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Sónnica la cortesana
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This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
- GenresFiction
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1901
1 person is currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Vicente Blasco Ibáñez
703 books149 followersVicente Blasco Ibáñez (January 29, 1867 – January 28, 1928) was a Spanish realist novelist writing in Spanish, a screenwriter and occasional film director.
Born in Valencia, today he is best known in the English-speaking world for his World War I novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He is also known for his political activities.
He finished studying law, but hardly practised. He divided his time between politics, literature. He was a fan of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
His life, it can be said, tells a more interesting story than his novels. He was a militant Republican partisan in his youth and founded a newspaper, El Pueblo (translated as either The Town or The People) in his hometown. The newspaper aroused so much controversy that it was brought to court many times and censored. He made many enemies and was shot and almost killed in one dispute. The bullet was caught in the clasp of his belt. He had several stormy love affairs.
He volunteered as the proofreader for the novel Noli Me Tangere, in which the Filipino patriot José Rizal expressed his contempt of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. He traveled to Argentina in 1909 where two new cities, Nueva Valencia and Cervantes, were created. He gave conferences on historical events and Spanish literature. Tired and disgusted with government failures and inaction, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez moved to Paris, France at the beginning of World War I.
He was a supporter of the Allies in World War I.
He died in Menton, France at the age of 61.
Born in Valencia, today he is best known in the English-speaking world for his World War I novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. He is also known for his political activities.
He finished studying law, but hardly practised. He divided his time between politics, literature. He was a fan of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
His life, it can be said, tells a more interesting story than his novels. He was a militant Republican partisan in his youth and founded a newspaper, El Pueblo (translated as either The Town or The People) in his hometown. The newspaper aroused so much controversy that it was brought to court many times and censored. He made many enemies and was shot and almost killed in one dispute. The bullet was caught in the clasp of his belt. He had several stormy love affairs.
He volunteered as the proofreader for the novel Noli Me Tangere, in which the Filipino patriot José Rizal expressed his contempt of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. He traveled to Argentina in 1909 where two new cities, Nueva Valencia and Cervantes, were created. He gave conferences on historical events and Spanish literature. Tired and disgusted with government failures and inaction, Vicente Blasco Ibáñez moved to Paris, France at the beginning of World War I.
He was a supporter of the Allies in World War I.
He died in Menton, France at the age of 61.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 20, 2019
Novela histórica sobre la toma de Sagunto por parte de Aníbal. Rico vocabulario. Menos extenso mejor. La primera parte mejor. Predecible.
December 30, 2019
Sonnica la cortesana is a historical fiction based mainly on Saguntine life right before and at the beginning of the Second Punic War in Saguntum. The Siege of Saguntum does take place in the story. The main characters are Sonnica (an Athenian, former courtesan), Acteon (Athenian soldier and adventurer), and Hannibal (the Carthaginian commander).
Personally, I thought Acteon had more of a role than the others, but it sounded more romantic to name the book after an Athenian whore.
Some key elements were the romance between Sonnica and Acteon and the one between Hannibal and Asbyte the Amazon warrior – if we can call it that. Only Sonnica and Acteon get to enjoy themselves, but (spoiler) Hannibal is the only character that survives the violence of the siege.
The dark humor involved the disgust towards Euphobias who was a Saguntine philosopher (a “parasite”), the behavior of the she-wolf prostitutes, and the author’s/Acteon’s dislike of the Roman Republic’s culture. I noticed many comparisons throughout the story between Rome and Athens, Greeks and their allies, and Athenian values vs. that of the primitive enemies.
I enjoyed the writer’s descriptions of the environments, people, and cultures. He made me feel like I was actually there with the filthy whores, the starving Saguntines, the blunt and stark Romans, the lavish Athenians in Saguntum, and appalled among the nations of people that joined Hannibal. It was exciting.
As a woman, one of my favorite moments was reading about Sonnica’s opulent beauty routine which seems to take most of every morning (before the siege, of course).
I’m not sure how I felt about certain gory or depraved moments. Does Euphobias turn towards eating the dying people during the siege? I shan’t say.
Acteon disappoints me in the end by his wishy-washy loyalty. Let’s just say that there is a reason that the Roman personality conquers that of the Greeks. Acteon is an adventurer and wanderer, after all. I’m all in favor of love, of which there are various types, but Acteon and Sonnica have such a deep conversation about it, that I thought he was beyond eros. At least Hannibal was honest and true to his love of war.
I had the honor of holding a 1918 print version, as well, adding to the vibe. I'm surprised this book isn't more popular.
Personally, I thought Acteon had more of a role than the others, but it sounded more romantic to name the book after an Athenian whore.
Some key elements were the romance between Sonnica and Acteon and the one between Hannibal and Asbyte the Amazon warrior – if we can call it that. Only Sonnica and Acteon get to enjoy themselves, but (spoiler) Hannibal is the only character that survives the violence of the siege.
The dark humor involved the disgust towards Euphobias who was a Saguntine philosopher (a “parasite”), the behavior of the she-wolf prostitutes, and the author’s/Acteon’s dislike of the Roman Republic’s culture. I noticed many comparisons throughout the story between Rome and Athens, Greeks and their allies, and Athenian values vs. that of the primitive enemies.
I enjoyed the writer’s descriptions of the environments, people, and cultures. He made me feel like I was actually there with the filthy whores, the starving Saguntines, the blunt and stark Romans, the lavish Athenians in Saguntum, and appalled among the nations of people that joined Hannibal. It was exciting.
As a woman, one of my favorite moments was reading about Sonnica’s opulent beauty routine which seems to take most of every morning (before the siege, of course).
I’m not sure how I felt about certain gory or depraved moments. Does Euphobias turn towards eating the dying people during the siege? I shan’t say.
Acteon disappoints me in the end by his wishy-washy loyalty. Let’s just say that there is a reason that the Roman personality conquers that of the Greeks. Acteon is an adventurer and wanderer, after all. I’m all in favor of love, of which there are various types, but Acteon and Sonnica have such a deep conversation about it, that I thought he was beyond eros. At least Hannibal was honest and true to his love of war.
I had the honor of holding a 1918 print version, as well, adding to the vibe. I'm surprised this book isn't more popular.
May 9, 2018
Aunque le he dado cinco estrellas, he dudado si dejarlo sólo en cuatro. La historia es bastante interesante que incluso pudo haber sido real, por lo que ese detalle hace que el libro se vuelva muy interesante.
No conocía a Vicente Blasco y creo que es muy posible que en algún futuro, vuelva a leer algo más de su obra, por el momento quiero dejar que pase "Sonnica La Cortesana", pues su historia es bastante densa y por momentos muy pesada de leer.
El final no es el clásico ni el que estamos acostumbrados, ni el que de verdad nos hubiera gustado, porque en cierta forma uno va tomando aprecio por la ciudad en donde se desarrollan los acontecimientos, pero es precisamente este final no previsible, el que le pone la cereza final a esta obra.
Recomiendo su lectura, pero con discreción, cuidado y sobre todo sin prisas, porque de otra forma no se podría disfrutar.
No conocía a Vicente Blasco y creo que es muy posible que en algún futuro, vuelva a leer algo más de su obra, por el momento quiero dejar que pase "Sonnica La Cortesana", pues su historia es bastante densa y por momentos muy pesada de leer.
El final no es el clásico ni el que estamos acostumbrados, ni el que de verdad nos hubiera gustado, porque en cierta forma uno va tomando aprecio por la ciudad en donde se desarrollan los acontecimientos, pero es precisamente este final no previsible, el que le pone la cereza final a esta obra.
Recomiendo su lectura, pero con discreción, cuidado y sobre todo sin prisas, porque de otra forma no se podría disfrutar.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews