Nectar: A Novel of Temptation

By Lily Prior

Book Overview

Ramona Drottoveo, an albino, is a chambermaid at a lush Italian estate. Distinguished by the intoxicating scent she exudes, Ramona is despised by all women and adored by all men, whose inexhaustible lust she eagerly satisfies. Life changes when her husband dies after discovering his bride with another man on their wedding night. Blamed for his death, Ramona and her lover are exiled to the neighboring city of Naples. There, Ramona's life is transformed once again by the birth of a daughter, Blandina, who steals her mother's scent. No longer able to seduce men into blind submission, Ramona humbly returns to the estate to an unexpected welcome -- and revenge.

A hilarious and naughty celebration of the senses and the strange places they can lead us, Nectar explores the mystery of sexual attraction and the frivolous nature of divine justice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060936827
• ISBN13: 9780060936822
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: Ecco Press
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyable

I don't know how she does it, but I can't seem to put Lily Prior books down. She has filled a book with totally unlikable characters and she has made it thoroughly enjoyable. I don't love this book as much as I truly loved La Cucina - the language didn't seem quick as poetic, but as long as you can handle the light and airy way of dealing with sexuality (I won't be giving this to my Mom!) I think you'll enjoy the book. And, while the premise is obviously fantasy/mythical, I believe Lily Prior truly has insight into what really controls the world...

This was a very different and interesting book.

This is the first book that I read from this author. The title caught my eye, and I read the description. This book is about an odd looking girl in Italy. She is an albino with a smell that eminates from her skin that drives men completely wild and sometimes so wild to point of them comitting suicide if they don't have sex with her. She loves that she has this "power" over men and get them to do whatever she wants.She thinks she finds "true" love and it turns out he is driven by madness because of her first dead husband, who kills himself because he and Ramona are caught having sex. They have a child and the child aquires the scent and Ramona looses it.The rest is great because in the end, she gets what is due her- very amusing, my only complaint is the names of the Characters are "old" italian names and they can get alittle confusing.Enjoy!!Ellen

Fun, fairy tale-like tale, told lushly, if luciviously

A quick entirely diverting read, full of the rich prose Lily Prior does so well. Although more concerned with smell than with taste, as in her first novel, LA CUCINA, she does include a rather scrumptious feast of words in a chapter or two. Sensation is everything here and the sparkling and lively tale is amazingly delicious, delectable, and drolly naughty. Ramona, our decidedly unpleasant heroine, delights even as she disgusts. Prior and her sister novelists Laura Esquivel and Joanne Harris are giving the old guard magic realists a true challenge with each new work. This is great escapist fiction in a time we need more fantasy and romance.