"The Man Who Was Loved" is the title of
Kay MacCauley's debut novel. The novel is set in the Venice of 1546. An unusual
child is found abandoned at the San Barnabo shelter for foundlings in Venice.
Sister Clara claims him as her own, as she is mysteriously drawn to him. She is
the first for whom Marin will assume the shape of their lost or unfulfilled
love. As Marin grows up, the waters of the lagoon rise, leaving fish on the
streets. The city is also struck by a plague, with symptoms that resemble
drowning... The people of Venice are desperate for salvation, and turn to San
Barnabo, who was sacrificed years before to save the city. And they believe
that San Barnabo has returned, in the form of Marin...
Kay MacCauley has an elegant, crisp style that is easy to
read. At the book launch, Kay revealed that one of her favourite novelists is
F. Scott Fitzgerald, and although her subject matter is very different from
his, her prose is just as beautiful. The way that she writes about the
Inquisition, amongst other horrors, is so exquisite, that you are not too
disturbed by all the graphic details. It helps that there is often a note of
humour, as well as gore, in Kay MacCauley's words. In addition, there is more
than a hint of magical realism in this novel, and that's no bad thing, as the
more fantastical a story, the more likely it is to survive (at least in this
reviewer's opinion). Admittedly, I did fear that this would be yet another
novel about death in Venice, but Kay MacCauley has presented her danse macabre
in a city state that is at the height of its powers, rather than the sinking,
rotting mausoleum of today. There is also the fact that, with a little
assistance, the corpses that feature in "The Man Who Was Loved", have
a tendency to spring back to life, or indeed, to have never died at all. Given
the fantastical nature of Venice's continued existence, I guess that it's not
too surprising that it has helped generate so many excellent fictions. Kay
MacCauley delights in bringing to colourful life the people from this era, such
as the rogues that form the Bravi, and the Flagellants (not that they've
stopped practicing, as of yet). A touch of alchemy can also do wonders for a
work of fiction, as J. K. Rowling discovered with "Harry Potter and the
Philosopher's Stone", and, as I have always found it to be a fascinating
ingredient, I was delighted to see the presence of
the Elixir of Life in "The Man Who Was Loved".
There are several fantastic and engaging characters in
"The Man Who Was Loved". I would say that my favourite was Lelio, the
walking corpse who is compelled collect the dead of Venice. It's his habit of
throwing himself in front of horses that forms the startling opening of
"The Man Who Was Loved" (although you may have to read it again, as
this is not a practice that is commonly indulged in). Such is his air of
entropy, that few dare approach Lelio, so he has to grab the attention of those
with whom he wishes to converse by breaking his own limbs in front of them, and
by watching their amazement as his shattered body repairs itself. Kay MacCauley
manages to impart a great deal of humanity and dignity to a man who is verily
rotting away. Agostino, the eunuch, is also a sympathetic character, despite
his sometimes atrocious actions. It does seem as though most of the male
characters come off better than the female ones, but the more sinister men,
such as Sebastiano and the syphilitic Alvise, could be viewed as a balance to
these more likeable characters. As for Marin, he does engage our sympathy, and
you do identify with him, which is no mean feat for Kay MacCauley to have
pulled off. Take for instance Pran Nath in Haris Kunzru's "The
Impressionist": he moulds himself into whatever is expected of him by his
peers, and sheds what little character he has in the process. Marin, on the
other hand, often finds his body moulding itself into what others want to see,
and mostly against his will, but still retains his self-awareness.
Although, like everyone else in the novel, Marin is perplexed about his
mysterious origins, and exactly where it is that he is heading to, Kay
MacCauley manages to make him very engaging. Perhaps it is because, like
everyone else, when Marin has dreams that come true, they don't exactly do so
as he had wished. And that makes Marin very human, despite his fantastic powers
(which he is not sure what to do with). I look forward to seeing more fictions
by Kay MacCauley as magical as this.
Lelio - p. 8 - is possibly named after the hero of Berlioz's "Lelio, ou Le retour a la
vie" ("The Return to Life")
Giudecca - p. 10 - where
Marin is found, is thought to have been named after its Jewish settlers. The
story of Marin's discovery in the weeds is reminiscent of that of Moses.
"Marin" is named after the sea, with which he is subtly associated,
although "Marin" was also the name of Clara's son
San Barnabo - p. 19 - looks to be a fictional saint, although
there is a Saint
Barnabas, whose name has been taken to mean "son or
prophecy", or "son of exhortation". There is a Church of San
Barnaba in Venice, which was famously used as a location for "Indiana
Jones and the Last Crusade"
The
Elixir of Life - p. 87 - has proved inspirational for many fictions
the French pox
- p. 201 - Alvise is suffering from syphiliis
Pope Paul
IV - p. 267 - the wikipedia entry
Flagellants
- p. 287 - more about these. Self-flagellattion seems to be a popular activity
during outbreaks of plague
Helisenne - p. 290 - is possibly named after Hélisenne de
Crenne
To find out
more about the author, you must visit our
Kay MacCauley page.
Read our Kay
MacCauley interview
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