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stargategirl82's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
overwelmingodds's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
pillywiggin's review against another edition
5.0
The best historical fiction treatment of the turbulent times from the life of Sulla to the ascension of Octavius. One of the best historical fiction series ever, but be prepared to read all of the books once you start, because you won't be able to put them down.
rainbow1218's review against another edition
I was excited to continue with Caesar’s journey but I cannot get past the trite dialogue. Praise for her research, I think I would rather read primary sources instead, I.e Plutarch Lives.
rebeccatc's review against another edition
4.0
This 4th book in the Masters of Rome series covers the period from June of 68 BC to March of 58 BC. The Women of the title include Caesar's mother, Aurelia; his daughter, Julia; his mistress, Servilia, and his wives, Pompeia and Calpurnia. While Caesar's personal relationship to these women is part of the story, the focus is on how they impacted his political career and how he used them to further his success. Aurelia is his advisor; he uses Julia to form alliances, first when he betrothes her to Servilia's son Brutus, and then when he marries her to Pompey Magnus. During the course of the book, Caesar is elected Pontifex Maximus, praetor, and Consul, and forms the Triumverate with Crassus and Pompey the Great. McCullough skips over his time as propraetor of Further Spain, excluding the military victories to focus on his political battles with the conservative members of the boni, including Cato and Bibulus and to a lesser extent Cicero. As usual, the research that went into this and the attention to detail is staggering. Caesar himself is somewhat less dashing than he appeared in earlier books, and is so determined and indomitable that he begins to be a bit frightening. This was a heavy read for someone with little knowledge of ancient history but definitely worth the time.
jennyn52779's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
brandonstark's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
simonmee's review
5.0
"I am going to go as far as I have to go to become the First Man in Rome for as long as I live! And after I die, I will be called the greatest Roman who ever lived!"
I am not sure if I am a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff. I am only vaguely Team Jacob. But I have absolute, utterly unshakeable, faith that you will not read a better series than the Masters of Rome:
Cicero, however, had the last word. "Incest," he said gravely to a large crowd of Forum frequenters, "is a game the whole family can play."
I stand by it.
So what the fourth book in Masters of Rome about? Colleen McCullough’s love for one Gaius Julius Caesar.
"Because he's too tall, too handsome, too successful with the women, and too arrogant by far"
Caesar is going to make it to the top of Roman politics while hiding a pilum under his toga. He needs money, he needs allies, and he needs to humiliate his opposition, whether by insults:
"You wouldn't be able to see over the heads of your military escort, though I suppose you could draft dwarves."
or by sleeping with their wives. Anyway, McCullough makes it very clear that Caesar’s great, finding ways for him to escape opponents, creditors and dead bedrooms:
“I’d rather masturbate!” he said savagely.
…and it drives the book up to the end of Caesar’s first consulship, but Caesar not why I love this book. Instead, what I love are the other characters, each so massively, irremediably, humanly flawed. As the merest, tiniest, piddliest sampling, you have Publius Clodius, the miscreant who’s 50 pages of introductory characterisation is the absolute heart and soul of this book, claiming (among other things) he committed incest with both his sisters in order to own his brother-in-law:
"Clodilla deems you a poor substitute for her little brother."
…only to later lose control of the narrative:
"Clodia? She wouldn't give me an inch!"
Cicero giggled. "Well, why should she give you an inch when I hear that you give her six of your inches regularly?"
Or Cicero, the “New Man” derided as the bumpkin, the mushroom, or the timid soul, completely unlike his contemporary reputation. Known to us for his speeches, instead he will repeatedly giggle or let out an inarticulate bleat. A man of principles to history, here is he an incurable vacillitator. Desperate to do something memorable in his year of consulship, he sniffs out (incites?) a shadowy conspiracy, only to be damned for it and forced into exile by book’s end:
"On the slenderest of pretexts, you have virtually impeached him."
Or Servila. Haughtiest of patricians; lover of Caesar; mother of a future assassin; crucifer of slaves; sampler of her half-brother’s flesh; and, according to Caesar, possessor of a delightfully hairy back.
There are other female characters, and all seem to be in the thrall of Caesar, but Servila is easily the most fully developed. Boredom directs her towards poisoning her full brother to ensure her own son inherits the “Gold of Tolosa”. Impetuosity leads her to writing a love letter that will risk Caesar's career. Domination of her son will doom him to be a “dense sheep” and a “dull dog”. Unsurprisingly, she has her detractors, including Caesar:
Cold and hard as a slab of marble.
Is she portrayed in a cliched and even misogynistic way, overemotional and easily brought back under Caesar’s sway? Perhaps. But she does a lot in the story, and she has her victories of sorts. Existing in a time period not overly ripe for deep female characterisation, she is unlikable, but we know why she does things, and she does things, rather than sit there as an object to conquer or save.
