4.2. I really enjoyed this book, a murderer mystery taking part in Florence in the mid 16th century. It focused on the death of the Italian artist, Pontormo, who was in the process of painting the frescoes in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. The novel takes place through multiple correspondence among various colorful characters, many from the Italian artistic community, including Vasari, Bronzino, Michelangelo (in his later years while still completing his work at Saint Peter’s in Rome), Cellini, as well as members of the De Medici family including Cosimo, his wife, Eleanor of Toledo, daughter Maria, and Catherine de Medici, Queen of France, and countless others. The story that was woven through the correspondence gave an incredible recounting of what was going on during that time in Florence during the Renaissance in Italy, including the intense competition (including subterfuge) among the artists for favor, the political and religious intrigue, and just the daily life in Florence at the time. The characters were all well developed and I was so immersed in the storyline that I had trouble putting this book down. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

This was such a fun book. I love a book with drama, and bonus points for all of the renaissance artist drama taking place here.

Interesting from its historical perspective, but I'm not a fan of epistolary novels. And despite Binet's typical flourishes and flashes of brilliance, I struggled through this not actually caring about any of the characters. Others love it, which is great - just not for me. Somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

A murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence is everything I didn't know I needed. This felt so different from the usual mystery/thriller, why aren't more authors setting these in historical time periods?! I devoured this.

Did not finish. Perspective(s) by Laurent Binet felt like reading a history book instead of a work of fiction. I could not connect with it.

A murder mystery set in Medici-era Florence, with a cast of characters comprised of famous artists and royalty. I enjoyed the philosophical musings on art, the pro-worker / anti-elite plot that unfolds and some of the humor that was woven into this! And while the epistolary format was a nice format change from what I traditionally read, it ultimately made the story too passive. Especially for being described as a “pulse-quickening murder mystery.” I just didn’t feel that. I wanted Knives Out set in Florence and sadly, this didn’t deliver on that for me! But, if you want to get swept up in a speculative saga featuring some famous historical figures, it could be a fun read.

I could not follow this one at all. Too many side trips with all the different letters and characters. I really wanted to enjoy this bit of history, but after the halfway point, I had no idea what was happening.
I did appreciate that the letters were written in the voice of each character. Impressive to keep the tone correct for each one.

omg?? had no idea I'd like this as much as I did. Surprising twists and turns and I read it all in one sitting! So glad I picked it up, and a huge thank you to NetGalley for giving me this book!

I loved this one! These are my favorite types of books. Introspective and almost quiet in a way. Will definitely recommend!

Really loved this!! Such a smart way to bring a historical moment to life -- I love the way Binet uses the voices of these famous characters in their letters. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is a gripping mystery -- I think the marketing is a little overzealous there -- but it is a really loving and careful and reverent depiction of a fascinating moment in art history and the people who were involved in it. I recommend this especially for people who have some knowledge of or interest in the art of this period -- I don't think you'll be lost otherwise, but there's a lot of extra fun to be had in recognizing these places, people, and events.

Perspective(s) is an engaging historical mystery. The story is given a unique feeling due to the correspondence format. In Renaissance Italy, a renowned artist is found dead beside his latest work. At the same time, an unfortunate painting of the Duke's daughter is discovered. Both mysteries must be solved while the country reels in a state of political unrest.

I enjoyed following along with this mystery. The premise of a bunch of historical letters being discovered and translated was a fun one. Many of the letters were quite comical. The only problem I had was occasionally keeping track of who was who. The names sometimes blurred together for me, but it never detracted from the story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I like to explain why I choose certain books, sometimes it’s title, sometimes genre, sometimes author and with Perspectives it was the book blurb and title. I love my art history and a book set in Florence, but this book has something surprising about it, it’s an epistolary novel. Laurent Binet was in Tuscany and whilst in an antique shop he came across a bundle of letters, a very old bundle of letters. Having paid a lot of money Laurent Binet went through the letters and realised how important they were. In these letters, from the most influential people in Renaissance Florence and beyond is a story about the murder of one ok of Italy’s most famous artists Jacopo do Pontormo, a contempory of Michelangelo.

This is one of the most origional and fascinating books I have read and not just because of it being an epistolary novel. In the letters there is corespondence between all the most influencial player in the Italian Renaissance. There are letters between the legendary artists, Michelangelo who was living in Rome, Vasari known not just for art but also for his book The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects and Bronzino who panted the Medici Court. There are letters from Maria de Medici, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Florence and her aunt Catherine de Medici who at that time was the Queen of France and was trying to use her niece against her brother in her wars against Italy. Ther are so many more characters from the Duke and Duchess of Florence to the apprentice painters and colour mixes working for artists, all have a story to tell and an agenda.

At the heart of this book is the murder of Pontormo, found in a church under the frescoes he was painting for the Medici. It is Vasari who is employed to find the killer and destroy a painting that Pontormo painted of the Duke’s daughter posing as a nude Venus, that others want to undermine the Duke. There are many suspects from nuns, to fellow artists and people who worked at Pontormo as apprentices and colour mixers. But what I found most intriguing was what the letters showed what it was like in sixteenth century Florence. There are powerplays in politics, sacrifices to be made for alliances, the fact that nude paintings were no longer morally acceptable in art, to the extent that the Pope wanted to have Michelangelo’s Sistine Chaple paintings adapted for modesty. There is blackmail, elopement, rebellion, war and murder , and of course the insight into the minds of these wonderful charactres of the Renaissance.

Its a long time since I have read an epistolary novel and at first was overcome with the many characters and their relationships but I soon fell into this book and it’s many layers. I am so passionate about Perspectives, it took me back to university studies, being back in Renaissance Florence with it’s stunning architecture and art, the power the Medici held and the political machinations of the Italian states. This is an ambitious book from Laurent Binet and I have to admit I’m jealous of him finding these letters, they are the type of thing I dream about finding. If you fancy an origional and charming whodunit then I highly recommed this book. Simply stunning

meh. i think binet just isn’t for me – i read his previous novel hhhh and didn’t really find much substance in it, despite covering one of my all-time favourite historical events. much of the same happened here – it was /fine/, but also the tiniest bit petulant, which made me feel constantly put off by binet’s prose.

This was SO MUCH FUN!!! Don't think I've ever read an epistolary murder mystery but I loved it. It made it slower-paced than a standard murder mystery formula but I didn't mind at all.

The historical aspect seemed very well-researched. I didn't study art history but I imagine if you were more familiar with it, it'd be even more rewarding.

The side plot involving the Medicis might've been my favorite bit. That one guy's over-the-top prose style while constantly saying how "it was the other guy's fault or else I'd be perfect at my job :/" quintessential rich white guy behavior. Absolutely flawless side plot.

I'm going to start with the fact that this is, in no way, "a pulse quickening murder mystery."

There is a murder at the top of the book, but we're mainly hearing about it secondhand through the exchange of letters between various parties who may have some connection to the event or something to gain in covering it up. There is never a feeling that anyone else is in danger, or that the killer may strike again.

At first, the mass of characters was confusing to keep track of, but I found that if I read continuously, I was able to get into the flow of the story and follow along. (The only problem was when I put down the book for the night and had to reorientate the next day.)

I appreciated the various perspectives represented, (in particular the ones that gave us more unique windows into this world like young women or gay men.) Every little story within the big story is interesting...but there are an awful lot of little stories to juggle.

I guess overall, I found this a bit of slog because the stakes felt a little low and some of the twists, hard to swallow. I feel like this book had some unfulfilled potential.

Thankfully there are some nice action scenes toward the end (but again they're described secondhand in letters...not exactly edge of your seat stuff) and I found the references to real historical figures intriguing (I was not familiar with Jacopo da Pontormo's work).

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

When controversial artist Pontormo is found murdered in the chapel he has been painting frescoes for, Florence falls in to chaos looking for the murderer. There are scheming nuns, gossiping artists, livid Medicis, art historians playing detective, and young lovers planning a grand escape. This epistolary novel is a great snapshot of Renaissance Florence and the chaos of the political world. Catherine Medici is also there, playing both sides of a field in a game that's above everyone except her. It's quick paced, so complicated, and a really interesting read.

Perspectives is a page-turning epistolary mystery set in Renaissance Florence two years after the former head of the Inquisition, Pope Paul IV, became pope. Purity and morality were his focus. For the artists of that day, the realism, celebrating the human form, and celebrity status was over.

Jacopo da Pontormo, said to rival Michelangelo in talent, is found dead in a church, lying on the floor with his own chisel in his heart. Above him are his extraordinary frescoes that, with Pope Paul IV’s ascendence, are now out of favor. His patron, Cosmo de’ Medici, Duke of Florence, has designs on gaining the title of King of Tuscany. The pope’s favor is key to success, but what will the frescos say of his commitment to purity?

