Customer Reviews

The Ruby Ring

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The current vogue in historical fiction has led to an influx of novels such as The Ruby Ring. Their authors take truly fascinating and moving artifacts and stories (in this case, the apparent affair between Renaissance artist Raphael and baker's daughter Margherita Luti) and then use them as the basis for a novel. In some cases (such as Philippa Gregory's various novels about English history and Emma Donoghue's Slammerkin and Life Mask) the results are fascinating and inspired. In other cases, such as The Ruby Ring, the results are dishwater-dull recoutings of what might have happened if everyone in history acted like they were in a romance novel. I will discuss the plot of this novel, so don't read further if for some reason you fear having this book spoiled for you.

One sure sign you're reading a stinker is if the heroine is immediately presented as a paragon of wit, beauty, bravery and intelligence even though she is a mere girl of humble means. Often a parent (usually the father, in this case the mother) has impressed upon our lass that she is very special and cut out for great things. And typically she has some kind of unusual eye color, for some reason, though in this case there's an actual painting so the author must lump it with the classic brown hue.

In any case, here's how this love story of the ages goes. Raphael needs a new model, he seems Margharita, he immediately falls in love, after some ridiculous dillydallying on her part when offered what must have been the equivalent of 10K, easy, to pose for Raphael (I believe to show her feisty independence, even though her family is impoverished, so her hesitation seems to make no sense), she poses, they hit it, they fall in love.

From this point henceforth, which occurs early on, the vast majority of dialog between the two consists of "I love you, bella." "I love you, mi amor." (Sex ensues.) This does not vary over the course of the rest of the book.

There are other characters, of course, particuarly a cardinal obsessed about having Raphael marry his daughter (who is ugly and weird, unlike super!pretty!and smart! and just as noble as the nobility! Margharita.) Most of them are pretty interchangeable. Often they admire Margharita and think she is wonderful, unless one of them wants to marry/do Margharita or Raphael (handy!)

There is also much coverage of the politics of art and artists, none of which will be particularly interesting to most people who has read anything about Renaissance Italy before. It seemed to me that the author was powering through those parts so she could get to the next "mi amor" scene.

The writing is dull too. The author has a tendency to inform the reader of things that one could clearly pick up from context. "Oh, Raphael, you signed the nudie painting of me!" "Yes, mi amor, I am signing it because I am proud that I painted you in the altogether and you are my lady!" "Oh, my dearest love, but you rarely sign paintings!" "Oh yes, but as you can see, I did in this instance! Now let us off to the bedchamber!"

Bleah.

The most interesting part of the book (which I really WANTED to love) was the politics of artistry among the artists, their staff, the church and the nobles. The love story is less interesting. Raphael, never before in love, falls for Margherita, a baker's daughter on sight - drawn by her spirit and independence. Onoce they become involved though, the most she does is hang out in places/with things he buys her, making love to him and swooning "Amore Mio, Rafaello" and becomes much less interesting, so you wonder what the heck is this love story of the century really all about?

Read the Illuminator instead - much more interesting from start to finish

For all you art history "Nerds":

I was surprised and pleased to discover this true love story become a book. As an Italian Renaissance and Raphael "fanatic" I have been researching Raphael and his lady Margherita Luti for years now. Naturally I would be picky about how these individuals would be portrayed, so imagine my pleasant surprise when I saw that Haeger had come to much of the same psychological reasoning that I had come to. Haeger's portrayal of Margherita was very similar to how imagined her to be! Part of this is thanks to Raphael's amazing ability to convey the true character and dignity of his subjects. The other thanks is to Haeger, who uses her psychological smarts to get into the meat of her characters, and the book did a lovely job oh what thoughts Raphael (and Margherita) might have had. Sure-it's got all the flourishes of a romance novel but I didn't let that get in the way of a great story!

