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A review by themyskira
The Creation of Eve by Lynn Cullen
2.0
Sofonisba Anguissola was one of the first great female painters of the Renaissance, and a truly fascinating woman, so I was immediately interested when I came upon this book, which tells of Sofonisba's time in the court of King Philip II of Spain. However, although it's evident that Lynn Cullen has researched the people and the period extensively, her story failed to capture me. I found it difficult to develop a lot of attachment to the characters, most of whom were very one-note, and quickly tired of Sofi's self-pitying fretting over the intentions of the secret lover she left behind in Rome. For the most part, she's simply an observer, providing the reader with a window onto a royal love triangle that's ultimately not all that interesting.
True, Cullen is does a decent job of drawing the reader into the intrigues of the court, with each chapter dangling new hints of unsavoury secrets, hidden scandal and forbidden love-- but it all ultimately became a bit soapy for my tastes, and by the novel's climax I might have grumbled an "oh, for fuck's sake." If you're looking for an exploration of characters, of the story of Sofonisba Anguissola, of the experience of female artists during the Renaissance... I'd suggest looking elsewhere.
True, Cullen is does a decent job of drawing the reader into the intrigues of the court, with each chapter dangling new hints of unsavoury secrets, hidden scandal and forbidden love-- but it all ultimately became a bit soapy for my tastes, and by the novel's climax I might have grumbled an "oh, for fuck's sake." If you're looking for an exploration of characters, of the story of Sofonisba Anguissola, of the experience of female artists during the Renaissance... I'd suggest looking elsewhere.