The Adventures Of Nico And Gianni: London 1712
by J. J. Sagmiller
CreateSpace. 316 pages, $15.95 (paper)
AS IF peering through a kaleidoscope of twisted history and distorted time, I could not help but become drawn in by the characters and images that J. J. Sagmiller has created in this delightful romp through the raucous world of early 18th-century London theatre. The engaging plot is both simple and complex, containing feints within ruses, portraits within paintings, and plays within plays. The prose is simple and straightforward, relayed through the voice of Nico, a teenage castrato with a voice to charm the masses and a wit to help him and his companion, Gianni, to get by in a difficult world.
Nico and Gianni are both castrati who have sailed from their home in Naples to pursue fame and fortune in the London theatre, where Italian opera is all the rage.