For those of you who want to research this story, I can say-do it! Haeger flips around the dates and adds her own spin for fiction's sake but the facts are true. People did marry for connections and not love, and it is true that Raphael was engaged to Maria da Bibbiena (but we don't know much about her except she died a virgin)-but it does seem that he was very reluctant to marry since he kept putting it off for years. Curiously, he wrote to an uncle that he was holding out for a bride with a lot of money and very high social standing (something most artists did not do) so whether he was greedy, or just using it as a creative way to avoid marriage, who knows! In his later years Raphael farmed out his minor commissions to his gigantic workshop. Margherita was important, but Raphael didn't forget his work due to her. He was extremely busy and got more choosy-note the Transfiguration. It is true that Raphael used Margherita as his primary model, from his Vatacan Stanze frescoes on. The best testament however is the painting "La Fornarina" (1518/20) herself-there's something very intimate and arresting about her and her gaze, which to me indicates she was on very intimate terms with Raphael, and he valued her as more than a sexual object.

Art history resources: I recommend "Raphael-Grace and Beauty" by the Musee Luxembourg press and Vasari's Lives of the Artists. Grace and Beauty offers rich critical insights into Raphael's character and his fascination with women.

Raphael is a complex guy who deserves an intelligent historical romance. It isn't this-but it works well. Haeger glosses over "grit" issues like Raphael's lonliness and struggles with intimacy and Renaissance social realities and Raphael's art itself-but oh well...that's another book. (Haeger may have beat me to it, but where there is a need...)

"The Ruby Ring" is a love story about Raphael the famous Renaissance Painter that falls for a peasant woman. He has many outstanding commissions all over Rome that he is running behind in and Michelangelo and his protégé Sebastiano are constantly on his heels with envy and jealousy. He is in need of a muse he finds that in Margherita. At first she declines the offer to be his model because it is well known that Raphael is a philanderer and more times than not seduces his models she has a higher image of herself (her mother's influence) and does not want THAT for herself. Of course as in all romance novels the chase for Raphael is more intense because she will not agree to become his model. After he repeatedly offers money, comes to her father's bakery sends her a (respectful) piece of art -- so that she is able to understand he just wants her to model for him ONLY she agrees. Raphael is engaged to a Cardinals niece so there is a lot of political pressure on him constantly not only to complete his commissions but to honor his betrothal. Time goes by he becomes obsessed with her, they fall in love he desperately tries to get out of the betrothal, his enemies are against them at every turn. This book didn't have a lot of detail about their surroundings as you normally find in a romance novel much of the book took place at 4 locations his studio, his home, the bakery and a number of places that he was working on the art. Leonardo Da Vinci makes a few appearance and for the most part Michelangelo is in Florence not in Rome where this book takes place. Raphael becomes so consumed with Margherita that he seems never to pick up the pace when it comes to his commissions I found that frustrating because it was obvious these men didn't want him with her and kept reminding him that she was a distraction to him, I would have thought that he would have made sure to complete his jobs in a timely manner since at every turn they were constantly reminding him of his DUTIES to THEM. Granted you understand that for Raphael SHE became his duty and all else was irrelevant to him....

Diane H. is unquestionably one of the most gifted writers of Historical Romance Fiction out there. Her books are so involving that after you read the pages you still fill like there is more to learn of the individuals in the story. I should know because after reading this book I did some research of my own on the web regarding Raphael as well as Margherita to see what she really looked like in all of the paintings. The one thing that I realize in reading nearly most of Diane books is that very rarely is there a Happy Ending... but since largely what she writes is actual Historical events the reader has to understand that's the way it is, no matter how much "filler" she puts in it she always brings it back to the factual ending. I also recommend if you like this type of tale "The Girl with the pearl Earring" (a fictitious story inspired by a real work of art) or even perhaps the movie "The Kings Whore" starring Timothy Dalton and Valarie Golino (the story of a woman that unwillingly gains the attraction of a King and becomes the love of his life - everyone including family and her husband telling her she MUST become his mistress).

