Salaì: ignorante, vizioso e geniale giovanotto riccioluto
Come sempre M&S stupiscono. Inventano un corposo e dettagliato carteggio tra Salaì e un famoso personaggio (di cui non rivelerò l'identità) per dimostrare che la storiografia del periodo in questione presenta stranezze degne di un'attenzione particolare. Molto interessante l'appendice con le spiegazioni e le ipotesi. Possibile che gli storici nei secoli siano stati tanto miopi?
L'unica cosa che mi dispiace è che gli autori in questo libro ci hanno privato (volutamente, beninteso) del piacere di godere della loro prosa elegante, per restituire il pensiero di Salaì, strampalato, volgare e sgrammaticato, ma purtuttavia estremamente acuto e tagliente. ( )

READ IN DUTCH

Probably the worst book I've ever read in my whole life. It was just awful to read. The story wasn't interesting at all, and then there was this simply painful writing style.
The idea of making a book according to a bunch of letters is of course okay. But the way they were written was not a succes, and it completely lost me as they don't seem to use any reading marks as , . ' during the whole book. And if they were placed, they were used wrong. I understand it was their idea of being funny (for I can easily understand not everyone will use them while writing personal letters) but it is just really annoying to read a book this way. I was so happy when I finally ended it. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone! ( )

The first person letter style of writing was new for me. It has many limitations, it was very well used by the authors. What I did miss, especially compared to the other books by the same author-duo, was the amount of excitement and detail in the descriptions.

Overall a nice story to get to know about the genius Da Vinci and the times he lived in, seen from a more human perspective. ( )

Contrariamente a quanto fatto nella storia da dotti studiosi, che per secoli hanno propagandato il malcostume della famiglia Borgia e altre tendenziose menzogne, l’ignorante Salaì provocatoriamente narra - col suo colorito modo di esprimersi - fatti veri e documentati assolutamente in contrasto con la «verità ufficiale». Interessantissime le 60 pagine di spiegazioni storiche alla fine. ( )

Historische triller die zich afspeelt op het einde van de XVde eeuw in het Rome van de renaissance-paus Alexander VI (Borgia) - Roman opgebouwd aan de hand van fictieve brieven van de adoptiezoon van Leonardo Da Vinci aan N. Machiavelli, de Florentijnse kanselier - De roman is een mengeling van een schelmenromen, een ontluistering van de figuur van L. da Vinci en een poging tot rehabilitatie van de Rodrigo Borgia (paus Alexander VI).

Na een wijl begint het verhaal te vervelen, wegens de vele herhalingen.

Het naschrift met de vele historische toelichtingen is vrij interessant, hoewel naslagwerk erop wijst dat de figuur van Wimpheling onterecht als deloyaal tegenover de Romeinse Kerk en het pauselijk instituut wordt voorgesteld. ( )