octavia_cade's review against another edition
3.0
Well, now I want to go off and learn about lapis lazuli. Lovely, sensual writing, especially when it comes to colour. The story itself is pleasant enough, though it becomes quite heavy-handed towards the end, especially in the Chinese section. Worth reading for the language if not for that.
carolhoggart's review
2.0
I managed to read about two thirds of this book before I gave up. The author's reliance on 'telling' kept me at arm's length from Paolo, the young protagonist, as did the vaguely omniscient style of narration which slipped from one point-of-view to the next. This was leavened by occasional moments of beauty and insight, in which I wondered whether this omniscient telling served some greater artistic purpose ... until I decided: no, it's just unengaging writing.
Perhaps I would have given the author more credence if it wasn't for the anachronisms. These certainly served no greater artistic purpose, and they began on the very first page. The book opens in 1295 and shows us a bustle of charlatans in Venice selling, amongst other things, "protection from the plague". Well, unless Runcie had some other, undefined "plague" in mind, Venice had to wait at least 50 years for the plague, a.k.a. the Black Death, to descend. This was by no means the only historical hiccup. Unfortunately, such easy-to-make slip ups simply supported my feeling that this was not a well written or well researched piece of historical fiction. Sorry if I'm doing you an injustice, James Runcie!
Perhaps I would have given the author more credence if it wasn't for the anachronisms. These certainly served no greater artistic purpose, and they began on the very first page. The book opens in 1295 and shows us a bustle of charlatans in Venice selling, amongst other things, "protection from the plague". Well, unless Runcie had some other, undefined "plague" in mind, Venice had to wait at least 50 years for the plague, a.k.a. the Black Death, to descend. This was by no means the only historical hiccup. Unfortunately, such easy-to-make slip ups simply supported my feeling that this was not a well written or well researched piece of historical fiction. Sorry if I'm doing you an injustice, James Runcie!
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