review :: The Enchantress of Florence

The Enchantress of Florence

Salman Rushdie

This was a surprisingly slow read for me. I did not love this book, nor did I hate it. It was okay. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had started reading the book in a different setting and mindset. When I started The Enchantress of Florence, it was on a long plane ride home to San Diego, and I was tired. I read too much too fast. In the end, I had a difficult time keeping track of the characters, events, and time lines.

Rushdie has an interesting writing style--he writes to divert, but the reader cannot simply sit back, read, and be diverted. The reader must be present and fully engaged. Full of fantasy, myth, and magic, The Enchantress of Florence is a lovely story, and intricately woven.

The intersection of cultures of the East and West in the 16th century made for a great historical backdrop, and the book was full of historical characters: Niccolò Machiavelli, the great Medici dynasty, even Vlad Dracula made an appearance! However, I did not find myself drawn in to the settings like I hoped. 

Overall, I found the story imaginative and clever, intriguing enough for me to read more of Rushdie, although not as good as I anticipated.

currently reading :: The Enchantress of Florence

The Enchantress of Florence

Salman Rushdie

I will admit, one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because it has Florence in the title. And I love Florence. The second main reason I wanted to read this book is because I am a big fan of the cover. Big fan. Someday I intend to decorate a room in my house inspired by it. The third reason I wanted to read this book is because I've heard wonderful things about Salman Rushdie. All good reasons!

Summary: The Enchantress of Florence is the story of a mysterious woman, a great beauty believed to possess the powers of enchantment and sorcery, attempting to command her own destiny in a man's world. It is the story of two cities at the height of their powers--the hedonistic Mughal capital, in which the brilliant emperor Akbar the Great wrestles daily with questions of belief, desire, and the treachery of his sons, and the equally sensual city of Florence during the High Renaissance, where Niccolò Machiavelli take a starring role as he learns, the hard way, about the true brutality of power. Profoundly moving and completely enchanting, The Enchantress of Florence is a dazzling book full of wonder by one of the world's most important living writers.

Summary from the book jacket.