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The Remedy
I was an unwilling nun, bundled into the convent by a family that had briefly lost its head . . .
The nuns caught me early by my sweet tooth, hanging sugared almonds, balsamic lozenges, and candied fruit in the humid swoop of the orchard branches whenever we went . . .
I married Christ in a delirium spun of sweetened wine. I was only bitter later, when I saw little girls dreambound in the smell of almonds and burnt sugar in the orchard. For by then of course I knew full well . . . that God did not make such trees.
So begins The Remedy, a lush and riveting new work of historical fiction by the author of the The Floating Book.
Set against the vivid, haunting backdrops of eighteenth-century Venice and London, The Remedy weaves together the stories of three mesmerizing characters: Venetian actress Mimosina Dolcezza -- snatched from a convent as a young woman, employed as an actress and agente provocatrice by powerful and shadowy European power brokers; the dark prince of London's medical underworld, the roguish Valentine Greatrakes; and the strange, peevish child-woman Pevenche, whose fate and identity are at the heart of the book's mystery. The love affair between Mimosina and Valentine begins in the wake of a murder and tumbles forward based on dangerous secrets and elaborate lies. As the lovers unravel the tangled truths of each other's pasts, The Remedy lures us along a path from the dank environs of London's Bankside to the vibrant streets of Venice, through playhouses and brothels, convents and crypts, with a sensual eye for detail that breathes heady, intoxicating life into the era.
Long-listed for the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction, The Remedy is scholarly, seductive, and teeming with Rabelaisian characters -- a gorgeous novel that will keep the reader aching with suspense and haunted long after the final page is turned.
The nuns caught me early by my sweet tooth, hanging sugared almonds, balsamic lozenges, and candied fruit in the humid swoop of the orchard branches whenever we went . . .
I married Christ in a delirium spun of sweetened wine. I was only bitter later, when I saw little girls dreambound in the smell of almonds and burnt sugar in the orchard. For by then of course I knew full well . . . that God did not make such trees.
So begins The Remedy, a lush and riveting new work of historical fiction by the author of the The Floating Book.
Set against the vivid, haunting backdrops of eighteenth-century Venice and London, The Remedy weaves together the stories of three mesmerizing characters: Venetian actress Mimosina Dolcezza -- snatched from a convent as a young woman, employed as an actress and agente provocatrice by powerful and shadowy European power brokers; the dark prince of London's medical underworld, the roguish Valentine Greatrakes; and the strange, peevish child-woman Pevenche, whose fate and identity are at the heart of the book's mystery. The love affair between Mimosina and Valentine begins in the wake of a murder and tumbles forward based on dangerous secrets and elaborate lies. As the lovers unravel the tangled truths of each other's pasts, The Remedy lures us along a path from the dank environs of London's Bankside to the vibrant streets of Venice, through playhouses and brothels, convents and crypts, with a sensual eye for detail that breathes heady, intoxicating life into the era.
Long-listed for the prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction, The Remedy is scholarly, seductive, and teeming with Rabelaisian characters -- a gorgeous novel that will keep the reader aching with suspense and haunted long after the final page is turned.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
12 people are currently reading
593 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Lovric
112 books169 followersMichelle Lovric is a novelist, writer and anthologist.
Her third novel, The Remedy, was long-listed for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction. The Remedy is a literary murder-mystery set against the background of the quack medicine industry in the eighteenth century.
Her first novel, Carnevale, is the story of the painter Cecilia Cornaro, described by The Times as the possessor of ‘the most covetable life’ in fiction in 2001.
In Lovric’s second novel, The Floating Book, a chorus of characters relates the perilous beginning of the print industry in Venice. The book explores the translation of raw emotion into saleable merchandise from the points of view of poets, editors, publishers – and their lovers. The Floating Book, a London Arts award winner, was also selected as a WH Smith ‘Read of the Week’.
Her first novel for young adult readers, The Undrowned Child, is published by Orion. The sequel is due in summer 2010.
Her fourth adult novel, The Book of Human Skin, is published by Bloomsbury in Spring 2010.
Lovric reviews for publications including The Times and writes travel articles about Venice. She has featured in several BBC radio documentaries about Venice.
She combines her fiction work with editing, designing and producing literary anthologies including her own translations of Latin and Italian poetry. Her book Love Letters was a New York Times best-seller.
Lovric divides her time between London and Venice. She holds a workshop in her home in London with published writers of poetry and prose, fiction and memoir.
Her third novel, The Remedy, was long-listed for the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction. The Remedy is a literary murder-mystery set against the background of the quack medicine industry in the eighteenth century.
Her first novel, Carnevale, is the story of the painter Cecilia Cornaro, described by The Times as the possessor of ‘the most covetable life’ in fiction in 2001.
In Lovric’s second novel, The Floating Book, a chorus of characters relates the perilous beginning of the print industry in Venice. The book explores the translation of raw emotion into saleable merchandise from the points of view of poets, editors, publishers – and their lovers. The Floating Book, a London Arts award winner, was also selected as a WH Smith ‘Read of the Week’.
