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.

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.