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jacki_f's review against another edition
3.0
This is the story of the Borgia family from the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI in 1492 through to the announcement of Lucrezia Borgia's third marriage in 1502. This was a tumultuous time in Italian history and the Borgias were strong and fascinating characters, with ruthless ambitions and enormous sexual appetites. The main three characters in the novel are Rodrigo, his extremely ambitious son Cesare and his daughter Lucrezia.
I have been fascinated by the Borgias since reading Jean Plaidy's novels as a teenager and I was really looking forward to reading this. Maybe that's part of the problem. I liked it but I didn't love it and I expected to love it. It took me a full two weeks to read which is a long time for me. Somehow I never felt the urge to get back to it, which baffled me because I've always liked Dunant's writing. Partly I feel that the problem was that her scope was so wide. So much was going on that the book was far more about plot than about character and sometimes when historical records are inconclusive, she shies away from making it clear what she thinks would have happened. I often felt like I was reading narrative non-fiction rather than fiction.
There were so many characters that few could be developed in any depth. For example there was time spent introducing Guilia Farnese as a character in the early parts of the book, but then she was relegated to brief mentions thereafter. Central characters like Jofre Borgia, his wife Sancia and Juan Borgia are simply one dimensional caricatures. Even Cesare is never really explained. I was also disappointed by the way that the romance between Lucrezia and her Spanish lover was developed (or not). For example there is no mention of her maid being murdered which I always thought was a central clue as to how things unfolded. When the pace slowed down the book became more compelling, but then we'd be back to battle scenes and I just...switched off.
It was a very uneven read for me. There were segments here or there when I'd be riveted for 100 pages at a time, but too many times I found it heavy going.
I have been fascinated by the Borgias since reading Jean Plaidy's novels as a teenager and I was really looking forward to reading this. Maybe that's part of the problem. I liked it but I didn't love it and I expected to love it. It took me a full two weeks to read which is a long time for me. Somehow I never felt the urge to get back to it, which baffled me because I've always liked Dunant's writing. Partly I feel that the problem was that her scope was so wide. So much was going on that the book was far more about plot than about character and sometimes when historical records are inconclusive, she shies away from making it clear what she thinks would have happened. I often felt like I was reading narrative non-fiction rather than fiction.
There were so many characters that few could be developed in any depth. For example there was time spent introducing Guilia Farnese as a character in the early parts of the book, but then she was relegated to brief mentions thereafter. Central characters like Jofre Borgia, his wife Sancia and Juan Borgia are simply one dimensional caricatures. Even Cesare is never really explained. I was also disappointed by the way that the romance between Lucrezia and her Spanish lover was developed (or not). For example there is no mention of her maid being murdered which I always thought was a central clue as to how things unfolded. When the pace slowed down the book became more compelling, but then we'd be back to battle scenes and I just...switched off.
It was a very uneven read for me. There were segments here or there when I'd be riveted for 100 pages at a time, but too many times I found it heavy going.
hc21's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. An excellent historical fiction account of the Borgia family with compelling (if sometimes a bit one-dimensional) characters. It has a few nitpicky flaws (time shifts aren't always clear, sometimes a character will drop out of the narrative seemingly for no reason for a while), but overall it was excellent - one of those books that you only reluctantly put down and find a reason to pick up soon after.
ajreader's review against another edition
3.0
Read my full thoughts on this book and hundreds more over at Read.Write.Repeat.
Once upon a time in Italy, the papacy controlled kings and kingdoms. Blood & Beauty takes a historical fiction approach to one of the most powerful families in Italian history. Drama and intrigue shine their brightest in this fictional retelling of the real-life, power-hungry Borgia family.
Once upon a time in Italy, the papacy controlled kings and kingdoms. Blood & Beauty takes a historical fiction approach to one of the most powerful families in Italian history. Drama and intrigue shine their brightest in this fictional retelling of the real-life, power-hungry Borgia family.
secreteeyore's review against another edition
5.0
I'm glad I stuck with this book- such a dense and intriguing work, it was difficult for me to get through more than two chapters in a sitting. Dunant's writing is so detailed and rich it makes for total Borgia immersion. It's hard to find a hero in the family's story, they're more a pack of anti heroes, and that makes for some bloody moments. Her epilogue says she intentionally left her story hanging, I can't wait for the follow-up.
juliaz_13's review against another edition
2.0
I actually thought this was translated poorly from another language.
bookherd's review against another edition
3.0
This novel covers the Borgia family from the election of Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI to Lucrezia Borgia’s marriage to the son of the Duke of Ferrara (her third marriage). It is mostly focused on the lives of Pope Alexander VI and his children, but occasionally steps back to give a wider view of what was happening in Europe for context. It’s written from a third person omniscient perspective, which mostly worked for me. I did not want to be in the heads of any of these characters, and I was interested in the wider European picture. My one difficulty with this book was that the only character who really seemed to come alive was Rodrigo/Alexander, and at times Lucrezia. Everyone else seemed fairly one dimensional.
The author has said that she didn’t put anything in the book that contradicted the historical record, so if you like your historical fiction to be plausible and informed by research, this might be the Borgia novel for you. I liked it well enough to put the follow up, In the Name of the Family, on my To Read list.
The author has said that she didn’t put anything in the book that contradicted the historical record, so if you like your historical fiction to be plausible and informed by research, this might be the Borgia novel for you. I liked it well enough to put the follow up, In the Name of the Family, on my To Read list.
kmsaunders's review against another edition
2.0
A whole lot of buildup with not much payoff. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but even the big events were anticlimactic However, did interest me enough to learn more about the Borgias; they seem more interesting on Wikipedia than in this book.
livetoread2024's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one but I'm a fan of all things Borgia! Can't wait for the sequel to come out.
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Though it is overly long—by about 200 pages—it is fun and is easy to follow. It’s a great example of what historical fiction can be. The author clearly loves her subjects and her bibliography shows that she exhibited thoughtful and careful attention to detail. I can see mysel picking up the concluding sequel of this saga in the future.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, War, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Islamophobia, and Sexual harassment
meganstreb's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this. It's fairly slow, and is absolutely a soap opera. It feels well researched, more of a non-fiction book brought to life than a novel.