Her first novel for young adult readers, The Undrowned Child, is published by Orion. The sequel is due in summer 2010.
Her fourth adult novel, The Book of Human Skin, is published by Bloomsbury in Spring 2010.
Lovric reviews for publications including The Times and writes travel articles about Venice. She has featured in several BBC radio documentaries about Venice.
She combines her fiction work with editing, designing and producing literary anthologies including her own translations of Latin and Italian poetry. Her book Love Letters was a New York Times best-seller.
Lovric divides her time between London and Venice. She holds a workshop in her home in London with published writers of poetry and prose, fiction and memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
May 11, 2010
There must be a term for this sub-genre of historical fiction which focuses on extensive description of the sordidness and filth of the past: the stenches, the sores and sicknesses, the gutters clogged with feces, the pox-scarred prostitutes reeking of sweat, jism and tooth-decay, the scarred and deformed poor. Accompanying this physical description, as if the dirt of the past were a reflection of its moral caliber rather than its lack of sanitation, is what seems an obsession with the forementioned prostitution, with the perverted lustful thoughts of every male character, the mindless wantonness of the women (because apparently the people of past eras were too ignorant and irrational to concern themselves with pregnancy and disease), with the violent and criminal.
I'm sure this approach is more realistic than that of, say, historical romance, where the past seems made up largely of balls and the preparations thereof, with faithful servants and the occasional highwayman thrown in for color, but it is still a cripplingly distorted view of societies which were real and complex and for which, in this case, there is plenty of alternative documentation.
But in any case, my objection to this book is not its obsession with the sordid, which I find unoriginal and not to my taste but may be desired by other readers, but its attention to descriptions of the aforementioned over plot action. Dammit, I was promised espionage! It took the first hundred pages for any of the main characters to encounter one another, and just when I was raising my hopes that we were finally getting to the action -- they had sex. Without conversation, foreplay, or removal of clothing. Then the improbably-accented (seriously, this was jokingly called "Stage Paddy" even in the 19th century) Valentine goes home. This is not the sort of "action" I was waiting for, Ms. Lovric. And I'm not waiting any longer. I have other books to read. Books with characters who don't have oozing sores.
I'm sure this approach is more realistic than that of, say, historical romance, where the past seems made up largely of balls and the preparations thereof, with faithful servants and the occasional highwayman thrown in for color, but it is still a cripplingly distorted view of societies which were real and complex and for which, in this case, there is plenty of alternative documentation.
But in any case, my objection to this book is not its obsession with the sordid, which I find unoriginal and not to my taste but may be desired by other readers, but its attention to descriptions of the aforementioned over plot action. Dammit, I was promised espionage! It took the first hundred pages for any of the main characters to encounter one another, and just when I was raising my hopes that we were finally getting to the action -- they had sex. Without conversation, foreplay, or removal of clothing. Then the improbably-accented (seriously, this was jokingly called "Stage Paddy" even in the 19th century) Valentine goes home. This is not the sort of "action" I was waiting for, Ms. Lovric. And I'm not waiting any longer. I have other books to read. Books with characters who don't have oozing sores.
January 11, 2025
قصة وحدة يرسلها والديها إلى كنيسة لتصبح راهبة بالقوة..و لكن الفتاة لا ترغب في ذلك .. الحبكة ضعيفة و فقدت الإهتمام بالرواية في منتصفها..لا أنصح بها أبدا
August 11, 2008
I have a love for historical fiction, particularly of the 1700's, and even more so of Italy. I quite enjoyed this book, even though it did make me pull out my dictionary a few times!
Venice and London are the cities of note in "The Remedy", and while it's a love story, it's a twisted one. I particularly liked the ending -- I saw one twist coming about halfway through the book, but the last one eluded me for a while.
If you liked "In the Company of the Courtesan", you'll probably like this one, too!
I enjoyed it!
Lori Anderson
Lori Anderson:The Store
Lori Anderson:The Blog
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Venice and London are the cities of note in "The Remedy", and while it's a love story, it's a twisted one. I particularly liked the ending -- I saw one twist coming about halfway through the book, but the last one eluded me for a while.
If you liked "In the Company of the Courtesan", you'll probably like this one, too!
I enjoyed it!
Lori Anderson
Lori Anderson:The Store
Lori Anderson:The Blog
January 13, 2012
Um livro diferente. ( http://labirinto-livros.blogspot.com/...)
Mais uma vez, parti à descoberta e decidi ler um livro de um autor que ainda não conhecia. Este Remédio pareceu-me ser interessante por várias razões. Primeiro, a acção decorre em duas cidades que exercem um grande fascínio em mim: Londres e Veneza. Segundo, é um romance histórico e apesar de não ser o meu género de eleição é um género que tem vindo a crescer proporcionalmente nos meus interesses para desanuviar de outras leituras. Terceiro, tem uma sinopse muito apelativa, tal como o título.
