by Simon and Schuster in New York.
The author begins his story by declaring that on one balmy September morning in 1954 a 25-year-old Venetian
man steps out of a mansion just off the Grand Canal and into the street:
Before the day is through, he will have died unceremoniously, and his body thrown into one of the canals.
The story picks up again on page 23, apparently decades later in another part of the world when a young and wealthy computer programmer walking down down East 50th Street in New York
, notices in the window of an antique shop an item that catches his eye.
and he just has to have it, even if it is overpriced, and not a legitimate hedge against inflation. Even if it is gold, it is possibly overpriced. But the medallion carries a curious coat of arms
upon its face, and must have been minted privately by some noble family in Italy
. And thus begins a long journey that takes him back to another man's life - and death - in Venice.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
or mystery
Mystery fiction
Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...
book written by popular fiction author Max Simon Ehrlich
Max Simon Ehrlich
Max Simon Ehrlich was an American writer. He is best known for writing the novel The Reincarnation of Peter Proud and the movie of the same name.-Early life and education:...
and published in 1979 by Simon and Schuster in New York.
The author begins his story by declaring that on one balmy September morning in 1954 a 25-year-old Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
man steps out of a mansion just off the Grand Canal and into the street:
- He was young, perhaps no more than twenty-five, with a darkly handsome patrician face, and was, like most Venetians of his class, exquisitely tailored. He paused for a moment, in front of the great doors of the palazzo and looked up. His wife was at one of the upper windows. He smiled at her and blew her a kiss. She waved back at him. Page 13.
Before the day is through, he will have died unceremoniously, and his body thrown into one of the canals.
The story picks up again on page 23, apparently decades later in another part of the world when a young and wealthy computer programmer walking down down East 50th Street in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, notices in the window of an antique shop an item that catches his eye.
- The window was cluttered with a variety of articles for sale - guitars, typewriters, tape recorders, clocks, golf clubs, and a hodgepodge of jewelry, rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The medallion itself was large in size, about two inches in diameter, and hung on a gold chain. Mixed with the rest of the jewelry in the window, it was rather inconspicuous. Yet, somehow, it had drawn his attention. Page 27.
and he just has to have it, even if it is overpriced, and not a legitimate hedge against inflation. Even if it is gold, it is possibly overpriced. But the medallion carries a curious coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
upon its face, and must have been minted privately by some noble family in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. And thus begins a long journey that takes him back to another man's life - and death - in Venice.