Capa dura, muito bom estado, dorso firme, capa integra, páginas limpíssimas, salvo a folha de rosto com pequenos pontos amarelados.

Trapped in a marriage of convenience, Victoria Peretti, whose beauty rivals that of Helen of Troy, is ripe for the picking when larger-than-life Prince Orsini comes calling. Their fight for happiness in 16th-century Italy, where women are chattels, and adultery is punishable by death, is narrated by no less than 20 individuals. The old adage, ``too many cooks spoil the broth,'' certainly applies here, as what could have been a compelling story is fragmented and weakened. In his preface, French author Merle, who wrote the popular Day of the Dolphin ( LJ 5/1/69), informs us that the real Vittoria was sadly underestimated as a person, since ``female beauty was overvalued in a male dominated society.''