'Simply amazing, so brilliantly written . . . almost intolerably exciting at times, and at others, equally poignant' ANTONIA FRASER 'A beautiful serpent of a novel, seductive and dangerous . . . consumes utterly - but the experience is all pleasure' SIMON SCHAMA 'She writes like a painter, and thinks like a philosopher . . . a tour de force of storytelling' AMANDA FOREMAN 'An erotic and gripping thriller . . . Theology has rarely looked so sexy' INDEPEDENT Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous ...
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'Simply amazing, so brilliantly written . . . almost intolerably exciting at times, and at others, equally poignant' ANTONIA FRASER 'A beautiful serpent of a novel, seductive and dangerous . . . consumes utterly - but the experience is all pleasure' SIMON SCHAMA 'She writes like a painter, and thinks like a philosopher . . . a tour de force of storytelling' AMANDA FOREMAN 'An erotic and gripping thriller . . . Theology has rarely looked so sexy' INDEPEDENT Alessandra is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back with him from northern Europe to decorate the walls of their family chapel in their Florentine palazzo. Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter's abilities. As Medici Florence is threated by the hellfire of the monk Savonarola, the painter and his dazzling art exert an ever more powerful and erotic pull. 'Dunant has created a vivid and compellingly believable picture of Renaissance Florence . . . A magnificent novel' TELEGRAPH 'This moving, gripping and impressive work is Dunant's most beautifully achieved novel' SUNDAY TIMES '[Dunant's] control, pace, and instinct are well-nigh impeccable' FINANCIAL TIMES
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Add this copy of The Birth of Venus to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Zoom Books East rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Glendale Heights, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Random.
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Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel to cart. $0.99, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade.
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Very Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade.
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Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus to cart. $1.26, very good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House (NY).
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Very Good. . All orders guaranteed and ship within 24 hours. Your purchase supports More Than Words, a nonprofit job training program for youth, empowering youth to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus to cart. $1.27, good condition, Sold by Evergreen Goodwill rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel (Reader's Circle) to cart. $1.30, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade Paperbacks.
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Good. All pages and cover are intact. Dust jacket included if applicable though it may be missing on hardcover editions. Spine and cover may show minor signs of wear including scuff marks curls or bends to corners as well as cosmetic blemishes including stickers. Pages may contain limited notes or highlighting. From the library of labels may be present. Shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set packaging may be missing. Bundled media e.g. CDs DVDs access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus to cart. $1.45, good condition, Sold by BookHolders rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gambrills, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House (NY).
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel (Reader's Circle) to cart. $1.45, good condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel (Reader's Circle) to cart. $1.45, good condition, Sold by Orion Tech rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Add this copy of The Birth of Venus: a Novel (Reader's Circle) to cart. $1.45, fair condition, Sold by Your Online Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Houston, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Haven't finished reading yet, but all as I expected
Suzanne
Jun 30, 2007
What an opening line!
I can?t say I felt bowled over by this book, but I had a hard time putting it down. Like the young heroine, Alessandra Cecchi, I have little patience for the severely restricted world that women were allowed to experience in Florence in the late 1400?s. Born into the glory days of the Renaissance, as well as monk Savonarola?s holier-than-thou, violent reign of terror, Alessandra?s experiences are defined more than anything by her belief in god. She aspires to be a painter, but never is allowed to train with anyone since she?s a woman. This is all the more reason why she?s drawn to the artist her father brings to their palazzo from the north to paint their family chapel. Alessandra agrees to marry an older man in the hope of finding more freedom for herself, but alas, like so many women, she finds married life is not what she thought it would be! She?s a good example of how people do what they have to do, given the place and time they live in, and her clever slave Erila shows that some freedom and power can be found in unexpected places. Her husband Cristoforo, her mean-spirited brother Tomaso, and the artist her father hired all harbor big surprises for her. Worth reading.
snk5454
Apr 3, 2007
Art, love, politics
Fascinating story set in 16th century Florence that paints a vivid picture of life in that time and place as seen through the eyes of a privileged young woman. I highly recommend it.
