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The Miracles of Prato is based upon the once notorious love affair of Fra Filippo Lippi and the much younger Lucrezia Buti, who served as his model for several of his most glorious works of art. Lucrezia became the mother of Filippino Lippi, who inherited his father's great talent.
While the authors have nicely conveyed a sense of time and place, the genre into which their book most readily fits is historical romance. The characters tend to be two dimensional, and the villain of the piece, Prior General Saviano, is of the teeth gnashing, "curses, foiled again" sort found in silent movies. Most of the simple plot focuses solely upon the plight of a monk and a novice nun who fall in love. In spite of these factors, however, Miracles provides the reader with glimpses into the circumstances of artists, monks and nuns, and women who lived during in Quattrocento Italy, one of the most colorful and fascinating eras in that country's long history. The authors refrain from using the florid prose associated with "bodice rippers", and machinations that take place at the climax are nothing short of delightful. Well written and enjoyable.
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Voice of the Violin is a character driven police procedural, not that there is anything wrong with its plot. Inspector Montalbano is as crafty a cop as you could hope to meet, but he also has a well rounded personal life, especially when it comes to enjoying fine Sicilian cooking. His investigative team is likable and entertaining, with quirks of their own. And those who populate this particular case, the murder of a stunning young woman, are equally engaging, from the victim's attractive best friend to a reclusive violin virtuoso to the little boy Montalbano plans to adopt. Camilleri is adept at portraying the seamy side of human nature, and Montalbano has been around long enough to maneuver the Italian maze of government, politics, and organized crime. Intelligent and entertaining.
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ost.uni has commented on (2) products.
The Miracles of Prato
ost.uni, January 12, 2009
The Miracles of Prato is based upon the once notorious love affair of Fra Filippo Lippi and the much younger Lucrezia Buti, who served as his model for several of his most glorious works of art. Lucrezia became the mother of Filippino Lippi, who inherited his father's great talent.While the authors have nicely conveyed a sense of time and place, the genre into which their book most readily fits is historical romance. The characters tend to be two dimensional, and the villain of the piece, Prior General Saviano, is of the teeth gnashing, "curses, foiled again" sort found in silent movies. Most of the simple plot focuses solely upon the plight of a monk and a novice nun who fall in love. In spite of these factors, however, Miracles provides the reader with glimpses into the circumstances of artists, monks and nuns, and women who lived during in Quattrocento Italy, one of the most colorful and fascinating eras in that country's long history. The authors refrain from using the florid prose associated with "bodice rippers", and machinations that take place at the climax are nothing short of delightful. Well written and enjoyable.
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Voice of the Violin by Andrea Camilleri
ost.uni, January 12, 2009
Voice of the Violin is a character driven police procedural, not that there is anything wrong with its plot. Inspector Montalbano is as crafty a cop as you could hope to meet, but he also has a well rounded personal life, especially when it comes to enjoying fine Sicilian cooking. His investigative team is likable and entertaining, with quirks of their own. And those who populate this particular case, the murder of a stunning young woman, are equally engaging, from the victim's attractive best friend to a reclusive violin virtuoso to the little boy Montalbano plans to adopt. Camilleri is adept at portraying the seamy side of human nature, and Montalbano has been around long enough to maneuver the Italian maze of government, politics, and organized crime. Intelligent and entertaining.(3 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)