Rating: 
Summary: Suggestion for a fitting continuation
Review: Dear Ms. McCullough,As you will have to come to the period of Caesar's where his political foresight and vision (if not his personal integrity) takes a marked downward plunge which you will have to work very hard to explain (and no doubt, it will be a sad wok for you, somewhat undermining the spirit of your whole enterprise until this point), I call upon you to continue your novel the following way: At March 19, 44. BC Caesar, after completing the first wave of his legislative, construction and organizational work, disembarks for Parthia where he conducts a great campaign, regaining the eagles of the legions of Crassus. He then returns to Rome, crushes Sextus Pompeius, and announces the reinstation of the Republic and the return of power to SPQR, himself becoming a private citizen possessing only his auctoritas - previously legislating for himself the tribunicial sanctity for ten years, control over some key provinces, and a special status for Egypt ruled by Caesar&Kleopatra. He initiates a new provincial organization, leads a minor campaign to Illyricum (although he does not push too hard, feeling his age and diminished military ambitions). Eventually, when his life's work is complete, he formally adopts into his family the young Octavius, to whom the tribunician sanctity and a few provincial legions are also given - but no consular imperium at such an early age, horribile dictu! (Of course his son, born by a foreign queen and foolishly named Caesarion, will not become a legal Roman heir.) Then he eventually sails to the endless western ocean in order to disappear as a God. But he cannot help but make his venture efficient, and Caesar's luck (helped by his thorough consultations with the Egyptian and Greek shipbuilders) carries him to the far shore. After a few years he returns to Europe, only to find a second triumvirate in bitter struggle with some great republicans like Decimus & Junius Brutus or Cicero, bitterly opposing that special status which no man should have. The old man's appearance of course decides the matter, but further he is not needed, and it hurts the dignitas of Octavianus not to be able to win alone. So he starts a great plot with brilliant organizational skills: secretly murders his adoptive father (who, having fulfilled his life's scheme, actually almost invites it). He induces the trembling Cicero to write some fake speeches and letters indicating that the life of the Divine Julius was taken some time earlier by some guys whose memory as republican heroes is dangerous and needs some blackening anyway. For the accomplished event-changer Cicero this is no big deal, and he even hopes to deliver some nice messages about the rebirth of the Republic... But in his trusty way the old man never suspects that after this he cannot be left alive either! (Others who might tell the story otherwise are also conveniently proscribed.) After the victory over Marcus Antonius, the proscriptions are also predated a little (who remembers anyway), and the rest is taken care of by Titus Livius and other court historians of Caesar Augustus. And of course it's nice to claim some achievements of the Divus for the Divi Filius - like the campaign to Parthia, to where he actually accompanied him as his legatus anyway. Sulla could not do it to Marius - but Octavianus is clever: alters as little as possible in just a short period of time (e.g. he leaves the campaigns of Brutus and Cassius campaigns, just spins them a little). He possesses the full power to achieve his goal, i.e. to destroy or change all remaining records, and his 40 years of power and his skillful cultivation of contemporary artists and historians are enough to complete the great scheme. Stalin really had a very able master in Augustus - who in addition did not have a rival power in his time to later discover and disclose the mischief. As you frequently emphasise that this is but a novel, built more on the perceived logic of events and characters than on the account of those untrustworthy imperial historians, I presume this is not such an odious request. We all would be happier if we didn't have to suffer (or explain) this stupid and illogical 'dictator perpetuo' title and Caesar's manifest anti-republican behaviour - which Augustus invented in order to justify the assassination story and in the same time made himself look better in comparison... ps. Usually I do not believe in conspiracies.
Rating: 
Summary: The series is deteriorating in quality.
