Wow, I really thought that wasn't true either... But sounds like the story and the true history is a little mixed up just the same.bookowlie wrote: ↑06 Jun 2018, 20:20 You're ten steps ahead of me! When I read the book, I wasn't sure if all of the details about the Medici family were correct. I just googled Giuliano Medici and it turns out he really had a illegitimate son with his mistress Fioretta, and his son grew up to become Pope Clement VII.
Your favorite scene
- greenstripedgiraffe
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Re: Your favorite scene
- kfwilson6
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I pretty much love any scene with secret passageways, rooms, hidey-holes. I think that's part of why I really enjoyed the cave scene. It was a hidden spot, and I bet some good stuff besides the wine was stashed there. I really enjoy any kind of fantasy where the characters are exploring a run down castle. That would be so cool to get to do!!!Miriam Molina wrote: ↑25 Jun 2018, 17:22 I also liked the escape from the Uffizi via the secret corridor. Sophia and Gerhard watched the bridges collapsing into the Arno. Wonderful imagery!
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Yes, the moldy mattress and ancient wine barrels must have been a sight to behold. The skirmish between the villains and the protagonists, both live and ghosts, must be a cinematic delight.kfwilson6 wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 12:27I pretty much love any scene with secret passageways, rooms, hidey-holes. I think that's part of why I really enjoyed the cave scene. It was a hidden spot, and I bet some good stuff besides the wine was stashed there. I really enjoy any kind of fantasy where the characters are exploring a run down castle. That would be so cool to get to do!!!Miriam Molina wrote: ↑25 Jun 2018, 17:22 I also liked the escape from the Uffizi via the secret corridor. Sophia and Gerhard watched the bridges collapsing into the Arno. Wonderful imagery!
P. S. I hope your issue with the unpublished and unscored review has been resolved.
- bookowlie
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It's funny...while I was reading, I thought it was pretty wild of the author to have the illegitmate son grow up to become the Pope. Of course, I didn't realize until afterward that this actually happened in real life! It made me appreciate the author's blending of fact and fiction even more.greenstripedgiraffe wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 12:21Wow, I really thought that wasn't true either... But sounds like the story and the true history is a little mixed up just the same.bookowlie wrote: ↑06 Jun 2018, 20:20 You're ten steps ahead of me! When I read the book, I wasn't sure if all of the details about the Medici family were correct. I just googled Giuliano Medici and it turns out he really had a illegitimate son with his mistress Fioretta, and his son grew up to become Pope Clement VII.
- bookowlie
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Miriam, it's interesting that you think the ending battle would be a "cinematic delight." That's exactly what I thought of when I read those scenes. Between the way the ghosts intervened to save Angela and Alex to the way the bad guys' faces changed to reflect the bad guys from earlier periods, I kept thinking this would make a great movie. The imagery was wonderful in the book and I can see it translating well to a movie.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 16:44Yes, the moldy mattress and ancient wine barrels must have been a sight to behold. The skirmish between the villains and the protagonists, both live and ghosts, must be a cinematic delight.kfwilson6 wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 12:27I pretty much love any scene with secret passageways, rooms, hidey-holes. I think that's part of why I really enjoyed the cave scene. It was a hidden spot, and I bet some good stuff besides the wine was stashed there. I really enjoy any kind of fantasy where the characters are exploring a run down castle. That would be so cool to get to do!!!Miriam Molina wrote: ↑25 Jun 2018, 17:22 I also liked the escape from the Uffizi via the secret corridor. Sophia and Gerhard watched the bridges collapsing into the Arno. Wonderful imagery!
P. S. I hope your issue with the unpublished and unscored review has been resolved.
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Very interesting! On a different note, I never googled Gerhard Jaeger. Now I feel I should discover if he actually existed.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:02 I read (googled) that the secret marriage was recorded in an official register. This was discovered before Giulio became Pope. He was legitimate after all.
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Ooh, do tell! And his alias, too.bookowlie wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:06Very interesting! On a different note, I never googled Gerhard Jaeger. Now I feel I should discover if he actually existed.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:02 I read (googled) that the secret marriage was recorded in an official register. This was discovered before Giulio became Pope. He was legitimate after all.
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No luck so far. The only thing that come up are snippets from this book, comments from OBC reviews or posts, or a man who is a Professor of Linguistics at the Institute of Tubingen in Germany. Since an email is listed for the professor, I think we can safely assume he is not the same guy as the one featured in the novel. Should we email him and ask if he is a descendant?Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:13Ooh, do tell! And his alias, too.bookowlie wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:06Very interesting! On a different note, I never googled Gerhard Jaeger. Now I feel I should discover if he actually existed.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:02 I read (googled) that the secret marriage was recorded in an official register. This was discovered before Giulio became Pope. He was legitimate after all.
- kfwilson6
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And some readers said historical accuracy didn't matter. Look how much fun you all are having researching. I love looking up historical figures mentioned on fiction. I sort of consider it my bit of culture for that day.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:13Ooh, do tell! And his alias, too.bookowlie wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:06Very interesting! On a different note, I never googled Gerhard Jaeger. Now I feel I should discover if he actually existed.Miriam Molina wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 17:02 I read (googled) that the secret marriage was recorded in an official register. This was discovered before Giulio became Pope. He was legitimate after all.
- kfwilson6
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Every time I read a Philippa Gregory Tudor novel I think many times, "that didn't happen." Then I hit up Google and sure enough, fact is stranger than fiction. I think the illegitimate, now deemed to be legitimate, son being Pope was the most intriguing part and it wasn't even relevant to the story.bookowlie wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 16:49It's funny...while I was reading, I thought it was pretty wild of the author to have the illegitmate son grow up to become the Pope. Of course, I didn't realize until afterward that this actually happened in real life! It made me appreciate the author's blending of fact and fiction even more.greenstripedgiraffe wrote: ↑27 Jun 2018, 12:21Wow, I really thought that wasn't true either... But sounds like the story and the true history is a little mixed up just the same.bookowlie wrote: ↑06 Jun 2018, 20:20 You're ten steps ahead of me! When I read the book, I wasn't sure if all of the details about the Medici family were correct. I just googled Giuliano Medici and it turns out he really had a illegitimate son with his mistress Fioretta, and his son grew up to become Pope Clement VII.
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That was indeed a moving part of the book and if made into a movie, it would be too good a scene to be missed.bookowlie wrote: ↑06 Jun 2018, 19:47 I would say the scene in the Getty Museum where Alex found Angela talking to the Medici painting. It was very unexpected and magical that the man in the painting opened his eyes, turned his face, and looked at Angela. After a flash of light came out of the painting, Angela told Alex in Italian that she loved him and kissed him. This was despite Alex being a stranger to her. Although I admit I rolled my eyes a little, the scene was vividly described and I felt like I was right there. Once I read this scene, I started thinking the book would make a good movie.
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to kiss him. How did she get away with that?
- kfwilson6
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Haha, with her boss being a peeping Tom too!!! Attractive women can get away with anything. I bet if she were ugly Alex wouldn't have been so drawn to her.
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So true! Actually, I didn't have a clear picture in my mind of any of the characters, although I assumed Angela was attractive. The settings were vivid for me, but the characters? Not so much.