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Get 3 months for £0.99/mo
Lent
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Narrated by:
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Will Damron
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By:
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Jo Walton
About this listen
From Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award-winning Jo Walton comes a magical re-imagining of the man who remade 15th-century Florence—in all its astonishing strangeness.
Young Girolamo's life is a series of miracles.
It's a miracle that he can see demons, plain as day, and that he can cast them out with the force of his will. It's a miracle that he's friends with Pico della Mirandola, the Count of Concordia. It's a miracle that when Girolamo visits the deathbed of Lorenzo "the Magnificent", the dying Medici is wreathed in celestial light, a surprise to everyone, Lorenzo included. It's a miracle that when Charles VIII of France invades northern Italy, Girolamo meets him in the field, and convinces him to not only spare Florence but also protect it. It's a miracle than whenever Girolamo preaches, crowds swoon. It's a miracle that, despite the Pope's determination to bring young Girolamo to heel, he's still on the loose...and, now, running Florence in all but name.
That's only the beginning. Because Girolamo Savanarola is not who—or what—he thinks he is. He will discover the truth about himself at the most startling possible time. And this will be only the beginning of his many lives.
©2019 Jo Walton (P)2020 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
Drawn to this author as a history buff, by the intriguing premise, I have been fully rewarded by an intelligently executed, creative, thoughtful, well paced and, above all, entertaining story.
It is read rather well by the narrator, though it fell short of what it could have been had the characters been invested with a little more life, and if accents had been used to reflect their very different backgrounds.
Being an enthusiastic follower of physics, thus knowing something about the, “Many Worlds,” hypothesis that sparks such controversy among scientists and philosophers, helped my enjoyment enormously. As did my (rudimentary) knowledge of Renascence Italy. Not essential for a rewarding experience, but it helps.
Ultimately, this meditation on the philosophy (and some of the catholic theology) of, “hope,” - whether that be in God or some other thing, need not be a hang up here - is a highly literate contribution to philosophy in general.
However, it ought to hit the sweet spot for those who love fantasy, historical fiction, or alternative history, “What if?” narratives.
I have never even considered Savonarola as a sympathetic historical character before. Yet, in the hands of this author, I came to actually care about him and was surprised to feel myself genuinely moved by his plight. That speaks to the skill and imagination of the author.
I am certainly going to read more of this author’s better known works, now that I have enjoyed this compelling tale so thoroughly.
Where Theology Meets Many Worlds Theories
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Glorious, wonderful story
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It's easy enough to follow, if very slow, up untll Part 3, which is where I gave up. I'm just pleased that I didn't waste a credit on it; it was a freebie.
It's worth remembering that this a "re-imagined" story, i.e. not factual.
At least 10 hours too long!
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