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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
challenging
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Oh, the Borgias. Infamous throughout history for murder, debauchery, incest, bribery, nepotism, poison, adultery and so much more. From the moment Rodrigo Borgia became Pope Alexander VI, he was already scandalous – a pope with at least four children, possibly more.
My question is, how could you possibly not want to read a book about this family?
I’ve been fascinated by the Borgias, and the period of history within which they lived, for a while now. Their story is so familiar to me, but still I love to read about them – whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, I love it. The Vatican Princess in particular is, I have to say, one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read about the Borgias. Told from the point of view of Lucrezia, the Pope’s beloved daughter or his ‘farfallina’, the story begins when she is 12 years of age, about to be married off to Giovanni Sforza. Lucrezia’s life was a sad one – forced into a series of marriages from a young age, some unwanted, some happy, but all ended badly.
Gortner’s narrative worked beautifully. The book spans about eight or nine years, divided into sections of several years each, but it skips through chunks of time without missing anything important. There is a real sense of Lucrezia growing, perhaps too early, from a girl into a woman, and learning what her family is really like. She hardens herself, learns how to protect those she loves – without Gortner falling into the trap of portraying her as an evil seductress, poisoning every Borgia enemy, as some texts show her.
I don’t know whether it was due to my familiarity with the Borgia history, or because of Gortner’s writing, but the book was so accessible. There is quite a large cast of characters, some of whose names might seem very odd to someone who does not know this period of history, but at no point did I feel lost amongst them all. It would be interesting to know whether someone who does not know the history as I do felt so comfortable among the cast of characters. She is both strong and naive, retaining some of that childish innocence whilst still learning how to make her way through the politics of late 15th century Rome.
Overall, The Vatican Princess was a wonderful novel, some of the most engaging and beautifully written historical fiction that I have read in a while. The thing about the Borgias is so much of their history is uncertain – so many rumours contradict each other, there is a lot that is not set in stone – that actually, it is possible to be quite inventive when writing about them. Gortner uses this, but also sticks fairly faithfully to the ‘history’, making some changes where they allow the story to flow more easily – and explaining all of this at the end. Whether you’re already a fan of one of history’s most infamous families, or know nothing about this, I would highly recommend this title.
I received a copy of this book for free from Hodder & Stoughton, in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
My question is, how could you possibly not want to read a book about this family?
I’ve been fascinated by the Borgias, and the period of history within which they lived, for a while now. Their story is so familiar to me, but still I love to read about them – whether it’s fiction or non-fiction, I love it. The Vatican Princess in particular is, I have to say, one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read about the Borgias. Told from the point of view of Lucrezia, the Pope’s beloved daughter or his ‘farfallina’, the story begins when she is 12 years of age, about to be married off to Giovanni Sforza. Lucrezia’s life was a sad one – forced into a series of marriages from a young age, some unwanted, some happy, but all ended badly.
Gortner’s narrative worked beautifully. The book spans about eight or nine years, divided into sections of several years each, but it skips through chunks of time without missing anything important. There is a real sense of Lucrezia growing, perhaps too early, from a girl into a woman, and learning what her family is really like. She hardens herself, learns how to protect those she loves – without Gortner falling into the trap of portraying her as an evil seductress, poisoning every Borgia enemy, as some texts show her.
I don’t know whether it was due to my familiarity with the Borgia history, or because of Gortner’s writing, but the book was so accessible. There is quite a large cast of characters, some of whose names might seem very odd to someone who does not know this period of history, but at no point did I feel lost amongst them all. It would be interesting to know whether someone who does not know the history as I do felt so comfortable among the cast of characters. She is both strong and naive, retaining some of that childish innocence whilst still learning how to make her way through the politics of late 15th century Rome.
Overall, The Vatican Princess was a wonderful novel, some of the most engaging and beautifully written historical fiction that I have read in a while. The thing about the Borgias is so much of their history is uncertain – so many rumours contradict each other, there is a lot that is not set in stone – that actually, it is possible to be quite inventive when writing about them. Gortner uses this, but also sticks fairly faithfully to the ‘history’, making some changes where they allow the story to flow more easily – and explaining all of this at the end. Whether you’re already a fan of one of history’s most infamous families, or know nothing about this, I would highly recommend this title.
I received a copy of this book for free from Hodder & Stoughton, in exchange for an honest review. Originally posted on my former blog, Rinn Reads.
I wasn’t a fan of this book. I liked the fact that it was historical fiction but it was too salacious for me in parts. I kept hoping things for the characters would get better and they just got worse.
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
4 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The story of Lucrezia Borgia is one that has been told many times over the last 500 years and in most tales, she is made out to be quite evil and scheming. But after research, most historians have changed their views of Lucrezia and her role during the reign of her father, Pope Alexander VI. This book takes a fresher look at her life and is probably closer to the truth than many of the historical texts and stories that many of us grew up with. This is still a work of fiction and there are many areas that are very sensationalized, but you can easily see the research that went into this book and how the author strives to show this enigmatic historical figure in a new light.
Lucrezia was the pampered daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, an extremely ambitious man who sought after and ultimately acquired the title of Pope. She becomes a pawn at an early age to further advance the Borgia name and bring even more power to her father and her family. Family always comes first and this is something that she is raised to believe, even to the detriment of herself and others around her. She learns too late in life that sometimes family doesn't always know best.
Set in 15th and early 16th century Italy, this book follows Lucrezia through almost a decade of her life. Soon after her father is elected Pope Alexander VI, she is married off to repay a debt to the Sforza family who helped bring her father to power. It is not a happy match and she is made to suffer for several years until her father decides that there is a better match to be made and works on annulling their marriage to make a better match, once again to further his cause.
