Those of us who have an addiction to books about Venice are always on the lookout for the next new book about the city, and Judith Martin's No Vulgar Hotel was intended for just these kinds of people. As the jacket flap says, "this is the definitive manual for managing an incurable passion for a certain tiny, decaying, waterlogged village".
This is not the standard book about Venice. It's not a guidebook, or a pictorial coffee table book about architecture or art, nor is it purely one person's experience with a love for Venice. Instead, Judith Martin is gently making fun of everyone (including herself) who has this unreasonable affection for the city. She touches on the social difference between tourists and those who consider themselves above tourists, even though neither of them are true residents of Venice. She mentions great moments in Venetian history, talks about all the many ways Venice is depicted in art, books, and movies (and in doing so, creates yet another list of Venice books and movies that you have to have if you are a Venetophile), and talks about the inevitable moments when a habitual visitor to Venice starts to consider owning a home there.
The book is an excellent view of the city as well as the feelings it seems to evoke in visitors, and through it all Martin's own affection for Venice is very apparent even as she talks about some of the least lovely aspects of the city and those who come there. For a habitual reader of books about Venice, it's a fresh look at the canals and bridges and landmarks, and a gentle reminder of how absurd the infatuation can be, and in the end it will make you just that much more eager to go there yourself and join the club.
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