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Le Confessioni Di Caterina De' Medici (2011)

by C.W. Gortner(Favorite Author)

3.93 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

8863800782 (ISBN13: 9788863800784)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Corbaccio

review 1: Disappointing. As you would expect there was an enormous amount dedicated to the politics for which Catherine de Medici was both famous and infamous. But it was emphasized at the expense of the cultural aspects that were also of utmost important in Medieval times that would have made the world of this novel richer, more fully written. The British, French and Spanish courts not only warred in bloody battle, but in all the manners and traditions of their courts. Competition with other courts was everywhere in court life each vying to have the best of everything: the cloth and leathers of fashionable clothing, cooks, dancing masters and choreographers, and of course horse trainers. Extravagances of foods and wines, presented in outrageously ostentatious Masque Balls were... more also competitions. It even carried over into actual table manners, the English eventually adopting the right handed use of the fork as a form of court distinction, for example.I admire the research Gortner did to create what is likely a more realistic picture of the much maligned Catherine de Medici. I just wish he had researched and included the world that surrounded her.
review 2: I had a difficult time getting into the author's previous book, The Last Queen, so I wasn't sure what I would think about this book. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I really liked it. It may be because I have always had some sympathy for Catherine de Medici. Strong and powerful women in medieval times have never gotten a fair portrayal from (male) historians. And Catherine was certainly both to have survived what she did, and help her sons in their efforts to rule France.The author doesn't attempt to whitewash what Catherine did. And even her most sympathetic supporter cannot deny her ruthlessness. But he paints an understanding portrait of a woman who was forced to do what she did to preserve the crown for her sons and keep France from plunging into a religious war that would tear the kingdom apart. It's a portrait of Catherine that is well-rounded and gives an accurate depiction of the forces she was up against. The secondary characters are well drawn, and the book is very well paced. For those who enjoy well-written historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. less

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