In the Company of the Courtesan

A Novel

De: Sarah Dunant

Narrado por: Stephen Hoye

My lady, Fiammetta Bianchini, was plucking her eyebrows and biting color into her lips when the unthinkable happened and the Holy Roman Emperor’s army blew a hole in the wall of God’s eternal city, letting in a flood of half-starved, half-crazed troops bent on pillage and punishment.

Thus begins In the Company of the Courtesan, Sarah Dunant’s epic novel of life in Renaissance Italy. Escaping the sack of Rome in 1527, with their stomachs churning on the jewels they have swallowed, the courtesan Fiammetta and her dwarf companion, Bucino, head for Venice, the shimmering city born out of water to become a miracle of east-west trade: rich and rancid, pious and profitable, beautiful and squalid.

With a mix of courage and cunning, they infiltrate Venetian society. Together they make the perfect partnership: the sharp-tongued, sharp-witted dwarf, and his vibrant mistress, trained from birth to charm, entertain, and satisfy men who have the money to support her.

Yet as their fortunes rise, this perfect partnership comes under threat, from the searing passion of a lover who wants more than his allotted nights to the attentions of an admiring Turk in search of human novelties for his sultan’s court. But Fiammetta and Bucino’s greatest challenge comes from a young crippled woman, a blind healer who insinuates herself into their lives and hearts with devastating consequences for them all.

A story of desire and deception, sin and religion, loyalty and friendship, In the Company of the Courtesan paints a portrait of one of the world’s greatest cities at its most potent moment in history: It is a picture that remains vivid long after the final word.

©2006 Sarah Dunant (P)2006 Books on Tape

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Lush and intelligent....Dunant is the kind of writer a reader will follow anywhere, trusting completely in her ability both to bring a time and place to life and to tell an enthralling story." (Booklist)
"Through Bucino's sharp-eyed, sharp-tongued narration, Dunant crafts a vivid vision of Venetian life....Dunant's characters...are irresistible throughout their shifting fortunes." (Publishers Weekly)

SO SO

A so so listen. Narration was good but a man doing a women's voice meh.

Great original storyline

I read the book years ago. Very happy to find it on audible. Storyline was wonderful, characters are heartfelt and memorable. I really enjoyed the performance of the narrator. Bought the story to life.

way disappointing

I don't know why other people gave such good reviews. Although she can write well at times, it is so uneven, and the language doesn't seem authentic to the time. for scenes of high anger or other emotion, she gives us dialog like, "I am bald, bald godammit!" I'm sure many an Italian renaissance lady fell back on modern day English curse words in times of great stress. She could at least have researched some of the colorful phrases Europeans use when angry. Just lazy writing, Many more godammits occur, while the dwarf recriminates himself at great length. Very great length. And of course, there are mistakes in grammar. In the past, educated people prided themselves on their correct speech, even if they don't do so now. And too much creative writing also can be tedious, and she can get carried away with her own ability to describe things. Very little happens in a long time of listening.

On the other hand, she writes well at times. For example, the lady tells the dwarf that he has "ears of cloth" in reference to his ability to judge music. It is creative and sounds suitably like old language that may have been used. She can describe the beauty of nature, cities and people very well, too.

The narrator does not help with this audiobook. He intones every sentence in the same way, almost breathily, as though every single phrase were laden with great portent. He sounds wistful, maybe even depressed. Unless anger is called for, in which case he suddenly starts to bellow, which comes as a shock.

Well, you can't win em all. It isn't so bad that, having paid for it, I won't finish it. I just wish there were more to look forward to when it's time to listen.

historical drama

If you have ever traveled to Venice you will enjoy this book. Historical novels are the easiest way to get a feel for a period.
One minus is the narration of Stephen Hoye. Anyone who has heard a dwarf speak knows that they do not speak in a velveteen croon. It is to the author's credit that the story rises above this distraction.

would make a good movie

This book reminds me of a milder version of World without End (Ken Folett). I enjoyed learning about the lifestyle of a courtesan and their importance in the culture. Sarah Dunant paints a clear description with her words. I can visualize the colors and smell the scents/odors she writes in her book making the profession of being a courtesan one of interest and glamour.

The character of Bucino is amusing but too dreamy and dramatic for me especially towards the last couple of chapters.

I liked the narrator but again towards the last couple of chapters it was getting too dramatic.

Overall it was a good story worthy of turning into a movie.

A Good Coimpanion for a Weekend

I highly enjoyed this book. I actually liked this one more than the first one by this author because I felt the characters were a bit more developed than in her other book.

This story begins with the 1527 sack of Rome. The courtesan, Fiammetta Bianchini, is gathering together her forces to combat the soldiers that will flood into the streets at any moment. But instead of guns and ammo she will be using charm, grace and her servants to help her. She succeeds with the Spanish, but fails with the Germans. The hated Lutheran women cut her hair and disfigure her. She, along with her dwarf Bucino, are forced to flee and return to beautiful Venice.

Only Venice isn't so beautiful. In fact the underbelly of Venice is rancid. But because she has little left Fiammetta is forced to live in squalor and rely on others to help her gain what she has lost. Through the months she gains back her beauty and finds that she is robbed by a servant and forced to look elsewhere for help.

In walks her adversary Aretino; a plan is hatched to help the both of them. It's successful and they both rise to a life to which they both don't want to loose. In fact Fiammetta becomes the Muse of Titian for a painting. But as is everything the high life can easily be lost. Fiammetta begins to fall in love, and in her profession that is extremely dangerous. Bucino is angry that it will ruin her, and in doing so ruin everyone around her.

There is also the mysterious person of La Draga, a blind healer who is feared, as well as respected. But is she everything she makes herself out to be? That's the mystery of the book and the conclusion is one that is greatly unexpected and makes for a very good twist for the book.

This book is pretty straight forward in nearly everything. Because it's told from Bucino's point of view, and he is a dwarf, he has no choice but to tell it like it is because his lot in life has forced others to do the same for him.

Lovely Read

I very much enjoy books such as these and this did not disappoint. And having the POV be from the dwarf was really unexpected when I first began to listen. But really enjoyed it.

YES

This was what I looking for. A great book with a wonderful story. Hurray

Man reads for woman

This book is written from the woman’s point of view. It is disturbing and hard to stay focused when a man voice is narrating for what should be a woman’s voice.

Good Story, Bad Narrator

Have to agree with Floridactyl - the narrator was a very poor match for this story. I also found it very difficult at times to tell if the male dwarf or the female courtesan was speaking - he barely differentiated between the voices of the two. The novel was good, though.