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The Ground Is Burning
Seduction, betrayal and murder: the true art of the renaissance.
Cesare Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci - three of the most famous, or notorious, names in European history. In the autumn of 1502, their lives intersect in a castle in Italy's Romagna.
In this hugely intelligent and entertaining novel, Samuel Black tells the true story of these men who, with different tools - ruthless ambition, unstoppable genius and subtle political manipulation - each follow an obsession to attain greatness and leave a lasting mark on the world. And at the centre of this court of intrigue and deception is Dorotea Caracciolo, a young noblewoman abducted by Borgia who has become his lover - and his secret agent.
Their story begins in hope and fear and ends in bloodshed, deceit and triumph. Along the way, there are battles and romances, lavish parties and furtive stranglings. And out of this maelstrom will emerge the Mona Lisa and The Prince.
Cesare Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci - three of the most famous, or notorious, names in European history. In the autumn of 1502, their lives intersect in a castle in Italy's Romagna.
In this hugely intelligent and entertaining novel, Samuel Black tells the true story of these men who, with different tools - ruthless ambition, unstoppable genius and subtle political manipulation - each follow an obsession to attain greatness and leave a lasting mark on the world. And at the centre of this court of intrigue and deception is Dorotea Caracciolo, a young noblewoman abducted by Borgia who has become his lover - and his secret agent.
Their story begins in hope and fear and ends in bloodshed, deceit and triumph. Along the way, there are battles and romances, lavish parties and furtive stranglings. And out of this maelstrom will emerge the Mona Lisa and The Prince.
406 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
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December 2, 2016
"An empty cage, it's open door- a symbol of my new found Liberty"
The ground is burning is one book I recommend everyone to invest in. If you're looking for a good historical fiction it is this one.
From the premise I tried to think it was only about these few famous people and how they have been portrayed and made into.
"Goodness often leads us to the house of evil. Yet we may sometimes reach the house of goodness by taking the path of evil."
For starters id like to point out how difficult it is to build a single character but Black has gone all out and created three absolutely phenomenal characters and they are all historically known figures.
Stunning and precise research work and story line will always keep you on your toes.
This book actually follows four major character, one of them being a not very famous figure but a woman. Dorotea, she was a real person at that time and he's built her character from there.
Surprisingly one of the most beautiful and poetic and true to form dialogues actually come from her mouth, which is an appreciation of his work in its own sense.
The Ground Is burning will blow your mind. It points out the fact that how all these characters are trying to be immortal but even till the end they feel like a failure. When do you know that you have achieved your peak and now your need to slow down?
"History is speaking to us. Always,it whispers: too quiet to hear,in a foreign tongue. If only we could understand what it were saying, something of the gravest importance might revealed"
That's something that is beautifully portrayed in this book.
Writing style is amazing, the characters are all great. To the point where there is this very brief character who is sort of like the bad guy but when we are given an insight into his thoughts it actually makes you cry.
There is no character bias, it's almost like different people have written different stories.
I am actually at a loss on ideas on how to critique this book because there was no fault at all.
Not for a minute was it boring rather it was engaging. Not for a minute was it too vulgar, as someone who watches a lot of historical shows some level of shade is acceptable.
I can't emphasis how much I recommend this to everyone. And while you're at it please also watch a show called Da Vinci's Demons because it's exquisitely done.
And dibs on Tom Riley.
The ground is burning is one book I recommend everyone to invest in. If you're looking for a good historical fiction it is this one.
From the premise I tried to think it was only about these few famous people and how they have been portrayed and made into.
"Goodness often leads us to the house of evil. Yet we may sometimes reach the house of goodness by taking the path of evil."
For starters id like to point out how difficult it is to build a single character but Black has gone all out and created three absolutely phenomenal characters and they are all historically known figures.
Stunning and precise research work and story line will always keep you on your toes.
This book actually follows four major character, one of them being a not very famous figure but a woman. Dorotea, she was a real person at that time and he's built her character from there.
Surprisingly one of the most beautiful and poetic and true to form dialogues actually come from her mouth, which is an appreciation of his work in its own sense.
The Ground Is burning will blow your mind. It points out the fact that how all these characters are trying to be immortal but even till the end they feel like a failure. When do you know that you have achieved your peak and now your need to slow down?
"History is speaking to us. Always,it whispers: too quiet to hear,in a foreign tongue. If only we could understand what it were saying, something of the gravest importance might revealed"
That's something that is beautifully portrayed in this book.
Writing style is amazing, the characters are all great. To the point where there is this very brief character who is sort of like the bad guy but when we are given an insight into his thoughts it actually makes you cry.
There is no character bias, it's almost like different people have written different stories.
I am actually at a loss on ideas on how to critique this book because there was no fault at all.
