Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Book Review: Great tale
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a very engaging tale - quite an enjoyable read and very relevant to today's political climate. Highly recommended!!Book Review: Beware the Ides of Bush-Bashing
Summary: 1 Stars
The author's novel Pompeii was a wonderful recreation of ancient Rome. Having read and enjoyed both Pompeii and Enigma, I have to say that the present book was extremely disappointing. In the midst of an otherwise good novel coupled with historical accuracy, the author inserts a wretched and clumsy attack on the Global War on Terror. See the Cilician Pirates are just like "terrorists," who are an entirely overblown threat being used by evil politicians who say things like (I'm not making this up) "If they're not with us, they're against us." I assume Harris's publisher prevailed up him to add this bit to gain sales. Maybe he believes George Bush is plotting to send his legions to occupy the capital. Who cares? The point is that grafting this ham-fisted modern diatribe onto a historical novel destroys the suspension of disbelief which a work of this type requires. It's as if the pastry chef decided to make his cake more substantial by adding some anchovies and asparagus; rather hard to ignore. If you're into hating everything about Chimpy McBush-hitler, this is the book for you. If you think the War on Terror is an unfortunate but necessary undertaking, OR IF you want to read a historical novel free from wretchedly anachronistic political sloganeering (from either the right or left), this is a book to avoid.Book Review: The life of Cicero and Ancient Rome brought back to life!
Summary: 5 Stars
Through the eyes of a household slave named Tiro, who actually served has Cicero's personal secretary for over three decades, the reader witness the rise to power of Marcus Cicero. Cicero is interesting as his rise power was not accomplished through blood shed, arms, money or family connections. In the book he comes off as a man with integrity but not someone you want to be on the wrong side of. I guess you would call this book a fictional biography? As it is written like a novel, but what a great way to get your history lesson! Harris writing style is easy to read, and his storytelling abilities are awesome. This really is a page turner. I was sad to see it end and will be looking forward to a sequel? Book Review: Cicero the New Man
Summary: 4 Stars
Robert Harris has delivered a fascinating and smoothly written portrait of republican Rome in IMPERIUM, and you finish it hungry for the next installment. At the center of the story is Cicero, a so-called New Man because he achieves power without benefit of wealth, family, or arms. Cicero is admirable, a model of honesty and integrity, but he is also very much a hard-nosed player of the political game. Readers will find echoes of his political battles and rivalries in today's world. In fact, Harris's use of some lines -- "you're either with us or you're against us" -- evince a rather more heavy-handed effort to connect Rome to the present day than may have been necessary. The text is marbled with enough details to give readers a sense of the sights, smells, and life of the republic -- Cicero's servant Tiro, for example, walks in on Caesar with another man's wife -- but Harris doesn't overdo the practice. I compare this book to Arthur Koestler's fine THE GLADIATORS, an historical fiction centered around the Roman slave rebellion, and deduct one star only because I thought IMPERIUM's pacing flagged a bit in the final third. Book Review: Cicero and the Late Roman Republic Vividly Portrayed
Summary: 5 Stars
I unconditionally recommend Robert Harris' latest novel to any fan of historical fiction. This novel is a must-read for any of the following: (1) Roman history fans; (2) lawyers, particularly litigators; (3) political wonks. (I am among the first two of those three and strongly suspect that I'm right for the third category.)
Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of the most memorable figures from an era of great men who, among them, competed to tear apart or preserve the Roman republic. Cicero was a "new man" -- a provincial who rose from the middle class, doing so neither through wealth or military service but rather as a consummate trial lawyer -- and his rise to power is both an inspirational and cautionary tale. The two halves of "Imperium" tell the story of Cicero's prosecution for extortion against Verres and Cicero's campaign to become consul (the highest office a Roman could hold). While Roman history fans know the story and ending for both episodes, Harris fills in the ellipses left by the written records of the era with fine storytelling and educated speculation as to how the events played out in the eyes of a contemporary. Using Cicero's personal secretary to tell the story is a great device. Through the slave Tiro, Harris brings not only Cicero to life, but his wife Terentia, along with Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, and so many other interesting characters from the era.
Harris' narrative of the prosecution of Verres is some of the most memorable courtroom drama I have ever read. Any fan of legal fiction -- regardless of whether you are interested in Roman history -- will enjoy the courtroom scenes. The story of Cicero's campaign to become consul similarly should entertain any fan of electoral politics. While Cicero was a great lawyer, he was above all a politician, and a very skilled politician, and Harris portrays this aspect of the man skillfully and unflinchingly.
I assume that Harris will cover Cicero's consulship (and the Catilinarian conspiracy) and Cicero's ill-fated defense of the Republic against Marc Antony in subsequent volumes. I can't wait to read them. While I know how the story must end, Harris has hooked me with the way he is telling the tale.