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3.0 

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore

By Stella Duffy
Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy digital book - Fable

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Publisher Description

"A bravura performance: a witty, moving, sexy book that bursts with as much color and excitement as the city of Constantinople itself." -Financial Times

Roman historian Procopius publicly praised Theodora of Constantinople for her piety-while secretly detailing her salacious stage act and maligning her as ruthless and power hungry. So who was this woman who rose from humble beginnings as a dancer to become the empress of Rome and a saint in the Orthodox Church? Award-winning novelist Stella Duffy vividly recreates the life and times of a woman who left her mark on one of the ancient world's most powerful empires. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore is a sexy, captivating novel that resurrects an extraordinary, little-known figure from the dusty pages of history.

15 Reviews

3.0
Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes“Theodora was daring, bold, and seductive, set in ancient times, yet very life-like while so beautifully larger than life. Duffy has a tremendous gift for crafting female characters who do not appear as forcefully ideal by certain standards — Theodora is a complicated creature as we all are, unapologetically herself at all times, sometimes cruel and nasty, other times kind and fearful, always true to her values and never losing her ambitions. The novel was incredibly well-researched, and one of its greatest strengths lies in shedding more light on the complexity of prostitution, showing the terrors of it as well as advantages (it certainly encourages the readers to stop looking at sex workers through a biased lens and instead regard them with compassion). A beautiful, powerful story of a revolutionary woman worthy of admiration even today. I would give the book five stars, were it not for the instances of strange syntax that made certain sentences difficult to understand. I had to reread the passages to grasp the meaning. The language also seemed a tad bit too modern for historical fiction which was most noticeable in the dialogues.”
Believable charactersMulti-layered charactersEasy to readFast-pacedRealistic settingMisogynySexual assaultViolence

About Stella Duffy

Stella Duffy was born in London, grew up in New Zealand, and now lives in London. She is the author of seven literary novels, including The Room of Lost Things and State of Happiness, both of which were Longlisted for the Orange Prize. The Room of Lost Things won the Stonewall Writer of the Year 2008, and she won the Stonewall Writer of the Year 2010 for Theodora. She is also the author of the Saz Martin detective series. She has written over 45 short stories, including several for BBC Radio 4, and won the 2002 CWA Short Story Dagger for Martha Grace. Her ten plays include an adaptation of Medea for Steam Industry, and Prime Resident and Immaculate Conceit for the National Youth Theatre (UK). In addition to her writing work she is an actor and theatre director.

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