Theodora
Stella Duffy
Theodora
A fictional account of real-life controversial seductress, Theodora of Constantinople, who rose from nothing to become the most powerful woman in the Holy Roman Empire.
4.2 out of 5 based on 4 reviews
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Omniscore:
|
| Classification |
Fiction |
| Genre |
Historical Fiction |
| Format |
Hardback |
| Pages |
352 |
| RRP |
£15.99 |
| Date of Publication |
June 2010 |
| ISBN |
978-1844082155 |
| Publisher |
Virago |
| |
Reviews
The Financial Times
Kate Williams
"...a bravura performance: a witty, moving, sexy book... This is a book that engages with big ideas about religion, spirituality and the role of women and yet it is also a joyous and energetic read. The pace is brisk, the dialogue is earthy and contemporary and Duffy is wonderful on the theatre and its backstage rivalries. Throughout it all Constantinople is the star, and its rich smells, bustling streets and handsome buildings are beautifully evoked."
12/07/2010
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The Guardian
Tom Holland
"The reasons for [the] schism in the imperial church were complex, and Duffy has muddied the theological subtleties that underlay them horrendously; but ultimately, this hardly matters. What she does get spot on, and to the immense benefit of her novel, is the life-changing potency of Christianity in the Byzantine world: the way in which it could indeed bring about spectacular prodigies of repentence ... if her Theodora is convincing both as whore and empress, then that is due largely to her credibility as penitent."
17/07/2010
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The Daily Telegraph
Sinclair McKay
"This is a story rich in colour, texture and taste, told in a fleet-footed narrative."
29/06/2010
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The Sunday Times
Elizabeth Buchan
"[Theodora's] extraordinary transformation to Monophysite Christian is a splendid subject, traced with energy and much juicy detail. There are some quibbles: whether a 6th-century woman would refer to “dehydration” or reflect that “the inner sceptic which stood her in such stead as a child…was washed away” is debatable. But for scope, energy and complete lack of sentimentality, Theodora is admirable."
06/06/2010
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