The author admittedly does sensationalize a few unproven stories about Lucrezia and her brothers Juan and Cesare. Many stories have mentioned an incestuous relationship between the siblings and some have even been so bold as to say that Lucrezia gave birth to a child that was sired by one of her brothers. A Papal Bull decreed that the child was sired by Pope Alexander VI and an unnamed woman, but a second document states that it was a child sired by Cesare and an unnamed woman. But what was the truth? 500 years later we will probably never know, but the author puts forward just one option.
The book does read like a soap opera in some ways but it is always entertaining, always interesting and incredibly descriptive and well researched. You can't help but feel for Lucrezia and what she had to endure during her life. She had more heart break, more upheaval and more betrayal in less than a decade than most of us ever see in an entire lifetime. This is an incredible story about a very interesting historical figure, one that was demonized for centuries but is now finding a new voice.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a great read about a historical figure.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
The story of Lucrezia Borgia is one that has been told many times over the last 500 years and in most tales, she is made out to be quite evil and scheming. But after research, most historians have changed their views of Lucrezia and her role during the reign of her father, Pope Alexander VI. This book takes a fresher look at her life and is probably closer to the truth than many of the historical texts and stories that many of us grew up with. This is still a work of fiction and there are many areas that are very sensationalized, but you can easily see the research that went into this book and how the author strives to show this enigmatic historical figure in a new light.
Lucrezia was the pampered daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, an extremely ambitious man who sought after and ultimately acquired the title of Pope. She becomes a pawn at an early age to further advance the Borgia name and bring even more power to her father and her family. Family always comes first and this is something that she is raised to believe, even to the detriment of herself and others around her. She learns too late in life that sometimes family doesn't always know best.
Set in 15th and early 16th century Italy, this book follows Lucrezia through almost a decade of her life. Soon after her father is elected Pope Alexander VI, she is married off to repay a debt to the Sforza family who helped bring her father to power. It is not a happy match and she is made to suffer for several years until her father decides that there is a better match to be made and works on annulling their marriage to make a better match, once again to further his cause.
The author admittedly does sensationalize a few unproven stories about Lucrezia and her brothers Juan and Cesare. Many stories have mentioned an incestuous relationship between the siblings and some have even been so bold as to say that Lucrezia gave birth to a child that was sired by one of her brothers. A Papal Bull decreed that the child was sired by Pope Alexander VI and an unnamed woman, but a second document states that it was a child sired by Cesare and an unnamed woman. But what was the truth? 500 years later we will probably never know, but the author puts forward just one option.
The book does read like a soap opera in some ways but it is always entertaining, always interesting and incredibly descriptive and well researched. You can't help but feel for Lucrezia and what she had to endure during her life. She had more heart break, more upheaval and more betrayal in less than a decade than most of us ever see in an entire lifetime. This is an incredible story about a very interesting historical figure, one that was demonized for centuries but is now finding a new voice.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting a great read about a historical figure.
A very enjoyable read and while it may mostly be fiction the under-tones of non-fiction make it all the more facinating a read
My first foray into the Borgia family. Fantastic and wickedly fun. I did a lot of side reading on the historical accuracy and what the author writes can’t be proven as fact but it’s not unbelievable that it could have happened like she writes. I also did a good bing of Showtime’s The Borgias and that was a lot of fun. Sadly ended abruptly after season 3.
dark
emotional
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fille illégitime de Rodrigo Borgia, futur Pape Alexandre VI, Lucrèce est adorée par son père et un de ses frères : César. Le roman commence par l'accession au Saint siège du père de Lucrèce et l'alliance qu'elle peut apporter à sa famille. Elle est âgée de 13 ans lorsqu'elle est mariée à Giovanni Sforza, le mariage étant l'un des nombreux accords afin que le cardinal Sforza vote pour Rodrigo Borgia… Elle va être un pion dans l'échiquier géant de sa famille. La jeune Lucrèce est-elle vraiment si abominable qu'on la dépeint ?
J'ai adoré ma lecture que j'ai dévorée. C'est très bien écrit, dynamique et j'ai aimé entrer dans la tête de Lucrèce Borgia. J'ai souffert avec elle. Je suis passionnée d'histoire et le résumé m'avait attiré, même si la réalité historique n'est pas vraiment respectée, le roman reste fluide et on a un aperçu du nid de vipères dans lequel Lucrèce évoluait. Elle a une telle mauvaise réputation qui est en majorité due à des racontars. Sa famille est immonde et finalement la personne que j'avais le moins appréciée au début de ma lecture est celle qui blesse le moins Lucrèce. Les parties du livre sont bien découpées, pas équilibrées mais cohérentes, la fin du roman se passe très rapidement et l'auteur choisit d'écrire sur 7 ans de la vie de Lucrèce seulement. En bref, si vous voulez en savoir plus sur cette femme que beaucoup dénigrent, lancez vous. Ce livre est superbe.
J'ai adoré ma lecture que j'ai dévorée. C'est très bien écrit, dynamique et j'ai aimé entrer dans la tête de Lucrèce Borgia. J'ai souffert avec elle. Je suis passionnée d'histoire et le résumé m'avait attiré, même si la réalité historique n'est pas vraiment respectée, le roman reste fluide et on a un aperçu du nid de vipères dans lequel Lucrèce évoluait. Elle a une telle mauvaise réputation qui est en majorité due à des racontars. Sa famille est immonde et finalement la personne que j'avais le moins appréciée au début de ma lecture est celle qui blesse le moins Lucrèce. Les parties du livre sont bien découpées, pas équilibrées mais cohérentes, la fin du roman se passe très rapidement et l'auteur choisit d'écrire sur 7 ans de la vie de Lucrèce seulement. En bref, si vous voulez en savoir plus sur cette femme que beaucoup dénigrent, lancez vous. Ce livre est superbe.
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes