Book #69
Book Title: The Birth of Venus
Author: Sarah Dunant
Genre: historical fiction
# of pages: 391
My rating of the book, F- [worst] to A [best].: B+
Short description/summary of the book: (taken from amazon.com): In this arresting tale of art, love and betrayal in 15th-century Florence, the daughter of a wealthy cloth merchant seeks the freedom of marriage in order to paint, but finds that she may have bought her liberty at the cost of love and true fulfillment. Alessandra, 16, is tall, sharp-tongued and dauntingly clever. At first reluctant to agree to an arranged marriage, she changes her mind when she meets elegant 48-year-old Cristoforo, who is well-versed in art and literature. He promises to give her all the freedom she wants-and she finds out why on her wedding night. Her disappointment and frustration are soon overshadowed by the growing cloud of madness and violence hanging over Florence, nourished by the sermons of the fanatically pious Savonarola. As the wealthy purge their palazzos of "low" art and luxuries, Alessandra gives in to the dangerous attraction that draws her to a tormented young artist commissioned to paint her family's chapel. With details as rich as the brocade textiles that built Alessandra's family fortune, Dunant (Mapping the Edge; Transgressions; etc.) masterfully recreates Florence in the age of the original bonfire of the vanities. The novel moves to its climax as Savonarola's reign draws to a bloody close, with the final few chapters describing Alessandra's fate and hinting at the identity of her artist lover. While the story is rushed at the end, the author has a genius for peppering her narrative with little-known facts, and the deadpan dialogue lends a staccato verve to the swift-moving plot. Forget Baedecker and Vasari's Lives of the Artists. Dunant's vivid, gripping novel gives fresh life to a captivating age of glorious art and political turmoil.


My Thoughts: I really like historical fiction, and this was a very entertaining read...that is, up until the end. The ending of the book did NOT seem consistent with the rest of the story. I felt cheated once I got to the end and it was over. That being said, I would still recommend this to people who like historical fiction.

Currently reading: I have started reading Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon

**I am ALWAYS looking for a good historical fiction read, so if you all have any suggestions, feel free to comment! ;)