Not for a minute was it boring rather it was engaging. Not for a minute was it too vulgar, as someone who watches a lot of historical shows some level of shade is acceptable.
I can't emphasis how much I recommend this to everyone. And while you're at it please also watch a show called Da Vinci's Demons because it's exquisitely done.
And dibs on Tom Riley.
May 11, 2013
When you take three intensely fascinating historical figures - Cesare Borgia, Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli - and write a book about their crossed paths, interactions and shared pieces of history, you've got the perfect recipe for a historical fiction novel I'll take one look at and immediately know I *must* have.
IMO, a brilliant book I tore through in a matter of hours, incapable of putting it down. Loved the premise, loved the story and loved the writing.
(Also: Yes, it has sex, lots of graphic violence and an equally huge amount of swearing. If you have a problem with that, you shouldn't be reading books about people like Cesare Borgia in the first place.)
IMO, a brilliant book I tore through in a matter of hours, incapable of putting it down. Loved the premise, loved the story and loved the writing.
(Also: Yes, it has sex, lots of graphic violence and an equally huge amount of swearing. If you have a problem with that, you shouldn't be reading books about people like Cesare Borgia in the first place.)
April 13, 2012
"A story about seduction, betrayal and murder. Cesare Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci in 1502, their lives intersect in a castle in Italy's Romagna." Now apparently this is a "hugely intelligent and entertaining novel", which did not fulfil that promise when I read it. Well actually didn't get very far with it at all. Didn't find it entertaining in the slightest.
October 25, 2019
I’ve taken a couple weeks to mull over this book and have since changed my rating from 4 to 3 stars.
I really enjoyed this novel. It was such a calculated book and despite having 4 different perspectives, it was an easy to follow story. I think it would be much harder for someone picking up the book that knew next to nothing about the characters. (I lucked out and had just finished watching The Borgias on Netflix, so I didn’t feel lost with Cesare’s arc or find his story unbelievable.)
What made me drop the rating one star ultimately, was the pacing. This books spans nearly forty years. It is sectioned off and the dates are always at the top of each perspective, but sometimes I just felt thrown around while reading. I blew through the novel on a plane, two hours leaving and two returning, so perhaps that was my fault. This may be a book that needs to be read slowly, savoring it over time. Unfortunately, after some reflection, I realized that the pacing really killed a lot of my enjoyment of the book.
It was so intelligent, brutal and cruel in a way very specific to wartime novels, especially when some of the perspective is done by a Vegetarian pacifist (Leonardo), and some is done by the man inflicting violence (Cesare). There were some parts difficult to read because of it, and I don’t consider myself having a delicate stomach for gore.
In all, the book was interesting and entertaining. Smart, calculated, beautiful and tragically written. I loved seeing men I have heard of, studied a little or a lot, come to life for me in a new way. It’s tempting me to pick up some biographical stuff on Cesare and Machievelli, especially since I only know a little of the latter from a philosophy class AGES ago. I don’t think this would be an enjoyable read for those who don’t know who these men are. The book thrusts you into their lives with little introduction and the back blurb is meant to further entice those who recognize the names, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a chance!
Just maybe don’t rush through it like I did.
I really enjoyed this novel. It was such a calculated book and despite having 4 different perspectives, it was an easy to follow story. I think it would be much harder for someone picking up the book that knew next to nothing about the characters. (I lucked out and had just finished watching The Borgias on Netflix, so I didn’t feel lost with Cesare’s arc or find his story unbelievable.)
What made me drop the rating one star ultimately, was the pacing. This books spans nearly forty years. It is sectioned off and the dates are always at the top of each perspective, but sometimes I just felt thrown around while reading. I blew through the novel on a plane, two hours leaving and two returning, so perhaps that was my fault. This may be a book that needs to be read slowly, savoring it over time. Unfortunately, after some reflection, I realized that the pacing really killed a lot of my enjoyment of the book.
It was so intelligent, brutal and cruel in a way very specific to wartime novels, especially when some of the perspective is done by a Vegetarian pacifist (Leonardo), and some is done by the man inflicting violence (Cesare). There were some parts difficult to read because of it, and I don’t consider myself having a delicate stomach for gore.
In all, the book was interesting and entertaining. Smart, calculated, beautiful and tragically written. I loved seeing men I have heard of, studied a little or a lot, come to life for me in a new way. It’s tempting me to pick up some biographical stuff on Cesare and Machievelli, especially since I only know a little of the latter from a philosophy class AGES ago. I don’t think this would be an enjoyable read for those who don’t know who these men are. The book thrusts you into their lives with little introduction and the back blurb is meant to further entice those who recognize the names, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a chance!
Just maybe don’t rush through it like I did.
September 27, 2024
There were so many components of this novel that I disliked. The first major issue was the sloppy organization of narrators where the writer simply by sticking in the person's name to signify the change in perspective. The author could have created separate distinct sections for each character's narration. All the dialogue was wholly modern without any attempt at trying to recreate late Medieval/early Renaissance vernacular. None of the major characters are very likable and the pace of the story felt off, speeding up in some places and dragging in others. I appreciate the author's intent for this novel but leaving out general details of Renaissance Italy like landscape and setting descriptions was a deal breaker for me. If you want to write a historical fiction novel, you have to remember to bring that history to life. This seemed more like a modern thriller novel dropped into the Italian Renaissance without any context or cultural explanation.
January 29, 2020
Sam hasn't written historical fiction before, to my knowledge, so I think that's why he chose to use a pseudonym. As usual, his writing has moral depth, he rides ambiguities and leaves the reader challenged and troubled. His writing often has these brief, usually vulgar, inner monologues that convey fleeting feelings of passion well, although I often feel he uses them too often.
He's the kind of writer who diligently researches his topic, so there's a sense of authenticity about it without bogging down his ideas with the historical setting. I'm surprised he chose to write this novel, but not surprised he wrote it well.
I'm surprised with myself for enjoying the novel, since the genre isn't one that usually entices me.
He's the kind of writer who diligently researches his topic, so there's a sense of authenticity about it without bogging down his ideas with the historical setting. I'm surprised he chose to write this novel, but not surprised he wrote it well.
I'm surprised with myself for enjoying the novel, since the genre isn't one that usually entices me.
January 10, 2021
Leonardo da Vinci’s, Niccolo Machiavelli’s and Cesare Borgia’s lives intersect in the early 1500s in a superb examination of all three, using their voice and character and told in the present tense along with the perspectives of Borgia’s mistress and a mercenary, in a violent and compelling examination of the times. It is centred on Borgia’s political ambitions and military adventures revelatory to Machiavelli and distasteful to Leonardo, as their careers are interweaved in a masterful story, historically largely authentic
May 29, 2018
Really lazily written, very little care to create genuine historical characters with believable voices. Read well over half but have bought better books to get on with so just couldn't be bothered to continue. Has clearly done his research though.
December 25, 2016
Love the story and the interaction between the characters but most of all I love the poetic use of words.
Really enjoyed the whole experience.
Highly recommend this book.
Really enjoyed the whole experience.
Highly recommend this book.
February 25, 2013
This was a good read, but I think it's important to note that this is more a cerebral personality exploration of the three historical figures of Cesare Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo Da Vinci, than an action story, which is what the descriptions suggested to me it would be. Either can make a good read, but they are two very different types of stories.
Most people know something about the lives of these men, but may not know that it is fact that their lives did intersect in Italy during the period of this story. The author went to great lengths to include as may verifiable facts as possible into his story and this does add to the entertainment value of the story, especially if you are very knowledgeable about the period, the men, and the events of the time.
The book is written in first person narrative as though we are reading their diaries, by each of the three men, as well as a woman named Dorotea, who plays a key role in the story, and one of Borgia's key enemies. The first person approach can be a bit off-putting for some readers, but I had no issue with it at all. I felt it worked quite well to tell the single story from the differing perspectives of the several people who were involved at different times and in differnent ways with what's going on.
What did bug me a little was the author's using words and phrases that are modern and would never have been uttered by people during the period of the story. In particular, the "f-word" was not in general use during this period, so everytime it was in the book, it distracted me by pulling me out of the narrative. That's not what you want as a reader of historical fiction. There were other phrases - which I can't give examples of, but there were more than one or two - that are so modern that they stopped me in my tracks when I saw them and made me think: "he wouldn't have said that". If you are going to go to the trouble to research facts for the book, go the extra mile and get a handle on the speech patterns and language too.
But the language was a small complaint. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. I like the psychology of human behaviour, and that is, at heart, what I feel this book was about. We are allowed inside the minds of three of the most famous real figures in history and we get a deep dive into their fears, their motivations and their choices in how they lived their lives and why they did what they did. It felt real, and I enjoyed that.
There are battles - don't let my intitial comment confuse you. You can't have a book with Cesare Borgia in it that doesn't include battles, intrigue and military back-stabbing if you are writing accurately, and all of that is here. And as other reviewers have noted the violence is pretty graphic at points, but having read a fair amount of historical fiction I didn't find it unrealistic, excessive, or gratuitous. It made sense in the context of the story which is always my yardstick for whether sex or violence is okay in a story.
When you throw in Machiavelli, you get the strategic maneuvering that is his hallmark, although this is at a point very early in his evolution when he is just starting to form his perspectives, so it's neat to be there at the earliest moments of the conception of his later writings which became so famous.
When you throw in Da Vinci, you get the artist, and the humanist, and the non-soldier, who offers a balance and an alternative perspective to the war-like Borgia and Machiavelli. It's an excellent way to present a balanced story.
