It should not be so hard to write both poetry and fiction. Both arts, after all, make use of the same materials, words and punctuation. Poems...
Continue »
Years ago, it was my honor and privilege to be able to read the first chapter of a novel in progress about a duchess who lived during the Italian Renaissance that was based on the famous Robert Browning poem, “My Last Duchess.” That single chapter was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. It engaged all my senses and thoroughly transported me back in time. Then I had to wait years, not always patiently, to read the rest.
The author was Elizabeth Loupas, and the story, The Second Duchess, is bound to become as famous as its immortal counterpart. The tale opens in Italy in 1565 and is centered on Barbara of Austria, the second wife of Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, whose first wife was the young and beautiful Lucrezia de’Medici.
Barbara, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, is a bit beyond “marriageable age,” and much less attractive than the first duchess, but a politically motivated marriage has been arranged that will save her from life in a convent where two of her sisters are already immured, and instead, make her the duchess of the dazzling, opulent royal court of Ferrara. It would be a dream come true for any woman, except that the groom is suspected all across Europe of murdering his beautiful first wife.
Barbara is determined to ignore the rumors about the man with whom she will bed and hope to provide an heir. To even hint at the possibility that the duke may be guilty of murder is treason that could result in her being locked in a tower for the rest of her life, or worse. But the whispers, insinuations, and threats begin on her wedding day, and soon enough, her own life comes to depend on discovering the truth.
Elizabeth Loupas recreated the royal court to the last glittering detail, and brought its characters to shimmering, intriguing, romantic life. I waited for so long, with such faith in the story and the writing, that there was real possibility that it could never live up to my very high expectations. It exceeded every one. It was so worth the wait.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.
Don't Miss
Customer Comments
southernwriter has commented on (1) product.
The Second Duchess by Elizabeth Loupas
southernwriter, March 27, 2011
Years ago, it was my honor and privilege to be able to read the first chapter of a novel in progress about a duchess who lived during the Italian Renaissance that was based on the famous Robert Browning poem, “My Last Duchess.” That single chapter was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. It engaged all my senses and thoroughly transported me back in time. Then I had to wait years, not always patiently, to read the rest.The author was Elizabeth Loupas, and the story, The Second Duchess, is bound to become as famous as its immortal counterpart. The tale opens in Italy in 1565 and is centered on Barbara of Austria, the second wife of Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrara, whose first wife was the young and beautiful Lucrezia de’Medici.
Barbara, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor, is a bit beyond “marriageable age,” and much less attractive than the first duchess, but a politically motivated marriage has been arranged that will save her from life in a convent where two of her sisters are already immured, and instead, make her the duchess of the dazzling, opulent royal court of Ferrara. It would be a dream come true for any woman, except that the groom is suspected all across Europe of murdering his beautiful first wife.
Barbara is determined to ignore the rumors about the man with whom she will bed and hope to provide an heir. To even hint at the possibility that the duke may be guilty of murder is treason that could result in her being locked in a tower for the rest of her life, or worse. But the whispers, insinuations, and threats begin on her wedding day, and soon enough, her own life comes to depend on discovering the truth.
Elizabeth Loupas recreated the royal court to the last glittering detail, and brought its characters to shimmering, intriguing, romantic life. I waited for so long, with such faith in the story and the writing, that there was real possibility that it could never live up to my very high expectations. It exceeded every one. It was so worth the wait.
(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)