Witchcraft,Dangerous, Fornication,Intrigue..
just a few words that come to mind to describe this amazing book...which kicked off my Reading List for 2012!
The "Prologue" a mere 7 pages begans to weave the life story of Sister Lucrezia.Like all her Sisters of this Order_it was forbidden to look upon a human body,even having to take a bath in the cotton shift undergarment so as not to expose one's self to one's own eyes!Sister Magdalena commences to inter the corpse of Sister Lucrezia_when the "supposedly" tumor sack from her left breast falls to the floor.No pus,no blood,no discharge on her smooth skin where the tumor had rested against
her breast.Yet,black liquid,coils & gobbets of blood oozed with what looked like intestinal organs(offal,indeed)as the cleansing process began.It seems that Sister Lucrezia had died NOT from a tumor BUT from a Self-Applied bladder of a Pig's entrails.
Then,Sister Maria spotted it_the Silver-Green streak on the corpse's skin curving up over the edge of the shoulder,growing thicker over the collarbone until it disappears underneath the body.As the "Serpent" appeared to slide over the breast,slowly moving around the areola before plunging into the stomach,headed for the groin,then as it slidders across what once was a thicket of curls in the pubic area.
The Serpent's body became it's head_a Man's face,head thrown back,eyes closed
as if in "Rapture" and the tongue darting out from his mouth downward toward the opening of Sister Lucrezia's sex....and that's just the Prologue!!!
This book was a Christmas gift_(my friend knows I love the Renaissance Period)_so after reading the Prologue..I called to ask_"Why"_Was I the CHOSEN ONE to read this Book?We had a good laugh.
The Renaissance Period,the cultural movement that spans from 14th to 17th century began in Florence,Italy.It spread across many countries..Spain spawned El Greco,France's Michel de'Montaigne(one of my favorite),England's Shakespeare and Russia first distilled "Vodka"! Lorenzo de Medici,Botticelli, Michelangelo,The Plague,The POPE & Vatican rules...are just a few that names that
comes to mind.
Sarah Dunant brings all of these elements together in "The Birth Of Venus".The painting _of the same name_by Botticelli with it's symbolism_seductively comes alive on these pages.
Not a book for the "faint at heart"..it weaves a most delicious story! Do NOT miss this intrigue!!Can't wait to read Sarah Dunant's "In The Company of The Courtesan" from the same Period.Make yourself a Promise:
READ MORE BOOKS THAN YOU DID IN 2011!!!!!!!!!!!!
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