O único factor que me fez hesitar brevemente foi a falta de opiniões que existe. É verdade que nunca tinha ouvido falar da autora, nem das suas obras, nem nunca tinha visto os livros à venda, mas isso não seria motivo para haver tão poucas opiniões para esta obra.
No entanto, só quando se experimenta é que se sabe se gosta e portante decidi pegar no livro.
O Remédio conta-nos uma história de intrigas, mentiras. Um verdadeiro jogo entre o gato e o rato. Valentine Greatakes é o rei do crime londrino e numa noite de 1785, numa ida ao teatro conhece uma actriz veneziana pela qual fica irremediavelmente apaixonado.
O que Valentine não sabe é que esta mulher não é verdadeiramente uma actriz. O seu passado esconde muita coisa e agora, ela é uma espia ao serviço de Veneza. No entanto, até este trabalho tem uma motivação ulterior que esconde vários segredos do passado desta actriz e do próprio Valentine.
Com desconfiança entre os amantes, os dois, vão andar entre Veneza e Londres à procura da verdade escondida em cada um deles.
E farão de tudo para que o seu amor possa ser consagrado.
Tenho que dizer que esta estreia me deixou deveras dividida. Quando comecei o livro, estranhei muito o vocabulário e a própria escrita - nem conseguia perceber o enredo. No entanto, mal consegui entrar no ritmo, percebi que tudo o que senti no início tinha sido propositado para deixar uma aura de mistério e consegui entrar melhor na história. A partir daí, foi um prazer ler este romance histórico, que é único entre aqueles que eu já li. Tem um tom mais sério, mais pesado. Existem algumas cenas e algum vocabulário que me faz confusão, por não estar habituada, mas que acabou por ser uma mais-valia na leitura.
Ironicamente, o único personagem que realmente apreciei foi Valentine; rei do crime londrino. Ainda mais, por esta personalidade ter existido realmente.
De resto, os cenários do livros foram o seu ponto mais forte, sem qualquer dúvida. As suas descrições foram muito motivadoras na leitura, pois conseguiram-me de facto transportar para o cenário da obra.
Também achei interessante todas as receitas que estavam em cada início de capítulo. Numa época em que a alquimia é deveras importante, achei este um pormenor determinante e que torna este livro único e diferente dos outros romances históricos.
Com tudo isto, quero dizer que apesar de ter sido bastante difícil entrar no ritmo do livro, mal isto aconteceu foi com agrado que li a obra na sua totalidade.
Foi um romance histórico muito completo, cheio de intrigas, mentiras e decepções.
Para quem gosta do género, acredito que também irá apreciar esta obra de Michelle Lovric.
Mais uma vez, parti à descoberta e decidi ler um livro de um autor que ainda não conhecia. Este Remédio pareceu-me ser interessante por várias razões. Primeiro, a acção decorre em duas cidades que exercem um grande fascínio em mim: Londres e Veneza. Segundo, é um romance histórico e apesar de não ser o meu género de eleição é um género que tem vindo a crescer proporcionalmente nos meus interesses para desanuviar de outras leituras. Terceiro, tem uma sinopse muito apelativa, tal como o título.
O único factor que me fez hesitar brevemente foi a falta de opiniões que existe. É verdade que nunca tinha ouvido falar da autora, nem das suas obras, nem nunca tinha visto os livros à venda, mas isso não seria motivo para haver tão poucas opiniões para esta obra.
No entanto, só quando se experimenta é que se sabe se gosta e portante decidi pegar no livro.
O Remédio conta-nos uma história de intrigas, mentiras. Um verdadeiro jogo entre o gato e o rato. Valentine Greatakes é o rei do crime londrino e numa noite de 1785, numa ida ao teatro conhece uma actriz veneziana pela qual fica irremediavelmente apaixonado.
O que Valentine não sabe é que esta mulher não é verdadeiramente uma actriz. O seu passado esconde muita coisa e agora, ela é uma espia ao serviço de Veneza. No entanto, até este trabalho tem uma motivação ulterior que esconde vários segredos do passado desta actriz e do próprio Valentine.
Com desconfiança entre os amantes, os dois, vão andar entre Veneza e Londres à procura da verdade escondida em cada um deles.
E farão de tudo para que o seu amor possa ser consagrado.
Tenho que dizer que esta estreia me deixou deveras dividida. Quando comecei o livro, estranhei muito o vocabulário e a própria escrita - nem conseguia perceber o enredo. No entanto, mal consegui entrar no ritmo, percebi que tudo o que senti no início tinha sido propositado para deixar uma aura de mistério e consegui entrar melhor na história. A partir daí, foi um prazer ler este romance histórico, que é único entre aqueles que eu já li. Tem um tom mais sério, mais pesado. Existem algumas cenas e algum vocabulário que me faz confusão, por não estar habituada, mas que acabou por ser uma mais-valia na leitura.
Ironicamente, o único personagem que realmente apreciei foi Valentine; rei do crime londrino. Ainda mais, por esta personalidade ter existido realmente.
