I opened this book thinking that it was a work of historical fiction. I may have developed that misconception due to the liberal amount of wine I consumed at the holiday book exchange where I viciously usurped the book. (Actually, I was following the exchange rules, but it sounds much more Ptolemaic the other way.) At any rate, somehow I missed the fact that this is a carefully researched biography.
I think I would have had a difficult time getting into the book, even without that misconception. The first few chapters are slow and, honestly, kind of boring. Schiff tries to recreate the world into which Cleopatra was born, but gets bogged down in the details. It also took a chapter or two to become accustomed to Schiff's often overly wordy, academic writing style. (Again, it doesn't help that I was expecting fiction, and have been reading quite a bit of light fiction lately.)
Schiff picks up steam in the middle chapters with Cleopatra's visit to Rome and Caesar's assassination, continuing with Cleopatra's relationship with Antony, etc. The end lagged a bit, too. I was interested in finding out what happened to Cleopatra's children, but then she just kept going on and on, I suppose in an attempt to wrap it all up.
Overall, it was a good book, especially enjoyable if you're interested in how history has often been rewritten by the victors (and men).
I think I would have had a difficult time getting into the book, even without that misconception. The first few chapters are slow and, honestly, kind of boring. Schiff tries to recreate the world into which Cleopatra was born, but gets bogged down in the details. It also took a chapter or two to become accustomed to Schiff's often overly wordy, academic writing style. (Again, it doesn't help that I was expecting fiction, and have been reading quite a bit of light fiction lately.)
Schiff picks up steam in the middle chapters with Cleopatra's visit to Rome and Caesar's assassination, continuing with Cleopatra's relationship with Antony, etc. The end lagged a bit, too. I was interested in finding out what happened to Cleopatra's children, but then she just kept going on and on, I suppose in an attempt to wrap it all up.
Overall, it was a good book, especially enjoyable if you're interested in how history has often been rewritten by the victors (and men).
Good - somewhat rambling at times, but I enjoyed it!
This is a highly readable study of Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. Because Cleopatra has been reinterpreted so many times through the ages, it is hard to know the truth about this amazing queen. However, the author goes back and uses classical sources. She spends a great deal of time separating fact from fancy.
The final story is grand in scope. This queen enchanted two of the most powerful Roman men of the day -- Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony. She had children by each man (while the man was married to another). This book really added to my understanding of Cleopatra, her age, Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony.
The final story is grand in scope. This queen enchanted two of the most powerful Roman men of the day -- Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony. She had children by each man (while the man was married to another). This book really added to my understanding of Cleopatra, her age, Julius Ceasar and Mark Antony.
For those saying it's too dry, I say try the audio version. I borrowed it online rom my library with the Overdrive media app. Regardless, I found this a very well researched and informative read. I hadnt realized the time span between the she met Caesar and she killed herself was almost 20 years. Schiff does a great job going to original sources yet making this entertaining.
