Rating: 
Summary: It is everything it is meant to be
Review: Well, when I bought this book, I knew it was going to be a guilty pleasure. You know, a highly enjoyable romanticized account of Cleopatra. And I was right, but I also underestimated it. It is an extremely easy read, but it is also very long. I stuck with it however (and I never really thought of ever not) and its a good thing - the last few chapters are by far the best. Which is interesting, since we all know the ending. But I truly loved the way George depicted the ending - Cleopatra's agony over Antony's death, her resolution to do what she had to do - and her brilliance in executing her plan. It was without a doubt the best part of the entire novel. ...I actually did skim a bit through Actium, but that says more about me than the book. (It was terribly depressing and everything kept getting worse and I just wanted to get it over with!) So no, Memoirs of Cleopatra is not great literature, obviously. But it IS a wonderful, engaging account of Cleopatra's life, by far the most entertaining of its kind. And the amount of research that must have gone into it - amazing. But what is probably best about this novel, is that it is a springing board to read more, perhaps non-fictional accounts, of Cleopatra and her time. I know intimately more about her than I ever did before, and I am eager now to understand what is fact and what is not, and learn as much as I can. And for that, George should be commended.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly well researched!
Review: I must commend Margaret George on the amount of research that went into writing "Memoirs". When I saw this book in the bookstore several months ago and perused it, I mistakenly believed it to be a mostly fictitious piece of work. However, after reading it and reading the author's notes at the end I realized that very few aspects of the book were fabricated. This book gives life to Cleopatra through the images presented to the reader through the dialogue. Although it is a lengthy book, it is definitely a book you can't put down and one that you need to read straight-through. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Egypt, the Ptolemaic dynasty or even Caesar and the Roman warriors.
Rating:
Summary: The Real Cleopatra?
Review: A brilliant un-put-downable book. For the first time, I began to view Cleopatra as a real person (not just a history figure) with feelings and passions. Margaret George has made history come alive for me.
Rating: 
Summary: A long and only slightly rewarding journey
Review: The Memoirs of Cleopatra is my third Margaret George novel. I love the way George lets the reader immerse him/herself in the world inhabited by her subjects. She makes it easy to imagine what that world looked like, and even what it smelled and tasted like. Several readers have objected to her descriptions of the many sumptuous banquets and elegant articles of clothing, but that's what makes the foreign become so tangible. But, while I whole-heartedly loved Mary, Queen of Scots and The Autobiography of Henry VIII, I don't feel I can recommend Cleo quite so highly.While George successfully creates the sensual and exotic feel of Ancient Egypt, I didn't find the story truly compelling until about 50 pages from the end. (And I had to wade through 900 pages of less-than-compelling story to get there!) I knew little of Cleopatra's story other than that she liked her men Roman and soldierly, but her story wasn't really very interesting until Cleopatra's and Antony's last days in Egypt, waiting for the arrival of Octavian. The anxiety of waiting for their inevitable destruction made their previously rather dull relationship interesting at last. Their passionate and romantic deaths were beautifully rendered, and made the previous 900 pages somewhat worthwhile. I look forward to reading George's future books (and I'm very curious to see who she tackles next), but wouldn't recommend this one unless you've a lot of time to kill.
Rating:
Summary: Unpredictable, Anti-formula, Engaging
Review: Margaret George's Cleopatra is a very real person - flawed, egotistical sometimes, brilliant at others, loveable, and self-deceiving, too. This book is certainly the epitome of the Historical Fiction genre. It is light reading, the narrative easy follow, and you never want to put it down. Most importantly, the main characters defy stereotypes, which makes for worthwhile reading, indeed. The time and place is richly described... my desire to visit the Greece and Rome (I have been to Egypt) is heightened. I particularly appreciated some of the details concerning the polemics of the gods / goddesses as they moved from Egypt to Greece to Rome, and how the author characterized characters by their patron gods / goddesses. This is great reading from an entertainment standpoint, which also (painlessly) provides a great history lesson and something to think about afterward.
