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The Viper of Milan
A Peacock Book.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
About the author
Marjorie Bowen
286 books80 followersMarjorie Bowen (pseudonym of Mrs Gabrielle Margaret V[ere] Long née Campbell), was a British author who wrote historical romances, supernatural horror stories, popular history and biography. Her total output numbers over 150 volumes with the bulk of her work under the 'Bowen' pseudonym. She also wrote under the names Joseph Shearing, George R. Preedy, John Winch, Robert Paye, and Margaret Campbell. As Joseph Shearing, she wrote several sinister gothic romances full of terror and mystery. Many of these stories were published as Berkley Medallion Books. Several of her books were adapted as films. Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics.
Bowen's alcoholic father left the family at an early age and was eventually found dead on a London street. After this, Bowen's prolific writings were the chief financial support for her family. She was married twice: first, from 1912-16, to a Sicilian named Zefferino Emilio Constanza, who died of tuberculosis, and then to one Arthur L. Long. Her first novel was The Viper of Milan (1906), after which she produced a steady stream of writings until the day of her death on 23rd December 1952. Her last, posthumous, novel was The Man with the Scales (1954).
Bowen's alcoholic father left the family at an early age and was eventually found dead on a London street. After this, Bowen's prolific writings were the chief financial support for her family. She was married twice: first, from 1912-16, to a Sicilian named Zefferino Emilio Constanza, who died of tuberculosis, and then to one Arthur L. Long. Her first novel was The Viper of Milan (1906), after which she produced a steady stream of writings until the day of her death on 23rd December 1952. Her last, posthumous, novel was The Man with the Scales (1954).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
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March 25, 2021Impressively bleak and doomy historical novel based around the Italian medieval internecine wars. Everyone is terrible except some people are even worse, which I am grasping is very much par for this author's course. Apparently she wrote this at 16. Props.
February 8, 2016
Marjorie Bowen was a new discovery for me towards the end of last year. Born Margaret Gabrielle Vere Campbell, she wrote more than one hundred and fifty books under several pseudonyms, covering a variety of genres from historical fiction and romance to supernatural horror, crime fiction and biography. Having enjoyed Dickon, her fictional account of the life of Richard III, I decided not to wait too long to try another of her books.
The Viper of Milan, originally published in 1906, was Bowen’s first novel and a favourite book of the author Graham Greene. This reissue by Endeavour Press includes an introduction by Greene (I recommend reading it at the end to avoid spoilers) in which he explains how Bowen influenced his own early attempts at writing. The Viper of Milan, he says, taught him that human nature is “not black and white but black and grey”.
The novel is set in Lombardy in the middle of the 14th century and follows a battle for power between Gian Galeazzo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, and Mastino della Scala, Duke of Verona. As the story opens, in 1360, Visconti is busy expanding his territories and forging alliances; he has forced della Scala out of Verona and taken his wife, Isotta d’Este of Ferrara, as a hostage. It seems that nobody can stop Visconti in his relentless conquest of northern Italy – nobody apart from della Scala, who vows to regain his lost lands and release Isotta from captivity.
Meanwhile, Visconti’s sister Valentine has problems of her own: her brother has arranged a marriage for her with the Duke of Orleans, while the man she really loves has been imprisoned in a deserted villa outside the city and is slowly starving to death. Another young lady, Graziosa, who lives with her artist father by the western gate of Milan, is also in love – but is her lover really as he seems?
As you can probably tell from my summary of the plot, The Viper of Milan is a dark tale of treachery, trickery and betrayal. I was amazed to learn that Marjorie Bowen was only sixteen years old when she wrote it. Apparently it was rejected by several publishers who considered it an inappropriate novel for such a young woman to have written. What interests me more than the darkness of the story, though, is – as Graham Greene said – Bowen’s view of the ambiguities of human nature. The Duke of Milan, a clever, patient and shrewd man, is also a cruel and brutal one, ruling through fear and violence. In contrast, the Duke of Verona is honest, honourable and trusting, inspiring respect and admiration in those who follow him. It’s only when he discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always pay that he begins to wonder whether it’s worth continuing to stick to his morals.
After reading Dickon, I thought I had an idea of what to expect from Bowen’s writing, but I found The Viper of Milan to be very different in style and tone. The archaic language which felt slightly unnatural in Dickon suited this book perfectly, with its more melodramatic and gothic feel. This is an ideal read for people who, like myself, enjoy reading authors like Alexandre Dumas and Rafael Sabatini (in fact, Sabatini’s Bellarion is a very similar novel, set in the same part of Italy at about the same time).
