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Cover of DARK RENAISSANCE
4.21

Based on 111 Goodreads ratings

DARK RENAISSANCE

by dint of brains and energy, moved to Cambridge, where he distinguished himself in Latin learning, found himself recruited into a network of intelligence officers for Queen Elizabeth, and then, at age 29, was mysteriously murdered in a bar fight. At the heart of Greenblatt’s book, though, is not just a familiar story but a new argument: that it was really Marlowe, rather than Shakespeare, who lit the flame under the literary Renaissance of Elizabethan England and, furthermore, that it was Marlowe’s brilliant schooling (rather than any lived experience) that fed his verbal imagination. Acting and action were everywhere in Marlowe’s world, and Greenblatt implies that it was his work as a spy that gave him an added sense of what it meant to perform. Marlowe “entered a world in which virtually everyone was in disguise, and it was fantastically difficult to know whom to trust. These professional role\u002Dplayers, operatives supremely gifted at inspiring confidence, whispered what one most hoped to hear and made one want to relax, open up, and reveal the truth.” Greenblatt is describing the world of Elizabethan espionage, but he could well be talking about the power of the theater to make us open up, relax, and reveal the truth. In the end, Marlowe “made it possible to write in a new way about violence, ambition, greed, and desire. He offered poetic liberation.” In his hands, “the expressive power of the English language took a great leap forward.” In Greenblatt’s hands, literary scholarship, too, has taken a great leap forward."

Book Details

Publisher:Of
Published:2024-01-01
Format:paperback
Language:English
ISBN:9780393882

Reading Info

Age Range:12-18

About This Book

This gripping historical fantasy plunges readers into a shadowy alternate Europe where alchemy works, forbidden knowledge lurks in forgotten libraries, and the great artists of the era wield powers f...

Our Review

This gripping historical fantasy plunges readers into a shadowy alternate Europe where alchemy works, forbidden knowledge lurks in forgotten libraries, and the great artists of the era wield powers far beyond their brushes and chisels. The narrative follows a young apprentice who uncovers a conspiracy threatening to plunge the continent into an age of supernatural darkness, blending real historical figures with a richly imagined world of secret societies and occult dangers. The atmospheric prose vividly paints a Florence where beauty and terror are two sides of the same coin, making the setting itself a central character in this intricate tale.

What sets this apart is its sophisticated weaving of authentic Renaissance history with supernatural elements, creating a smart, suspenseful read that will particularly appeal to fans of dark academia and intellectual thrillers. The protagonist's journey from naive student to key player in a cosmic struggle provides a compelling arc, while the ethical dilemmas surrounding power and knowledge will resonate with thoughtful teens. This is a novel that respects its readers' intelligence while delivering a plot full of shocking revelations and palpable tension, leaving a lasting impression about the price of enlightenment.

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