Reviews

Augustus, by John Williams

parreira007's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

mandarijnen_eten's review against another edition

It's definitely not bad. Just not what I expected and enjoy right now. I'll probably return to it in a few years.

entropia9's review against another edition

3.0

Augustus is an epistolary novel on rise and reign of Octavius Augustus. Letters are not always in chronological order, at first it might be confusing, but after getting more familiar and attached to characters it it stopped being an issue, I'd even say that form of the book is quite fitting. I really like how each character had their unique writing style. What I didn't like is that some characters felt, hmm, "overhyped". For example Augustus's daughter Julia's description by Athenodorus "she been a man, and less intelligent, she could have become a great philosopher" sets quite high expectation for her character and I must say I was disappointed. Spoilers ahead!

Spoiler

In the end regarding plot concocted by her lover and ex-lovers to kill Augustus, she either:
a) never realized what was going on around her (according to her letters)
b) was the one to set it in motion but wouldn't be able to admit that herself (according to Augustus)
If a) would be true, then it's very underwhelming and if b) would be true, then it feels like that too, because you'd expect her to have more self-awareness and courage to face the truth of her actions.

Nevertheless reading her letters was delightful experience. My biggest disappointment was the last letter of Octavius Augustus, it felt boring and overstretched to me. I really liked the epilogue, the last sentence made me chuckle quite a bit due to knowing how hopes voiced there have been thwarted.

mattnauwelaers's review

4.0

A grand and yet intimate fictionalized history novel about the life of Roman Emperor Augustus. Superb

bryanfox's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

withonestone's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kucharowa's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

truthlessofcanada's review

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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a 300 page novel, and the format is just a bunch of letters. By the end I felt like I know the characters as well as if I had read a million word series, with constant direct access to their thoughts.

Basically for a non fantasy book, this is as close to written for me as any novel can be.

Epistolary (which I love)
Beautiful prose without being super dense
My favorite time period
the main strength is really well fleshed out, human feeling complex characters.

My only con would be that because it is all letters, every once in a while I would get to a letter that I found slightly boring. 

9.2/10

giuliettaajello's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

mgalactosidase's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5