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zoer03's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a solid 4 stars I can’t give it more nor less. I found it good and solid for its historical facts and good with its fictional details. But I found it skimmed lightly across and you didn’t get a feeling for any character. It felt almost like being on a carousel ride just that your standing still and all the characters are circling ever faster around you. It’s ok.
gnewick304's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
will_sandy's review against another edition
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rachelselene's review against another edition
4.0
the cicero trilogy was recommended to me by a friend/fellow classicist, and i have no idea how i went so long without it!! in my experience, at least, perceptions of cicero in the classicist community tend to be kind of black and white. either you love him or you really dislike him. i’m in the first camp.
unsurprisingly, then, i enjoyed this book. it's not a light read (i had trouble concentrating if i read too late at night) and i can see how some people might find it dry, but i love rich depictions of the late republic and i eat up novels like this. tiro’s narration actually reminded me a lot of sallust’s monographs - i appreciated that harris often tried to mimic the writing style of latin literature. and speaking of literature: a special shoutout to arrius and his “hindeed” (cf catullus 84!). i cackled at that one.
unsurprisingly, then, i enjoyed this book. it's not a light read (i had trouble concentrating if i read too late at night) and i can see how some people might find it dry, but i love rich depictions of the late republic and i eat up novels like this. tiro’s narration actually reminded me a lot of sallust’s monographs - i appreciated that harris often tried to mimic the writing style of latin literature. and speaking of literature: a special shoutout to arrius and his “hindeed” (cf catullus 84!). i cackled at that one.
cassiuscoded's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elizabeth_pearl's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sherwoodreads's review against another edition
I loved this book--though it only covers the early part of Cicero's life. But it's not only a fascinating look at Cicero, it gives what seems to me a balanced (as well as absorbing) picture of Pompeii, Caesar, Cato, and the rest of a bunch of remarkable people.
jessicamusch's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child.” - Cicero
Imperium retells the story of political antics in Ancient Rome through the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero, told compellingly from the perspective of his slave Tiro.
Cicero is known as an orator and politician. This book centres on Cicero’s defence of Rome against a plot to overthrow it by Julius Caesar, culminating in Cicero’s election as consul.
This is an excellent historical retelling. Through telling the story from Tiro’s perspective, Harris is able to deftly weave in real historical records of events and fills in the gaps to tell the story of the complex political dynamics of the era.
Tiro himself is a dynamic character - he was a slave, but was educated with Cicero (at the master’s request) and became Cicero’s secretary. When Cicero granted Tiro his freedom, Tiro continued to work for Cicero. Tiro was a vastly intelligent man, and invented shorthand, which we still use today. He also helped Cicero with writing the speeches he is so famous for.
I really loved this book, but I think it has to lose a star as it lacks criticism of Cicero, beyond Tiro's unspoken disappointment about not being freed yet.
I really loved this book, but I think it has to lose a star as it lacks criticism of Cicero, beyond Tiro's unspoken disappointment about not being freed yet.
jona_tarzan's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
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
4.5