Dorotea, who is kidnapped by Borgia and becomes his mistress and then his spy gives us a woman's view of what it was like to live in this period. She is no fading flower, and gives as good as she gets, although being a woman there's only so far she can go. But I like that the lone female character is a strong competent and intelligent woman.
Overall a great psychological exploration of a time, a place and what might have been the internal thoughts of some well-known historical figures at a very exciting time.
Most people know something about the lives of these men, but may not know that it is fact that their lives did intersect in Italy during the period of this story. The author went to great lengths to include as may verifiable facts as possible into his story and this does add to the entertainment value of the story, especially if you are very knowledgeable about the period, the men, and the events of the time.
The book is written in first person narrative as though we are reading their diaries, by each of the three men, as well as a woman named Dorotea, who plays a key role in the story, and one of Borgia's key enemies. The first person approach can be a bit off-putting for some readers, but I had no issue with it at all. I felt it worked quite well to tell the single story from the differing perspectives of the several people who were involved at different times and in differnent ways with what's going on.
What did bug me a little was the author's using words and phrases that are modern and would never have been uttered by people during the period of the story. In particular, the "f-word" was not in general use during this period, so everytime it was in the book, it distracted me by pulling me out of the narrative. That's not what you want as a reader of historical fiction. There were other phrases - which I can't give examples of, but there were more than one or two - that are so modern that they stopped me in my tracks when I saw them and made me think: "he wouldn't have said that". If you are going to go to the trouble to research facts for the book, go the extra mile and get a handle on the speech patterns and language too.
But the language was a small complaint. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much. I like the psychology of human behaviour, and that is, at heart, what I feel this book was about. We are allowed inside the minds of three of the most famous real figures in history and we get a deep dive into their fears, their motivations and their choices in how they lived their lives and why they did what they did. It felt real, and I enjoyed that.
There are battles - don't let my intitial comment confuse you. You can't have a book with Cesare Borgia in it that doesn't include battles, intrigue and military back-stabbing if you are writing accurately, and all of that is here. And as other reviewers have noted the violence is pretty graphic at points, but having read a fair amount of historical fiction I didn't find it unrealistic, excessive, or gratuitous. It made sense in the context of the story which is always my yardstick for whether sex or violence is okay in a story.
When you throw in Machiavelli, you get the strategic maneuvering that is his hallmark, although this is at a point very early in his evolution when he is just starting to form his perspectives, so it's neat to be there at the earliest moments of the conception of his later writings which became so famous.
When you throw in Da Vinci, you get the artist, and the humanist, and the non-soldier, who offers a balance and an alternative perspective to the war-like Borgia and Machiavelli. It's an excellent way to present a balanced story.
Dorotea, who is kidnapped by Borgia and becomes his mistress and then his spy gives us a woman's view of what it was like to live in this period. She is no fading flower, and gives as good as she gets, although being a woman there's only so far she can go. But I like that the lone female character is a strong competent and intelligent woman.
Overall a great psychological exploration of a time, a place and what might have been the internal thoughts of some well-known historical figures at a very exciting time.
January 24, 2021
Starring Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia in a fable of love, lust, intrigue and war. What's not to like?
February 23, 2013
The Ground is Burning is a the author's fictional recreation of the coming together of three great figures in Italian history; Ceasare Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci in Autumn 1502. This is not a period or setting that I know much about. Of the three key figures, I only know anything about da Vinci before reading this, although the others I knew by name. Armed with so little knowledge I didn't know what to expect, nor can I judge the historical accuracy of this tale - I understand from the epilogue that the meeting of the three did take place, but most of the detail is uncertain.
Putting the historical aspect to one side, how did I find this as a novel? It begins with the abduction by Borgia of a young noblewoman, Dorotea Caracciolo, who, although his captive, becomes enamoured by his power (this we are also told happened historically, although there is little detail known about what happens to her after that). The story is the unravelling of the consequences of that act, and her interactions with the three men. As a tale of political intrigue and an examination of the nature of true power, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The portrayal was colourful, the characters distinctive, and the plot enjoyable. It has left me wanting to find out more about the setting and the people, and to that end the author has certainly succeeded! The tension between the factions and the intrigue was well presented - in many ways this is the real-life 'Game of Thrones' for those that are familiar with that body of work. One simple and very helpful touch was the list of characters and who they are at the front of the novel. To often in such books the list, if there is one, is tucked away at the back and only discovered when you have reached it, having spent ages flicking back and forth during the reading to remind yourself how everyone fits together.
So who in the end discovered true power and contentment? Borgia, with his scheming? Machiavelli with his reflections on politics da Vinci with his thirst for knowledge and beauty, or Dorotea the captive turned lover? That I won't give away, you'll have to read the book to find out, but this is the question I am left with having just closed it. What does it mean to be successful and how do we measure it? Important questions I believe.
