In the company of the Courtesan's Dwarf

Perhaps my review will get less interest since I chose to "be in the company of the dwarf - Bucino" rather than the courtesan - Fiammetta Bianchini. The title, "In the company of the courtesan" would get more attention, but that's the real name of the book I'm going to review here and it has already caught enough interest to be the bestselling historical fiction book and I bet the title played a sweeter role than the content. But the word "courtesan" is not the only siren enchanting you to dive deep into the book. It is the cover that attracted me, to be honest. That sweet, serene face. Her face on the cover - not the body, for I had to read the book and get to know Tiziano Vecellio and his famous painting to put the puzzles together.

Here comes my first positive opinion for Sarah Dunant for her research is quite informative. You learn, while you read about Italy, about Venice, about the children of renaissance. The author intends to show Venice - La Serenissima - in its dazzlingly innocent glory. Metaphorically speaking, Venice turns out to be the only attractive courtesan in the book. What did I learn from the book? Well, I "met" Petrarch and his sonnets, Pietro Aretino's stingy tongue, Tiziano Vecellio's brushes, and a lot more about Venice - La Serenissima!

The corruption veiled under the justice...

Seraglio - which means Harem and the ongoing "battles" of Eastern Harems vs Western Brothels...

The story is told by the dwarf named Bucino. When I read the book, I was forgetting he was a dwarf, so he had to constantly remind that he was the one. The more I thought high of Bucino's wit, the less excitement brought the main figure, the courtesan - Fiammetta Bianchini. Bucino unfolds the mysterious Venice and makes you taste the city from stinking waters to perfumed Sunday masses, from street fights to Turkish merchant's fountain court, from ostentatiously pious Venetian families to modestly camouflaged brothels with their charmingly witty mistresses. The book reminds of "Memoirs of Geisha", only the Venetian version. Does it make you want to visit Venice? Yes, it does. Does the book make Venice a romantic, all-in-honey-moon-mood-sort-of-a-place. No, it does not. Partly, because the book describes XV century Venice and it is much darker than the modern Venice with its well lit, all in flower haze narrow streets, canals with handsome Italian gondola men waiting for you to jump in and feel the mystery and magic of old days.

How did I pick this book when there were plenty of books queuing on the door to welcome them into my mind? How selfish of me? You see, it is the signs! I walked in to the staff room. There are always books there to share after reading. My eyes caught the cover and there was I, reading it. Sometimes, what you seek, finds you first. My dear Rumi, you were right. Venice was on my mind when I found this book. So, let the good signs alter your directions, let the good signs make you get lost in the unknown streets and let the bad signs be ignored once and forever!