dars's Blog

Love Walked In was good. I still have yet to read her second one.

I have the Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez and would love to read that one.

Are we sticking to only historical fiction?

I need to think up some more titles...I will be back.

Well, for me, yes the brothel scenes were the worst. I think the best really was Luca for me. I liked his character. For all he went through, he still went on in his life to be a good man. He could have turned out horrible after all that had been done to him but instead he still looked for love and believed in it.

Immortal is a historical fiction novel that is rich in language and detail. It takes place in Florence during the Italian Renaissance. Throughout the novel we encounter actual historical people like Leonardo da Vinci, the Medicis and so on. In addition we are taken through historical events such as The Inquisition and The Black Death.

This isn't an easy book to read-it is quite dark really. In the beginning we are introduced to the main character, Luca Bastardo, who had been abandoned as a young boy. He survives on the street, scrounging up food, begging and sleeping under bridges. One fateful day he is kidnapped by Silvano and introduced to a life as a child prostitute in a brothel. This was a very hard part of the novel for me to read-just the thought of the horrors Luca suffered there was enough to almost make me turn away from the book. I moved quickly through this part and a few shorter ones like it. Finally Luca escapes the brothel and ends up meeting a wonderful Jewish man who takes him in and teaches him to be a physico-a doctor. He also feels his first taste of what love and a normal sexual relationship can be with Rachel, the physico's daughter. At this time also Luca is introduced to alchemy and healing and seeing into his future.

This novel is full of supernatural elements and of course immortality. Luca's life spans over 180 years. From the beginning we know that Luca will come to a bad end but the book itself is his journey through all of these years. He is looking for the meaning to his life-why was he abandoned, who his parents were or are and why does he possess an ageless beauty. While the world and people around him are aging, Luca is staying the same. He is also looking for his one true love; the one promised him in a vision when he chose this one true love over an endless life. Finally through all the darknesss Luca finally meets Maddelena, his true love and he has several years of happiness. However, as seems to happen in Luca's life, this comes to a bad end too.

I liked Luca's character, I was drawn to him from the beginning and through all of his hardships in life. I enjoyed meeting all the people he met, famous or not. Hearing about the art and the history of Florence was enjoyable and I loved the supernatural elements. The sections on alchemy dragged on and I wasn't too keen on those. I think the book wrapped up in the end in a way that left us satisfied.

Travelling this journey with Luca was an interesting adventure. I did like the book except for the brothel part which I could have done without. I think the book was longer than it needed to be but for the most part a good book. There is talk of a sequel to Immortal and I would be curious to read it.

You can visit the author's website here and thanks to The Literate Housewife Review and her new online reading group for this read.

I really like the supernatural element and I think they add to the story. The stuff on alchemy kind of dragged on for me but I do understand that it has a basis in the story. I'm just at pg 220 so I'm going to head back and read some more tonight and see where the story takes me. I do really like see Florence through Luca's eyes and just imagining the paintings and the area as he's seen it.

Hey Bethany, everyone takes a novel different ways and that's great-that's what makes for good discussions I think. I do like the book-I'm on page 220 and it's slowed down a bit for me. I'm with you on the sexual stuff though, I did have a hard time with that-just the cruelty is hard to fathom. I'm still at the plague but it's starting to come out from there so I will see where it's going now. I think there may be some light at the end of the tunnel yet. I do like the whole supernatural aspect and that of the book and I'm ok with dark novels so that may be why I like it.

Shana, I have read Pillars of the Earth and loved it. That's one of my favorite books. I still have World Without End on the shelf and I need to read it. It's a chunkster though and with all the other reading, it keeps falling back.

Immortal is, with the exception of Henry VIII, the only book I've read with a male as a narrator. I just managed to start it today as I've had a bad headache but I'm already 100 pgs in. It's quite the page turner.

Has anyone read Forever Amber or Crimson Petal and the White? Both were female narrators and good novels. Other than that I really enjoy Philippa Gregory and Margaret George.

Hi everyone, I'm Dar from Peeking Between the Pages (http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com). I've already met a few of you through blogging. Jennifer, thanks so much for organizing this, I think it'll be great.

Let's see, I'm a mother but it's just to my dog Buddy so not the same thing but I love him dearly. I have a degree in Marketing but due to illness I work only from home now. I love books, always have. My mom started me off from a baby-she used to read to me and it just went on from there. I can still vaguely remember reading and doing workbooks with my mom so I do credit her with my passion for books. And what a passion-my books take up more space now than I do.

I somehow got my wires crossed in when we were starting to read so I'm starting today. From what I'm reading from those that have started it sounds as though it will be a quick read. I look forward to getting to know everybody and reading and chatting about the book.