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missbookiverse's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the eclectic mix of styles this was written in. It takes the epic poem as its base and makes it its own by throwing in colloquial English, Latin, and possibly more. The result may be anachronistic but it flows so naturally that you might question whether anybody has ever spoken differently during the reign of the Roman Empire.
Apart from that it gives history a much needed facelift. I don't know about you, but I was not aware of Africans being present in Britain during the Roman occupation (or I never really thought about it because they are never mentioned in literary sources). Turns out they were and Evaristo imagines what the life of one young girl, whose parents immigrated from Sudan, might have been like. Spoiler alert: it was pretty tragic, but I nevertheless enjoyed following Zuleika's education, loveless marriage, friendships, and romantic affair, watching her turn from a mistreated 11-year-old girl into an imperious head of the household and a fierce lover.
Apart from that it gives history a much needed facelift. I don't know about you, but I was not aware of Africans being present in Britain during the Roman occupation (or I never really thought about it because they are never mentioned in literary sources). Turns out they were and Evaristo imagines what the life of one young girl, whose parents immigrated from Sudan, might have been like. Spoiler alert: it was pretty tragic, but I nevertheless enjoyed following Zuleika's education, loveless marriage, friendships, and romantic affair, watching her turn from a mistreated 11-year-old girl into an imperious head of the household and a fierce lover.
sarahreadsbooks123's review against another edition
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
ssmith1407's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sara_dodd's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
thebookboy's review against another edition
5.0
I had great fun with this one! Set during the Roman occupation of Britain and inspired by the knowledge that black people have been in the British isles since that time, The Emperor's Babe is a fast flowing verse novel that explores various aspects of roman culture, sexuality, society and more through a tongue-in-cheek witty narrative.
Zuleika is an excellent character and despite her youth manages to be a lively and interesting focus for the novel. Born effectively poor and risen to great heights, she is an example of the fetishising of the exotic and the fluid nature of Roman society in many ways.
I adored the Latin, the puns, the fun speech and the characters, the representation and even the whole verse format which I thought may be a bit contrived and irritating after a while (it thankfully wasn't).
Obviously this is not a novel that is going to be everyone's cup of tea - it's very experimental and silly in some respects, but that just added to the whole feel of it for me - I found myself utterly transported and wanting more and more.
5 stars
Zuleika is an excellent character and despite her youth manages to be a lively and interesting focus for the novel. Born effectively poor and risen to great heights, she is an example of the fetishising of the exotic and the fluid nature of Roman society in many ways.
I adored the Latin, the puns, the fun speech and the characters, the representation and even the whole verse format which I thought may be a bit contrived and irritating after a while (it thankfully wasn't).
Obviously this is not a novel that is going to be everyone's cup of tea - it's very experimental and silly in some respects, but that just added to the whole feel of it for me - I found myself utterly transported and wanting more and more.
5 stars
stella94's review against another edition
3.0
Not often a book leaves me at loss for words, but this one did. Hm.
The genius of the book is in its writing, unsure about the story.. Will need to digest this one
The genius of the book is in its writing, unsure about the story.. Will need to digest this one
zdslade's review against another edition
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
coupes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thepsychonyx's review against another edition
5.0
An incredible work of poetic narrative with a fantastic execution of the convergence of old concepts and present ideals. At times it felt convoluted but what a fascinating text and dialogue to be had on how literature can evolve