The Scarlet City

By Hella S. Haasse

1952

First Published

3.60

Average Rating

349

Number of Pages

10H39M

Audio Length

In The Scarlet City, Hella Haasse takes us to 16th-century Italy, which is torn by savage violence of war and sinister intrigues for power. The novel centers around Giovanni Borgia, a mysterious figure known in history as the infans Romanus, or child of Rome. Although he bears one of the most notorious names in all of Italy, Giovanni doesn't know his parentage. Is Cesare Borgia his father or his brother? Or is he no relation at all? Is Lucrezia Borgia his mother or his sister—or possibly both? Hella Haasse uses the ferment and intrigue of the Italian Wars—during which French, Swiss, Spanish and German armies surged into Italy—as a backdrop for Giovanni's agonizing quest for his identiy. Giovanni's search introduces us to some of the most intriguing people of the times: Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Vittoria Colonna and Lucrezia Borgia. Hella Haasse draws each with great depth and brilliant color.

Avg Rating

3.60

Number of Ratings

694

5 STARS

18%

4 STARS

38%

3 STARS

31%

2 STARS

11%

1 STARS

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Author

Hella S. Haasse

Author · 27 books

Hella S. Haasse (1918 - 2011) was born in Batavia, modern-day Jakarta. She moved to the Netherlands after secondary school. In 1945 she debuted with a collection of poems, entitled Stroomversnelling (Momentum). She made her name three years later with the novella given out to mark the Dutch Book Week, Oeroeg (The Black Lake, 1948). As with much of her work, this tale of the friendship between a Dutch and an Indonesian boy has gained the status of a classic in the Netherlands. Titles such as Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering, 1949), Een nieuwer testament (Threshold of Fire, 1966) and Mevrouw Bentinck of Onverenigbaarheid van karakter (Mrs Bentinck or Irreconcilable in Character, 1978) have been greatly enjoyed by several generations.