Catilina's Riddle

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Summary: Headless Bodies
Review: Catilina's Riddle is an exceptional book. I am usually not a person who likes historical fiction, but this book proved that it's possible. Through its compelling characters and its intriguing plot, I was on the edge of my seat many times. I would recommend this book to both sexes- it doesn't pertain to just a guy or a girl. You don't have to have any knowledge or understanding of the Roman civilization or the Latin language to read this well written novel. This book teaches you many life lessons, and I wouldn't be surprised if you couldn't put it down.

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Summary: Latin 3 review
Review: This book, Catilina's Riddle, is a nicely told story about life in Rome. I thought that the author did a very good job explaining the duties of fatherhood and about how a boy becomes a man. He shows the true qualities of all the characters in the novel. He brings to life an image of the days in Roman civilization and that image is captured throughout the book. This is a greatly told story about one character's struggle with life in politics and life at home.

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Summary: See what you can get out of it
Review: Does ancient Roman history interest you? Well it doesn't matter if you have an interest in this subject because Catilina's Riddle is more than that. It is a book that will make you appreciate life. It will make you think about your life, and help you come to a better understanding of human nature. There is a wonderful plot and many surprises, but you can get more out of it than that. It's up to you though. If you want to read it as any other book you pick up fine, but if you have the time I recommend looking for the deeper meaning that applies to your life. After reading this book I feel I can understand and relate to the rest of the world. I'm not saying this book will solve all your problems, but give it a chance and I think you will be pleased.

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Summary: Full of mystery and intrigue
Review: This is the first of Steven Saylor's books that I've read and I personally found it intriguing. Though it was slow at times, the plot was well developed and kept me interested and turning the pages. I found the life of Gordianus to be very mysterious, from the dead bodies he finds to his connection with Catilina. This is a novel full of mysterious plots, corruption, lies, truth, and trust that makes it enjoyable to read. The ending is also something totally different from anything the reader, or at least I, would of expected. I recommend Catilina's Riddle for anyone who is looking for an intriguing mystery.

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Summary: My Review of Catilina's Riddle
Review: This book is not a literary masterpiece. It requires little on the part of the reader. I would recommend it to anyone who needs to read a long book but does not want to think very hard while reading it. I found about 20 pages in the book engaging, which in my opinion is not enough for a 460 page novel. The situation of the main character, Gordianus, is unrealistic. He is not a very complex character, and I did not identify with or admire him. I just was not engaged by the plots. The end is not predictable, which is a plus in a mystery. Overall, Catilina's Riddle simply is not challenging enough to remain interesting.

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Summary: Character development
Review: "Catilina's riddle" was an extremely interesting book which kept me interested page by page. The detailed characters allowed me to actually get into the book rather than just read the pages. Gordianus was a very different char. for his time. He treated his family and friends , even slaves, with the respect and love they deserved. He admired everyone until they gave him a reason to lose respect. Although he was somewhat of a smart character, I didnt think the book did a real good job of expressing this. The intro. made him seem extremely smart and somewhat of a detective master. If so then why couldnt he figure out the "headless body" case which was placed practically under his nose. Gordianus seemed to lack strong opinions for his new acquaintances which led him in the direction of first appearance judgements. Catilina "seemed" to be a good char. so Gordianus put full trust in him and even laid down his life to show respect towards him. I believe Gordianus' char. is what kept me interested throughout the book. I never knew what his next move was. He seemed somewhat unpredictable.

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Summary: had to read it for school, but overall good book
Review: Catilina's Riddle was a decent book. I have read better and have read worse. It offers great insight into the Catilinarian conspiracies which has never been offered by history. The one thing that I disliked about the book was that some parts I felt were too slow. Being a 450+ page book, there are bound to be slow parts, but I felt the author dwelt too much on the Roman Civilization. I enjoyed very much the action parts and the parts which dealt with the mystery of the story, because the author developed those very well. However, I was not very interested in the learning the background of the story as much the author did. The background might be your favorite part of the book, but it was not for me. --- steve brown

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Summary: Carly's review of Catilina's Riddle
Review: Catilina's Riddle by Steven Saylor was an extremely suspenseful and enjoyful book. It was very mysterious and mindboggling. A classic whodunit! Page after page, you could never tell what was going to happen next. The descriptions of Rome and daily Roman life seemed extrememly authentic (to my knowledge...I have not been to Rome yet to make sure). It was very interesting learning about simeple Roman practices while being entraped in a splendid mystery. It also teaches you great lessons about bravery and loyalty. Meto (the protagionist's son) teaches us to always follow our hearts...no matter what the consequence! Catilina's Riddle is highly suggested for mystery and history lovers alike! Even if you do not like mystery or history, read it anyways!

Rating:
Summary: Body without a head
Review: At first, I really didn't know if i was going to like this book or not. This type of book isn't normally the kind that I read. But since I had to read it for Latin, I gave it a chance. For me, it started out slow, but as soon as the plot got going, I really liked it. The aspect of the book that I liked the most was the fact that Gordianus kept trying to get away from the deception and crimes of the city by moving to the farm, but the city and crimes followed him there and brought him back. He realized that he loved Rome and was too caught up in it to get away. There are many different plots and schemes that Saylor tries to put into one book and I think that he accomplished it very well. There were some slow points in the book and at times I felt like I just wanted to give up reading it because it was boring, but I gave it a chance and I wanted to keep reading about who was putting the bodies on Gordianus's farm. The ending (which i will not reveal) really surprised me. It's not like a typical mystery where you can guess the killer in the opening story, I had to keep reading to find out who it was. From this book, I not only learned a lot about Roman culture and society, I learned a lot about life experiences that even reflect my own, because we are the ones who write our own book.

Rating:
Summary: A Second Glance At Rome
Review: I once thought of Rome as a city of great power, wealth, and beauty; but the tragic accounts depicted through this novel alter all that is pure and honest. It reveals a side of Rome I have never encountered, uncovering mysteries, lies, and corruption. I found myself in Gordianus' shoes, being drawn in to every plot, searching for the truth, and never knowing who could be trusted. Having such immense twists and turns led the book to being highly enjoyable. With such a compelling mystery, blended in with that of Roman politics, it produced such a gripping thriller that will leave the reader guessing until the end.