Secrecy by Rupert Thomson is a lush, ethereal love story, set against the dark and treacherous backdrop of Florence in the 1690s. It is a bold and beautiful story and will hopefully bring Thomson the wider recognition he so richly deserves.
The novel centres around Gaetano Zummo, a 17th century sculptor of wax, about whom very little is known. Thomson weaves a rich narrative around the bare bones of Zummo and other real historical figures, making the minutae of the story entirely plausible and gripping.
Zummo is a man on the run, a man with secrets. Throughout the course of the novel, he gradually reveals his background and the reasons he left his family and his home town under a cloud. He seeks refuge in Florence to pursue his strange and unique calling. He is a sculptor in wax, but one who has a fascination with the macabre, with corruption and death. His often gruesome tableaux are small theatres of disease and death – he is particularly fascinated by plague victims, and portrays them in clinical and vivid detail – often in the throes of death. Thomson himself has said that the process of writing a novel is akin to sculpting – creating something out of nothing – so his investment in his protaganist is a close one, and this shows in the detail with which he describes Zummo’s occupation.
Florence does not entirely offer the haven that Zummo seeks. Although the Enlightenment is around the corner, it is a place of deep suspicion and paranoia, particularly around the Medici court where an air of menace pervades the frigid air. Throughout the city there are strict laws governing sexual propriety, and people are arrested and locked up without notice or even much reason. In the midst of this tense atmosphere Zummo receives a strange and secret commission from the Grand Duke. His quest to fulfill this commission, and his increasing closeness to the Grand Duke makes him an enemy of the very dangerous and sinister Padre Stufa – a Dominican priest and engineer of political reprisal. It also brings him close to the daughter of his local apothecary, whom he comes across quite by chance and, having lost her (when he loses his way) searches desperately to find her again. They become lovers, completely involved and entwined in one another, with a sense that they have known one another for a very long time. As their relationship progresses, the danger of Florence closes in on them, as it becomes apparent that she may harbour a secret that is more explosive even than his own.
The gentle and genuine love story set against the harsh backdrop is highly effective, and Thomson’s language weaves the layers together perfectly – at once languid and brutal. Secrecy is a gorgeous and resonant read that evokes a city and time perfectly while telling a wonderful story. Highly recommended.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Find out more about Secrecy by Rupert Thomson.
Megan Hitchin has worked at the Book Lounge since it opened in 2007, and as well as being a voracious reader, wrote and designed the website. She has worked in the book trade in both the UK and South Africa, and loves fiction of most genres. Few things beat a really intelligent, well written thriller but Megan will happily dig in to history, politics and science too.