Book 464

The Purple Shroud, by Stella Duffy, Puffin Books, 2012.

I bought this book for a dollar because it looked interesting. 

This novel took me FOREVER to read -- OK, maybe it was only three days but it felt SO much longer. 

I kept waiting for the portrayal of Theodora to become sympathetic -- that never happened.  Instead we are reminded at every turn that she used to be a prostitute.  And an actress-prostitute.  And an acrobat-prostitute.  And now she is an empress (who used to be a prostitute), who wears purple and makes people kiss her feet.  And, in case you missed it, she used to be a prostitute.  Honestly, Wikipedia gives a more sympathetic portrayal of Theodora than this book gives. 

I want my dollar back.