If you do choose to read this book, I should warn you that the historical background to the story is not particularly accurate. Some of the characters have the names of real historical figures, but the plot is fictional and many of the things that happen have no basis in history. Having said that, the novel does capture perfectly the atmosphere of early Renaissance Italy with its warring city states and is a wonderfully entertaining story in its own right. There are some beautifully written descriptions of the Lombardy region too. If this sounds like your sort of book, then I would highly recommend The Viper of Milan. If not, Marjorie Bowen does seem to have been a very versatile author, so maybe one of her other books would be of more interest. I will be reading more of them, so I’ll let you know what I discover!
The Viper of Milan, originally published in 1906, was Bowen’s first novel and a favourite book of the author Graham Greene. This reissue by Endeavour Press includes an introduction by Greene (I recommend reading it at the end to avoid spoilers) in which he explains how Bowen influenced his own early attempts at writing. The Viper of Milan, he says, taught him that human nature is “not black and white but black and grey”.
The novel is set in Lombardy in the middle of the 14th century and follows a battle for power between Gian Galeazzo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, and Mastino della Scala, Duke of Verona. As the story opens, in 1360, Visconti is busy expanding his territories and forging alliances; he has forced della Scala out of Verona and taken his wife, Isotta d’Este of Ferrara, as a hostage. It seems that nobody can stop Visconti in his relentless conquest of northern Italy – nobody apart from della Scala, who vows to regain his lost lands and release Isotta from captivity.
Meanwhile, Visconti’s sister Valentine has problems of her own: her brother has arranged a marriage for her with the Duke of Orleans, while the man she really loves has been imprisoned in a deserted villa outside the city and is slowly starving to death. Another young lady, Graziosa, who lives with her artist father by the western gate of Milan, is also in love – but is her lover really as he seems?
As you can probably tell from my summary of the plot, The Viper of Milan is a dark tale of treachery, trickery and betrayal. I was amazed to learn that Marjorie Bowen was only sixteen years old when she wrote it. Apparently it was rejected by several publishers who considered it an inappropriate novel for such a young woman to have written. What interests me more than the darkness of the story, though, is – as Graham Greene said – Bowen’s view of the ambiguities of human nature. The Duke of Milan, a clever, patient and shrewd man, is also a cruel and brutal one, ruling through fear and violence. In contrast, the Duke of Verona is honest, honourable and trusting, inspiring respect and admiration in those who follow him. It’s only when he discovers that doing the right thing doesn’t always pay that he begins to wonder whether it’s worth continuing to stick to his morals.
After reading Dickon, I thought I had an idea of what to expect from Bowen’s writing, but I found The Viper of Milan to be very different in style and tone. The archaic language which felt slightly unnatural in Dickon suited this book perfectly, with its more melodramatic and gothic feel. This is an ideal read for people who, like myself, enjoy reading authors like Alexandre Dumas and Rafael Sabatini (in fact, Sabatini’s Bellarion is a very similar novel, set in the same part of Italy at about the same time).
If you do choose to read this book, I should warn you that the historical background to the story is not particularly accurate. Some of the characters have the names of real historical figures, but the plot is fictional and many of the things that happen have no basis in history. Having said that, the novel does capture perfectly the atmosphere of early Renaissance Italy with its warring city states and is a wonderfully entertaining story in its own right. There are some beautifully written descriptions of the Lombardy region too. If this sounds like your sort of book, then I would highly recommend The Viper of Milan. If not, Marjorie Bowen does seem to have been a very versatile author, so maybe one of her other books would be of more interest. I will be reading more of them, so I’ll let you know what I discover!
August 13, 2008
I loved this book when i was a child, I have no idea if it is actually good or how dated it might be, but it seems to have sparked a love of Italian Renaissance history in me. It might have also caused me to become very picky about what I like. Strangely enough I had no idea the book was this old, I read a translation which must have been published in the 1960s.
Want to read
January 7, 2016http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48963
Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics. Graham Greene stated in his Paris Review interview (Autumn 1953), "I chose Marjorie Bowen [as a major influence] because as I have told you, I don't think that the books that one reads as an adult influence one as a writer...But books such as Marjorie Bowen's, read at a young age, do influence one considerably."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
Her books are much sought after by aficionados of gothic horror and received praise from critics. Graham Greene stated in his Paris Review interview (Autumn 1953), "I chose Marjorie Bowen [as a major influence] because as I have told you, I don't think that the books that one reads as an adult influence one as a writer...But books such as Marjorie Bowen's, read at a young age, do influence one considerably."
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-ent...
May 2, 2009
i read this when i was in school and thought it was totally wonderful. I rememebr it being so vivid and real to me that i aksed someone if they had 'seen it on tv'. Its one i would like to go back and read to see if it is still as good as i remember it back then, but i don't want to spoil that memory of it either!
August 5, 2020
This was better than anticipated. I particularly enjoyed Valentine’s character she was strong but not unrealistic for her time and place.
April 26, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction tale of treachery and treason, love and loyalty. Bowen kept me reading with her detailed descriptions and surprising plot twists. I am eager to read more by this author.
December 30, 2013
A fascinating book which was quite challenging when I read it. Historically fairly accurate and well plotted. A lot of action but also some interesting ethical questions
July 5, 2015
I read this as a couplet with Machiavelli's Prince. It's a good pairing. This story is a tragedy, based on Machiavelli's advice column. I was kind of hoping for some silver lining somewhere.
October 5, 2017
This novel set in Italy in the 1340s enticed me early on, but lost me a little during the final chapters.
It’s one of those books that are better in parts than on the whole. While the author’s descriptive passages are vivid when focused on the surroundings of a scene, they’re less visual a couple of times when she describes action between characters, especially during a violent episode towards the end.
Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that a crucial violent incident was not portrayed well. In fact, the way she goes about it is confusing.
While the characters are believable, they can be too melodramatic at times. This is often because of the choice of language the author decided to use for dialogue. Here’s an example:
'Go, and take thy fool with thee, and keep from my sight.'
This old form of speech is irritating. No need to be so authentic. Sentences like the above and 'Thinkest thou he will get the horses?' tend to slow the narrative down.
Worse still is Ms Bowen’s inclination to mix the syntax up to add to the old way of speaking. Several times I was forced to re-read something to grasp its meaning. Here’s an example:
'Answer! Where got the fool this?'
But apart from the above criticisms, “The Viper of Milan” is not a bad read, and at times it's quite compelling.
It’s one of those books that are better in parts than on the whole. While the author’s descriptive passages are vivid when focused on the surroundings of a scene, they’re less visual a couple of times when she describes action between characters, especially during a violent episode towards the end.
Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that a crucial violent incident was not portrayed well. In fact, the way she goes about it is confusing.
While the characters are believable, they can be too melodramatic at times. This is often because of the choice of language the author decided to use for dialogue. Here’s an example:
'Go, and take thy fool with thee, and keep from my sight.'
This old form of speech is irritating. No need to be so authentic. Sentences like the above and 'Thinkest thou he will get the horses?' tend to slow the narrative down.
Worse still is Ms Bowen’s inclination to mix the syntax up to add to the old way of speaking. Several times I was forced to re-read something to grasp its meaning. Here’s an example:
'Answer! Where got the fool this?'
But apart from the above criticisms, “The Viper of Milan” is not a bad read, and at times it's quite compelling.
March 20, 2020
So almost to the end I wanted to give this book a 5 star rating. After finishing it I’m depressed. This was written by a young person and the writing is amazing for the author’s age. But I want to rewrite the ending!
A story can have tragedy. It can have a sad ending for a character or two but for ALL of the characters I’m attached to to end in tragedy is too much! I don’t care if the bad guy gets what’s coming to him in the end.
A story can have tragedy. It can have a sad ending for a character or two but for ALL of the characters I’m attached to to end in tragedy is too much! I don’t care if the bad guy gets what’s coming to him in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2020
This is a great example of a book where the author has all the right words, a nice plot with surprises and intrigue and yet it doesn't work. It's missing something and is hard to read. I read myself because it was a big influence on Graham Greene who is one of my favorite authors. Basically, stick with Graham and ditch Marjorie.
September 6, 2020
The characters are complex, the plot has plenty of turns, and it stubbornly (and admirably) eludes the reader's expectations. There are hints of magic and the gothic, but I would wish there were more than hints, and that we might see more than just a shadow of Mephistopheles.
August 16, 2021
Good story
Difficult to read in old English
he Italian characters seem to have British accents. Never the less a good read
Difficult to read in old English
he Italian characters seem to have British accents. Never the less a good read
Shelved as 'should_i_shouldnt_i'
November 19, 2013Graham greene's favourite childhood book
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews