Eclipsing her earlier period novels in scope, dunants sacred hearts, 2009, etc. Now that ive finished reading the sequel, however, im not as enthusiastic about dunants achievement. Bestselling novelist sarah dunant has long been drawn to the wonders of renaissance italy. Dunant, in a historical epilogue, explains what is actually known and what is mere speculation about this notorious family. Its moot how much of the borgia family story i tell. Her earlier novels include three hannah wolfe crime thrillers, as well as snowstorms in a hot climate, transgressions, and mapping the edge. Here is a thrilling exploration of the house of borgias doomed years. Blood and beauty by sarah dunant in the historical epilogue to this lush novel author sarah dunant says more than many in history, the borgias have suffered from an. With the sequel, in the name of the family, hitting the shelves this week, i decided to explore blood and beauty and see how dunants. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions about their authenticity and the detail of. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions about their authenticity and the detail of their lives. Sarah dunant is a cultural commentator, awardwinning thriller writer and author of five novels set in renaissance italy exploring womens lives through art, sex and religion. Even in a period with a surfeit of largerthanlife characters, pope alexander vi and his children, lucrezia and cesare, stand out, so it. Sarah dunants blood and beauty, the fourth of her italian historical novels and the initial instalment in what is planned to be a twopart saga, is.
In her first three she steered clear of famous figures and gave us stories of strong, ordinary women, so an epic novel about the notorious borgia family is something of a departure. This is the sequel which sarah dunant promised to blood and beauty. In the name of the family sarah dunant 9781844087464. Bad writing that screws with the facts and gives readers some very worrying ideas about historical figures. Blood and beauty is dunants tenth novel, and her fourth to be set in renaissance italy. Marshaling a mass of material, including contemporary. Blood and beauty book the kansas city public library. She was born on 8 august 1950 in london, england and lived there until she went to college. Sarah received her education from a local girls school known as godolphin and latymer. In the name of the family by sarah dunant goodreads. Sarah dunant has dug deep into history to uncover the real borgias. Review of in the name of the family by sarah dunant posted on 08252017 by rhapsodyinbooks this book is meant to be a sequel to dunants previous book, blood and beauty, a fictionalized account about pope alexander vi who ascended to the papacy in 1492 and his children who included cesare and lucrezia borgia. Here is a thrilling exploration of the house of borgias doomed years, in the company of a young diplomat named niccolo machiavelli.
She has two daughters, and lives in london and florence. Sarah was raised by her father david dunant, who was a steward for the welsh airlines and later became a manager at the british airways along with his wife estelle who was of french origin and brought up in bangalore, india. She is married with two daughters, and lives in london and florence. I had been looking forward to the continuation of the borgia story. I find the renaissance fascinating and terribly complicated.
Alexander vi was a doting father foremost, and a wily politician second. Sarah dunant born 8 august 1950 is a british novelist, journalist, broadcaster, and critic. An epic tale of dynasty, this novel also manages to be an intimate exploration of familial ties and relationships. I am a great fan of historical novelist sarah dunant. Blood and beauty by the accomplished sarah dunant is a romp through renaissance rome which provoked much divergent discussion at our book group. Bbc radio 4 book at bedtime, sarah dunant blood and beauty.
Blood and beauty, sarah dunant march 3, 2017 june 19, 2017 girl with her head in a book i have had a few sarah dunant books sitting on the shelf for longer than i care to admit and with the start of my mount tbr challenge, i decided that this really had to be the year when i. A novel of machiavelli and the borgias this is the longawaited sequel to sarah dunants wonderful blood and beauty, which takes up the story of the borgias once again in the final years of their dominance in italy. Sarah dunant is a highly skilled and compelling author with clear enthusiasm for her subject. Sarah was raised by her father david dunant, who was a steward for the welsh airlines and later became a manager at the british airways along with his wife estelle who. May 02, 20 blood and beauty by the accomplished sarah dunant is a romp through renaissance rome which provoked much divergent discussion at our book group. In the name of the family as blood and beauty did before holds up a mirror to a turbulent moment of history, sweeping aside the myths to bring alive the real borgia family. Oct 29, 20 except from now on, before they do so, they will have to make sure the doors and windows are bolted and that the company around them is either blood or bought. In the name of the family delivers in spades on the promises at the end of the last book for more searching into the motivations that drove the actions of rodrigo pope alexander iii, his brilliant but erratic son cesare, and the much maligned but superbly vindicated lucrezia borgia. Blood and beauty is dunants tenth novel, and her fourth to be set in. Sarah dunant a novel of machiavelli and the borgias this is the longawaited sequel to sarah dunant s wonderful blood and beauty, which takes up the story of the borgias once again in the final years of their dominance in italy.
May 02, 20 sarah dunant s blood and beauty, the fourth of her italian historical novels and the initial instalment in what is planned to be a twopart saga, is her first since mantels colossal success. This is a wonderful, allconsuming feast of a novel, which id recommend to anyone with an interest in historical fiction. Review of in the name of the family by sarah dunant. Jun 20, 20 in the 1500s, italy was bursting with some of the most influential and vivid figures in history. Blood and beauty covers almost a decade of the borgias lives, as lucrezia grows up from 12yearold. I was inspired to download blood and beauty having read dunants sacred hearts and in the company of the courtesan.
Bestselling novelist sarah dunant has long been drawn to the high drama of renaissance italy. Just as mantel humanized and, to an extent, rehabilitated the brilliant, villainous thomas cromwell and the court of henry viii, dunant transforms the blackhearted borgias and the conniving courtiers and cardinals of renaissance europe. Sarah dunant is a renowned english writer along with being a broadcaster and critic. The plots were of course intriguing and characters were fascinating though there were many questions. At the beginning of 1502, it seems that nothing can stand in the way of the familys influence, which creeps its way across italy, subduing its rivals with a blend of charm and. Domino postiglione dunants 10th novel is about the borgias, the family who dominated rome and much. Another sojourn with the infamous borgias from the author of blood and beauty 20 since the publication of the birth of venus 2003, dunant has built a solid reputation as a practitioner of historical fiction who specializes in the italian renaissance. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading blood and beauty. Sarah s monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the bbc website. Im not sure if i was spoiled by the miniseries released about the borgias, but i almost gave up on this book because half of it felt like a history lesson, which i had not noticed in the other three books ive read. A tale inspired by the lives of borgia siblings lucretia and cesare traces the familys rise in the aftermath of rodrigo borgias rise to the papacy, during which war, a terrifying sexual plague, and the familys notorious reputation forge an intimate bond between brother and sister.
Sarah dunant is the author of the international bestsellers the birth of venus, in the company of the courtesan, sacred hearts, and blood and beauty, which have received major acclaim on both sides of the atlantic. Mar 07, 2017 this is the sequel which sarah dunant promised to blood and beauty. Here is a thrilling exploration of the house of borgias doomed years, in the company of a young diplomat named niccolo. The borgias capturing an infamous family in the 1500s, italy was bursting with some of the most influential and vivid figures in history. In blood and beauty, dunant follows the path set by hilary mantel with wolf hall and bring up the bodies. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. By taking on the brutal and notorious borgia dynasty, which even 50 years before henry viiis birth had italy by. I was inspired to download blood and beauty having read dunant s sacred hearts and in the company of the courtesan. As before, her knowledge of the period shows in detail and background, she follows with faith the biographies of the principals. Sarah dunant sculpts a historical novel as fine as any marble creation from the renaissance europe in which it takes place. Mar 07, 2017 bestselling novelist sarah dunant has long been drawn to the wonders of renaissance italy. Sarah dunants most popular book is the birth of venus.
One of the sunday timess top fifty summer reads extravagant portrait of. Like all gifted historical novelists, sarah dunant wisely abjures idle speculation. Sarah dunants blood and beauty, the fourth of her italian historical novels and the initial instalment in what is planned to be a twopart saga, is her first since mantels colossal success. Her epic breathes life into renaissance italy, challenging what we think we know about this corrupt dynasty good housekeeping blood and beauty establishes her as a topranking novelist of the italian renaissance. Just as mantel humanized and, to an extent, rehabilitated the brilliant, villainous thomas cromwell and the court of henry viii, dunant transforms the blackhearted borgias and the conniving courtiers and cardinals of renaissance europe into fully rounded characters, brimming with life and lust. May 02, 20 sarah dunant is one my favourite writers, and i found myself comparing it with her other three books set in the italian renaissance. A novel about the borgias kindle edition by dunant, sarah. This is the longawaited sequel to sarah dunants wonderful blood and beauty, which takes up the story of the borgias once again in the final years of their dominance in italy. The borgias are arguably the most intriguing and ruthless family in all of history, and dunant brings them ravishingly, bristlingly to life.
Im happy to say that the author presented us with a strong, balanced look at the borgia family. Sarah dunant, lucrezia borgia and niccolo machiavelli gabriele march 2, 2017 the long wait for the sequel to blood and beauty is finally over, and oh my goodness, the wait was worth it. Sarah dunant has written three acclaimed novels of renaissance italy in which she consciously narrowed her focus to the longconcealed stories of ordinary women on the margins rather than following what she termed the historical celebrity version of life. At the beginning of 1502, it seems that nothing can stand in the way of the familys.
Dunants been a 3starrer for me until her blood and beauty and this sequel. Sarahs monthly history program and podcast on history can be found via the bbc website. The long wait for the sequel to blood and beauty is finally over, and oh my goodness, the wait was worth it. In the name of the family as blood and beauty did before holds up a mirror to. Aug 29, 20 dunant, in a historical epilogue, explains what is actually known and what is mere speculation about this notorious family. Like many of those whove written about cesare borgia starting with machiavelli, dunant seems to have fallen half in love with him and who am i to complain. However, though readable and informative, it did not measure up to my expectations. The big, bad borgia dynasty undergoes modern reconsideration in the bestselling british authors epic new biofiction. Sarah dunant has 24 books on goodreads with 261204 ratings. Blood and beauty, sarah dunant girl with her head in a.
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