Rating: 
Summary: Trumped up, boring tripe
Review: How trumped up? By trying to be more than it is, which is basically a collection of pointless adjectives about Florence, which any tourist can collect in their travel diary. The characters all ring false, have little complexity, and leave nothing to think about. The mother, for instance, is just a hectoring parent. The brothers are stock characters right out of a "Leave It to Beaver" episode, and the father is just a distant figure of authority with nothing to say.
How boring? There's next to no action. One can easily skim through page after page and miss absolutely nothing except piles of silly, fatuous descriptions.
How tripe? In view of today's world and the gravity of what we all live with each and every day, this is nothing more than escapist rubbish.
How awful.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: What a knock-out read this turned out to be! It wasn't at all what I expected, and while the descriptions of what it was about weren't misleading, I somehow thought this was going to be a stuffy, "filled with boring historical facts" kind of book. It wasn't and I highly recommend it. Also would recommend Robert Harris's "Pompeii"--and excellent read, along with a book called "The Bark of the dogwood."
Rating: 
Summary: The Rebirth Of Dust
Review: Alessandra Cecchi is captivated by art. At age fifteen she still spends her time painting in her room secretly. But all that changes when her father introduces an artist to the household and presents him with a room for the duration it takes him to paint the family's chapel walls. Now, art is not the only thing that is catching Alessandra's attention. However, her secretive relationship with the artist is put to a stop when her father marries her off to a wealthy suitor, a much older man.Florence goes from a city of learning and beauty to a city filled with violent acts of outrage caused by the followers of the fundamentalist monk Savonarola. His decisions in religious and political matters have turned life to hell, and Alessandra's married life is one of misery, with the exception of her freedom to pursue her love for the painter.
I found the book highly enjoyable and an immediate link to Medici state Florence without dragging on as most periodic books do. Not an action-packed thriller but sure enough to warm your heart in this book where love battles obligations, captivity aids freedom, and fantasies border reality, Florence takes the form of a fifteen year old heroine, shining as vividly as the city itself.
Rating:
Summary: The Birth of Venus
Review: I disagree with another reviewer in that this is strictly a "chick" book. I tend to run screaming from anything with a description such as that, and when my wife brought this home, I actually read it and enjoyed it. No, it's not a adventure, car chase, high energy-packed romp, but for what it was/is, I thought it was good. Actually, of the three books she's brought home recently (this one, Bark of the Dogwood, and The Da Vinci Code)I've liked each and every one. Then again, she does have excellent taste--after all, she married me! And she says I'm modest too.
Rating:
Summary: fascinating, historical drama
Review: At first, I thought this would be the background to a single work of art, similar to Girl With a Pearl Earring, but found it to be much more about the whole Medici culture and history of Florentine society in late 1500's. Sarah Dunant excelled in presenting a graphic depiction of political intrigue and the horrors of religious zealotry. This novel is well worth the reader's time.
Rating:
Summary: Dunant creates her own work of art
Review: The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant is a tribute to all women who were ever held back by the constraints of society,family or history. Alessandra Cecchi is a modern woman trapped in a time of history that affords her very limited ways to express herself. No wonder she is drawn to the artist who is commissioned to paint a homage to her family in their chapel. He embodies all of the passion and talent that Alessandra feels but cannot actualize. Through an arranged marriage Alessandra buys some freedom. It comes at a high price, however. There are many twists and turns......secrets and revelations.......that allow Alessandra to break the chains of repression that hold her. The human story is set against the backdrop of the Florence of the 1400's, a city that is going through its own emotional upheaval. The classical city is being attacked by the puritanical teachings of Savanarola. As Alessandra and Florence struggle to find their identities we are taken along for the ride. Sarah Dunant's novel is a tribute to all women who find a way to be true to their inner selves despite the barriers that may try to hold them in check.This is a great read and a palatable way to learn some history too.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I've read in a while...
Review: As the mother of a one year old, I don't have as much time to read as I used to. But I simply couldn't put this one down! The author completely wraps you up in Alessandra's world, and you can't wait to see what will happen next. Highly recommended. But warn the men: as my husband put it, it is a "chick book."
Rating: 
Summary: great promise, boring book
Review: While this book is beautifully written and enjoyable for the discriptions of italy in the late 15th century, early 16th, it never gets exciting. I kept waiting and waiting for intensity, but it just never happened. For a book with much more emotion and intense history, (even tho it is much earlier in time) I recommend The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, a truly excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Second only to "Girl with a Pearl Earring," this wonderfully written tale by Dunant is full of colorful characters, a great plot, and writing worthy of notice. The pacing of this stellar novel is excellent, as is the development of its totally believable and memorable characters. Would give it more stars if that were an option. Also recommended: "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" and "Bark of the Dogwood."
Rating:
Summary: Practice what you preach, lady!
Review: You know what they say about glass houses, right? Beware! I didn't like this book. I did however like this writer's first one. Girl With A Pearl Earring was a much better story. If you must read The Birth of Venus check it out at your local library.
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