General Description
A book about Alexander VI, about how he became the Roman Pope, about how he lived himself and how his family lived. The presentation in the book is quite humorous, even though it narrates a serious topic. The style is dynamic and light, which makes the book an engaging read. The book's volume isn't the largest, so it reads fairly quickly. An audio version of the book can be found online. It's important to remember that due to its focus on "gossip and drama," not everything described in the book is fully documented fact. Although the book doesn't describe harsh or intimate scenes in detail, it is rather intended for adults.
Contents
- Preface
- Uncle Alonso as the Founding Father
- The Vicissitudes of Love and Corruption Vatican-Style
- Rodrigo Takes the Stage
- Sunny Naples and the Golden Youth
- Without a Single Piece of Evidence, or A Capercaillie Vatican-Style
- Giovanni Sforza: "Thank You for Being Alive"
- "A Vile Servant of the Lord," or Cesare Alexandrovich Changes Profession
- Art, Brotherly Love, and Shrimp, or The Daily Life of a City of Contrasts
- Lucrezia and Her Quiet Family Joys, or "Dad, Brothers, Me — The Holiest Family!"
- Afterword. Well, Everyone Died…
Opinion
Another book that was read in the book club at work. It wasn't to everyone's taste, although I found it quite to my liking, and after reading it I even wanted to watch a movie about the Borgias and delve a bit into studying the Roman Popes throughout history. It was curious to immerse myself in those times and see how the pontiffs of the Catholic Church lived and what role they played. And they lived very immodestly and merrily back then: conspiracies, murders, orgies — and that's just a small part. However, the morals and customs of that time were exactly like that, so I don't think that Alexander VI sinned more than other Popes in those distant days.
