Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
by Robert Harris
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert HarrisEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2006-09-19
ISBN: 074326603X
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Reviews of Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Book Review: "I do not propose to die leaving one ounce of talent unspent, or one mile of energy left in my legs"
Summary: 4 Stars
When most people think about the history of Rome and fiction works based on it, a few names quickly come to mind, including Caesar, Pompey and Caligula. In terms of his influence in today's world though, there is another man that should be considered as a serious challenger to those important figures in history: Marcus Tullius Cicero. Not only he is almost unanimously considered as the top orator and politician in ancient Rome, but his speeches and ideas on government have been studied, imitated and utilized by leaders throughout history. His influence is such that even the US Constitution is based in part on Cicero's ideas on how government should be organized.
Robert Harris brings this intriguing, and sometimes contradictory, character to life by taking historic information as the skeleton of his novel and adding fictionalized dialogues and events to fill in the meat. Thus, we get a novel that is not only instructive regarding the importance of Cicero in a time when the end of the Republic was visible in the horizon, but also one that entertains the reader until its conclusion.
Harris had a great idea when he decided to use Tiro, Cicero's slave, secretary and friend, as the narrator of this story. This provides a broader view than what the author would have been able to deliver by a first person narrator, but more of an inside look than we would get from an omniscient narrator. From the start of Cicero's public life as a lawyer and politician, until his running for Consul, Tiro takes us, with his steady voice, through the events that had a crucial role in the destiny of one of the greatest civilizations in history.
This is a great novel, and those that are interested in the history of Rome will definitely have a great time reading it. And don't worry; Pompey and Caesar are part of this work, since they also had a key role in the events that unfolded at this time. I would have liked the novel to continue until the end of Cicero's life, but maybe we will get that in the next one. This is the second book Harris writes on Rome, and at this point I am convinced that with his accurate research and great ability for adding fiction without changing the facts, Harris has established himself as part of the elite in this niche.
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