Respectfully Reviewed

It seems with this novel that Diana Hager is continuing her career writing about the mistresses of history. Which isn't a bad choice to make f you're always going to be writing novels about real people since there are hundreds, probably thousands of mistresses to choose from, all with life stories that are full of scandal and sadness.

Margherita Luti is a good choice for a book about a mistress. Once a common baker, she was elevated to the position of the great Raphael's mistress and model for his greatest works. But this book, the way it's written....

It's the same problem as in a lot of Hager's books. The period detail is great and the descriptions of time and place really take you there, but the main couple, who are supposed to have a love so strong it survived the ages to become part of history-well, they're lackluster. Unimpressive. Their love is unreal and unromantic.

Add to that a whole bunch of typos which escaped the editing process (and I noticed them and I'm dyslexic and never notice anything like that so there must be more of them) and some historical idiosyncrasies like putting Nero up on a pedestal as a romantic hero when he was really a pedophile and murderer...Also I got really tired of Raphael saying only another artist could understand his feud with all the other artists like Michelangelo when anyone could get it-they hated each other because they were rivals and they were competing for the position of the Pope's artist. Ugh. Give people some credit.

It's just not the best book. I found myself counting off pages until I was done with it, so you can tell it was boring me. If you really like Hager then go ahead and read it, you'll probably love it. If you're a so-so fan of her like I am then I wouldn't recommend it.

It's just all and all lackluster.

Three stars.

I really wanted to enjoy this book- I love historical fiction, am interested in this period of Italian history as well as in art history, and I love reading about 'impossible love affairs,' a la Romeo & Juliet, etc. Unfortunately, despite sticking with it far longer than I truly wanted to, I had to put it down and couldn't even finish it.

It started off well and had a great premise- infamous maestro Rafaello meets his muse and his match in a poor baker's daughter despite being betrothed to the powerful Cardinal's niece- that never delivered. It was boring and drawn-out, predictable and lacked the ability to draw the reader in and allow connection with the characters.

Just to throw my hat in the ring (bad pun intended :) ) The Ruby Ring is more romance novel than true historical fiction. If you aren't familiar with Raphael's artistic and personal history, it's a light and useful way to learn more, but it would have been nice to read about some other aspects of his relationship with Margherita beyond the bedroom - and the studio - and the kitchen - and - oh never mind. But one would think once in a while they might have done something else together.

I had high hopes for this book, but was disappointed as it was more of a romance novel than historical fiction, especially when compared to the series on Josephine by Sandra Gulland and the books by Phillippa Gregory.

From the time I began reading, I couldnt put it down. Well written, descriptions are beautiful, the book brings you back in history to a time when life was simpler, beautiful, harsh, and a great division between social/economic classes. Didnt hurt that I took it to Rome never knowing I would be in the subject city. Exhausted by sightseeing, walking, etc, still could not let a nite or a bus ride go by in Italy that I didnt read it. Became so involved in the story that I went to the Trastavere area to see the streets, etc. Wondered how much was fiction and fact. Went to the Pantheon, looked for Raffaello's crypt. After coming home I read it again. Would recommend it highly.

I suppose if you are a true Romance Novel fan this may be your cup of tea. I, however found it to be overwritten and a little too full of "dark and glittering" expressions, "gasps of desire" and "taut bodies" for me. I was drawn to read this because of comparisons to "Birth of Venus", and was sorely disappointed. I also found Ms. Haeger's portrayal of everyday life in that time period to be sloppy - a baker's daughter would not be wearing different dresses several times a week, and probably would not have been sewn of even a "simple cotton" as that was a fabric for the upper classes. Wool or linen would have been a more likely choice. The culture of that time would have called for an up and coming citizen to marry for connections, not love, so Raphael's angst over a loveless match seems contrived. Again - I am not big on Romance Novels so that is why I was disappointed, if you care for that genre you may enjoy "her body shivered with a barrage of new sensations", over the historical content.