The Book of Unholy Mischief (2011)

by Elle Newmark

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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It is 1498, and the whole of Venice is abuzz. Hidden somewhere in the labyrinthine city is an ancient book, rumoured to contain thorny heresies and secrets of immeasurable power. Luciano, a penniless orphan, has been plucked from the street and taken on as apprentice to the chef at the doge's palace. While learning the alchemy of cooking, he quickly finds himself entangled in the search for the ancient tome, even suspecting the chef, his maestro, may be concealing valuable information. But lurking in the wings are some of the most powerful, dangerous men in Venice, and Luciano's secret will lead him through a perilous maze to the centre of an intrigue that will test his deepest desires and loyalties.… (more)

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Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (mene)
mene: Both books have a similar setting: Told by a narrator when he is already old and has lived his life, he talks about his childhood. Both main characters lived in the "important building" of the city (though in Assassin's Apprentice it's a fantasy world and in The Book of Unholy Mischief it's Venice in Italy), both boys go to town every now and then to meet his friends (and a girl), and both are apprentices of someone/something they cannot tell anyone else (except for a few people). Both books contain a bit of magic, though of a different kind.… (more)

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Funny I but I have to say this - if you are food lover, the book will have you enraptured. Lovers of "Da Vinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" are used to have so called heresy encoded in parchments, pyramids, and architecture. Here we find the a Mastero(chef) who is a Guardian ( member of secret Gnostic cult ) encode his secrets and observations in recipes. (

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harishwriter | Oct 12, 2023 |

"He appeared out of nowhere, they did that."
My favorite quotes of the book.

"Food has power. Disc 3 Ch 11 min 2:15,
Disc 5 Ch 7 5:30: mother superior shrieking at him, this scene was hilarious and beautifully written. Disc 6 ch 8, 50 seconds love potion. D6c8s2.3 sandles all the religious leaders had sandles. (

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untitled841 | Jul 24, 2019 |

I quite enjoyed this book,, and admired the author's style. In my journal from Tuesday, July 17, 2013, which was MEOW Date Monday July 16th, 12014 H.E., at 19:02, I wrote:

"Wonderful how Ellen Newmark, in "The Book of Unholy Mischief" uses food as metaphor, teaching tool, and setting device (but I do differ with..." something I never had time to finish, and I no longer recall. I must read this book again.
Shira

MEOW Date Friday, 20 April, 12014 H.E. (

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FourFreedoms | May 17, 2019 |

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ShiraDest | Mar 6, 2019 |

Took me a long time to read this. It was okay ... Not a book I'd bother to read again, nor an author I would seek out. (

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SMBrick | Feb 25, 2018 |

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So “The Book of Unholy Mischief” turns out to be an unexpected hybrid, a highly flavored and faintly preposterous romp that is also a meditation on food, ideas and the importance of keeping hold of the principles of free thought in a world oppressed by censorship. It’s only a shame that the strong and sometimes clumsy seasoning of the plotting tends to swamp the deeper, subtler flavor of the rest.

added by 2wonderY | editThe New York Times, Clare Clark (Jan 30, 2009)

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Elle Newmark	—	primary author	all editions	calculated
Esparza, Raúl	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Canonical title

The Book of Unholy Mischief

Original title

Bones of the Dead

Alternative titles

The Chef's Apprentice

Original publication date

People/Characters

Alexander VI, Pope (Rodrigo de Borja, 1431-1503)

Francesca

Rosa Ferrero

(show all 8 items)

Important places

Venice, Veneto, Italy

Italy

Rome, Italy

Important events

Related movies

Epigraph

If I have seen further (than other men), it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.
Sir Isaac Newton

Dedication

For the teachers

First words

My name is Luciano--just Luciano

Quotations

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Jacobs, Kate

Original language

Canonical DDC/MDS

Canonical LCC

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▾Book descriptions

It is 1498, and the whole of Venice is abuzz. Hidden somewhere in the labyrinthine city is an ancient book, rumoured to contain thorny heresies and secrets of immeasurable power. Luciano, a penniless orphan, has been plucked from the street and taken on as apprentice to the chef at the doge's palace. While learning the alchemy of cooking, he quickly finds himself entangled in the search for the ancient tome, even suspecting the chef, his maestro, may be concealing valuable information. But lurking in the wings are some of the most powerful, dangerous men in Venice, and Luciano's secret will lead him through a perilous maze to the centre of an intrigue that will test his deepest desires and loyalties.

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Book description

It is 1498, and the whole of Venice is abuzz. Hidden somewhere in the labyrinthine city is an ancient book, rumored to contain thorny heresies and secrets of immeasurable power. Luciano, a penniless orphan, has been plucked from the street and taken on as apprentice to the chef at the doge's palace. While learning the alchemy of cooking, he quickly finds himself entangled in the search for the ancient tome, even suspecting the chef, his maestro, may be concealing valuable information. But lurking in the wings are some of the most powerful, dangerous men in Venice, and Luciano's secret will lead him through a perilous maze to the center of an intrigue that will test his deepest desires and loyalties.

Originally published as "Bones of the Dead".

Venetië, 1498. In de stad en daarbuiten gonst het van de geruchten over een oud en mysterieus boek dat een onvoorstelbaar machtige invloed heeft. Er zouden recepten in staan voor onder andere goud, onsterfelijkheid en eeuwige liefde. Iedereen, rijk en arm, fluistert en droomt erover. In deze roerige tijden, op de drempel van de renaissance, groeit de wees Luciano op straat op. Hij wordt door de chef-kok van de paleiskeuken gesnapt bij het stelen van een granaatappel. De kok ontfermt zich over de jongen en biedt hem onderdak en voedsel aan, in ruil voor hulp in de keuken. Luciano komt in een geheel nieuwe, aromatische en verleidelijke wereld van vreemde kruiden, een weelde aan voedsel en de geheimen van de chef-kok. Zijn loyaliteit aan zijn straatvrienden, zijn liefde voor een kloostermeisje en de mysterieuze recepten van zijn leermeester, roepen verlangens in hem op die ook hem ertoe aanzetten op zoek te gaan naar het boek. Hij blijkt dichter op de waarheid te zitten dan hij voor mogelijk had gehouden... met alle gevolgen van dien.

Debutante op leeftijd Newmark schetst een overtuigend, geurig en fascinerend beeld van het wrede en machtige Venetië anno 1498. De stad is in rep en roer om een geheimzinnig boek. In de keuken van het Dogepaleis worstelt de weesjongen Luciano met zijn geweten. Zijn kennis is levensgevaarlijk, maar of hij dat op tijd beseft?

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