I started off being completely on Olimpia's side: fuck the patriarchy! And then, because she was a real person with all the complexities and contradictions that entails, it got complicated. So my feelings about her as a person are layered, but my feelings about this book are simple: fantastic read! ( )

Entertainingly written, but way too speculative - "likely," "probably," and "perhaps" showed up on just about every page, which is not what I'm looking for in a biography. On top of that, there didn't seem to be many sources or notes, and I prefer my biographies to include lots of quotes from things like the subject's diary and/or letters to, from, or about the subject. However, the book did give excellent insights into the time and attitudes when Olimpia lived. I'm going to have to join the chorus on this one; it would make excellent historical fiction.

I also felt like the subtitle was misleading; while Olimpia was certainly the power behind the throne, she was never actually pope, and I'm not clear on whether the Vatican (or anyone else) has actually tried to keep her story secret, or if she was just more or less forgotten.

Between that and the multiple misused words (and a few typos) I felt like I didn't really know what to believe about other things the book brought up, and overall this was a very frustrating read. ( )

Entertainingly written, but way too speculative - "likely," "probably," and "perhaps" showed up on just about every page, which is not what I'm looking for in a biography. On top of that, there didn't seem to be many sources or notes, and I prefer my biographies to include lots of quotes from things like the subject's diary and/or letters to, from, or about the subject. However, the book did give excellent insights into the time and attitudes when Olimpia lived. I'm going to have to join the chorus on this one; it would make excellent historical fiction.

I also felt like the subtitle was misleading; while Olimpia was certainly the power behind the throne, she was never actually pope, and I'm not clear on whether the Vatican (or anyone else) has actually tried to keep her story secret, or if she was just more or less forgotten.

Between that and the multiple misused words (and a few typos) I felt like I didn't really know what to believe about other things the book brought up, and overall this was a very frustrating read. ( )

It's hard to rate this book because it really isn't what it's advertised as. As a biography, it only earned 2 stars from me. Not enough verifiable, reliable facts exist about Olimpia. It wasn't a place and time known for it's meticulous record-keeping (the better to fleece the flock), and it's even less likely that a woman's life would be recorded in detail. In fact, the source cited most frequently by the author, a sort of 17th century Perez Hilton, hated Olimpia with a passion- hardly a reliable source of information. There are too many sentences in this book that begin "We can easily imagine...", or "It is probable...". Olimpia would've been much better served by a work of historical fiction.

While this book fell short in portraying Olimpia, it does provide a fascinating look into both the daily lives of Romans in the 1600's and one of the more sordid eras of the Catholic church. You will learn, among many other eye-opening things, the origin of the word nepotism. (And you might want to throw the book across the room in disgust immediately afterwards.). This part of the book earned a solid 4 stars from me.

So, splitting the difference, I give this book 3 stars. And if any historical fiction writers are reading this, perhaps Olimpia could be your next MC. That's a book I'd definitely buy. ( )

I was worried that this book would be a feminist book, but after the first few chapters of girl power, the book settles down into a quite interesting biography of a fascinating women and the time and place that she lived in. The relationships between people are detailed but still clear. The writing is good and I even got a chuckle or two out of it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the 1600's, the Vatican or in biography. ( )