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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Δεύτερη εμπειρία μου με βιβλίο του John Williams (μεταφρασμένο*) μετά τον υπερεκτιμημένο κατ' εμέ Stoner, εντελώς διαφορετική αυτή τη φορά.
ΤΙ ΕΓΡΑΨΕ Ο ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ;;;;
Ένα αριστούργημα γραμμένο με τη μορφή επιστολών. Πολλές οπτικές γωνίες, μία ιστορία (ήδη γνωστή από την Ιστορία)... και όμως σε κρατάει σε κάθε σελίδα του γατζωμένο, ελπίζοντας να μην τελειώσει (spoiler alert... τελειώνει :P ). Οι σκέψεις και τα συναισθήματα ιστορικών προσώπων, όπως τα βγάζουν στο χαρτί (πάπυρο; περγαμηνή;) και τα μοιράζονται με φίλους, συγγενείς, οικείους και εχθρούς, σε βάζουν μέσα στην ιστορία και τη ζεις μέσα από τα μάτια τους, ή από ό,τι θέλουν τα μάτια τους να δουν οι άλλοι.
Ό,τι και να πω λίγο είναι.
*τα αγγλικά αντίτυπα του Αυγούστου και του Butcher's Crossing είναι απλησίαστα...
ΤΙ ΕΓΡΑΨΕ Ο ΑΝΘΡΩΠΟΣ;;;;
Ένα αριστούργημα γραμμένο με τη μορφή επιστολών. Πολλές οπτικές γωνίες, μία ιστορία (ήδη γνωστή από την Ιστορία)... και όμως σε κρατάει σε κάθε σελίδα του γατζωμένο, ελπίζοντας να μην τελειώσει (spoiler alert... τελειώνει :P ). Οι σκέψεις και τα συναισθήματα ιστορικών προσώπων, όπως τα βγάζουν στο χαρτί (πάπυρο; περγαμηνή;) και τα μοιράζονται με φίλους, συγγενείς, οικείους και εχθρούς, σε βάζουν μέσα στην ιστορία και τη ζεις μέσα από τα μάτια τους, ή από ό,τι θέλουν τα μάτια τους να δουν οι άλλοι.
Ό,τι και να πω λίγο είναι.
*τα αγγλικά αντίτυπα του Αυγούστου και του Butcher's Crossing είναι απλησίαστα...
I was really surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this. I've never been a big fan of historical fiction, and I never had any particular interest in Roman history. The only other epistolary novel I've read was "This is How You Lose the Time War", which is about as different from this as you can get.
The style of the letters felt regal and formal in a way that really fit with the tone of the whole novel. I listened to this as an audiobook, so I occasionally had a hard time keeping track of characters, especially since every roman had six different names, and many of them had similar names.
Williams does an excellent job of running through the life of Caesar Augustus with all of the information we know about him, and also interpolates intent and actions where we have no real sources. This definitely can't be relied upon for an accurate telling of the history, but it does a great job of giving a broad understanding of the time while also telling an interesting story.
Williams did an excellent job of using the epistolary style, in a way that I think few others could have pulled off, but there were certainly times where I felt like it was limited. Many of the letters describe people's memories of past events, and in these instances their voices tend to become very similar, defaulting to William's personal style.
I did really enjoy it, and I think those more interested in historical fiction or Roman history would love it. 4/5
The style of the letters felt regal and formal in a way that really fit with the tone of the whole novel. I listened to this as an audiobook, so I occasionally had a hard time keeping track of characters, especially since every roman had six different names, and many of them had similar names.
Williams does an excellent job of running through the life of Caesar Augustus with all of the information we know about him, and also interpolates intent and actions where we have no real sources. This definitely can't be relied upon for an accurate telling of the history, but it does a great job of giving a broad understanding of the time while also telling an interesting story.
Williams did an excellent job of using the epistolary style, in a way that I think few others could have pulled off, but there were certainly times where I felt like it was limited. Many of the letters describe people's memories of past events, and in these instances their voices tend to become very similar, defaulting to William's personal style.
I did really enjoy it, and I think those more interested in historical fiction or Roman history would love it. 4/5
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Ik vond het een leuk geschiedkundig boek. Het vertelde aan de hand van dagboekfragmenten en brieven van de ene aan de andere het verhaal van keizer Augustus. In het begin had ik daardoor moeite met alle personages uit elkaar te houden maar uiteindelijk vond ik dit een sterkte van het boek omdat je de visie van zowel vriend als vijand over de gebeurtenissen kon te weten komen. Een nadeel was dat de zinnen precies letterlijk uit het Latijn zijn vertaald waardoor ze nogal statisch las. Ben blij dat het uit is :))
"Hoewel ik het toen misschien niet had kunnen verwoorden, wist ik dat mijn bestemming eenvoudigweg hierop neerkwam: de wereld veranderen."
"Hoewel ik het toen misschien niet had kunnen verwoorden, wist ik dat mijn bestemming eenvoudigweg hierop neerkwam: de wereld veranderen."
john williams has me in a chokehold. the range of his novels amazes me.
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
William Shakespeare’s Roman plays must make room for Augustus by John Williams. The prose are simple, clear, and elegant. This epistolary novel chronicles the life of Caesar Augustus—secondarily his daughter Julia—through a tapestry of letters, journal entries, and legal documents. The protagonist’s voice emerges only at the novel’s end, offering a powerful conclusion. A singular achievement in historical fiction, Augustus is both compelling and unique.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-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
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes