What readers think of The Birth of Venus, plus links to write your own review.

As an art history student, his book is astounding. It’s an easy, relaxed read but keeps you sucked in through and through. Couldn’t put it down, erotic yet religious, innocent yet fierce.

This book had me gripped from the beginning.

I felt this book is a waste of time not to mention paper. I was bored throughout and I felt that there was more personal details than anything else. I would never even wish my worst enemy to read this novel.

The only book in Florence that I could find in English, I wasn't expecting much when I picked up this slim book. I read the book, LOVED IT, and then went around the next day in Florence, pointing out to my sister all the various different historical landmarks that were in the book. Although the discriptions drag a bit at times, the characters accurately display the love/hate relationship that many of us have with our sisters. Not something that I would give to my teenager, but very entertaining for a somewhat more mature audience.

As a teacher of literature, I spend most of my reading time stuck in the middle of one of the "classics," so this was a refreshing and thoroughly fun read. I read this slim volume in an afternoon and really regretted coming to the end of Alessandra's story. Although the characters are not always that dynamic and well-rounded, the story itself propels you to continue on to see how the characters' relationships finally unfold. I found Alessandra a worthy protagonist for a book about the beauty and need for art and was amused by the foil provided in her very typically medieval sister! For anyone who is looking to spend a few hours in the past with a really good story---this book fits the bill!

I truly enjoyed this book....not something I would have chosen but my book group did and I am very happy with the choice. I would recommend to all.

Alright, I was absolutly captivated by this book. You felt as if by the end of the book you personally knew the main character, Alessandra. You feel like you just lived her life. Also, with the colorful backdrop of Florence during the Rennisance when art was coming alive with the passion put into it, you learn so much about the culture during that time and the view of the certain issues. The only reason that I give this book a 4 is because Dunant inserted some incredibly rough content into this book. Overall, though, I loved this book and I am keeping it in hopes that I may find the time to read it again because it was just that good.

Don’t be fooled by its bestseller status—The Birth of Venus is a waste of your time. The characters are flat and unrealistic. The historical accuracy of the novel appears quite sketchy as well. Arguably the greatest theme of the book—the aesthetic pleasure of art—is entirely unfulfilled. As Dunant attempts to describe famous renaissance works and 15th century Florence with bland and predictable language, the reader is challenged when trying to visualize the city and its art. A disappointment.