Review: I loved the previous books by McCullough. I thought First Man in Rome was tremendous, as were the next two titles. With the emergence of Caesar, however, McCullough seems less and less interested in concentrating on anything else. I get it already - Caesar is brilliant, scrupulous, and honest. Oh, did I mention brilliant? While I can certainly ignore the historical problems with this, I got tired of reading a romantic paean to Caesar by the end of the book. This guy literally does nothing wrong. If anything, his flaw is that he's too gifted, something I'm sure we're all wishing on our enemies. Due to the infallibility of the character, the book gets bogged down in hero-worship. The scholarship is still outstanding for a novelist, certainly more than I have a right to expect. The language is good, and it generally does not read like a soap opera, despite the hero-worship of Caesar. McCullough seemed to be much better at writing books where she has less emotional investment in the characters. The earlier portraits of Sulla, Marius and Young Pompey were wonderful. But Caesar simply consumes too much of her attention and emotion; there is almost nothing left for anyone else. In Caesar's Women the genius that was Caesar was a novel and interesting approach, in Caesar it got tiresome, and I hope McCullough corrects this problem in her next work, which I still expect to be excellent. The plot, which should be mentioned, is the fall of the Roman republic. Caesar schemes to get command in Gaul, where he defeats the Gauls, with this occupying much time in the book, and deservedly so. Next he confronts the Senate who are foolish enough to challenge him unnecessarily. He crosses the Rubicon, takes Rome, fails to broker a peace and finally defeats Pompey at Pharsalus. From here we are taken to Egypt, and the short entrance of Cleopatra, upon which the book ends. For those who are familiar with Suetonius, Appian or Plutarch, the main details are right on. Except, of course, that Caesar manages to do everything genius, while his opponents are a peevish vicious lot of stupid jealous men. The portrayal of Brutus as a moneyhungy mama's boy is an interesting one though - not quite the same as Shakespeare's. In short, the worship of Caesar by McCullough drags this book down from a potential 5/5. By the end I longed to read about the other personalities involved, much like when McCullough switched from Sulla to Marius with great ease. This is a good and reccomended book, albeit with one major flaw.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best in the series
Review: I liked the previous works more. I thought this one was at times very long and tedious full of battle scenes that took longer to read than previous Masters of Rome.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Caesar, was a wonderful book, I was particularly intrested in the Fulvia, Curio relationship it was one of the high point of the novel. Now as we all (hopefully) know Cleopatra was Greek not even the slightest bit Eygption, she was not ugly, she wasn't just strikinly briliant, but her personality was perhaps lively and attractive which in turn made her attractive,. Recommed this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, ummm FICTION or military commentarriesm, there something for everyone here. I have only one whine WHEN IS THE OCTOBER HORSE GOING TO BE PUBLISHED, the wait the wait is horrible.
Rating:
Summary: A premature end to a stunning series?
Review: Please tell me this isn't the final book in the series! In common, it seems, with many others, I picked up " First Man In Rome " expecting a mushy-type romance - it was my mother's "holiday" read after all. However, I was utterly hooked, and spent many happy hours trawling second-hand book shops looking for the rest of the series. Given her subject material, "Masters of Rome" was always going to be a classic heptology ( hopefully it will yet be a septology ). We know the bare factual bones of the republic's fall, but how well she has fleshed them out with intimate detail. Who cares that much is down to her imagination? She truthfully uses the facts as we know them, and justifies her slight alterations to recorded history. And if she sparks controversy with some of her suppositions, so much the better : history is a subject that needs aggitation, not staid acceptance of current opinion. I say well done, Ms McCullough, please finish the series soon!
Rating:
Summary: One of my all time favorites!
Review: This is a note to those below me. Unfortunately, don't hold your breath waiting for the next book. She published a book in 1998, called: 'The Song of Troy'. It is a wonderful book, in a very unique style, based on the 'Illiad'. (A bit short, though.) I haven't seen it in the US, but you can get it via amazon.uk if you're interested. She is currently writing a biography about an Australian figure. (general? - I think) If this was the last in her series I'd be miserable.
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Continuing Saga
Review: I, too, have read all of the books in McCullough's "Masters of Rome" series. The manner in which Ms. McCollough presents the history and the people of ancient Rome bring this period of world history to life. I have recommended the entire series to any number of friends who are interested in historical fiction, and not one person has been disappointed. Even my son (a 13 year-old history buff) is hooked. And we can't wait for the next book in the series (I check every few weeks to see if it is available - No luck yet!)
Rating:
Summary: Where is the "October Horse"
Review: Loved the series but can't wait for the October Horse. I'm hoping all the Julio-Claudians will be dealt with from Octavius/Augustus to Nero in many more books to come. Oh but the wait...:)
Rating:
Summary: Caesar Lives!!!
Review: I started this series by picking up a copy of Caesar's Women, I went on to Caesar and then worked my way around to the other books in order. My husband, who almost never reads the books I reccomend, also read the entire series. We are now both eagerly awaiting the next book, which I understand is to be called THE OCTOBER HORSE. We will probably have to buy two copies or we will be fighting over it. Mccullough has somehow managed to make Caesar come alive, and to me that is what is so compelling about these books. We have all heard about Caesar out entire lives. The story of Caesar and Cleopatra is pretty well known to most of the world. But,when you read Mcullough's books, you enter a whole new world and Caesar goes from being a figurehead or a symbol to a real human being. His story is compelling and even more compelling is the fact that we are, in the dawn of the 21st Century, still feeling the effects of the causes Caesar and the Romans of his time made. Do you want to have a better understanding of western civilization, then read these books! They are one part history, one part soap opera, one part visionary and you won't be able to stop until you find out what really happened between Caesar and Cleopatra. PS.Thank you Colleen McCullough for taking us back to Ancient Rome.
