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Summary: Excellent!
Review: Wonderful bio of an eternally intriguing woman. Very readable and interesting for the detail provided about living conditions and comforts of the time.
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Summary: A MUST for Egypt lovers!
Review: I own the hardcover edition of this book and I could NOT put it down. I read it in 2 days! It is by far the most brilliantly told story of the great queen Cleopatra and the trials and tribulations she endured to hold onto her beloved Egypt. I definately recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Egyptian history. It does not matter if you are beginning your journey into the land of the Pharoahs or have already traveled through the Valley of the Kings, this is a book you MUST experience.
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Summary: Wonderful Book, a fantastic read
Review: This book does an excellent job of vividly bringing Egypt and Cleopatra alive once again. Even it is over 900 pages, I wish it could have been longer. This is truly George's greatest novel. I would strongly recommend buying this book; it is definitely worth it.
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Summary: Margaret George has never written a bad or mediocre book....
Review: Ms. George can tell a story. In Cleopatra she adds to her excellent reputation. Previously offering such excellent works as Henry VIII and Mary, Queen of Scots, she hits her objective again in this book. Cleopatra is brought to the reader in startling relief and Margaret George's mastery of the narrative transports you through time and space to live the trials and tribulations of this remarkable historical figure. The secondary characters of this novel are as intriguing as the focus, Cleopatra, and her relationships with them are told in vivid detail. I await with impatience Margaret George's next effort as I have every effort that has come before. Her books are the quintessentially engrossing, rainy day, fireside page turners that we all long to discover. Cleopatra fits this description aptly as well.
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Summary: The Pharaoh in her own words
Review: "I awakened once in the middle of the night, hearing the gurgle of the water gently slapping the sides of the boat...I had never slept so well on my gilded bed in the palace. With the dawn, mists rose from the swamp as if they were night-spirits fleeing" (p. 39) ______________________________________________________________I was skeptical. How can you fictionalize fact without sensationalizing it? Well, I read the Discoveries Series work on the great Pharaoh along with this monster of a faux-autobiography. I realized soon enough I wouldn't need it. It's all here - her loves, her triumphs and defeats, her passions, her bravery. George was fair and honest and backs up any and all assumptions she makes with events and fictional characters. More importantly, she lays out the landscape of Ancient Egypt with such perceptive scale and raw emotion that it no longer seems so far away, so historical, but real and tangible. Yes, the size of the book is daunting. Set aside time for this, though. You'll get a whole century of events in your head. A panoramic view of a late, late, late heroine who still inspires today. Quite a bargain! There are so many great books on Egypt! Try the Discoveries Series (Cleopatra: The Life and Death of a Pharaoh, Ancient Egypt), How to read Hieroglyphics, Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend. For more Roman info, try books by Colleen McCullough (i.e. Caesar: A Novel, Caesar's Women), or Cruelty and Civilization: The Roman Games (heavy duty reading, but interesting nonetheless) The movies: The Mummy, Cleopatra (with Elizabeth Taylor - the part where she arrives in Rome is phenomenal, unfortunately the rest of the movie drags), The Gladiator. *There was a made-for-TV movie of the book. Not too bad, but the ending is rushed.
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Summary: THE ULTIMATE
Review: THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT ACTUALLY KEPT ME INTERESTED TILL THE END!! THE DETAILS WERE GREAT BUT AT THE SAME TIME THEY DIDN'T DISTRACT YOU FROM THE ACTUAL STORY. I WOULD RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO READ THIS BOOK TO GET A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE EGYPTIAN CULTURE. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS BOOK AS MUCH AS I DID!!!!
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Summary: Interesting but...
Review: Margaret George's presentation of Cleopatra comes across very much as a historical romance rather than quasi biography. The depictions of Rome and Egypt are mesmerizing but she's excessive in her metaphors which detracts from the flow of the story. The book was a great read for amusement but the reader feels as if the writer is struggling too hard to be a classical writer. George's depiction of Cleopatra's character and personality was difficult at times to find believable. Here was a powerful ruler of Egypt that held the wealthiest country in her hands but she appeared throughout the story like any other pedestrian rather than a queen. In George's attempt to bring us closer to the human side of Cleopatra, she erased the actual power this woman must have held. Too much emotional portrayal and not enough intellect.
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Summary: Fun and Fascinating - Cleopatra Comes Alive!
Review: Margaret George has a real gift for bringing characters to life. Despite the fact that very little verifiable information survives about the real Cleopatra, George's active imagination has created an intriguing and fascinating title character in this epic piece of historical fiction. The author conjures up vivid imagery, peoples the story with three-dimensional characters, and has certainly done her research when it comes to representing Eqyptian and Roman culture of the era. She includes many historical facts, while creatively filling in the blanks with characters and events that are purely products of her wonderfully vivid imagination. The end result of this blend of fact and fiction is a thoroughly enjoyable, highly readable and fascinating account a remarkable (though mostly fabricated) woman. While I tend to gravitate towards books based entirely on historical fact, I enjoyed Margaret George's Memoires of Cleopatra tremendously. Despite the ponderous size of the book, it's a light read and is immensely entertaining. It would make an excellent vacation book, as it is easy to loose yourself in it. I found myself sneaking it under my desk at work - I simply couldn't put it down. Don't be daunted by the book's length - I was sorry to see it end!
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Summary: A WOMAN OF POWER...
Review: I have always admired Cleopatra ,this is the most wonderful book i have ever read.Very informative and well described.If you want to know everything about her life and interested in ancient Egypt,this is the book to choose.Margaret George's work was sure not wasted it was a very fascinating research.
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Summary: Memoirs of Cleopatra
Review: When I saw this book on the shelves of my school library I was debating on whether should read it. (It was after all 964 pages). I had of course heard of Queen Cleopatra but I never really knew about her life and was curious to learn about it. And so I checked out the book and began to read. From the moment I finished the first page I was hooked. I was very surprised at the amount of research that the author had done to write this book. From the beginning to the end Memoirs of Cleopatra is an absolutely wonderful book that gives readers a glimpse into Queen Cleopatra's life.
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