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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I recently became enthralled with ancient history, so I had pretty high expectations. I found this novel interesting, but it was a bit boring.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book reminds me a bit of Wolf Hall in that you have a somewhat sketchy but not completely repugnant character who tries to work his way up while making deals that sometimes come back to bite him. I didn't feel an especially strong draw to the characters, but the story was compelling enough to pull me in.
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Exceptionally well written, you fly through it
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don’t feel able to give this a rating. The prose itself was polished and engaging, and the pacing of the book was excellent, with tension spread throughout in a way that certainly kept me interested. However, I found the whole thing a bit... cold? It’s very much a biography of Cicero: Tiro, our narrator, barely has personal interactions with anyone else, and for me his relationship with Cicero was a little bit lacking. As for Cicero himself, I feel we’re never given any reason to root for him over others besides from “he’s the protagonist and Tiro tells us he’s brilliant.” I did enjoy Cicero’s relationships with his daughter, brother, cousin, and friend Atticus, which managed to lend him a little humanity.
The book was also strongly anti-Catilina, which kind of touched a nerve for me, but I suppose it’s necessary in such a pro-Cicero book. One thing Harris did absolutely nail for me was the character of Marcus Caelius Rufus: a debauched and arrogant youth who gets away with the things he does because of his charm and brilliance and who has a certain taste for danger. What little we saw of Harris’ Publius Clodius Pulcher intrigued me too.
Overall, the book probably deserves 4 stars. I just can’t bring myself to give that rating, because that’s what I gave most of [a:Steven Saylor|42919|Steven Saylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394768071p2/42919.jpg]’s Roma Sub Rosa books, and I just enjoyed them so much more - they’ve stuck with me on an emotional level.
The book was also strongly anti-Catilina, which kind of touched a nerve for me, but I suppose it’s necessary in such a pro-Cicero book. One thing Harris did absolutely nail for me was the character of Marcus Caelius Rufus: a debauched and arrogant youth who gets away with the things he does because of his charm and brilliance and who has a certain taste for danger. What little we saw of Harris’ Publius Clodius Pulcher intrigued me too.
Overall, the book probably deserves 4 stars. I just can’t bring myself to give that rating, because that’s what I gave most of [a:Steven Saylor|42919|Steven Saylor|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1394768071p2/42919.jpg]’s Roma Sub Rosa books, and I just enjoyed them so much more - they’ve stuck with me on an emotional level.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
So many names…. And they all look alike….
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes