I can't say I enjoyed this much. In this epistolary novel, Binet does a good job of walking the fine line of using early modern language without making it seem overwrought to today's readers, but the form resulted here in a very slow pace and the characters all had the same voice. The conceit of using the epistolary form to introduce multiple viewpoints is good, but because of the sameness and slowness, it didn't deliver. In addition, the "famous person solves mysteries" genre didn't work for me in this case--it never seemed particularly believable.

This French epistolary novel in translation opens with the putative author from the 19th Century declaring that he has discovered, and now translated, a cache of letters from 16th Century Tuscany, and wants to reveal their contents. The tale they set forth takes place in Florence in 1557 to 1558, and centers around the death of the painter Jacopo de Pontormo. [(He was an actual painter from the Florentine School. The Uffizi website notes that the actual name of Pontormo was Jacopo Carucci (sometimes spelled Carrucci). He was an influential artist in the 16th century style of Mannerism and also, as Wikipedia points out, represented “a profound stylistic shift from the calm perspectival regularity that characterized the art of the Florentine Renaissance.”]

Hence the title of this book, “Perspectives,” which not only references the work of Pontormo, but also focuses on the role of perspective generally in art. Additionally, in a meta sense, “perspectives” refers to the different points of views of the various authors of the letters. These authors include many important figures of the day, such as Cosimo de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence his wife Eleanor, their eldest daughter Maria (whose letter begins the chain of correspondence), Catherine de’ Medici, Maria’s aunt and the Queen of France, and a number of artists including Giorgio Vasari (also an influential art critic) and Michelangelo.

As the first letter reports, and subsequent letters discuss, Pontormo died in January of 1557. His body was found with a chisel embedded in his heart, as well as traces of a violent blow to the head. Many of the correspondents offer theories to one another as to how this happened, and who could have done it.

In this process, we learn about the changes in perspective being explored at this time in the late Renaissance. Pontormo is known as an early Mannerist, Mannerism, as noted above, being a reaction against the harmony, proportion, and naturalism in vogue at the time. Pontormo had, instead, as an article in Daily Art Magazine writes, a “disconcertingly unnatural approach to space; slightly elongated or altered figures and spiraling compositions.” Mannerists, the Britannica notes, used “strange and constricting spatial relationships, jarring juxtapositions of intense and unnatural colors, an emphasis on abnormalities of scale, a sometimes totally irrational mix of classical motifs and other visual references to the antique, and inventive and grotesque pictorial fantasies.”

This is also not a bad description of the political and artistic machinations of that time in Florence.

This Renaissance “whodunnit” provides lots of information about the famous characters who exchange letters, wrapping the mystery up neatly at the end. But it will perhaps not be enough for those unfamiliar with the period. Although the book does begin with an annotated guide to correspondents, it could use a lengthy addendum, as have many works of historical fiction, that would offer additional background on this historical era and serve as a guide to which parts were fictional and which were not.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
A famous painter in renaissance Florence is found dead in suspicious circumstances. The “writer” discovers a trove of letters that reveal the truth of the long unsolved mystery. So goes the set up for this historical fiction novel told almost entirely in letters between famous and not so famous members of the political , religious and artistic elites of the era. By including leading figures of the time and place (including Michelangelo , Medicis and others) , the author spins a tale that highlights the politics and intrigue of the time in a very effective and compact way. He masterfully manages to hit on topics of sexuality, religion , politics ( sexual and otherwise) changing attitudes about art , developments in weaponry and more. With even some action scenes thrown in. Impressive and entertaining

2.5* rounded up. I love epistolary novels, mysteries, and historical fiction, so I had high hopes for Perspectives which incorporates all three genres. I think I was hoping for a kind of Les Liaisons Dangereuses, only set in 16th Century Florence. It was not to be. My main problem was with the characters who appeared in abundance and all seemed to speak in the same voice. I read the book in English and have no idea if this uniformity was a result of the translation or not. The concept was interesting but I just couldn't get invested in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read perspectives in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Perspective is a solid historical murder mystery, and the non-traditional format – told entirely through letters – makes it an easy read while providing a deeper look into each character’s thoughts and motivations. Binet weaves a complex web of political and personal conflicts, capturing the tension and rivalries of Renaissance-era Florence. The mystery itself isn’t groundbreaking, but is compelling enough to keep you invested, especially with the added depth from the historical and artistic backdrop.

The art and politics of the time are a major focus of the novel, which will likely resonate more with readers with an interest in those subjects. I don’t have much background in Renaissance history or art, so for me it worked as an enjoyable murder mystery, but I think it would really shine for someone with a passion for that area. Overall, it’s an engaging read with a unique format and a well-developed setting that adds to the intrigue of the novel.

This book's concept was really intriguing to me—a historical murder mystery told through a series of letters set in Renaissance Florence. It ultimately was confusing and hard to follow for me, especially hard to keep track of each writer since their writing styles were so similar.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this ARC!

A very entertaining read. I'm usually not a fan of epistolary novels, but this one intrigued me enough to hook me in. My only complaint isn't against the author or the publisher, but against myself - and perhaps a word of warning to others preparing to read it on an e-reader - take notes as to who's who - the letters are from dozens of writers, and keeping the players straight was difficult for me; their writing styles weren't distinctive enough for me to easily follow along without having to whip back and forth to the cast of characters.

Ultimately, that's on me. A good read.

A murdery mystery involving an artist in Venice in this time period sounded amazing. However, the story being told through letters provided little entertainment. There are a ton of characters and the author attempted to make them all clear to the reader at the start but it fell flat. I had to DNF due to lack of interest in how the storyline is presents.

The premise of the book sounded great, a historical mystery. What I got was a series of dry letters that were not at all interesting. So dry that I put it down and never picked it back up.

This is a compilation of letters written by various people during the late 1500's concerning the death of an artist, the Duke of Florence and a suggestive painting of his daughter. There is such a vast number of letter writers that at times I felt, it was difficult to follow and be confusing.

Binet has yet again written an unforgettable novel that plays with history in an unexpected way. This time, he takes us to 16th century Florence, and gives us a delightful murder-mystery in the manner of an epistolary novel. Utilizing the voice of famous painters, prominent politicians, and other notables; we unravel the mystery of Pontormo's murder and accompanying political intrigue. Funny, erudite, and compelling.

Perspective (s) by Laurent Binet is an epistolary thriller set in Renaissance Florence with well-known characters of the day. This novel hit the trifecta - successfully marrying compelling characters with a fascinating time period using the perfect writing style to transport the reader to the time period while moving the storyline along expeditiously.

The story begins with the shocking murder of a famous artist engaged by the Duke of Florence to paint immense frescoes in a church. Through letters between characters, the mystery is slowly unraveled with a satisfying conclusion I could not have guessed. The mystery’s setting in Renaissance Florence alone would have made this a compelling novel for me but Binet’s format and writing style is what made it all the more satisfying to me.

Perhaps personal taste, but I prefer thrillers and mysteries to be page turners, which the letter based format satisfied perfectly. Though letters have a certain economy of words that could lend themselves to a lack of connection to the historical time period, Binet’s writing in form and function successfully conveyed the social, art, and political strife of the day alongside the central mystery to be solved. Beyond the arc of the mystery, and most importantly to me, as the novel concluded I found myself more deeply interested in the characters and a deeper curiosity of the time period. The story line may soon be forgotten, but the enhanced knowledge of the day, especially the controversy around transitioning art styles, will not. As with all historical fiction, one is also left with the feeling that so many elements from our past, resonate today. If this review has not already conveyed this message, please know that if you are looking for eloquent literary fiction diving into renaissance art and society with deeply developed characters, this book will not be for you. It's a quick but satisfying read!
Thank you Net Galley for the Advanced Reader Copy.

This whodunit set in Renaissance Florence is a page-turner comprised solely of epistles between many individuals with vested and tangential interests in a death and a missing piece of art. Character development and setting are created through these letters between characters with various motives. A great way to convey the political intrigue and make the reader truly care about the outcome of this work of historical fiction. Great fun!

"Curse the Medici! What the duke gives with one hand, he takes away with the other. Is that conduct worthy of a prince?"
Well written historical covering mid 1500's, the art world, the church with a lot of insider carping. "...what do they know of our aching bodies and fatigued minds, the sacrifices we make for art?"

This book had a lot of things that interested me--murder! Art history! Florence! Unfortunately though I had a hard time following the plot. I kept having to go look at the cast of characters in the front of the book and most of the 'voices' in the letters all sounded the same to me.

DNF: 50% through book

I was really looking forward to this book as an art history student with a focus in Renaissance art but it just did not work for me. I wasn't expecting the novel to be written in letters, which could completely be my fault. Although I appreciated that character list in the beginning, it was still difficult to follow what was going on and how everyone was related. This book could absolutely work for you even if it didn't work to me. So, if you find the synopsis interesting, definitely give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for this ARC!

Historical fiction combined with a murder mystery set in one of the great Italian cities of the Renaissance: Florence. The name conjures images of painted ceilings and immense wealth. Politics and intrigue, factors in real-life Florence, are on full show here in this novel.

As I may have mentioned before, anything set in renaissance Italy is very much up my street so when I saw a review of Laurent Binet’s Perspectives online, I immediately hopped on to Netgalley to see if I could get my hands on an ARC.

Part murder mystery, part historical fiction and set against the backdrop of renaissance Florence, Perspectives was a joy to read and I flew through it at double speed. This book features a number of historical figures such as the Medici family and Michaelangelo Buanarotti, but I have to confess that I have very little knowledge of how historically accurate it is - I just enjoyed the ride!

The epistolary nature of this novel may not appeal to everyone, but I thought it was really well done and I loved how pacey it was. Would highly recommend!

A first for me, reading a novel in the form of strictly correspondences. The story definitely retains the unmistakable flare of the Medici family the world has come to know. It's a shame that the Renaissance Artists were severely restricted by politics of the time. We have masterpieces to enjoy, but think of what could have been, it's sad actually. But I digress, this novel is full of rich characters and a true plot of the Italian Renaissance. Be prepared to try and pronounce Italian names if you are not already familiar. I'd recommend this book to those that enjoy a bit of mystery and intrigue, as well as the history of the Renaissance.

I really enjoyed this book! I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity through Netgalley to read an ARC of the English translation, which will be published in April of 2025. I am a fan of stories written in epistolary style, and this murder mystery ticked so many boxes for me! This time period and geography (Florence, the Medici family, etc.) are some of my favorite topics in history, and to have a funny, suspenseful and well written mystery with all of them together was great! Highly recommended