Rating:
Summary: McCullough is as talented as ever
Review: I liked "Caesar" a lot. Having read Caesar's "Commentaries" in Latin, (a very dry and boring read), I was apprehensive about reading of Caesar's exploits in Gaul all over again. But, as soon as I began, I realized that I did not give McCullough enough credit. She dissected Caesar's campaigns and presented them in an interesting way. I still cannot say that I was as interested in reading about military engagements as I was in reading about Roman politics, but I believe McCullough did an impressive job and applaud her for it. I want to take this opportunity and address some of the issues presented in other people's review. As a Classics major and a lover of good literature, I feel I am expert enough in the field to respond to some of the people's comments. I agree with one reader who wrote that Cato/Marcia/Hortensius love story was very compelling. I actually love-to-hate Cato and could relate to his fear of loving someone. I was nearly teary-eyed in "Caesar's Women" when I read about Cato's relationship with his brother and his reaction upon learning about his death. His love for Marcia made Cato accessible and likable again. To the reader who thought that McCullough should not have invented history and imagined a son for Caesar (with Rhiannon), I think that perhaps her motives were a little suspect (she wrote that she wanted to show that Caesar could sire children, especially sons, but we know from "Caesar's Women" that not only did he have Julia but also Tertulla by Servillia and later on, a son by Cleopatra) but I liked the addition of Rhiannon and was riveted by her death. It really did not damage the story in any way but elevated Caesar to the realm of saints because he suffered yet another loss. To the reader who wrote that he or she did not like McCullough's rather unremarkable description of Vercingetorix, I completely agree. Vercingetorix could have become an intriguing character but McCullough's focus is on the battle between Caesar and Pompey and the Senate so she makes him out to be a very pale copy of Caesar whom the Master quickly eliminates. To the reader who complained that McCullough went too far by describing Cleopatra as ugly because if she was as ugly as McCullough thinks Caesar and Mark Antony would not be so enthralled with her, I agree somewhat. It is very true that in Ancient Rome, women had to possess some sort of charm or beauty to captivate the men. And McCllough's Caesar seem to respond to an unusual beauty but beauty nonetheless. So how can he fall in love with Cleopatra? The question lies in that the two people who think Cleopatra ugly, Gnaeus Pompeius (son of Pompey the Great) and Gaius Cassius (in a letter to Servillia), apparently appreciate beauty in the Classic, Western way. Cleopatra, according to McCullough, has an Eastern-type face which may have the beauty only a few can appreciate. Caesar's love for the exotic and unique may explain his future infatuation with Cleopatra. And since Cleopatra is smart and cunning and supposed to have a beautifully melodic voice (which Caesar will definitely appreciate since he loved Rhiannon voice more than anything about her), she was able to seduce both Caesar and Mark Antony. Also, the claim that Cleopatra was ugly is reinforced by the coins depicting her profile. The profile features a very prominent nose and an unattractive face that may be because Cleopatra in fact was ugly or the person who carved her image was unskilled or a mixture of both. Plus, isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder? And, perhaps Cleopatra had so much personality that her looks could be ignored in light of everything else she could offer. I also think that McCullough seems to be in love with her creation and makes Caesar a bigger hero than he actually was. I believe that she is completely justified because he is the hero of the book and the enigma that follows him (everything he touches turns to gold and he succeeds in everything he puts his mind to) is part of the appeal of the novel. McCullough compensates his military and political victories by making his personal life full of pain and disappointment. His relationships with women leave a lot to be desired and his lack of a family is almost heartbreaking. Other than this book, I only read "Caesar's Women" in the Masters of Rome series. I liked "Caesar's Women" better because all of the action took place in Rome and Rome's political scene is more interesting, in my opinion, than reading about military campaigns. I love intrigue and that may explain my preferences. Although character development is almost nonexistent, I still enjoyed the introduction of Porcia and her relationship with Brutus. Overall this is a great book, and I can't wait until October's Horse will come out. The typographical errors were numerous as usual. A big minus.
|