De resto, os cenários do livros foram o seu ponto mais forte, sem qualquer dúvida. As suas descrições foram muito motivadoras na leitura, pois conseguiram-me de facto transportar para o cenário da obra.
Também achei interessante todas as receitas que estavam em cada início de capítulo. Numa época em que a alquimia é deveras importante, achei este um pormenor determinante e que torna este livro único e diferente dos outros romances históricos.
Com tudo isto, quero dizer que apesar de ter sido bastante difícil entrar no ritmo do livro, mal isto aconteceu foi com agrado que li a obra na sua totalidade.
Foi um romance histórico muito completo, cheio de intrigas, mentiras e decepções.
Para quem gosta do género, acredito que também irá apreciar esta obra de Michelle Lovric.
December 7, 2012
If you are a fan of historical fiction and haven't read any of Michelle Lovric's work yet, I totally recommend. The Remedy, set in the late 1700s, takes us back and forth between Venice and London and entwines the stories of Venetian actress Mimosina Dolcezza, rogue Valentine Greatrakes and woman-child Pevenche. Lovric paints a vivid picture of the urban world of the late 1700s, from the theatre to the work of the quacks who sell their remedies to the unsuspecting masses. This was a very enjoyable read.
November 28, 2011
Whilst it may be true that the "mystery" is quite easy to predict, I didn't find that it spoiled my enjoyment. The recipes for various "potions" at the beginning of each chapter are fascinating, and the descriptions vividly conjure up images of 18th century London and Venice, in all their festering, stinking glory! I didn't expect to like it as much as I did, but it drew me in and kept me riveted right to the end.
September 23, 2007
For having such grandiose language and detailed descriptions, it really didnt have a plot to match. It was a little disappointing to have such a trite love story come from such an interesting setting. I will say, though, that Lovric does have an amazing vocabulary - my favorite epithet: "a hefty bit of nastiness".
December 27, 2017
I loved this book, but obviously it's not for everyone. Lovric clearly loves words and has a gift for semantics. While several reviewers found the book plodding and dull, I was swept away by the author's voice and the plot. For me this was fun and fast moving. This is my second book from Lovric and I'll be grabbing more.
April 3, 2012
A historical romance-cum-drama set in the underbellies of 1780s London and Venice. I could finish reading thisit's overlong but not poorly paced on the whole, and the prose is often laborious and strangely stilted, but far from unreadablebut I don't want to. There's little to intrigue, here, despite the richness of the historical setting: what opens well with the story of a young recalcitrant nun devolves into an insipid romance, and while there's a hint of conspiracy in the background details, Lovric does her best to overshadow them with the awkward coupling of two unlikable people. In the most mundane and offputting sense, there's a shadow of the grotesque across the book: blatant fat-shaming, greasy and petty characters, and only the thinnest sort of passion at its heart. My appetite is for fantasy of manners-style historical drama, richer and more intriguing, finding depth in the darkest corners; The Remedy manages none of that, and so it's not to my tasteand, frankly, I can find nothing else to redeem it. It would be a waste of my time to finish reading it, and I don't recommend it.
September 20, 2007
A fast moving, atmospheric story set in both the seedier parts of 17th-century London and the upper echelons of Venetian society. Wonderful descriptions of place and character with lots of suspense and uncovered dark secrets, brill!
June 29, 2024
I so wanted to give this book a 5-star rating, but I would have to say it ended up being a 4 1/2- star, only because I felt the ending was too rushed, and I wanted my package wrapped & sealed with a bow.
Michelle Lovric crafted such a good, unique story that drew me in right away. I connected with all of the characters- both good and bad- and I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. While the tale ended on a good note, I really wish the author would have added another chapter near the conclusion to explain how one particular character got from "here to there" and yet another chapter to include a couple more key characters and the final "remedy" as being peddled as a group.
Being a historical fiction novel, I really liked the author's inclusion of historical notes after the story.
Again, I felt it was very well-written, and overall, I loved the book. My personal opinion about the ending aside, I would still definitely recommend.
Michelle Lovric crafted such a good, unique story that drew me in right away. I connected with all of the characters- both good and bad- and I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. While the tale ended on a good note, I really wish the author would have added another chapter near the conclusion to explain how one particular character got from "here to there" and yet another chapter to include a couple more key characters and the final "remedy" as being peddled as a group.
Being a historical fiction novel, I really liked the author's inclusion of historical notes after the story.
Again, I felt it was very well-written, and overall, I loved the book. My personal opinion about the ending aside, I would still definitely recommend.
August 3, 2011
Where to begin with my review of this book?
It may end up being just as muddied as the plot line to 'The Remedy' if I'm not careful...
What this is at its very core is a love story.
A very predictable (I correctly guessed the plot twist within the first few chapters), well-researched love story set against an interesting historical backdrop.
What drew me to this book initially was the fact that it was set in 18th century London and dealt with Quack doctors and other unsavory folk. It promised (and delivered!) unflinching portrayals of what city life during this time was like: gritty, sordid, painful, and full of misery, all while wearing a frock coat.
