Perspective(s)

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By Laurent Binet & Sam Taylor

Publisher Description

“As full of epic characters as the Sistine Chapel ceiling . . . Sinfully fun to read.” —Jennifer Wilson, The New Yorker

“[A] thorough success . . . A dazzling romp.” —Steven Poole, The Guardian

“Historical fiction doesn’t get much better than this.” —George Cochrane, The Telegraph (5/5 stars)

One of Vulture's Best Books of 2025 (So Far)

A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH.

As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year’s Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade—masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid—with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence’s oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos.

Who could have committed these crimes: murder and lèse-majesté? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth—between Maria and her aunt Catherine de’ Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo—carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo’s killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue.

Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other—a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we’ve never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read.

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Perspective(s) Reviews

3.5

Nona

Created 30 days ago

“It's been a while since I've had so much fun with a book and learned new things while reading it. "Perspective(s)" really ticked all my boxes. It's a historical fiction based on real people, placed in Florence out of all cities (one of my favorite places I've visited), in the art world. At first impression, you'd think it's a fluff murder mystery set in the Renaissance, but there's so much to unpack! The story begins in Florence, in the mid-16th century, with the suspicious death of the painter Jacopo Pontormo, whose body is found at the site of his unfinished frescoes in the San Lorenzo chapel. The murder becomes the center around which Binet builds the vivid image of Renaissance society. It's an epistolary novel from beginning to end. Every chapter is a letter, written by or to historical figures of the Florentine Renaissance (Pontormo, Bronzino, Vasari, Cellini, Michelangelo, Caterina de Medici and others). The letters follow one another chronologically, forming a surprisingly fluid narrative, the result being a fast-paced historical thriller that reads like an action movie. We are called to piece together the truth from these letters, filled with conflicting testimonies. The mystery becomes even more interesting when a painting of Venus, modeled after Cosimo de Medici's daughter Maria, goes missing. This painting serves as an excuse for Binet to take us on a journey through Florence's politics and rivalry with Caterina de Medici's France. So, it's not only a mystery novel, it's also a history lesson. All of the novel's protagonists are real historical figures, reimagined by Binet in a playful tone. Michelangelo, Pontormo, Bronzino, Vasari and Cellini are names I've come across in art history books and museums, and the author gives them life and places them in the middle of conspiracies and fights for power and recognition. The painters oscillate between artistic idealism and petty jealousy. This novel sent me down an ADHD rabbit hole researching these people and their art. I was saddened to discover that Pontormo's frescoes from the San Lorenzo chapel were eventually destroyed, and very little of his art remains to this day. On the other hand, I appreciated that Binet included sister Plautilla Nelli, a nun-artist and the first ever known female Renaissance painter of Florence. Many female painters of those times have been forgotten, their art destroyed or attributed to men, so it's important to bring them back to our attention. Out of all the characters, my favorites were Giorgio Vasari (and I really need to find a copy of his book somewhere), who is depicted here mainly as an enforcer for the duke of Florence rather than an artist, and Caterina de Medici, the Queen of France, an early "power woman" of European politics, manipulative and strategic. My only issue with characterization is with the sameness of the voices. Despite the diversity of correspondents, the letters sound too similar and I would have struggled to tell the authors apart had it not been for the headings mentioning who writes to whom. I think art is, however, the true protagonist of "Perspective(s)". The author takes us on a debate between beauty and morality, touching on the "indecency" of nudes and the Church's authority over images. All these were real controversies during the Renaissance, even Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel paintings were not exempt from censorship. Binet's prose is elegant, detailed, and doesn't lack irony. The letter format gives the thrill of reading private confessions mixed with historical reconstruction. I loved the way he built the atmosphere of Florence; it took me back to the days I spent in the city and reminded me of Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi, the Duomo. It's incredible that I got to walk in the halls and rooms where all those people lived all those centuries ago and see the buildings that were just being built and decorated during the time evoked in the novel. There were moments when the book read like a Renaissance noir, with secret plots and cinematic chases through the city. The underlying detective story is just a pretext for an art and history lesson, complete with philosophical observations on the meaning of representation and the limits of censorship in art. It made me go back to one of my passions, Renaissance art, and sparked a desire to lose myself in the Uffizi once more.”

Brittney

Created about 2 months ago

mwoodison

Created 2 months ago

chaeeun

Created 2 months ago

Emily Spott

Created 3 months ago

“Laurent Binet’s Perspectives is an inventive novel that showcases his trademark playfulness with form and history. Told through a series of letters, the book unfolds in a way that feels both clever and intimate, allowing multiple voices and viewpoints to build into a layered portrait of its time. The epistolary structure gives the narrative an immediacy, while also keeping the reader engaged in piecing together how the threads connect. Binet paints vivid images of historic Florence, capturing its art, architecture, and political intrigue with a sensuous detail that makes the city feel alive on the page. Readers with a love for Renaissance culture will find themselves transported by his descriptions of streets, studios, and salons. There is also an unmistakable French sensibility throughout — a mix of wit, irony, and intellectual curiosity that shapes the perspective on Italian history in an original way. That said, the novel can sometimes feel more like an intellectual exercise than an emotionally gripping story. The characters occasionally take a backseat to the structural games and historical flourishes, which may leave some readers admiring the craft more than connecting with the heart of the tale. Overall, Perspectives is a smart and stylish novel — not without its limitations — but rewarding for readers who enjoy experimental forms, cultural crosscurrents, and a highly visual sense of time and place.”

Minor characters stand out Clever plotting Confusing Uneven pacing Atmospheric Historical Setting fits the story Beautifully-written Hard to follow Takes getting used to Death Misogyny Murder

About Laurent Binet

Laurent Binet was born in Paris in 1972. His first novel, HHhH, was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times and received the Prix Goncourt du Premier Roman. His other novels include The Seventh Function of Language and Civilizations.

Other books by Laurent Binet

The Seventh Function of Language

Laurent Binet

$2.99

Civilizations

Laurent Binet & Sam Taylor

$11.99

HHhH

Laurent Binet & Sam Taylor

$11.99

Sam Taylor

Sam Taylor has written for The Guardian, Financial Times, Vogue and Esquire, and has translated such works as the award-winning HHhH by Laurent Binet, and the internationally-bestselling The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joël Dicker.