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A review by claudia_is_reading
The Enchantress of Florence by
3.5
Not my favourite book by Rushdie, that's for sure.
This one goes more into fantasy territory and, although there are parts of it that are wonderful and the writing is, as usual, breathtaking, other parts are, putting it simply, boring.
The best word I can find to define this book is uneven. The story is rich in historical details, creating a tapestry of reality and fantasy that, at times, it's hard to untangle. The story about execution-by-elephant got me thinking a lot because I was sure I had read about something similar a long time ago until I finally remembered! I read about it when I was a kid, in one of Salgari's books (Don't judge me! I WAS a kid *laughs*). Same thing with some of the fairy-tale aspects of the narrative, which left me with an I-know-about-this sensation.
And then, we have the awful misogyny that comes loud and clear in this story. It's quite telling that only the woman who's a figment of a male imagination is actually the only one with some agency :P
Anyway, I enjoyed it by moments, therefore, that it is: not a marvellous book, only a readable one.
This one goes more into fantasy territory and, although there are parts of it that are wonderful and the writing is, as usual, breathtaking, other parts are, putting it simply, boring.
The best word I can find to define this book is uneven. The story is rich in historical details, creating a tapestry of reality and fantasy that, at times, it's hard to untangle. The story about execution-by-elephant got me thinking a lot because I was sure I had read about something similar a long time ago until I finally remembered! I read about it when I was a kid, in one of Salgari's books (Don't judge me! I WAS a kid *laughs*). Same thing with some of the fairy-tale aspects of the narrative, which left me with an I-know-about-this sensation.
And then, we have the awful misogyny that comes loud and clear in this story. It's quite telling that only the woman who's a figment of a male imagination is actually the only one with some agency :P
Anyway, I enjoyed it by moments, therefore, that it is: not a marvellous book, only a readable one.