Lovric has a decided flair for painting grotesque caricaturizations of people and their inner machinations, and her three main characters are no exception; each as ugly and twisted and broken as the next, despite the pleasing outward countenances of Mimosina Dolcezza and Valentine Greatrakes, the two great lovers of the book.
The ghastly woman-child Pevenche was the brightest burning flame in my opinion, her lurid physical description following me around from page to page.
The meat of the novel doesn't begin until about 200 pages within, when the plot line unravels and becomes tangled and messy. If you are like me, you already know how the book is going to end so just read the novel for the bizarre recipes for healing unguents and nostrums (from authentic and somehow still extant 18th century sources) which announce the beginning of each new chapter.
All in all, despite its flaws 'The Remedy' it is an entertaining jaunt which sometimes smacks of Rikki Ducornet (probably because of the grotesque descriptions of people and ailments)and is recommended for those folks who have an interest in strange historical details and events.
Read it for: historic details of 18th century Venice and London, unflinching descriptions of various priapic medical disorders (I counted the word 'effluvia' five times), sordid ale-house interiors, vengeful Italian nuns and strange, historical apocrypha.
It may end up being just as muddied as the plot line to 'The Remedy' if I'm not careful...
What this is at its very core is a love story.
A very predictable (I correctly guessed the plot twist within the first few chapters), well-researched love story set against an interesting historical backdrop.
What drew me to this book initially was the fact that it was set in 18th century London and dealt with Quack doctors and other unsavory folk. It promised (and delivered!) unflinching portrayals of what city life during this time was like: gritty, sordid, painful, and full of misery, all while wearing a frock coat.
Lovric has a decided flair for painting grotesque caricaturizations of people and their inner machinations, and her three main characters are no exception; each as ugly and twisted and broken as the next, despite the pleasing outward countenances of Mimosina Dolcezza and Valentine Greatrakes, the two great lovers of the book.
The ghastly woman-child Pevenche was the brightest burning flame in my opinion, her lurid physical description following me around from page to page.
The meat of the novel doesn't begin until about 200 pages within, when the plot line unravels and becomes tangled and messy. If you are like me, you already know how the book is going to end so just read the novel for the bizarre recipes for healing unguents and nostrums (from authentic and somehow still extant 18th century sources) which announce the beginning of each new chapter.
All in all, despite its flaws 'The Remedy' it is an entertaining jaunt which sometimes smacks of Rikki Ducornet (probably because of the grotesque descriptions of people and ailments)and is recommended for those folks who have an interest in strange historical details and events.
Read it for: historic details of 18th century Venice and London, unflinching descriptions of various priapic medical disorders (I counted the word 'effluvia' five times), sordid ale-house interiors, vengeful Italian nuns and strange, historical apocrypha.
January 21, 2016
Comprei-o porque era um livro que me atraía, quer pela capa, quer pela sinopse.
No entanto, e apesar de desta vez o ter conseguido terminar, não foi história que me agarrasse.
A história prometia, uma actriz e espiã; e o seu amante contrabandista; com cenas a alternar entre Londres e Veneza.
Apesar de ser um livro um pouco mais descritivo e com menos diálogos, senti falta de um contexto histórico e social da época mais detalhado, em detrimento de cenas que pouco ou nada senti que traziam à história. Mas pronto, eu confesso, a meio eu já lia mais "na diagonal", porque realmente o livro voltou a não me agradar, mas não o quis voltar a colocar na estante sem o ler.
Quanto à linha de acção, o livro está dividido em várias partes, alternando o ponto de vista principal, entre a actriz e o contrabandista. Mas senti estava tudo muito confuso, mesmo dentro destas partes.
Não sei se foi por já o ter posto de parte em determinada altura mas achei uma leitura muito aborrecida e senti-me, algumas vezes, perdida na linha de acção.
Aspectos que me levaram a atribuir 2 estrelinhas e não 1:
* Temos no início de cada capítulo, uma receita com as mezinhas dos chamados “doutores”.
* O epílogo, pois explica-nos uma certa morte.
* A nota história, no final do livro, foi mesmo o que eu mais gostei do livro
No entanto, e apesar de desta vez o ter conseguido terminar, não foi história que me agarrasse.
A história prometia, uma actriz e espiã; e o seu amante contrabandista; com cenas a alternar entre Londres e Veneza.
Apesar de ser um livro um pouco mais descritivo e com menos diálogos, senti falta de um contexto histórico e social da época mais detalhado, em detrimento de cenas que pouco ou nada senti que traziam à história. Mas pronto, eu confesso, a meio eu já lia mais "na diagonal", porque realmente o livro voltou a não me agradar, mas não o quis voltar a colocar na estante sem o ler.
Quanto à linha de acção, o livro está dividido em várias partes, alternando o ponto de vista principal, entre a actriz e o contrabandista. Mas senti estava tudo muito confuso, mesmo dentro destas partes.
