I started reading The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson yesterday, and this reminded me what a great setting Vienna is! Exotic and elegant, Vienna has become indelibly associated with high culture and the arts, especially music. Here are some other books and movies that take place in Vienna:
- The Illuuuusionist A great movie starring Edward Norton as a magician with a mysterious past who sets out to trick a Habsburg prince in order to save the woman he loves.
- The Little Book, by Seldon Edwards This is a time travel novel that I never finished. The descriptions of Vienna were fabulous, though.
- Charmed and Dangerous, by Jane Ashford One of my favorite romances of all time! I love this book! A governess follows her employers to the Congress of Vienna and meets a spy, resulting in adventures all over Europe.
- Vienna Waltz, by Teresa Grant Another novel that takes place during the Congress of Vienna. I haven't read this one, but the cover seems to suffer from Luxe syndrome.
- The Empty Mirror, by J. Sydney Jones There are a ton of mysteries that take place in Vienna! This one is set in 1899 and features Karl Werthen as the series detective.
- The Marriage Artist, by Andrew Winer This is an odd-sounding book about an art critic whose wife jumps off a building with an American Indian artist. So that's already really complex. It takes place in Vienna in 1928. Naturally, there are Nazis. There must always be Nazis.
- In Mozart's Shadow, by Carolyn Meyer A YA about Mozart's sister, Nannerl--who, you may recall, was said to be a greater genius than her brother.
- The Third Man A film noir about spies in Vienna heavily influenced by the work of Orson Welles.
- Airs Above the Ground, by Mary Stewart I forgot this book was set in Vienna! Actually, I think this may be one of the few Mary Stewart novels I haven't read. Shame on me!
Do you know of any good books set in Vienna? Have you read any of books listed above?
