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Book Review of The Birth of Venus

The Birth of Venus
The Birth of Venus
Author: Sarah Dunant
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Paperback
reviewed on + 36 more book reviews


A lot of interesting elements at play in this book, but the story as a whole did not come together for me. It took a few days to get hooked, so it was a slow start. The mysterious plot twists and gruesome history of Florence carried my interest throughout. It felt like a Jack-the-Ripper novel set in Italy, but neither the plot nor its conclusion is a full-fledged murder-mystery. Plus, the main characters were too mysterious. I did not get to know them enough to care. The narrator, her mother, and her lover were interesting but something about them felt like outlines. They were characters never completed especially when compared to the detailed backdrop of Italian history.