Não sei se foi por já o ter posto de parte em determinada altura mas achei uma leitura muito aborrecida e senti-me, algumas vezes, perdida na linha de acção.
Aspectos que me levaram a atribuir 2 estrelinhas e não 1:
* Temos no início de cada capítulo, uma receita com as mezinhas dos chamados “doutores”.
* O epílogo, pois explica-nos uma certa morte.
* A nota história, no final do livro, foi mesmo o que eu mais gostei do livro
June 26, 2025
I just dragged myself through 430 pages of this book. I really try to avoid “dnf,” if possible.
The writing style of this book isn’t what is the problem so much as the story itself. It’s a whole book of poor choices, whining, and recanting.
The main cast of characters are all wholly unlikable. There are no redeeming qualities to any of them.
‘The Remedy’ was sent to me by someone who thought I’d enjoy it. I generally read horror, extreme horror, and splatterpunk. So, when they said I’d enjoy the “gross” bits — alas, I found none.
When I finished this book, I was just relieved to be done with it.
The writing style of this book isn’t what is the problem so much as the story itself. It’s a whole book of poor choices, whining, and recanting.
The main cast of characters are all wholly unlikable. There are no redeeming qualities to any of them.
‘The Remedy’ was sent to me by someone who thought I’d enjoy it. I generally read horror, extreme horror, and splatterpunk. So, when they said I’d enjoy the “gross” bits — alas, I found none.
When I finished this book, I was just relieved to be done with it.
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February 28, 2020Venetian convents are famous above all things for their laxity, with sweets and cakes; visitors; fine fashions; and beautiful music. But the headstrong young woman we meet at the start of The Remedy isn’t interested in the things that come in to the convent, so much as in how to get out. She has been confined within the walls of S. Zaccaria by her noble parents, quite unfairly of course, after allegedly bringing shame on the family. Since good behaviour hasn’t made an ounce of difference to her prospects, bad behaviour might just be her ticket back out into the world. After all, everyone knows that discerning gentlemen can make donations to certain convents in exchange for the company of nuns. Such arrangements take place at S. Zaccaria and our narrator is confident that her well-bred beauty will find her a lover who’ll whisk her away. Alas! When her plans are betrayed, leaving her ruined and furious, our narrator’s prospects seem darker than ever. But then the state’s spymasters make her an offer she can’t refuse: to have her crimes wiped clean in return for service as one of their agents. A pitch-perfect tale of double-dealing, murder, sex, and opera in 18th-century Venice and London, written in sumptuous prose, this deeply satisfying period romp never quite lets you forget the grit under its fingernails...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/02/26/t...
For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2020/02/26/t...
August 14, 2020
I love historical fiction, especially if they have something to do with Venice in the 1700s. The historical setting is very rich and not dull. I didn’t think the rich Venice society and London sleazy areas had much in common, but they do here, charlatan doctors and love potions abound. I felt for the main female character Mimosina Dolcezza for the traumatizing events she endured without complaining and went on living as if that was a normal life. Closed in a nunnery at a young age where she couldn’t do any more damage as a rebellious girl, she ended up being everyone’s lover until she escaped from the convent and ended up in London as an actress and a spy. This is a good read, I enjoyed it and recommend it.
August 2, 2023
The writing is exquisite, transformative, dreamy, yet powerful. Loveric did a marvelous job presenting the points of view of her female and male protagonists. Her visuals are sensory and engaging, and the inner dialogue is revealing and sensitive. She does "medias res" brilliantly. The reason this book is not a five star rating (very subjectively, as these ratings are) is the lack of growth between mother and daughter. This is simply a preference on my part. I prefer to see the evidence in the growth of key characters from beginning to end, which is how I write, but sometimes characters don't grow and that's the point. The remedy is very much worth the read, and Michelle Lovric is a terrific writer.
December 6, 2021
3.5 stars. This is absorbing, but, in my view, slightly predictable. It's split into 3 voices, with most of the sections devoted to the internal monologues of thw teo main characters, with small intersperions given over to the brief musings of the youngest main character. I do believe the narrative gives a true reflection of what life in London and Venice was like in the 1780s, life we people of the modern age are lucky not to have to endure. There is in6e unreliable narrator, but I'm not giving them away. Worth a read, but not a classic
November 17, 2019
Three to three-and-a-half. Catarina's story and narration is far more engaging than the other actors. If this book had rested entirely on her, it would be a four or five star read.
May 10, 2020
Historical....Venice & London 1769 & 1786....thin intertwined tale of lies, deceit, and love. Not worth the time.
August 5, 2020
Great book! 4.5!
December 31, 2020
Well written but got bored with it half way through.
April 24, 2021
An enjoyable romp through Eighteenth Century London and Venice with two unreliable narrators and a dealer in quack remedies. Cecilia Cornaro from Carnevale makes an appearance.
May 4, 2021
Really enjoyed her prose and the depictions of time and place. The plot has few surprises, but I was happy to follow her characters to the predictable end.