As the Duke’s trusted advisor investigates Jacopo’s murder, he finds that the fresco has been tampered with. As an art historian, he knows it was done by someone of great skill, and the reasons, he thinks, will lead him to the killer. The problem is, who had skill enough and also opportunity? And what if it wasn’t about the fresco, but instead the suggestive painting of the Duke’ daughter that was found in Jacopo’s lodging?

The story unfolds in a series of letters among the various characters. Binet does a marvelous job using them to carry the plot forward and introduce an interesting cast of characters, anyone of whom might have been the murderer. Most of all, she will keep you guessing until the end.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

This was an interesting novel! As a history, major previously, I found the characters intriguing, and what originally drew me to request the book. I think having a general understanding of the people and time periods involved in this book is much the readers benefit.
The use of letters was very well done and I think that the oddly twisty historical humour was fun. My first Binet but not my last

Nasty rumours, intricate plots, boldfaced lies, declarations of love, and accusations of murder—letters containing all these flit across Renaissance Italy in Laurent Binet’s epistolary “Perspectives” (translated by Sam Taylor, 2023). With a plot as finely woven as a tapestry, we follow Giorgio Vasari, artist and attack dog for Duke Cosimo de’ Medici, investigating the murder of Jacopo da Pontormo in the chapel of San Lorenzo, where he’s been working on a divisive fresco for 11 years.

Jacopo is found with a chisel in his heart. A section of his fresco seems to have been repainted by someone skilled enough to emulate the old master, but not to avoid detection. Duke Cosimo tasks Vasari, a real-life painter and chronicler of Renaissance artists, with finding the murderer. What follows is a whodunit mystery told through 176 letters from 20 larger-than-life characters pulled straight from the art history books.

Both paintings in this story are scandalous. Jacopo’s fresco is controversial due to its mannerist style, with elongated nude figures and depthless spaces. Vasari, a fan of traditional perspective and chronicler of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, calls it “truly awful.” The other is a nude Venus with the face of Duke Cosimo’s 17-year-old daughter, Maria de’ Medici—a humiliation for the Medici family that threatens her marriage prospects.

When Catherine de’ Medici, Queen of France and Maria’s aunt, learns of the Venus painting, she sees a political opportunity. She plans to steal it, make copies, and distribute them through Europe, undermining Cosimo’s authority.

This Renaissance scandal involving non-consensual imagery of a young woman feels relevant today. Almost 500 years later, our society still grapples with similar ethical questions—now in the form of AI-generated deepfakes instead of oil paintings. Last week, the "Take it Down Act" passed in US Congress, aiming to curb this type of violation. Through his historical fiction, Binet challenges the notion that privacy concerns are uniquely modern or tied to a particular medium.

The epistolary format—a bold choice that could have been dull in lesser hands—privileges us with information the characters don’t have. This use of dramatic irony keeps us engaged despite the fragmented structure. When Catherine learns that Maria, unhappy with her political betrothal to the Duke of Ferrara, has an affair with her father’s page, she encourages her niece to follow her heart and elope to France. Sweet, right? Not quite. Catherine’s other letters show she’s content to ruin her niece’s life to harm her nemesis, Cosimo. And ruin it she does.

Maria’s tragic tale contrasts with absurd levity. The novel oscillates between political intrigue and cinematic action, as when Vasari uses perspective painting technique to fire his crossbow right between the eyes of an attacker.

The letters by Benvenuto Cellini, the flamboyant and braggadocious thief Catherine hires to steal the Venus painting, are a treat. “God must love you, Madame,” he says to Catherine, “for he has placed me upon your path.”

That’s certainly one way to address a sitting queen.

“Perspectives” is a salacious, laugh-out-loud delight written in crisp, witty prose that makes even art history novices feel in on the joke. Binet reveals the worst behaviour of major historical figures through language that feels both period-appropriate and accessible. “What a drag!” says Maria at one point, but this novel is anything but.

Readers of historical fiction will appreciate this novel, especially those interested in art history or Renaissance politics. Even those less familiar with the period will be engaged by the themes of power, privacy, and consent that remain urgent today.

I love epistolary novels, so this was a fun read for me. This can be difficult to do as authors can often put too much exposition in. In this novel, the narrative never felt forced, though the revelation of the murderer and their motivations didn't feel as satisfying as I hoped. That said, gallivanting through Renaissance Europe was a great time as there is a plethora of great culture and characters to play around with. I especially loved the ninja turtle cameos!