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The Birth of Venus: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Sarah Dunant (Author), Kathe Mazur (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 1,971 ratings
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Alessandra Cecchi is not quite fifteen when her father, a prosperous cloth merchant, brings a young painter back from northern Europe to decorate the chapel walls in the family's Florentine palazzo. A child of the Renaissance, with a precocious mind and a talent for drawing, Alessandra is intoxicated by the painter's abilities.

But their burgeoning relationship is interrupted when Alessandra's parents arrange her marriage to a wealthy, much older man. Meanwhile, Florence is changing, increasingly subject to the growing suppression imposed by the fundamentalist monk Savonarola, who is seizing religious and political control. Alessandra and her native city are caught between the Medici state, with its love of luxury, learning, and dazzling art, and the hellfire preaching and increasing violence of Savonarola's reactionary followers. Played out against this turbulent backdrop, Alessandra's married life is a misery, except for the surprising freedom it allows her to pursue her powerful attraction to the young painter and his art.

The Birth of Venus is a tour de force, the first historical novel from one of Britain's most innovative writers of literary suspense. It brings alive the history of Florence at its most dramatic period, telling a compulsively absorbing story of love, art, religion, and power through the passionate voice of Alessandra, a heroine with the same vibrancy of spirit as her beloved city.

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  1. Listening Length
    13 hours and 18 minutes
  2. Author
    Sarah Dunant
  3. Narrator
    Kathe Mazur
  4. Audible release date
    February 12, 2004
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B0001O349Y
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 13 hours and 18 minutes
Author Sarah Dunant
Narrator Kathe Mazur
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date February 12, 2004
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B0001O349Y
Best Sellers Rank #75,671 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#5,012 in Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#15,553 in Romance (Audible Books & Originals)
#20,871 in Historical Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,971 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story interesting and engaging. They describe it as an easy, enjoyable read with well-written prose that immerses them in the historical setting. Readers praise the characters as well-rounded and believable. The content provides an insightful look into life during the time period in Florence. However, some customers felt the humor was overdone and pretentious.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Story qualityReadabilityWriting qualityDepthCharacter developmentBook contentPacingHumor
131 customers mention "Story quality"115 positive16 negative

Customers find the story engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's skill in describing history and the blend of drama with historical details. The tale is captivating, with unexpected twists and turns that keep readers hooked until the end. Readers enjoy learning about Florence and art history through the book.

"...though somewhat shocking. This author is supernaturally gifted in describing history with an eccentric ability...." Read more

"...Blended expertly with historical details of the age: the reign of the Medici family, the invasion of Florence by France, the paranoia of the city..." Read more

"...the pieces I think go into a great novel, especially the 15th century setting in Florence...." Read more

"...This book is as much a biography of a brilliant and artistic young girl during a time when these attributes were looked down on, as it is a story of..." Read more

90 customers mention "Readability"90 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find the plot engaging and the writing style captivating. The book captivates readers from the beginning and keeps their attention throughout.

"...Overall, the storyline compels one to read on and contains enough hints and little mysteries to keep even the most well-read reader turning the..." Read more

"...It has all the pieces I think go into a great novel, especially the 15th century setting in Florence...." Read more

"4.5 Stars THE BIRTH OF VENUS is the remarkable and sometimes wrenching story of fifteen year-old Alessandra Cecchi, the daughter of a wealthy..." Read more

"I don’t usually read such books but this was one fascinating read for me...." Read more

39 customers mention "Writing quality"28 positive11 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written and easy to read. The author sets the scene in Italy during an era accurately. The mechanics of the texts are described as amazing. Overall, readers find the book enjoyable and one of the better Gothic romance novels.

"...Although written in a simple (hip teenage) style it does contain clever twists...." Read more

"...Dunant's writing is superb and the characters are as vivid as fresh bouquet of roses. I can hardly wait to visit Florence again. It is a must read." Read more

"...detailed, meticulous historic research is the backdrop for her gorgeously written, fabulously rich fictional tale...." Read more

"...Neither characterization was completely believable...." Read more

35 customers mention "Depth"35 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and fascinating. They appreciate the vivid descriptions and well-researched details about Renaissance Florence. The narrative is colorful and engrossing, with enough hints and mysteries to keep them reading.

