The Cloister And The Hearth: Charles Reade

[poliphilo]

I love this book. Yes, it has flaws- but I'd rather call them quirks- and what novel of this scope and ambition is without them? It's enormous, it gives you a world, it has adventure, pathos, comedy, romance and ideas- and it's full of people you're happy to spend time with-  from a ribald Burgundian barmaid to a worldly-wise Renaissance Pope. 

And imagine my surprise and pleasure when Frodo Gerard  finally reaches Rome and there falls in with Fra Francesco Colonna- the renaissance polymath also known as Poliphilo, my namesake- and he turns out to be the most delightful person.

Comments

[cmcmck]

Although Collona the priest didn't write the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili- he was confused with another Francesco Collona, a nobleman, who is the actual author.

[poliphilo]

I can't say I've studied the matter deeply but the critical consensus seems to favour Fra Francesco as author.

[cmcmck]

Not among contemporary historians- you know how academic history tends to be fifty years ahead of popular?

[poliphilo]

I've dragged the Internet and the only people who seem to favour the nobleman are the authors of the novel The Rule of Four. Can you point me elsewhere?

[cmcmck]

In 1965 an Italian art historian , Maurizio Calvesi, was the first to make the suggestion of Francesco Colonna, Lord of Palestrina, as the author.

[poliphilo]

Thanks. I'll check him out.