The Family (Puzo novel): Difference between revisions
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[[Pope Alexander VI]] (formerly Rodrigo Borgia) believes God will ultimately forgive his many sins simply because, as pope, he is [[papal infallibility|infallible and divine]]. ''The Family'' focuses on this cunning, ambitious despot and his children—the ruthless [[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]] and the beautiful but wicked [[Lucrezia Borgia|Lucrezia]]. |
[[Pope Alexander VI]] (formerly Rodrigo Borgia) believes God will ultimately forgive his many sins simply because, as pope, he is [[papal infallibility|infallible and divine]]. ''The Family'' focuses on this cunning, ambitious despot and his children—the ruthless [[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]] and the beautiful but wicked [[Lucrezia Borgia|Lucrezia]]. |
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A passionate love story runs through the novel, but it is a sinful one. Lucrezia lost her virginity to her brother Cesare when she was only 13, and the two have loved only each other ever since. Alexander marries Lucrezia off three times for political reasons, to [[Giovanni Sforza]] (Lord of Pesaro), [[Alfonso of Aragon (1481–1500)|Alfonso of Aragon]] (Duke of Bisceglie), and finally [[Alfonso I d'Este]] (Duke of Ferrara). She remains submissive to her father, if not to her many husbands and lovers. Her final marriage, to Alfonso d'Este, was a success, though neither partner was faithful: she bore her third husband a number of children and proved to be a respectable and accomplished duchess, effectively rising above her previous reputation and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death. |
A passionate love story runs through the novel, but it is also a sinful one. Lucrezia lost her virginity to her brother Cesare when she was only 13, and the two have loved only each other ever since. Alexander marries Lucrezia off three times for political reasons, to [[Giovanni Sforza]] (Lord of Pesaro), [[Alfonso of Aragon (1481–1500)|Alfonso of Aragon]] (Duke of Bisceglie), and finally [[Alfonso I d'Este]] (Duke of Ferrara). She remains submissive to her father, if not to her many husbands and lovers. Her final marriage, to Alfonso d'Este, was a success, though neither partner was faithful: she bore her third husband a number of children and proved to be a respectable and accomplished duchess, effectively rising above her previous reputation and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death. |
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Pope Alexander aims to unify Italy's feudal states under papal rule. Cesare, who exchanges his cardinal's miter for a warrior's helmet to become commander-in-chief of his father's armies, carries out conquest after conquest to fulfill Alexander's grandiose ambitions. As in Puzo's ''[[The Godfather (novel)|The Godfather]]'', the lovemaking, the opulent festivities, the sub rosa plotting, and the complex double-dealing are interspersed with outbursts of violence, including one memorable scene in which the Reformist priest [[Girolamo Savonarola]] is torn apart on the rack. |
Pope Alexander aims to unify Italy's feudal states under papal rule. Cesare, who exchanges his cardinal's miter for a warrior's helmet to become commander-in-chief of his father's armies, carries out conquest after conquest to fulfill Alexander's grandiose ambitions. As in Puzo's ''[[The Godfather (novel)|The Godfather]]'', the lovemaking, the opulent festivities, the sub rosa plotting, and the complex double-dealing are interspersed with outbursts of violence, including one memorable scene in which the Reformist priest [[Girolamo Savonarola]] is torn apart on the rack. |
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Revision as of 01:58, 22 April 2021
 U.S. first edition cover | |
| Author | Mario Puzo, completed by Carol Gino |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | ReganBooks |
Publication date | October 2001 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 304 pp. (hardback edition) and 432 pp. (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-06-039445-5 (hardback edition) and ISBN 0-06-103242-5 (paperback edition) |
| OCLC | 46951655 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.U9 F36 2001 |
The Family is a 2001 novel written by Mario Puzo.[1] The novel is about Pope Alexander VI and his family. Puzo spent over 20 years working on the book on and off, while he wrote others. The novel was finished by his longtime girlfriend, Carol Gino. The Family is, effectively, Puzo's last novel.
Plot introduction
Many of its characters were real people, including Niccolò Machiavelli, Duarte Brandão and members of the Borgia family.
Summary
Pope Alexander VI (formerly Rodrigo Borgia) believes God will ultimately forgive his many sins simply because, as pope, he is infallible and divine. The Family focuses on this cunning, ambitious despot and his children—the ruthless Cesare and the beautiful but wicked Lucrezia.
A passionate love story runs through the novel, but it is also a sinful one. Lucrezia lost her virginity to her brother Cesare when she was only 13, and the two have loved only each other ever since. Alexander marries Lucrezia off three times for political reasons, to Giovanni Sforza (Lord of Pesaro), Alfonso of Aragon (Duke of Bisceglie), and finally Alfonso I d'Este (Duke of Ferrara). She remains submissive to her father, if not to her many husbands and lovers. Her final marriage, to Alfonso d'Este, was a success, though neither partner was faithful: she bore her third husband a number of children and proved to be a respectable and accomplished duchess, effectively rising above her previous reputation and surviving the fall of the Borgias following her father's death.
Pope Alexander aims to unify Italy's feudal states under papal rule. Cesare, who exchanges his cardinal's miter for a warrior's helmet to become commander-in-chief of his father's armies, carries out conquest after conquest to fulfill Alexander's grandiose ambitions. As in Puzo's The Godfather, the lovemaking, the opulent festivities, the sub rosa plotting, and the complex double-dealing are interspersed with outbursts of violence, including one memorable scene in which the Reformist priest Girolamo Savonarola is torn apart on the rack.
References
- ^ "The Family by Mario Puzo, Carol Gino". goodreads.com. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
- 2001 American novels
- Novels by Mario Puzo
- Novels set in the Middle Ages
- Novels set in the Renaissance
- Cultural depictions of Cesare Borgia
- Cultural depictions of Lucrezia Borgia
- Cultural depictions of Pope Alexander VI
- Cultural depictions of Niccolò Machiavelli
- Cultural depictions of Girolamo Savonarola
- Novels published posthumously