The Enchantress of Florence

By: Salman Rushdie

Narrated by: Firdous Bamji

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Few writers living or dead have received the monumental acclaim that has been accorded to Salman Rushdie for his richly textured, superbly crafted works. The Enchantress of Florence once again demonstrates the author's unparalleled mastery of his craft.

In the imperial capital of the Mughal Empire, a traveler arrives at the court of Emperor Akbar. The traveler, Mogor dell'Amore, has a tale to tell, and as the words flow out of him, the tale's rich tapestry of power and desire begins to take on a life of its own. Fueled by the urgency of his narrative and its growing effect on his audience, the traveler paints a vivid portrait of faraway Florence, a beautiful enchantress, and the infamous figure of Niccolò Machiavelli.

Winner of the Booker Prize, Rushdie delights all those who revel in literature of sublime achievement. Narrator Firdous Bamji matches the author's exquisite prose with a reading that conveys the full breadth of this lovingly detailed novel.

©2008 Salman Rushdie (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

“This is ‘history’ jubilantly mixed with postmodernist magic realism.” (Joyce Carol Oates, The New York Review of Books)

“A romance of beauty and power from Italy to India . . . so delightful an homage to Renaissance magic and wonder.” (Michael Dirda, The Washington Post Book World)

"Ingenious...[a] sparkling return to form." ( Publishers Weekly)

The means justifies the end

It would be best to describe The Enchantress of Florence as a historical fantasy set during the time of the Italian Renaissance and the Mughal rule in India. I won???t mention many of the real people and events that appear in Rushdie???s history so that you can have the fun of discovering them for yourself, but we meet a diverse cast of characters who seem unlikely to belong in the same story (e.g., Elizabeth I and Vlad Dracula).
The narrator almost made me give up in the first couple of chapters, but I stuck with it and it smoothed out enough that I mostly enjoyed the story. Or perhaps I should say that I enjoyed the story telling. As for the plot itself, it was loose and unfocused and often gave the impression that its goal was to encompass multiple obscure historical events and personages ??? and to incorporate them into Rushdie???s themes ??? rather than to tell a tightly crafted tale.

But I liked Rushdie???s style, so I pressed on. And then the end came??? and I absolutely hated the ending. It was rushed, bizarre, and unsatisfying ??? like the story got away and required more than Herculean efforts to bring it back in line, so Rushdie just slit its throat and let it die quickly, gurgling and wheezing as it went.

Overall I suppose I enjoyed 80% of Salman Rushdie???s The Enchantress of Florence so, to misrepresent the philosophy of one our main characters, I???ll say that perhaps the means justifies the end. This novel contains much insight, humor, and artistry, and this alone ??? not the plot or its conclusion ??? made the journey worthwhile.

Trying too Hard

While this is a reasonably good listen, it struck me again and again that Rushdie is simply trying too hard. One person's art may be another's pretention, but this struck me as the latter. The uneven production and narration didn't help.

Ok

The book is ok. It isn't one that I would chose as a favorite. It has a lot of bad language and the storyline wasn't what I thought it was going to be base summary.I'm not saying it is a bad book it just isn't my type of book.

Really disappointed.

I have not read any Rushdie's books. I know one of his books was banned in the 80's by certain Muslims. Death threats were made and he was under police protection in England at one time. This book in my opinion was not readable. I wished I had read some of his other books before being introduced to his writing with this book. I probably wound read any of his other works. I did respect and admire his prose at times, but the tale is...not to my taste or interest. I had trouble following the story or caring about most of the characters. Even the historical figures. I couldn't finish. I read to chapter 12 and gave up.

Ugh, needs a different narrator

Based on all the other Rushdie I've ever read, I'm going to assume that this book would be just as entertaining...with the right narrator. But this guy sounds as if he's delivering an oration, with no sense of Rushdie's characteristic linguistic whimsicality--his voice is monotonous and ponderous, and after about fifteen minutes I just gave it up. Pity. Guess I'll have to go search out a print copy after all.

A delight to the senses

I listened to this book while driving over the drab Pennsylvania turnpike, and Rushdie's attention to detail, his sparkling vision of Hindustan, gave me a vision of splendor as I crossed the state. When reading the Enchantress of Florence you smell what the characters smell, see what the characters see, and feel what they feel. A beautiful, sad, journey back to a different age where you cross a continent and delight in the colors and scents of different cultures in a different time.

Dreadful!

So wordy and delivered in a pretentious monotone! I am thoroughly disappointed in this book. It is expensive too! I wish I had never downloaded it. What a wasted credit.

A bit extreme for me

This book started out interestingly enough but eventually devolved into a level of obscenity that's just too much for me. I can take a lot of expletives and sex scenes, but this was excessive. I've got six hours left and I just can't finish it - I don't care enough to find out where it's going. The narrator was impressive, but that's all I can commend about it.

Rich and haunting

This book is a feast of language. Textured, intense, and lyrical, especially as read by this narrator, the prose resonates. The characters are certainly memorable and their stories capture the imagination, but it is the depth of the language that brings this book repeatedly to my mind at odd moments and makes me want to read or listen to every other novel Rushdie has ever written.

There are "easier" books out there. If you're looking for an action yarn or a bit of romantic fluff, look elsewhere. If however you want something that enriches you, that is worth the time you spend with it, and that will keep you sitting out in the car just to hear a little more of the magic, consider listening to this.

Wish I could get my money back

This book covers some of my main areas of interest, so I was very surprised that I couldn't get into listening to it. I've started it several times, but can't stay engaged. I listen to many audio books each month and usually complete them and listen to the more entertaining ones again, but this one just didn't pull me in. Perhaps it is the writer's elaborate style. If you are similar to me and like fact filled, straight forward historical fiction with an intriguing plot, you might want to look elsewhere.