In the Company of the Courtesan

A Novel

By: Sarah Dunant

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

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

Critic reviews

"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)

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.

SO SO

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

Loved It

a Little Trashy, great history, good with Sylvia. I am a historical fiction book snob. Best ever, First Man in Rome, Pillars, Elizabeth Chadwick, Cornwell, and Courtnoy

This was wonderful!

I love historical fiction. I have to admit, I was not too thilled about buying this one at first, but went ahead because of the reviews.

I am glad I did! It was an enjoyable story. It keep my attention. And I looked forward to my times with my Ipod so I could get back to it.

outstanding

Wonderfully written, wonderfully researched, and the delightful characters are so real that the history never feels like a lesson

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.

Makes you feel as if you were there

Excellent storyline and plot twist. You could just see it coming but, no, it is something else. Excellent scenery description, including the feeling of the time. No holds barred description of life as it was at that time in Rome and Venice. Great book.

A great historical novel

Easy listening, entranced with the story and felt like I was learning as well. I will be looking for more novels by this author. in the meantime I hope to research more history regarding this time period.

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.