"...learned. The passion for art is vividly portrayed though somewhat shocking. This author is..." Read more

"...Overall, the storyline compels one to read on and contains enough hints and little mysteries to keep even the most well-read reader turning the..." Read more

"...Rich and beautifully developed characters, that I cared deeply for, are still with me...." Read more

"...The texture of the description: the richness of the colors, the dyes, the cathedral, the clothing, the carving, the pigments that Alessandra mixes..." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"21 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and believable female and male characters. The story holds their interest.

"...straightforward course steered by somewhat predictable but well-crafted characters...." Read more

"...Rich and beautifully developed characters, that I cared deeply for, are still with me...." Read more

"...Interesting main character and late 15th century Italy goings on made this a book I couldn’t put down...." Read more

"...The best aspects of this book are: - The connections between the characters...." Read more

14 customers mention "Book content"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's content. They find it an engaging read for their teenage daughters, with an intrepid young woman's story and an interesting look at the lives of women in history. The author creates vivid descriptions of Florence and its surroundings, immersing readers in the time period. Readers appreciate the author's insights into the limited female talent and the strength and courage of women throughout history.

"...Up to this point Alessandra has been portrayed as a strong, rebellious woman and now, when it would seem clear..." Read more

"...An eye-opener for my book-voracious teenage daughters (17, 15 & 14, who, by the way, also loved it) fueling quite a bit of interesting conversation..." Read more

"...These historical events frame a story told by an intrepid young woman, enamored of art and in love with love, who moves from infatuation to marriage..." Read more

"...The author transforms you into the time period with her exquisite descriptions of Florence and it's art and provides a historic chronicle of the..." Read more

13 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive9 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's pacing. Some find it surprising and beautifully written, with an eccentric ability to describe history. Others feel the book lacks substance and is disappointing from the start. While some found the first two-thirds interesting, the ending was weak for them.

"...And the book falls apart...." Read more

"...I believe, because it starts out so strongly and then sort of fizzles near the end...." Read more

"...supernaturally gifted in describing history with an eccentric ability. An exceptionally talented author you may want to read." Read more

"...Lots of embelishments, little substance. I also found the sexual scenes rather unnecessary and gross...." Read more

11 customers mention "Humor"2 positive9 negative

Customers find the humor in the book silly, vulgar, and cringe-worthy. They describe it as juvenile and weird.

"...Maybe you think it is humor, but it isn't funny. The next setting where Catherine accompanies a senior high school teacher(?)..." Read more

"...They can be awkwardly cringe worthy and don't necessarily add anything to the overall story...." Read more

"...The author seems to be a degenerate with an incredibly vulgar mind who loves delving into bodily functions, fluids, entrails, and the like...." Read more

"...Too often the author used excessive adjectives and adverbs and melodramatic language rather than really making me understand the characters through..." Read more

Sarah Dunant is a brilliant historical writer who takes you back to the Italian ...
5 out of 5 stars
Sarah Dunant is a brilliant historical writer who takes you back to the Italian ...
Check my review on Amazon.com. Sarah Dunant is a brilliant historical writer who takes you back to the Italian Renaissance era and the beautiful city of Florence, Italy.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Madalene Cuglietta
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historical account of History during Medici Reign
    Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I had never read a work by Susan Dunant, yet
    her knowledge of the history of Florence is
    learned. The passion for art is vividly portrayed
    though somewhat shocking. This author is
    supernaturally gifted in describing history with
    an eccentric ability. An exceptionally talented
    author you may want to read.
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  • Diana Faillace Von Behren
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intricate Portrayal of Florence in Savonarola's Time
    Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2004
    Verified Purchase
    Alessandra tells her story of Florence during the tight reign of the monk Savonarola, in the form of a memoir, found after her death by fellow sisters in a provincial convent. Living in an age where classic thought and sensibilities are revisited and possessing an acute mind and an acrid tongue, she must resign herself to a more conventional role as a woman of the Renaissance, bound by duty to marry and bear children rather than be the philosopher painter she wishes to be. From the moment she encounters the painter from the North that her father has commissioned to paint the family chapel, she is relentless in seeking him out. While her first desire is to learn the secrets of color and brushwork, she finds herself attracted to the painter in ways she had not expected, and finds herself frustrated in more ways than she bargained when she must follow her appointed path as a Florentine woman.

    The plot itself follows a rather straightforward course steered by somewhat predictable but well-crafted characters. Blended expertly with historical details of the age: the reign of the Medici family, the invasion of Florence by France, the paranoia of the city while under the helm of the monk, and the dropping of famous names like Botticelli, Michelangelo, Fra Angelico and Da Vinci, the author presents us with a fictitious view of what life could have been like back in the early 1500s. Alessandra's mindset is indeed, that of a 20th woman, a bit cynical and slightly world-weary for one of such tender years, but this adds to her appeal to the author's intended audience. Overall, the storyline compels one to read on and contains enough hints and little mysteries to keep even the most well-read reader turning the pages.

    However, what fails miserably is the author's lack of solving any of the mysteries that she so tantalizingly provides for us. Alessandra fixates on the form of the snake tattooed on the man in the square, so much so that she has one tattooed on her own body---but the reason for her action is muddled and I for one do not understand the actual significance---an act of defiance? Empathy with Eve and her sin? Ironically, the significance of one of the most compelling symbols in the book remains coiled but never unfurled. Similarly, the author hints at the great artist that Alessandra loves and gives us enough clues to make some sort of guess to his identity, but then never actually tells us who he is or if he even existed. We know he is Flemish from the descriptions of the North Sea and the low country. We know he studied anatomy when it was forbidden with the likes of Michelangelo at Santo Spirito. We know that after the fall of Savonarola, he goes off to Rome to escape further persecution. He returns much later, worldly his sexual and artistic techniques honed like a razor, but again, we do not know his identity. Personally, as I read, I assumed he was a creation, but enough of my fellow reviewers have voiced that he was a real historical figure for me to investigate. Lastly, the title, calling to mind Botticelli's masterpiece, has little or nothing to do with the plot. As this book was published in the same time period when books like Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue and Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring have great popularity, one cannot help but think that the title suggests another imaginative story behind a great work of art. The Birth of Venus, however, is the story of a woman and her duty rather than her act as muse for a great painting or sculpture.

    Bottom line: if you are looking for a Girl With a Pearl Earring type confection, you will not find it here. However, if a story told from a woman's perspective, albeit imagined, piques your interest especially told in the colorful velvet world of art and enlightenment of the Renaissance (even in the shadow of Savonarola) you will enjoy undertaking this short journey of duty, love and art.
    67 people found this helpful
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  • Pushing 70
    3.0 out of 5 stars The adolescent narrator just didn't ring true
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I really wanted to like this book a lot. It has all the pieces I think go into a great novel, especially the 15th century setting in Florence. However, I simply couldn't get into the narrative of events from the perspective of an 11-12 year old girl. There were times when it seemed as if she was indeed a child and other times, a seductress in her thirties. Neither characterization was completely believable. What kept me reading until the end was the references to the monk Savonarola and the chaos he created in Florence. I'm a huge fan of Showtime's "The Borgias" and was hoping this plot would enhance the story. It did, but not enough to make my reading of this book anything more than mediocre.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Craig C. Campbell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I first read this book while visiting Florence, adding a delightful sensory element to my enjoyment of the book. And I found that my second reading, just a month or so, ago, was even more satisfying. Rich and beautifully developed characters, that I cared deeply for, are still with me. I recently purchased this book for a close friend, and she found it every bit as enjoyable as I. I strongly recommend this book.
    Helpful
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  • Lynne P Caldwell
    4.0 out of 5 stars THE SAD LIFE OF A GIFTED FLORENTINE GIRL IN 1500
    Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    4.5 Stars
    THE BIRTH OF VENUS is the remarkable and sometimes wrenching story of fifteen year-old Alessandra Cecchi, the daughter of a wealthy cloth merchant during the late 15th century in Florence Italy.

    Sarah Dunant, the author of this compelling novel wrote this book after visiting Florence with her young daughters: "As I walked through the streets of Florence with one on each arm I realized there was something missing in all this history I had been reading. And that something was women. Where in all this creativity and fame and hot house of learning were they? And so Alessandra was born, created as a kind of homage to my daughters and all those women who didn't make it into history. It was my attempt to imagine life for them 500 years ago; how young women of intelligence, wit, education (because women of good breeding were educated then) and talent might have tried to make their way as artists in what was, par excellence, a man's world. The challenge was to make my Alessandra believable to a modern audience without making her a modern girl. To envisage what it would be like to live in a world circumscribed by God and family and duty, but to also yearn for something more, while having no way of achieving it."

