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Phyllis R. (Rochester Hills, MI)
Aemilia Bassano Lanier, Renaissance Woman Poet
Somehow I never got to read Mary Sharratt's Illunimations, so I was thrilled to win an advance reading copy of The Dark Lady's Mask. The author has researched the life and Elizabethan times of Amelia Bassano Lanier, first Renaissance woman poet. The author takes liberties to connect her poetry with Shakespeare's plays, even has them travelling to Italy and marrying each other. I have attended several lectures by Shakespeare Scholars who do not mention this connection. It is interesting that Shakespeare wrote several plays set in Italy and even used her name or its derivative in some of his works. I recommend this for anyone wanting to know more about her poetry or life of this gifted lady, whose life was a tapestry of joys and sorrows and the complexities of being a woman and an artist, but beware the myth of her and Shakespeare.
Shirley L. (Norco, LA)
Heart vs. Brain
My heart loved this book. The characters were very developed; the settings were described beautifully. The plot was entertaining and the pages turned quickly. The problem my brain had with this story is contained in the first paragraph of the author's afterward. Most academics have dismissed the theory that Aemilia Lanier was Shakespeare's Dark Lady. I like my historical fiction to be more securely based on history with the fiction added to provide detail and color. Heart says 5; Brain 3.
Sherilyn_R
Shakespeare's Feminist Muse
Aemilia Bassano Lanier also spelled Lanyer was the first Englishwoman to assert herself as a professional poet.
In The Dark Lady's Mask she is portrayed as a young woman deeply resentful of the restrictions put on women. As a result, she delights in the freedoms and liberties she experiences when cross dressing as a young man. She has little means but is well educated and wants to prove herself as a woman poet.
When Aemilia is given the opportunity for adventure and collaboration with Will Shakespeare a very talented poet, the two lives quickly become linked and Sharratt's novel really takes off.
The Shakespeare/Lanyer story line was fascinating and clearly well researched. Sharratt did an excellent job interweaving these two stories making there collaboration a very believable and interesting hypothesis. I immediately started doing my own research.
Leslie_Garber
Imaginative Account
Sharratt bases her story on the premise that Aemilia Bassano Lanier, an actual Renaissance poet, could have been Shakespeare's collaborator and muse. Using this concept as a starting point, the novelist creates a fanciful depiction of Aemilia's life and connections to Shakespeare and other Renaissance figures of her day. Sharratt cleverly interweaves quotations and situations from Shakespeare's plays to form parallels to events in her narrative. Some of the connections, however, seem to be a bit of a stretch, even for a fictionalized account. Also, coincidence is used too often to bail out Aemilia from difficult straits. All in all, the novel still remains engrossing in that it does shed light on the social and literary restrictions placed upon even the most educated women of Shakespeare's day.
Harriette K. (Weston, FL)
The Dark Lady's Mask
Aemilia, whose family originates in Italy, is orphaned at an early age when her father is discovered to be a secret Jew and executed. She is taken to the estate and educated in the classics by a noblewoman. At age sixteen, she is presented at the court of Queen Elizabeth, becomes the mistress of a titled member of the court, becomes pregnant with his child and forced into a "suitable" marriage. From this, she enters a life filled with many adventures including dressing as a man to make her way around 16th century London. She meets William Shakespeare, a minor actor and playwright, they travel to Italy to claim her inheritance and while there she collaborates with him on "the Italian plays". There is much more as they return to England separately and Shakespeare becomes more celebrated. The tale of a woman of the 16th century, based on a real person, and the picture of England and theatre at that time kept me going. I found it a reasonably good read, but would ask for the tale to be told in a few less pages.
Carol T. (Ankeny, IA)
Dark Lady
An excellent book for those who enjoy strong renaissance women.
Esther L. (Newtown, PA)
The Dark Lady's Mask
Although Historical Fiction is my favorite genre, this book won't be added to my list of favorites. I found the book slow going. It failed to capture my full involvement and I found myself skipping the poetry selections and more. The story and character of Aemilia were interesting but something was lost in the presentation for me. Sorry!
But thanks again to BookBrowse for the opportunity to read books for review.
Rosanne S. (Franklin Square, NY)
Too much Renaissance
I was excited to receive The Dark Lady's Mask by Mary Sharratt for review as it presented me with the opportunity to learn about Amelia's Bassano Lanier, the woman often considered the author of many of William Shakespeare's sonnets.
It clearly depicts what Renaissance life was like for a woman who had goals and aspirations only men had been able to achieve. It, however, wasn't enough to sustain my interest. Perhaps a little less information and a bit more action would have kept me going. It became dull and tedious.
I now remember picking up Daughters of the Witching Hill by the same author and having the same reaction. Perhaps I just don't care for Sharratt's style.
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