Putting the historical aspect to one side, how did I find this as a novel? It begins with the abduction by Borgia of a young noblewoman, Dorotea Caracciolo, who, although his captive, becomes enamoured by his power (this we are also told happened historically, although there is little detail known about what happens to her after that). The story is the unravelling of the consequences of that act, and her interactions with the three men. As a tale of political intrigue and an examination of the nature of true power, I thoroughly enjoyed it! The portrayal was colourful, the characters distinctive, and the plot enjoyable. It has left me wanting to find out more about the setting and the people, and to that end the author has certainly succeeded! The tension between the factions and the intrigue was well presented - in many ways this is the real-life 'Game of Thrones' for those that are familiar with that body of work. One simple and very helpful touch was the list of characters and who they are at the front of the novel. To often in such books the list, if there is one, is tucked away at the back and only discovered when you have reached it, having spent ages flicking back and forth during the reading to remind yourself how everyone fits together.
So who in the end discovered true power and contentment? Borgia, with his scheming? Machiavelli with his reflections on politics da Vinci with his thirst for knowledge and beauty, or Dorotea the captive turned lover? That I won't give away, you'll have to read the book to find out, but this is the question I am left with having just closed it. What does it mean to be successful and how do we measure it? Important questions I believe.
February 26, 2012
Samuel Black's "The Ground is Burning" is based in Renaissance Italy where a "Godfather"-like Don leads his own army, and where two of the greatest thinkers of 16th century Europe become close friends.
This terrific concept bears fruit in a novel that builds upon the intersection of three key figures of the Renaissance: Niccolo Machiavelli, Leondardo Da Vinci, and Cesare Borgia.
Though several themes run through Black's strong debut novel, the core motif orbits around death and permanence. Instead of word-smithing my own description, I'll let Black ponder this theme through the mouths of two of his primary characters.
Cesare considers a future where "...I must...make myself immortal. I must reach the mountain peak - before death reaches me."
Leonardo, who must've been a fun character to develop and write, thinks "I love to create illusions, but what if they are, as they pretend to be, life in microcosm - a glorious flaring, followed only by darkness, leaving not a trace of itself behind...I wish to carve my name in marble but...have I merely sketched a signature in dust?"
Author Black has believably filled in the gaps where history provides only clues. In fact, Machiavelli, Borgia and Da Vinci did orbit each other quite closely during the late 1400s and early 1500s. While there are documented interactions between Machiavelli and Borgia, it's unclear the extent to which these three members of the Renaissance glitterati connected.
Borgia's rather extreme views on leadership, and the use of his military might, was a model for Machiavelli's "The Prince".
Black sticks closely to the historical record where it existed, creates plausible motives and scenarios with well-rounded characters that have emotional depth. It flows smoothly, is well written, and builds realistic characters and circumstances that make historical fiction so much fun.
His ability to create flowing fiction while keeping close adherence to real history is what makes this book work.
Sticking with his primary theme, I'll leave you with a quote from Black's Da Vinci, who borrows from Dante: "lying on a featherbed...or under quilt, fame will not come, without which, your life consumed, you'll leave no more vestige of yourself on earth than smoke in air, or in the water spume".
This terrific concept bears fruit in a novel that builds upon the intersection of three key figures of the Renaissance: Niccolo Machiavelli, Leondardo Da Vinci, and Cesare Borgia.
Though several themes run through Black's strong debut novel, the core motif orbits around death and permanence. Instead of word-smithing my own description, I'll let Black ponder this theme through the mouths of two of his primary characters.
Cesare considers a future where "...I must...make myself immortal. I must reach the mountain peak - before death reaches me."
Leonardo, who must've been a fun character to develop and write, thinks "I love to create illusions, but what if they are, as they pretend to be, life in microcosm - a glorious flaring, followed only by darkness, leaving not a trace of itself behind...I wish to carve my name in marble but...have I merely sketched a signature in dust?"
Author Black has believably filled in the gaps where history provides only clues. In fact, Machiavelli, Borgia and Da Vinci did orbit each other quite closely during the late 1400s and early 1500s. While there are documented interactions between Machiavelli and Borgia, it's unclear the extent to which these three members of the Renaissance glitterati connected.
Borgia's rather extreme views on leadership, and the use of his military might, was a model for Machiavelli's "The Prince".
Black sticks closely to the historical record where it existed, creates plausible motives and scenarios with well-rounded characters that have emotional depth. It flows smoothly, is well written, and builds realistic characters and circumstances that make historical fiction so much fun.
His ability to create flowing fiction while keeping close adherence to real history is what makes this book work.
Sticking with his primary theme, I'll leave you with a quote from Black's Da Vinci, who borrows from Dante: "lying on a featherbed...or under quilt, fame will not come, without which, your life consumed, you'll leave no more vestige of yourself on earth than smoke in air, or in the water spume".