The critical thing is that the above (and more, so many more) drive the plot of Caesar’s Women. It bursts at the seams with payoffs that are inextricably linked to the actions of the characters rather than unknowable and offscreen entities. Grudges revealed in the first 100 pages will drive decisions made 700 later. Witness Clodius’ revenge on Ptolemy the Cyprian by seizing “the Cyprian” part of his title. All over the latter shafting Clodius on a 2 talent ransom. And, Caesar’s most precious woman, his admittedly underwritten daughter Julia, provides the key to ensuring a key alliance:
He ventured a question about what she did with her days (who cared about her days-what did she do with her nights when the moon rode high and her chariot took her to the stars?)
There are no other hills to be conquered, no other ditches to be leapt, no other books to be read. When I die, build a pyre and fuel the flames with the books from this series so that I may ride to literary Valhalla where Colleen McCullough awaits.
I am not sure if I am a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff. I am only vaguely Team Jacob. But I have absolute, utterly unshakeable, faith that you will not read a better series than the Masters of Rome:
Cicero, however, had the last word. "Incest," he said gravely to a large crowd of Forum frequenters, "is a game the whole family can play."
I stand by it.
So what the fourth book in Masters of Rome about? Colleen McCullough’s love for one Gaius Julius Caesar.
"Because he's too tall, too handsome, too successful with the women, and too arrogant by far"
Caesar is going to make it to the top of Roman politics while hiding a pilum under his toga. He needs money, he needs allies, and he needs to humiliate his opposition, whether by insults:
"You wouldn't be able to see over the heads of your military escort, though I suppose you could draft dwarves."
or by sleeping with their wives. Anyway, McCullough makes it very clear that Caesar’s great, finding ways for him to escape opponents, creditors and dead bedrooms:
“I’d rather masturbate!” he said savagely.
…and it drives the book up to the end of Caesar’s first consulship, but Caesar not why I love this book. Instead, what I love are the other characters, each so massively, irremediably, humanly flawed. As the merest, tiniest, piddliest sampling, you have Publius Clodius, the miscreant who’s 50 pages of introductory characterisation is the absolute heart and soul of this book, claiming (among other things) he committed incest with both his sisters in order to own his brother-in-law:
"Clodilla deems you a poor substitute for her little brother."
…only to later lose control of the narrative:
"Clodia? She wouldn't give me an inch!"
Cicero giggled. "Well, why should she give you an inch when I hear that you give her six of your inches regularly?"
Or Cicero, the “New Man” derided as the bumpkin, the mushroom, or the timid soul, completely unlike his contemporary reputation. Known to us for his speeches, instead he will repeatedly giggle or let out an inarticulate bleat. A man of principles to history, here is he an incurable vacillitator. Desperate to do something memorable in his year of consulship, he sniffs out (incites?) a shadowy conspiracy, only to be damned for it and forced into exile by book’s end:
"On the slenderest of pretexts, you have virtually impeached him."
Or Servila. Haughtiest of patricians; lover of Caesar; mother of a future assassin; crucifer of slaves; sampler of her half-brother’s flesh; and, according to Caesar, possessor of a delightfully hairy back.
There are other female characters, and all seem to be in the thrall of Caesar, but Servila is easily the most fully developed. Boredom directs her towards poisoning her full brother to ensure her own son inherits the “Gold of Tolosa”. Impetuosity leads her to writing a love letter that will risk Caesar's career. Domination of her son will doom him to be a “dense sheep” and a “dull dog”. Unsurprisingly, she has her detractors, including Caesar:
Cold and hard as a slab of marble.
Is she portrayed in a cliched and even misogynistic way, overemotional and easily brought back under Caesar’s sway? Perhaps. But she does a lot in the story, and she has her victories of sorts. Existing in a time period not overly ripe for deep female characterisation, she is unlikable, but we know why she does things, and she does things, rather than sit there as an object to conquer or save.
The critical thing is that the above (and more, so many more) drive the plot of Caesar’s Women. It bursts at the seams with payoffs that are inextricably linked to the actions of the characters rather than unknowable and offscreen entities. Grudges revealed in the first 100 pages will drive decisions made 700 later. Witness Clodius’ revenge on Ptolemy the Cyprian by seizing “the Cyprian” part of his title. All over the latter shafting Clodius on a 2 talent ransom. And, Caesar’s most precious woman, his admittedly underwritten daughter Julia, provides the key to ensuring a key alliance:
He ventured a question about what she did with her days (who cared about her days-what did she do with her nights when the moon rode high and her chariot took her to the stars?)
There are no other hills to be conquered, no other ditches to be leapt, no other books to be read. When I die, build a pyre and fuel the flames with the books from this series so that I may ride to literary Valhalla where Colleen McCullough awaits.
corrompido's review against another edition
3.0
This entry in the series had some slow parts for me, it was set much more just in Rome and introduced a lot of people and had a lot of politics. Those parts were a bit more hit or miss. Luckily it picked up in the second half, and things seem setup for an interesting next book in the series.
tartancrusader's review against another edition
4.0
Another excellent installment in this great series.