The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The First Man in Rome
Book Review: A magnificent story
Summary: 4 Stars
I have read through a great many of the reviews on this book (both high and low ranking) with the aim of providing not only my own views on this book but also hopefully to address some of the recurrent criticisms that populate the reviews.
Firstly, when you consider the amount of work that has been poured into this work (and its various sequels) I find it interesting that people can find reason to complain about it. Not only are you presented with a 900+ page novel covering a vast scope of Roman history, but the author has personally prepared drawings of some of the central characters and a fair number of maps so that the reader can orientate themselves with the narrative. Ms McCullough obviously knows her stuff and has conducted pain-staking research so that the reader can be swept up in a tale of politics, love, hate, murder, and betrayal (to name but a few themes) set in the late Roman republic period.
Many reviewers have criticised McCullough's writing style, sentence construction, the use of modern vernacular in ancient mouths, and one even claimed that the level of explicit sex was a turn-off! Having just completed the third book in the series I am still hungering for more - does that make me a literary ingnoramus or "pyschologically conditioned to accept explicit sex" (that's a direct quote btw)? Probably both. However, it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, which esentially is the only barometer worth paying attention to.
This book and its sequels are packed with memorable characters; Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla being the two standout primary characters; however, Metellus Numidicus and Metellus Pius, the various Julians, Caepieo's, and Pompey's make for an intricately woven tapestry of rich personalities (I accept that it can take a bit of mental gymnastics to get your head around the various names - but that added to the enjoyment for me).
The final aspect which makes these books so stand-out brilliant is the amount of historical material contained therein. Prior to reading this first book I would have considered that I had a broad appreciation of Ancient Rome, its customs and practices, etc. But this book takes learning history to a new level of detail and you don't even realise that you're doing so! Everything from consular elections via the voting centuries to seating arrangements for dinner functions...brilliant stuff.
While McCullough has taken artistic license in some places, she fully explains any non-historical conclusions she makes and the rationale for doing so. So that the narrative in places becomes a 'glue' for the story that she wants to tell within the overall historical framework.
This is a masterful work of historial fiction that should be a staple for anyone even remotely interested in ancient Rome.
Enjoy.
Book Review: A snore
Summary: 1 Stars
I listened to this book on audio while commuting to and from work. When the author wrote about the relationships between the main characters it was OK, but the political speeches were so long and so boring I actually couldn't wait to get to work so I could turn it off. Everyone's name started to sound the same to me. I have a policy of always finishing a book that I have started, but this one really tested me. I will not be listening to any more books in this series.Book Review: A true epic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those books that is slow to begin, bogged down with long names and heavy politics, but absolutely brimming with wonderful scenes and credible dialogue. If you can get past the first chapter, you will be well rewarded by being transported to ancient Rome. Colleen McCullough's genius is in recreating a time and place two thousand years in the past and actually making it interesting! If you enjoy Roman politics or history, you will probably become a huge fan of this series.Book Review: A true masterpiece of historical fiction
Summary: 5 Stars
McCollough writes in the same simplistic style of fellow epic author James Clavell. The novel flows quickly, written with confidence. McCollough knows her subject, and expresses her knowledge through 1,000 fantastic pages.Book Review: A wonderful book, one of the best in the series
Summary: 5 Stars
I throughly enjoyed "The First Man in Rome". It is a great historical novel with timeless appeal. So far, I have read three novels in the Masters of Rome Series, the other two were "Caesar's Women" and "Caesar: The Novel". Of these three, "The First Man in Rome" is the best.I especially enjoyed the characters in this novel. While "Caesar", for example, was completely devoid of character development, this novel is overflowing with wonderful and well-structured character portraits. I was particularly impressed by Sulla. Instead of portraying him as a wild psychopath that he undoubtedly was, Colleen McCullough turned him into a psychopath with a tender side. Her description of his childhood and especially his relationship with his tutor brought tears to my eyes. Although Sulla is quite despicable in his action, McCullough uncovers a complex person under all the madness. A great achievement!
I also appreciated her depiction of Gaius Marius. In history class, I learned that he was extremely lucky but rather unremarkable in his talent. That never sat well with me because I thought that even if he wasn't a genius, he must have been capable enough to secure the number of consulships that he had. McCullough very nicely goes into Gaius Marius' head and examines how and what is driving him.
Not all the characters were well-developed. Julia or Julia Major was extremely boring and could have used more complexity because she appears to be such a paragon of virtue that she does not seem human. Jugurtha also suffered because in the book he is too one-dementional. That's too bad since he is quite fascinating.
Most other characters are sublime: from Metellus Numidicus (Piggle-wiggle) to Scaurus to Saturninus to Julilla or Julia Minor to Drusus to Aurelia. At first, I was against the idea that McCullough create Julilla but after reading "The First Man in Rome" I realized how well she served the author's purpose. Also, her ordeal is quite heart-breaking.
I was a little bit disappointed by Colleen McCullough's depiction of the political scene. Everyone who read Masters of Rome series said that the best political novel in the series is "The First Man in Rome". I disagree. Although McCullough writes wonderfully about political squabbles in Rome, she mostly uses letters and dialogues between characters to relate these events to the readers. Although she is extremely good at letter- and speech-writing, in "Caesar's Women" she actually describes what goes on as it happens. This helps with absorbing the atmosphere and also captivates the readers better.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Roman political history or Ancient history in general. The Masters of Rome series is superb and I hope Colleen McCullough will continue to add on to the series for many years to come.