April 24, 2017
"We make our plans. We follow our dreams. We battle our enemies. We love our fiends. We burn with so much passion and desire. But in the end, we are like flakes of ash... we go where the wind blows us, don't we?"
I'm a bit torn on this one. Part of me wanted so much to love it because the characters in it are some of my favourite in all of history, but I can't quite agree with their portrayal. Some of the things they would say I thought didn't fit with the time (for example "I will fuck you up" made me think of a thug in a dark alley, not Cesare Borgia) and - possibly just me being petty - I really didn't like the way words were emphasised with capitals (e.g "I want REVENGE!") - why not just use italics? I'm willing to admit that this is me being fussy but it made it feel less... sophisticated.
It also started to get on my nerves that almost everything from Cesare's POV started with two words - "treeshadow and insectbuzz", "Sunglare and bloodstink" etc etc etc... it started to get repetitive after a while. The first time I read it I thought it was a good way of setting up Cesare's bit of the narrative. After what felt like a thousand times of reading the same thing it just bored me.
I thought Leonardo didn't quite match up to how I've always imagined him - and though the affair with Dorotea was entertaining, I've always believed Da Vinci was almost exclusively gay. I longed for more exploration into his relationship with Salai, his father, his mother, his deep ingrained fear of failure, but it was left lacking.
I wanted from this book what I got in Stephanie Storey's Oil and Marble. This just didn't live up to O&M - if I'd have read The Ground is Burning before O&M then I probably would have liked this a whole lot more, but Storey just set the bar so high that everything pales in comparison.
That being said, I appreciate the difficulty of setting up so many characters with such huge personalities and this book does do that fairly well - the characters are just not how I would imagine nor do they always act the way a 15th century man would or say things a 15th century man would say.
I'm a bit torn on this one. Part of me wanted so much to love it because the characters in it are some of my favourite in all of history, but I can't quite agree with their portrayal. Some of the things they would say I thought didn't fit with the time (for example "I will fuck you up" made me think of a thug in a dark alley, not Cesare Borgia) and - possibly just me being petty - I really didn't like the way words were emphasised with capitals (e.g "I want REVENGE!") - why not just use italics? I'm willing to admit that this is me being fussy but it made it feel less... sophisticated.
It also started to get on my nerves that almost everything from Cesare's POV started with two words - "treeshadow and insectbuzz", "Sunglare and bloodstink" etc etc etc... it started to get repetitive after a while. The first time I read it I thought it was a good way of setting up Cesare's bit of the narrative. After what felt like a thousand times of reading the same thing it just bored me.
I thought Leonardo didn't quite match up to how I've always imagined him - and though the affair with Dorotea was entertaining, I've always believed Da Vinci was almost exclusively gay. I longed for more exploration into his relationship with Salai, his father, his mother, his deep ingrained fear of failure, but it was left lacking.
I wanted from this book what I got in Stephanie Storey's Oil and Marble. This just didn't live up to O&M - if I'd have read The Ground is Burning before O&M then I probably would have liked this a whole lot more, but Storey just set the bar so high that everything pales in comparison.
That being said, I appreciate the difficulty of setting up so many characters with such huge personalities and this book does do that fairly well - the characters are just not how I would imagine nor do they always act the way a 15th century man would or say things a 15th century man would say.
June 22, 2011
It was difficult to get into this book for several reasons. First of all the swearing. I found it unneccessary for the most part and it really put me off. I also didnt care for the short sentances that was written for when Cesare was speaking. I think the worst was the unfinished sentances that were random, usually finished with 'I' and for some reason that really bothered me, there was no period at the end of it.
It took me while to get used to these things in the book, but by the end I really appriciated them. I liked how the writer made it really easy to know which of the three main characters were speaking and the swearing was really just used to help with this distinction. I didnt even mind the non-ending sentances. The lack of a period (or full-stop, depending on what side of the pond your on) still freaked me out a bit.
So for the great bits. Its really wonderfully written with many philosophical debates and questions and you can tell the author spent a lot of time on research. I loved how 'the ground is burning' meant different things to the different characters and loved it even more when I read that it was a direct quotation from Machiavelli's dispatches.
And the now for the bad bits. I felt that the ending fell flat. I expected Borgia's downfall would be given more emphasis and was disappointed when his maddness wasn't given the time it deserved. It also left you hanging for more information about Dorotea and Leonardo and their eventual fate.
However, I did enjoy this book. It made me look into a point in history that I knew nothing about and made me think more about the amazing work Da Vinci actually did.
It took me while to get used to these things in the book, but by the end I really appriciated them. I liked how the writer made it really easy to know which of the three main characters were speaking and the swearing was really just used to help with this distinction. I didnt even mind the non-ending sentances. The lack of a period (or full-stop, depending on what side of the pond your on) still freaked me out a bit.
So for the great bits. Its really wonderfully written with many philosophical debates and questions and you can tell the author spent a lot of time on research. I loved how 'the ground is burning' meant different things to the different characters and loved it even more when I read that it was a direct quotation from Machiavelli's dispatches.
And the now for the bad bits. I felt that the ending fell flat. I expected Borgia's downfall would be given more emphasis and was disappointed when his maddness wasn't given the time it deserved. It also left you hanging for more information about Dorotea and Leonardo and their eventual fate.
However, I did enjoy this book. It made me look into a point in history that I knew nothing about and made me think more about the amazing work Da Vinci actually did.
August 13, 2012
This is an interesting take on the collision of three great men - Machiavelli, Leonardo and Cesare Borgia in the early 1500s as Borgia was marching his army through the Romagna in Italy. It is written in the first person so we hear the voices of the key characters as well as a few others. I found this style a little hard to get into, but after a while I did quite enjoy it.
For me, the book worked best when it explored those events that we know happened (such as the dramatic first meeting between Cesare and Machiavelli which was really well done). The weakest parts were those that were fictional, such as the development of the Dorotea character. She was a real woman kidnapped by Cesare, but apart from that historians know very little about her. Her narrative seemed very far fetched to me particularly regarding her relationship with Leonardo, which I found quite ridiculous.
I also didn't agree with the characterisation of Cesare as an angry, violent, monster. At times it seemed like the author was looking for ways to stress how horrible he was and so had to invent several scenes (such as the punishment of the French troops towards the end of the book) rather than relying on his real actions to show us his character.
That aside, as someone who is really interested in renaissance history, I did enjoy the book and it was a very imaginative take on what is a great story. It is certainly very different to most historical fiction in its style and I found that refreshing.
For me, the book worked best when it explored those events that we know happened (such as the dramatic first meeting between Cesare and Machiavelli which was really well done). The weakest parts were those that were fictional, such as the development of the Dorotea character. She was a real woman kidnapped by Cesare, but apart from that historians know very little about her. Her narrative seemed very far fetched to me particularly regarding her relationship with Leonardo, which I found quite ridiculous.
I also didn't agree with the characterisation of Cesare as an angry, violent, monster. At times it seemed like the author was looking for ways to stress how horrible he was and so had to invent several scenes (such as the punishment of the French troops towards the end of the book) rather than relying on his real actions to show us his character.
That aside, as someone who is really interested in renaissance history, I did enjoy the book and it was a very imaginative take on what is a great story. It is certainly very different to most historical fiction in its style and I found that refreshing.
May 4, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Having it written in the first person was a perfect way to get the feel of the characters. Other reviewers have said the swearing was off putting so I have to assume they have never spent much time around soldiers. Some said the violence was too graphic and seemed gratuitous but anyone who knows anything about Cesare Borgia and his times would know it was ncessary. Cesare may never have used the f word but I'm perfectly willing to be he used and old Italian equivalent.
Machiavelli was an interesting character. I found he was able to keep up with Cesare in every way.
I was a little annoyed with Leonardo and his wah-wahing about leaving nothing of value. I also don't think he would have slept with Dorothea.
As for Dorothea, her story is a perfect case of be careful what you wish for. She didn't want her marriage so she gets kidnapped by Cesare, forced to become his mistress and when she screws up as a spy, live in fear for her life.
One thing that always fascinates me is how these women all sleep with men with syphllis and never get sick themselves. That's just a random thought that has nothing to do with the story.
Machiavelli was an interesting character. I found he was able to keep up with Cesare in every way.
I was a little annoyed with Leonardo and his wah-wahing about leaving nothing of value. I also don't think he would have slept with Dorothea.
As for Dorothea, her story is a perfect case of be careful what you wish for. She didn't want her marriage so she gets kidnapped by Cesare, forced to become his mistress and when she screws up as a spy, live in fear for her life.
One thing that always fascinates me is how these women all sleep with men with syphllis and never get sick themselves. That's just a random thought that has nothing to do with the story.
February 6, 2016
I´m pretty ambiguous about this one. It is a gripping tale of the meeting between three of the great minds that were part of forming renaissance Italy: Cesare Borgia, Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolo Machiavelli. But it was really nasty, I am well aware of the brutality of that time and the atrocities of warfare in general, I guess I just don´t have the stomach to read about it. I read through two rapes and an execution before I started skipping passages, it´s not that Samuel Black revelled in gory details, because he didn´t, and there were not that many passages to skip. I think the problem in this case was how convincing he described the pleasure Cesare Borgia took in inflicting pain and the sophisticated brute the man paradoxically must have been. I´ve seldom read a book where I hoped for one of the protagonists to just keel over, full knowing that it would be a good while yet before he did.