July 7, 2021
2.5-3 / 5
February 15, 2023
I am a huge fan of Michelle Lovric novels and was really looking forward to this one. Sadly disappointed, just too much description with the plot and characters getting lost along the way.
July 2, 2024
3.5, got better towards the end but was slow in the beginning. Interesting historical fiction with semi-unlikeable narrators
May 23, 2020
Blijkbaar werd dit boek genomineerd voor de 'Orange prize of fiction'. Ik had er dan ook veel meer van verwacht.
Ik kan enkel vermoeden dat men voor deze specifieke prijs meer aandacht besteedt aan het taalgebruik (want Lovric heeft echt wel een speciale schrijfstijl, met vele uitgebreide en soms bizarre omschrijvingen) en originaliteit en niet/minder naar het plot zelf kijkt.
Ik had mij verwacht aan een moordmisterie in historische setting, maar kreeg in plaats daarvan een historische romance voorgeschoteld tussen twee zeer irritante personages waarvoor ik geen greintje sympathie kon opbrengen.
Bovendien ontwikkelt het plot zich traag, waardoor het verhaal heel langdradig aanvoelt en is het einde voorspelbaar.
Er wordt ook iets te vaak vertrouwd op het toeval voor het te weeg brengen van plotwendingen en vaak zijn die plotwendingen ook erg ongeloofwaardig.
Er zal ongetwijfeld wel een publiek zijn voor dit type boeken, maar neen, dit boek is echt niets voor mij.
Ik kan enkel vermoeden dat men voor deze specifieke prijs meer aandacht besteedt aan het taalgebruik (want Lovric heeft echt wel een speciale schrijfstijl, met vele uitgebreide en soms bizarre omschrijvingen) en originaliteit en niet/minder naar het plot zelf kijkt.
Ik had mij verwacht aan een moordmisterie in historische setting, maar kreeg in plaats daarvan een historische romance voorgeschoteld tussen twee zeer irritante personages waarvoor ik geen greintje sympathie kon opbrengen.
Bovendien ontwikkelt het plot zich traag, waardoor het verhaal heel langdradig aanvoelt en is het einde voorspelbaar.
Er wordt ook iets te vaak vertrouwd op het toeval voor het te weeg brengen van plotwendingen en vaak zijn die plotwendingen ook erg ongeloofwaardig.
Er zal ongetwijfeld wel een publiek zijn voor dit type boeken, maar neen, dit boek is echt niets voor mij.
August 25, 2009
To be totally honest, I wasn't entirely fond of this book. The writing was lovely, with a wide vocabulary and an interesting style, but the plot and the characters fell flat. The only character that I felt stayed (mostly) true to the general establishment of her personality was Pevenche. She began as a spoiled brat and ended as a spoiled brat, albeit in a much better atmosphere. The two other primary characters, Mimosina and Valentine, seemed to develop new traits as it was required of the ending, even if those traits were in direct opposition to previous statements about their characters. Mimosina began as a character we would all love to hate but in a pitiful sort of way. Suddenly, at the end, we're expected to feel deep remorse and concern for this suddenly tragic creature and yet, we shortly thereafter are expected to again embrace the nasty, petty truth of Mimosina. She was a great and loved damsel in distress only when it suited the needs of the climax. Her character lacked a general progression of change that would have otherwise made it quite easy for the reader to suddenly feel distress at Mimosina's dire predicaments. Valentine's character was, I felt, similarly wishy-washy but to a lesser extent. His changes appeared to be less of a mental wild goose chase and more attributed to a change in perspective.
Even beyond the chracters was the plot. Perhaps it was only so for me, but by the first third of the book, I knew the basics of the ending. I had solved the mystery before we were ever truly made aware that there was this great mystery ahead. I spent pages upon pages waiting to see revealed what I already knew and felt that while the author did a decent job with weaving small details into the mystery without giving much away, she was trying too hard to keep a fairly obvious result as hidden as possible. Even if I hadn't already known what was to occur, I think the details still would have been tedious and obvious in their attempts to hide something. A good mystery leaves you realizing that you missed so many clues, made so many incorrect guesses by miscalculating the information and the results. This mystery, however, made it very clear that the hints were HINTS and that they MEANT SOMETHING and you should REMEMBER THEM. The entire plot was just one shoulder-nudge after another from the author.
Lovric has a wonderful style of writing that is both unique and intriguing, but all the other aspects of the novel spoiled whatever joy I may have otherwise experienced.
Even beyond the chracters was the plot. Perhaps it was only so for me, but by the first third of the book, I knew the basics of the ending. I had solved the mystery before we were ever truly made aware that there was this great mystery ahead. I spent pages upon pages waiting to see revealed what I already knew and felt that while the author did a decent job with weaving small details into the mystery without giving much away, she was trying too hard to keep a fairly obvious result as hidden as possible. Even if I hadn't already known what was to occur, I think the details still would have been tedious and obvious in their attempts to hide something. A good mystery leaves you realizing that you missed so many clues, made so many incorrect guesses by miscalculating the information and the results. This mystery, however, made it very clear that the hints were HINTS and that they MEANT SOMETHING and you should REMEMBER THEM. The entire plot was just one shoulder-nudge after another from the author.
