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The Honest Courtesan: Veronica Franco, Citizen and Writer in Sixteenth-Century Venice (Women in Culture and Society) 1st Edition

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Margaret F. Rosenthal (Author)
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Margaret F. Rosenthal (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars 29 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0226728124
ISBN-10: 0226728129
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Product Details

  • Series: Women in Culture and Society
  • Paperback: 408 pages
  • Publisher: University of Chicago Press; 1 edition (February 1, 1993)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0226728129
  • ISBN-13: 978-0226728124
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #493,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 104 people found the following review helpful
5 star history; 2 star read
By Amazon Customer on July 22, 2004
Format: Paperback
This book is a must read if you're interested in 16th century Venice, Veronica Franco, or the world of the famous Venetian courtesans. It's also an EXTREMELY dry read. The book is quite obviously a doctoral dissertation, and could have used an edit to made it more accessible (something more along the lines of Stephen Ozment's books). I'm glad I read it. I tracked it down because I wanted to see just how accurate the movie Dangerous Beauty--which is LOOSELY based on this book--was. The answer is: Not very. Oh well. For those of a scholarly bent, this is a great resource book, for those looking for a light, romantic read (a la the movie) look elsewhere.
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86 of 88 people found the following review helpful
One smart cookie, that Veronica
By A Customer on April 8, 1999
Format: Paperback
Veronica Franco was a scholar, a skillful poet, a prostitute--and one of the most fascinating characters to emerge from Renaissance Venice. Given the current climate--in which a dim-faced bimbo can bring down a president--this book is refreshing in that it tells how Franco used sex to further the political and economic causes of her beloved home, Venice. Though the author wrote this as an academic biography, the character, personality, and wit of Franco comes through. The whole story is set in the lushly atmospheric and decadent days when Venice was on the verge of losing its dominance as an empire. Highly recommended, as is the volume of Franco's poetry just released by the University of Chicago Press.
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64 of 68 people found the following review helpful
Excellent portrait of a lady
By Amanda Goodwin on February 9, 2000
Format: Paperback
Veronica Franco was a magnificent woman, and I was ecstatic to find this book after seeing the film based on her life, 'Dangerous Beauty'. Sometimes this biography is slow and verbose, but exciting nonetheless to learn all about this fascinating woman. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about 16th century Venice, women, courtesans, or someone who just wants to broaden their views.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Excellent, but a little slow
By A Customer on January 15, 2003
Format: Paperback
I greatly enjoyed this book, but I found that wading through 16th century Venetian dialect was difficult. If you are looking for an entertaining story biography, look elsewhere, but if you want a dissertation-style biography, you will enjoy this, as I did.
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45 of 50 people found the following review helpful
Rosenthal tells a fantastic story in text book fashion
By A Customer on January 14, 1999
Format: Paperback
Rosenthal's "The Honest Courtesan" tells the story of Veronica Franco, a 1500's courtesan (a high society prostitute) and poet. Franco's life is somewhat represented in the current movie "Dangerous Beauty". Franco was one of the first independant women of this time and wrote of women's equility. Unfortunatly, Franco's amazing story is told in a text book fashion. Rosenthal's writing is cold and uninteresting and reads like a doctoral dissertation. The subject matter is wonderful, but I would recommend Rosenthal's "Veronica Franco, Poems and Selected Letters". In this, Rosenthals writing the same, there is just less of it. The introduction briefly tells of Franco's life, and Franco's poetry brings her story to the reader.
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
A compelling portrait of an amazing woman.
By Imperator Furiosa VINE VOICE on April 16, 1998
Format: Hardcover
In a society where courtesans were considered to be prime specimens of beauty and immorality, Veronica Franco dared to be virtuous. Her highly cultivated intellect made her a woman who was simultaneously desired and feared. Rosenthal brings Franco to life in this incredible consideration of the "honest courtesan's" impact on the world around her.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
A difficult tome
By Penny L. Bloodhart on July 10, 2005
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
After seeing "Dangerous Beauty" I became curious about the distinctive life style of Renaissance Venice, and hoped to learn a lot more. This book was just a bit too dry and scholarly for casual reading. A great deal of space is used for both the Italian and English translations, which must be interesting to some readers. Although Veronica comes across as intelligent, determined and brave, I would have wished to know more about her and her society in terms of food, clothing, houses, daily activities, etc. Perhaps not enough is known about Veronica herself, but I would hope that a gifted author somewhere could make her story into a novel and breathe some warmth and life into her legend.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Good read
By Have Backpack Will Travel on June 21, 2011
Format: Paperback
The Honest Courtesan is a good read and provides a good foundation for the literary aspect of Veronica Franco. I would have liked more biographical information. The references are excellent and the research done is thorough. Do be prepared for a LOT of textual analysis regarding Franco's works. The analysis is used to defend particular hypothesis; however, I do think that the text centers so much on Franco's literary career that some of the chapters may be misleading. The chapter on the Inquisition began well; but then deviated into metrical devises used in Franco's work and I was unable to find how or why these were connected other then that the works depicted the style and language of Venice during the 1500's. I recommend the book for scholars who are interested in Franco's literary career and for purely academic reading or research. I do not recommend the book for any neophyte who desires to learn more about the Venetian Courtesan or Veronica Franco. Whilst any level can read such text, the decimation of the poetic styles may be a bit much for those unfamiliar with the Renaissance or with poetic rhetorical devices.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

A woman ahead of her times

Read it twice. Had it "taken" from someone I trusted. Learned my lesson well. Loved this gallant lady of the people. Read more

Published 3 months ago by SUSANNE HIBBERT
Wonderful insight into the world of 16th century Venice

Wonderful insight into the world of 16th century Venice. A bit on the scholarly side, but still entertaining. Read it and then see the movie Dangerous Beauty, or vice versa. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Earl Cherry Jr
very good historical book

prompt shipping, very good historical book, made the film very enjoyable

Published 7 months ago by Martin Amance
Sexual illumination--see along with film "Dangerous Beauty."

A must is to see the movie "Dangerous Beauty" which was loosely but brilliantly made from the book.It is liberating to read bout the closeted sexual practices of the past.

Published 7 months ago by G. R. Babineau
If you saw the movie Dangerous Beauty, this is ...

If you saw the movie Dangerous Beauty, this is the book that goes with it. The movie is a sleeper. must see.

Published 12 months ago by Harry De Leon
Scholarly account of a Dangerous Beauty

Written as a scholarly account of the life of Veronica Franco. Some may find the reading a bit dry, but there is a lot of information in this book that gives us insight into the... Read more

Published 12 months ago by tmd
Five Stars

Thanks for this book.

Published 13 months ago by Rebecca A Mahmood
Five Stars

The book is in very good condition.

Published 15 months ago by Sifu 85
I was disappointed n this book simply because it was a thesis ...

I was disappointed n this book simply because it was a thesis of Franco's writing more than a good biography of her. While some of it was interesting I became very bored with it.

Published 15 months ago by Snert
An Interesting Text Book, But...

I bought this hoping it would have more of Veronica Franco's poetry and be somewhat more biographical. Read more

Published 18 months ago by BaRkiNg MaD

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