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luna545's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rheren's review against another edition
2.0
I was really looking forward to reading this book, after learning about the amazing life of Belisarius, but was very disappointed. I really enjoyed Robert Graves' Claudius books, but this one paled in comparison.
The third person narrative just didn't grab me the way that the first-person Claudius books did. The descriptions of battles were interesting, but still somewhat dry. Other than the battles, though, the intrigues and injustices were depressing and tragic, but just annoyed me rather than pierced me. I especially was annoyed by his portrayal of Justinian, the emperor Belisarius served. It was just absurd. Certainly, Justinian had his faults: he was paranoid, grandoise, rapacious and vain, no doubt about that. However, Graves' further portrayal of him as licentious, incompetent, lazy and weak is just ridiculous. There were PLENTY of Roman and Byzantine emperors that fit those characteristics, and the contrast between their reigns and Justinian's is so stark as to be inarguable, I would say. Anyways, that's just the armchair historian in me. I kinda liked Justinian, in his own way, so I had a hard time getting past that continual refrain in the book.
By the end of the book I was skimming it just to finally be done with it, and that's the sign of a 2-star book, in my rating system.
The third person narrative just didn't grab me the way that the first-person Claudius books did. The descriptions of battles were interesting, but still somewhat dry. Other than the battles, though, the intrigues and injustices were depressing and tragic, but just annoyed me rather than pierced me. I especially was annoyed by his portrayal of Justinian, the emperor Belisarius served. It was just absurd. Certainly, Justinian had his faults: he was paranoid, grandoise, rapacious and vain, no doubt about that. However, Graves' further portrayal of him as licentious, incompetent, lazy and weak is just ridiculous. There were PLENTY of Roman and Byzantine emperors that fit those characteristics, and the contrast between their reigns and Justinian's is so stark as to be inarguable, I would say. Anyways, that's just the armchair historian in me. I kinda liked Justinian, in his own way, so I had a hard time getting past that continual refrain in the book.
By the end of the book I was skimming it just to finally be done with it, and that's the sign of a 2-star book, in my rating system.
jhouses's review against another edition
2.0
Un libro que recordaba con cariño de mi juventud y que no ha resistido una segunda lectura en mi edad madura. Imagino que la primera vez, desconocedor de la historia de las guerras bizantinas en la Península Itálica y menos crítico con los libros que caían en mis manos, me causó una impresión que ahora no alcanza. Carece de diálogos y caracterización de personajes. Recurre al testimonio de un viejo pedante como vehículo al igual que hizo en Y0, Claudio pero, a diferencia de éste, no se compensa con el inmeso panorama histórico de la dinastía Julio-Claudia. Aquí asistimos a una profusión de escaramuzas, hazañas bélicas y campañas pormenorizadas en las que las conquistas, asedios, retiradas y traiciones se apilan terminando por aburrir. La indignidad de Justiniano y Teodora y la honradez de Belisario no incluyen matices y tampoco se utilizan con habilidad.
alyosha57's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
robertwhelan's review against another edition
2.0
Found the writing boring, it just didn't click for me.
robertwhelan's review against another edition
2.0
Found the writing boring, it just didn't click for me.
booccmaster's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
simonmee's review against another edition
4.0
Written as a semi-historical account, Count Belisarius is perhaps better understood as a love ode to its protagonist, who always does the right thing .
It is not a masterpiece of characterisation, except as to Belisarius' wife Antonina, but the book holds up as still very readable, with notweworthy asides such as letters about elephants and other such diversions:
The breach was sealed up again, but when the Goths came next night to resume work they were confronted by a placard reading: 'Road closed. By Order of Belisarius.'
As to its historical worth, I suggest appreciating Graves' efforts but proceed with caution. The Ostrogothic nation did not exist at the Battle of Adrianople, and the comment:
Compare the fine, simple story contained in the four Gospels, obviously born among illiterate peasants and fishermen who never studied either grammar or rhetoric, which the wearisome philosophic Christianity of our time!
...feels a bit off even for someone writing contemporaneous with the time period - the Gospels are hardly simple. That being said, the breakdown of internal politics and religion serve as useful lodestars.
Still a very good flowing read.
It is not a masterpiece of characterisation, except as to Belisarius' wife Antonina, but the book holds up as still very readable, with notweworthy asides such as letters about elephants and other such diversions:
The breach was sealed up again, but when the Goths came next night to resume work they were confronted by a placard reading: 'Road closed. By Order of Belisarius.'
As to its historical worth, I suggest appreciating Graves' efforts but proceed with caution. The Ostrogothic nation did not exist at the Battle of Adrianople, and the comment:
Compare the fine, simple story contained in the four Gospels, obviously born among illiterate peasants and fishermen who never studied either grammar or rhetoric, which the wearisome philosophic Christianity of our time!
...feels a bit off even for someone writing contemporaneous with the time period - the Gospels are hardly simple. That being said, the breakdown of internal politics and religion serve as useful lodestars.
Still a very good flowing read.