A review by bluestjuice
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant

4.0

All the way through I devoured this novel - I loved the characterization of Florence and the period in history that was captured, and the interpersonal drama was convoluted enough to keep me guessing, even though at several points I was able to guess what was about to happen. Very, very readable. Throughout, I was looking forward to the point where several of the threads that seemed to be leading up to the eventual conclusion (as anticipated by the prologue) would come together: however, the end itself seemed a bit stilted, as if it happened too fast and didn't leave enough time to process or absorb certain pivotal changes in perspective that accompanied various reveals. I could trace a path from the characters as portrayed in the earlier part of the book through their actions in the concluding section, but the shifts were not obvious or intuitive. It probably didn't help much that most of the characters weren't really all that likable - not even the main character. I was interested in them, but also mildly horrified at the ways in which they behaved toward one another. The several false notes toward the end prevented me from giving this five stars, but overall I did like it. And I will puzzle forever over who the painter is.