Reviews

The Emperor's Babe by Bernardine Evaristo

carter84's review against another edition

3.0

I admire the incredible courage that it took to write a book like this in verse with a mix of Latin and contemporary language and I do think that the books is really funny in places, but I cannot give more than 3 stars for the simple reason that I found it a bit lacking in terms of actual narrative.

greggles_93's review

5.0

This book was unlike any I have read before, in terms of both it's experimental form and daring subject matter. The whole novel is written in blank verse (the verse is mostly in lolloping four-beat accentual syllabics) which is remarkable and displays Evaristo's mastery of the form, because it really does read with complete narrative cohesion. Set in a 'Londonium' of AD211, the Emperor's Babe explores the early life of a Sudanese woman, Zuleika, who is effectively sold into marraige by her father, to an older wealthy Roman who keeps her like a bird in a gilded cage. The protagonist's journey is both highly entertaining and heartbreaking in equal measure, and would highly recommend reading it if experimental form and a nod to Ancient Roman cultures is your thing.

ohfenna's review against another edition

challenging

5.0

pip_tries_her_best's review against another edition

adventurous challenging sad 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

3.0

tooawkward2dance's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

annabel_winter's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Transphobia

deezyreads's review against another edition

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

vi_readsbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny

4.0

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.

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