Definitely renaissance brought to life in very vivid detail and description.
Definitely renaissance brought to life in very vivid detail and description.
June 23, 2012
Quite good actually.
lot of violence, swearing etc. but these times where not as easy as ours. And suffering was part of the redemption...
I agree that it takes time to get in. The beginning does not bring that much information about the characters and the novel aim. But the "imola" part was very interesting.
Everybody is looking for its part of celebrity and this was not simple to achieve when a simple bad cold can just kill you in winter, or a french solder or just god will. And what do you have to achieve to get some immortality, what will be left of you for the next generation. What is the sens of life in a city-state countries that are fighting ever and ever in a never ending mortal dance.
One point, I'm not sure that Vinci could have eaten "tomato and avocado" in any place in Italy back in 1502.
lot of violence, swearing etc. but these times where not as easy as ours. And suffering was part of the redemption...
I agree that it takes time to get in. The beginning does not bring that much information about the characters and the novel aim. But the "imola" part was very interesting.
Everybody is looking for its part of celebrity and this was not simple to achieve when a simple bad cold can just kill you in winter, or a french solder or just god will. And what do you have to achieve to get some immortality, what will be left of you for the next generation. What is the sens of life in a city-state countries that are fighting ever and ever in a never ending mortal dance.
One point, I'm not sure that Vinci could have eaten "tomato and avocado" in any place in Italy back in 1502.
January 26, 2013
Historical novel set against background of early 16th century Italy and cities of Milan, Tuscany and Rome. The main characters of the story are the well know historical figures of Cesar Borgia, Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo Da Vinchi. I was drawn to the novel because we recently visited this part of Italy and I am familiar with some of buildings and works of art mentioned throughout the book. The story line is a bit weak in my opinion but I kept on reading to the end. Italy seems to have been even more corrupt then than now and the Catholic Church had a Pope ( Alexander, a Borgia ) with sons and daughters !. There is lots of intrigue and corruption going on in this book. I don't know how accurate it is but as they say there is no smoke without fire.
August 22, 2013
quite readable, but not all that thrilling or consequential.
I almost sacked it after the first couple of chapters. I found the tone of voice quite jarring and irritating. I'm sure it was intentional that much of the dialogue sounded so modern and casual - a device to strip back the centuries and plunge you into the story, I suppose - but I found it very hard to swallow when one of the 16th century Italians said, "Oh boy, I sure hope so." :-/
As another reviewer mentioned, the trailed off, unfinished sentences were also extremely irritating. A bit of an oddity.
I almost sacked it after the first couple of chapters. I found the tone of voice quite jarring and irritating. I'm sure it was intentional that much of the dialogue sounded so modern and casual - a device to strip back the centuries and plunge you into the story, I suppose - but I found it very hard to swallow when one of the 16th century Italians said, "Oh boy, I sure hope so." :-/
As another reviewer mentioned, the trailed off, unfinished sentences were also extremely irritating. A bit of an oddity.
June 2, 2011
I'm probably not the target audience for this kind of book, not being a big historical fiction fan. Still, I found it a relatively fast read. There's quite a lot of swearing which, I felt, sat a little strangely. It didn't need to be there. It's pretty disgusting/disturbing in places - torture, murder, pillaging, war...
August 11, 2012
OK, but didn't completely deliver what it promised. Dorotea and Cesare didn't quite ring true to me, there was too much swearing which didn't really add anything, and fragments of sentences which I suppose were supposed to be their subconscious thoughts but made them seem mentally unbalanced. And curiously little sense of what it was actually like to live in the period.
February 26, 2013
I did not enjoy this book much at all finding it gratuitously violent and nasty. I'm sure some would say this was an accrue depiction of the time/characters, but I found it crudely written and unnecessary! I like the portrayal of Da Vinci and found some of the ideas in the book really worth exploring. Overall, though, I struggled to keep reading. Oh dear!
July 8, 2014
Picked up on a whim shortly after a trip to Florence. Readable, sped through, but the line between history and fiction has been blurred so much that it's barely historical fiction. Not saying that's a bad thing, but worth being aware going in.
November 7, 2016
Historical Fiction at it's best. The way Black build the characters on the historically known figures (Niccolò Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia and Leonardo Da Vinci) is extremely creative.
Simply put, it's a brilliant book with a good writing style and an amazing storyline.
Simply put, it's a brilliant book with a good writing style and an amazing storyline.
Currently reading
April 3, 2011Early days, but loving it. David Peace meets Rafael Sabatini.
May 19, 2016
The subject had so much potential, but it just never got there.
September 22, 2016
Love the style this book is written in. Would be interesting to read other genre books written in the same style.
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June 9, 2017The only good thing I got out of this book is that it made me want to look into "The Prince" once again
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