Lovric has a wonderful style of writing that is both unique and intriguing, but all the other aspects of the novel spoiled whatever joy I may have otherwise experienced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2012
Este é um dos livros que quis devido à capa e ao título. A sinopse também fez com que ficasse curiosa. Recebi-o pelo Natal, mas só o li agora porque decidi esperar e ler outros entretanto.
Este livro é especial, primeiro porque o tempo verbal utilizado não condiz com a narrativa e isso torna a leitura um pouco difícil. Para conseguir ler-se o livro em condições é preciso ignorar-se a escrita, o que é difícil pois a escrita faz a narrativa. Até mais ou menos à página 250 devo dizer que foi um pouco estranho, mas ainda bem que não pus o livro de parte porque a partir daí vale a pena.
O melhor no livro é a intriga, as mentiras e forma como as vidas das personagens se misturam.
Uma rapariga da Nobreza que é enclausurada num convento pelos pais começa a contar a sua história. É ela uma das personagens principais e uma das que conta na sua pessoa a história.
Enquanto está no convento, tem um relacionamento com um homem e desse relacionamento dá-se uma gravidez. No final da gravidez, mas não no parto, a jovem perde o bebé (que ela acreditava ser um rapaz), quando o médico o retira do ventre com um instrumento.
A partir daí, a jovem vira-se contra as freiras e ataca uma delas. Depois disso é levada até a uns homens que fazem dela uma espia. Torna-se atriz e é em Londres que conhece um aristocrata que nada tem de aristocrata. É um charlatão e um criminoso.
Esse homem tem um amigo que morreu às mãos de alguém que ele procura matar, para assim se vingar do amigo. Ele é tutor da filha do amigo, uma rapariga respondona, com um feitio muito especial.
A história também é vista sobre a sua perspetiva.
É assim que as vidas das personagens se entrelaçam umas nas outras.
Entre Veneza e Londres, em viagens e aventuras, a jovem e o aristocrata apaixonam-se. Desencontros, mentiras, encenações, médios falsos, frascos de remédios, amizades, raptos, fugas, conventos, pinturas, artistas, mascarados, espiões, políticos, nobres, povo, passado, esperteza e paixão são os ingredientes desta história.
Devo dizer que me impressionou o final do livro, na medida que a jovem, agora mulher, mentiu muito bem ao aristocrata mentiroso.
E quem o descobriu também me surpreendeu.
É um livro que é interessante se se persistir na sua leitura, porque o melhor só aparece a partir do meio deste.
Ah! Um facto muito interessante...as receitas de remédios da época retratada no livro, no inicio de cada capitulo. Está muito interessante!
Este livro é especial, primeiro porque o tempo verbal utilizado não condiz com a narrativa e isso torna a leitura um pouco difícil. Para conseguir ler-se o livro em condições é preciso ignorar-se a escrita, o que é difícil pois a escrita faz a narrativa. Até mais ou menos à página 250 devo dizer que foi um pouco estranho, mas ainda bem que não pus o livro de parte porque a partir daí vale a pena.
O melhor no livro é a intriga, as mentiras e forma como as vidas das personagens se misturam.
Uma rapariga da Nobreza que é enclausurada num convento pelos pais começa a contar a sua história. É ela uma das personagens principais e uma das que conta na sua pessoa a história.
Enquanto está no convento, tem um relacionamento com um homem e desse relacionamento dá-se uma gravidez. No final da gravidez, mas não no parto, a jovem perde o bebé (que ela acreditava ser um rapaz), quando o médico o retira do ventre com um instrumento.
A partir daí, a jovem vira-se contra as freiras e ataca uma delas. Depois disso é levada até a uns homens que fazem dela uma espia. Torna-se atriz e é em Londres que conhece um aristocrata que nada tem de aristocrata. É um charlatão e um criminoso.
Esse homem tem um amigo que morreu às mãos de alguém que ele procura matar, para assim se vingar do amigo. Ele é tutor da filha do amigo, uma rapariga respondona, com um feitio muito especial.
A história também é vista sobre a sua perspetiva.
É assim que as vidas das personagens se entrelaçam umas nas outras.
Entre Veneza e Londres, em viagens e aventuras, a jovem e o aristocrata apaixonam-se. Desencontros, mentiras, encenações, médios falsos, frascos de remédios, amizades, raptos, fugas, conventos, pinturas, artistas, mascarados, espiões, políticos, nobres, povo, passado, esperteza e paixão são os ingredientes desta história.
Devo dizer que me impressionou o final do livro, na medida que a jovem, agora mulher, mentiu muito bem ao aristocrata mentiroso.
E quem o descobriu também me surpreendeu.
É um livro que é interessante se se persistir na sua leitura, porque o melhor só aparece a partir do meio deste.
Ah! Um facto muito interessante...as receitas de remédios da época retratada no livro, no inicio de cada capitulo. Está muito interessante!
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