| Publisher | HarperCollins |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 06 July 2023 |
| ISBN-10 | 0008208549 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0008208547 |
| Format | hardcover |
| Pages | 480 |
| Price | £ 18.99 |
Alchemy
by
Giordano Bruno journeys to Prague in 1588 to assist Dr John Dee in his efforts to counter threats against the Holy Roman Emperor.
Review
Giordano Bruno, a former Dominican monk, is a master of memory and reputedly the first to formulate the theory of an infinite universe. His six outings to date have been spent mainly in England, foiling plots against Elizabeth I. His latest finds him in Prague at the behest of Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster, to assist his agent there, Dr John Dee.
The year is 1588 and Bruno arrives in Prague with his young companion Besler to find the town full of rumour after chemist Ziggi Bartos has been found hanging from a bridge with his eyes and tongue cut out. Ziggi was a favourite of Rudolf, the Holy Roman Emperor, who has gathered a number of natural scientists in his palace to assist in his search for the Philosopher’s Stone, and the prize of eternal life.
Dee has gone missing, so Bruno is forced to make his investigations unaided. It is not difficult to identify one threat to Rudolf – Philip of Spain and the Pope both fear Rudolf is weak in his support for the Catholic Church, and would find his brother a more satisfactory replacement. Catholic agents well known to Bruno are in the town, and he is not altogether surprised when he is attacked one night, and only survives through a fortuitous rescue.
Bruno is also curious about the death. Bartos had Hebrew letters incised on his forehead, which has deepened local prejudice against the large Jewish population of the town. Given Rudolf’s relatively favourable treatment of the Jews, it would not make sense that they would be a threat to him, but it emerges that some prominent in the Jewish community did have links to the Emperor’s palace.
Within the palace itself Bruno discovers that artefacts have gone missing, including rare books from the Emperor’s library, and items from his extensive collection of curiosities. The palace is a rambling old place with hidden entrances, which some unknown person uses to introduce grisly items which easily upset Rudolf, who presses Bruno to push on with his investigations.
Bruno’s questions are frequently posed in a rather artless way, belying his reputation as a man of subtlety, and his interlocutors surprisingly free with information, although much of this is necessary to advance the plot, and easily forgiven. Likewise with Bruno’s ruminations on the disputes between Catholics, Protestants and Jews which, if occasionally rather naïve, are helpful to a reader less informed than the knowledgeable author about the politics of 16th century Europe.
The informative background is woven into a densely plotted story of Bruno’s movements about the town, making friends and plenty of enemies. The sights, sounds and smells of a medieval town are well conveyed as he makes contacts both high and low in his search for the truth, and the book sustains interest over nearly 500 pages.
The year is 1588 and Bruno arrives in Prague with his young companion Besler to find the town full of rumour after chemist Ziggi Bartos has been found hanging from a bridge with his eyes and tongue cut out. Ziggi was a favourite of Rudolf, the Holy Roman Emperor, who has gathered a number of natural scientists in his palace to assist in his search for the Philosopher’s Stone, and the prize of eternal life.
Dee has gone missing, so Bruno is forced to make his investigations unaided. It is not difficult to identify one threat to Rudolf – Philip of Spain and the Pope both fear Rudolf is weak in his support for the Catholic Church, and would find his brother a more satisfactory replacement. Catholic agents well known to Bruno are in the town, and he is not altogether surprised when he is attacked one night, and only survives through a fortuitous rescue.
Bruno is also curious about the death. Bartos had Hebrew letters incised on his forehead, which has deepened local prejudice against the large Jewish population of the town. Given Rudolf’s relatively favourable treatment of the Jews, it would not make sense that they would be a threat to him, but it emerges that some prominent in the Jewish community did have links to the Emperor’s palace.
Within the palace itself Bruno discovers that artefacts have gone missing, including rare books from the Emperor’s library, and items from his extensive collection of curiosities. The palace is a rambling old place with hidden entrances, which some unknown person uses to introduce grisly items which easily upset Rudolf, who presses Bruno to push on with his investigations.
Bruno’s questions are frequently posed in a rather artless way, belying his reputation as a man of subtlety, and his interlocutors surprisingly free with information, although much of this is necessary to advance the plot, and easily forgiven. Likewise with Bruno’s ruminations on the disputes between Catholics, Protestants and Jews which, if occasionally rather naïve, are helpful to a reader less informed than the knowledgeable author about the politics of 16th century Europe.
The informative background is woven into a densely plotted story of Bruno’s movements about the town, making friends and plenty of enemies. The sights, sounds and smells of a medieval town are well conveyed as he makes contacts both high and low in his search for the truth, and the book sustains interest over nearly 500 pages.
Reviewed 26 February 2024 by Chris Roberts