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: This book helped me shed a lot of light on Cleopatra's character. Before I didn't even know that the Mark Antony of Shakespeare's play Caesar was the same one that was romantically involved with Cleopatra. How dumb. It brought Caesar and Mark Antony to life for me, but the protagonist's view comes across as being less personal to me, and more like Margaret George recorded the words of a very dear friend, instead of getting inside Cleopatra's head. I liked one realization in the book, when Cleopatra is looking at her reflection in the mirror and examining it for signs of beauty. She thinks simply that the girl in the mirror looks "like someone she would like to know" which seemed to ring true for me. The descriptions were wonderful, I felt like I really was in Egypt looking at the pyramids and the sphinx and I could see the lighthouse at Alexandria from Cleopatra's window.
Rating:
Summary: A Portal into Cleopatra's World
Review: Since childhood, the story of the legendary Ptolemaic Queen has captured my imagination. Throughout the years, I have read many books on Cleopatra - many of which have remained faithful to the ancient sources, however biased as they may seem. After buying this book on a whim, assuming that this novel was simply one more incorrect reinterpration of history and past novels previously read - a blatant reiteration of Plutarch et al. - I now admit that I was was wrong! The extensive attention given to detail and characterizations, the scope and magnitude of this novel are impressive! Margaret George has done extensive research into the time of the fabled Queen of Egypt and brings Cleopatra's world to life, not only referencing from ancient texts but also drawing upon the more modern-day sources. This engaging novel allows the reader to transcend the present and be transported into a fabled world, one which has captivated writers throught the centuries, a story which brings the tale of Cleopatra and her contemporaries into the immediate. In this book, you come to understand why the main characters - Caesar, Cleopatra, Antony and Octavian - held the fate of the known world in their hands. Ms. George takes pain-staking effort to scratch beyond the surface of the Cleopatra-myth and reveal these godly, yet wonderfully all too-human personalities that transcend time: the characters in this novel are complex and multi-dimensional, grand and legendary, even in their most vulnerable moments. Via this window into Cleopatra's world, you experience every nuance of expression; her descriptions appeal to every sense. Within these pages, you share Cleopatra's joys and pain, witness her triumphs and heart-wrenching sorrows. You experience the range of emotion: her sense of majesty as Caesar confirms her a sole ruler of Egypt, you feel her passion for Antony, know her rage upon betrayal and suffer through her final defeat. I was particularly pleased by the fact that the book (more so than in the past) depicts Cleopatra less as an evil Eastern seductress and more as an able queen and mother; Julius Caesar is seen as a mortal, and not as a deified individual, and Marc Antony ( who in the past has been much-maligned ) is allowed to be viewed in a more favorable light as a great and able Roman leader, and not simply as the emasculated shell of a man that his enemies and successive pro-Augustan authors have portrayed him to have been. On a grand scale, Ms. George conjures forth an intriguing tale of epic proportions into this well-crafted account of a time long-gone, but not forgotten. For those of you who are interested in this tumultuous, but extremely fascinating period of history, indulge yourself and read this book! Sip a glass of wine in your finest crystal goblet, light several fragrant candles and play some soothing music. Take that journey and let your imagination soar - you are in for a delightful experience!
Rating:
Summary: Touching, Engaging, Powerful
Review: When I saw the Cleopatra hardcover on the shelf at the library, I was intrigued, but thought--what a LONG book, and don't I already know a lot about the historical Cleopatra anyway? NO! This book brings you into old Egypt in a way that makes it intimate as well as foreign, and immerses you in the politics, intrigues, and daily lives of the Caesars and the Ptolemies . . . One of my favorite books of all time is Mary Renault's Fire From Heaven about Alexander the Great, and this book is similar in appeal. Cleopatra weaves a spell--the book makes you feel like you were there and you understand the time, the period, and the players in a fresh way.
Rating:
Summary: An Easy Read!
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read! I would recommend this book to any one who wants to be taken in to another world. Even though this book is fiction, it is a great way to learn about Cleopatra and what life was like back then. Two of the great things about this book was the description and the characters. George makes the places and the people of this novel seem like real people, not just a bunch of boring figures in a history book. If you are looking for an exciting and entertaining read you will find it in this book. I would recommend any novel by Margaret George because she is a wonderful author as well as a talented researcher.
Rating:
Summary: A Memorable Novel!
Review: The Memoirs of Cleopatra is a wonderful novel. It tells the story of Cleopatra's life wonderfully. It tells of her loves,family,friends,and enemys. Maragaret George did a great job writing this book.
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