Pages: 506
Original date of publication: July, 2013
My copy: 2013 (Random House; ARC)
Why I decided to read: Offered through Amazon Vine program
How I acquired my copy: Amazon Vine program, march 2013
I’ve loved Sarah Dunant’s novels for years, so when I saw
that Blood and Beauty was available for review before publication, I jumped at the chance to read
it. It tells the story of the Borgia family, specifically Lucrezia, and follows
them from Rodrigo Borgia’s ascension to the papacy (and pope Alexander) in 1492
to Lucrezia’s third marriage to Alfonso d’Este in 1502. Rodrigo Borgia’s rise
to power was much in keeping with the mores of the time period in which his
lived. He even Italianized his name from Borja to Borgia. He and his four
children, as well as his mistresses, became symbols of the power, splendor, and
decadence of the Papal court in the late 15th century.
It’s really, really hard to write fiction about the Borgia
family without completely vilifying or vindicating them, but Dunant does a
wonderful job of showing both the strengths and weaknesses of these people.
They’re ruthless and cunning, but they don’t seem (at first) as bad as history
has made them out to be. There’s this wonderful scene about halfway through the
novel, where Cesare Borgia gores a boar; the way the scene is described, it
serves as a strong metaphor for not only the dangers of the Papal court, but
the savageness of Cesare’s character. That’s the kind of fiction I love; the
kind of writing that shows you how something is without explicitly saying so.
It makes people, places and events seem so much more real. Dunant’s focus is on
stripping away the myths in order to reveal the psychological truths that lie
beneath the surface.
According to the author’s note at the end, there will be a
second novel that will cover the conclusion of Lucrezia’s story.
Comments
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