    After reading through the first quarter of this book, I still had no opinion whatsoever on how I felt. I could have easily put it back in one of my dozen bookcases and never thought of it again. Usually, after a few chapters I either love or hate a book (and occasionally think it is alright)! But around the time of Plautilla's (Alessandra's older sister) marriage something happened. This wonderful novel suddenly adhered to my heart and wouldn't let go! This book is as much a biography of a brilliant and artistic young girl during a time when these attributes were looked down on, as it is a story of Florence--first during the world of the ruling Medicis and then through the priest, Savonarola. Florence is at first a city that thrives because of the great works of art of the Italian Renaissance and then becomes a police state where art and beauty is either destroyed or hidden. During this time we have the story of Alessandra who has an unhappy arranged marriage; she cannot be with her true love, a mysterious painter whose life becomes intertwined with her own.

    Even though I titled my review, "The Sad Life....", I don't think Alessandra was as sad living her life as I was during the reading of it. I, like other reviewers have many questions about the end of this book. This was not a neat ending. What happened to her loved ones and why didn't this nun try to change her life? I don't want to give too much away but suffice it to say, this book has occupied many of my thoughts since I finished the last page. I heartily recommend it to anyone who loves historical novels.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Mr Axolotl
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating historical soap opera
    Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I don’t usually read such books but this was one fascinating read for me. Interesting main character and late 15th century Italy goings on made this a book I couldn’t put down. I’ve read Durant early Italian historical dramas also.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Andrew Zimbel
    5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book
    Reviewed in Canada on December 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    This is a wonderful book that I read years ago. It has stuck with me all these years so when I needed a good book for a Bookclub friend I bought it again. I highly recommend it for the writing and the fascinating subject matter. Enjoy.
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  • Lalita Agrawal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on December 30, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    excellent book and great discounts by amazon. Such an excellent book and that too only for Rs.164
    Report
  • SRS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Me fascinó este libro porque narra hechos históricos de la Cudad de Florencia cuando estaba en su apogeo artístico y los años co
    Reviewed in Mexico on July 27, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Me gustó la manera elegante de escribir. Aprendí muchas palabras que no son del idioma coloquial. Narra los eventos sexuales sin morbo y de una manera natural.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Germany on June 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I have read several of Sarah Dunant's novels and they never disappoint. Highly enjoyable for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
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  • EleanorB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another triumph from a superb author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Let me say right away that I love everything Sarah Dunant creates - for me, she does not put a foot wrong and her complex and absorbing tales are couched in such excellent prose, that you never want them to end. The Birth of Venus is another piece of perfection.

    An elderly nun passes away after what seemed to her community to have been a long and painful illness. However, when her body is taken to be reverently prepared for burial, what is discovered is as unexpected and challenging for the reader as for the shocked nuns. We spin back from there to the beginning of a wonderful story of Renaissance Florence, encompassing the brilliance and brutality of the City State itself, the madness of Savonarola's Bonfire of the Vanities, and the impossibility of a young woman having any life other than that chosen by her father. Alessandra wants to paint and when a troubled young artist comes to her home to work on the family chapel, all sorts of dreams and emotions are stirred, and a shared love of art becomes a shared love. .

    Alessandra's father meanwhile, has arranged a convenient marriage for her to an older man who has his own deep and dangerous secret. Whilst this husband does not love his young wife, he comes to like and respect her, as they reach a mutual understanding and can protect each other in the fraught atmosphere of fanaticism prevailing in Florence at this time. She also has a measure of freedom, as a married woman, that otherwise she could never have imagined and her ability to move around the City and become involved in her art and her artist broadens her mind in many, many ways, leaving her with few illusions about man and his hard-wired cruelty. This relationship defines the young woman's whole life and brings with it enormous joy and painful sacrifice; it is a love story that will make you weep. Much is revealed when the dead nun - the much older Alessandra - is divested of her habit.

    No reader will be disappointed. It is quite simply imaginative, character driven, historical fiction at its best. My advice is to read everything Sarah Dunant writes.
    One person found this helpful
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