I rarely read something that is 'Not Suitable for Younger Readers' and, to be honest, I did not notice that David had this warning. Yet (or maybe because of that) David struck a chord with me. In Florence in 1501, it was essential to know what your political inclinations were. Either you supported the republic, or you supported the de Medici. Yet, things were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. Gabriele, drawn into politics against his will, found himself adhering by principles he did not entirely agree with. He found himself aligning himself with political ideologies that he did not quite endorse. More than anything else, what hit me was how similar things seem to be today. Everyone must have an opinion. You may know nothing about politics, and you may care less. But somehow, you have to have an opinion. If you don't you are somehow heartless or unfeeling or selfish or stupid … [Read more...]

I was standing at the bank reading Frederica because even though it is not true that I 'cannot' put the book down, it is true that I don't want to put the book down. There is nothing like a book that is addictive. It makes you want to read: during that one minute when the computer is booting, during the thirty seconds when your bottle is being filled, during the twenty seconds it takes for someone to pick up the phone. Back to the bank story. I was standing in line, waiting for my turn and I read about Felix, who is not a 'little boy', but an abominable 'thatch-gallows'. Felix's sister Frederica warned him not to plague Alverstoke into taking him to see a balloon ascension. But, you see, Felix was not 'plaguing' Cousin Alverstoke; he was just 'asking'. And that's not the same thing, is it? A bubble of laughter rose to my throat, but how could I laugh, standing there in a mundane … [Read more...]