THE UGLY RENAISSANCE Sex, Greed, Violence and Depravity in an Age of Beauty

This social history of Renaissance Italy focuses on Florence and the gritty world from which so much fine art arose. It contains much of interest, though it can sometimes be sensationalistic or unconvincing. Arthur Morey conveys an intelligent affability throughout, focusing the listener's attention on the text rather than his performance. His pronunciation of the frequent Italian is accurate, if not graceful. His skill in pacing and in matching voice to sense is impressive. At times, his pauses or emphases help clarify difficult sentences. Overall, his nuanced, clear reading is actually somewhat superior to the book being read, and makes the experience of it more pleasant than it might otherwise have been. W.M. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2014]