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4.15 AVERAGE
4.15 AVERAGE
This is obviously a huge undertaking. I thought it was an interesting way to tell the story of Cleopatra. I liked seeing slivers of her realizing some of the men around her were letting either egos or hubris blind them. That said, she certainly did the same at times! It's, quite frankly, way too long. It could be told a lot more succinctly. Glad I read it but I will never look at it again!!
Wonderful, I have read this book time and again and purchased it many times for friends.
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
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
3.5-4 stars.
The first half of the book was decently paced, and interesting. I understand it takes place from Cleopatra's first person perspective, and I understand it's historical fiction, so anything I questioned or thought to be wrong could just be taken that way, but it just felt like it was written too much by a Cleopatra apologist (and I do have me some Cleo love, so it wasn't any dislike of the character). I feel it focused a little bit too much on the men-folk in her life, and the story ended up DRAGGING when it came to Mark Antony's military exploits later in the book. I started skimming and skipping because I was so bored.
The first half of the book was decently paced, and interesting. I understand it takes place from Cleopatra's first person perspective, and I understand it's historical fiction, so anything I questioned or thought to be wrong could just be taken that way, but it just felt like it was written too much by a Cleopatra apologist (and I do have me some Cleo love, so it wasn't any dislike of the character). I feel it focused a little bit too much on the men-folk in her life, and the story ended up DRAGGING when it came to Mark Antony's military exploits later in the book. I started skimming and skipping because I was so bored.
adventurous
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I loved this book. The end was hard to get through because it is so tragic. But it was amazing. Even though it is so long and it took me forever to read, I ended the book wishing there was more. The detail of George's descriptions really transports you to Egypt and her depiction of Cleopatra the woman makes you agree with Cleopatra that, in the end, the Gods abandoned them when they deserved so much more. I couldn't help but love this woman, even though she lived 2,000 years before my time. I took joy in her joys and I cried for her sorrows.
This book literally took me a year to read it all haha. At the time I could read so much because the print was small, the pages long and plus it was over 900 pages and had to read other books along with it. (Also it was my junior year so it had been a year for me becoming an avid reader). So good thing I had owned it at the time. Books I own like that or a non fiction of some type I call "pick up once in awhile" and I don't care how long I take on it. Just as long as I read it.
Anywho, this book was WOW! Absolutely AMAZING actually. Especially when I love the cleopatra/Julius Caesar/Marc Antony era history. So this was such a perfect book for me to read. The research put into this was just amazing especially to find out from the author that apparently there's TONS more info on cleopatra over in Egypt. Such as from what she looked like, to the sound of her voice, how she lived, her personality etc. the things we only know and learn about her comes from her enemies back in Rome such as Virgil and Cicero. So having this in cleopatra's POV made it much more interesting, a lot more fun, and I felt like every time I picked it up, I was right there with her going through her life when she was a young princess up to meeting (and sleeping haha) with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and walking with all of the other historical figures as well. This book is a MUST read and the description of Egypt and Rome were amazing. Just had small print Haha but if you like history or historical fiction in general, then this is your book. I seriously loved this book so much I was sad to let it go years later after I read it. But glad I did end up reading this book and would never forget how well researched and written this was. Just pure amazement! Did I mention amazing? ;)
Anywho, this book was WOW! Absolutely AMAZING actually. Especially when I love the cleopatra/Julius Caesar/Marc Antony era history. So this was such a perfect book for me to read. The research put into this was just amazing especially to find out from the author that apparently there's TONS more info on cleopatra over in Egypt. Such as from what she looked like, to the sound of her voice, how she lived, her personality etc. the things we only know and learn about her comes from her enemies back in Rome such as Virgil and Cicero. So having this in cleopatra's POV made it much more interesting, a lot more fun, and I felt like every time I picked it up, I was right there with her going through her life when she was a young princess up to meeting (and sleeping haha) with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony and walking with all of the other historical figures as well. This book is a MUST read and the description of Egypt and Rome were amazing. Just had small print Haha but if you like history or historical fiction in general, then this is your book. I seriously loved this book so much I was sad to let it go years later after I read it. But glad I did end up reading this book and would never forget how well researched and written this was. Just pure amazement! Did I mention amazing? ;)
I learned a lot of historical tidbits from this book. Some parts are gripping while others are boring. It was also long (over 900 pages). But overall, I liked it.
"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" is yet another example of Margaret George's incredible skill capturing and illuminating time and place. Without dwelling on superficial trappings, a common historical fiction trap for many novelists, she expertly breathes a surrounding life into her novels. She takes the reader there in a way that perfectly balances suggestion and the reader's imagination. For this reason, I thorougly enjoy her books and complete them with a feeling of having truly visited another time.
Having previously read "Cleopatra: The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity" by Alberto Angela (nonfiction and a great read), this novel was a welcome window into what could have been her life. And it was a welcome addition that sought to address some of her infamy with the understanding that the written record historians have relied on came from those who benefited most from her slander.
There is no denying that this book is long. It is, at some points, almost excessively long. But. Once completed, readers will realize why the length is necessary. Without the length, and even some of the slower paced chapters, we wouldn't close the novel with such a deep connection to Cleopatra's humanity.
Throughout the novel, we meet Cleopatra at different life stages. The tiny child who faced a deep loss, the precocious young girl finding adventure, the adolescent with the world on her shoulders, the young and creative queen, the love of Caesar, the Mother, and the love of Marc Antony. Each of these snapshots offers a different side to her character - ones that shift and change as she matures. Quite realistically, she also reads as quite arrogant and selfish in spots, and we get a glimpse of the life events that help her grow into and away from those proclivities.
"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" is an engaging, exhaustive, moving, and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it.
Having previously read "Cleopatra: The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity" by Alberto Angela (nonfiction and a great read), this novel was a welcome window into what could have been her life. And it was a welcome addition that sought to address some of her infamy with the understanding that the written record historians have relied on came from those who benefited most from her slander.
There is no denying that this book is long. It is, at some points, almost excessively long. But. Once completed, readers will realize why the length is necessary. Without the length, and even some of the slower paced chapters, we wouldn't close the novel with such a deep connection to Cleopatra's humanity.
Throughout the novel, we meet Cleopatra at different life stages. The tiny child who faced a deep loss, the precocious young girl finding adventure, the adolescent with the world on her shoulders, the young and creative queen, the love of Caesar, the Mother, and the love of Marc Antony. Each of these snapshots offers a different side to her character - ones that shift and change as she matures. Quite realistically, she also reads as quite arrogant and selfish in spots, and we get a glimpse of the life events that help her grow into and away from those proclivities.
"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" is an engaging, exhaustive, moving, and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it.
It started off a great book, but once it got toward the end I had a really hard time reading through the battles. Antony is a freaking mess and I have to say that I couldn't even finish it.