Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient Rome
by Robert Harris
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Book Summary Information
Author: Robert HarrisBrand: Simon & Schuster Audio
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Deckle Edge
Published: 2010-02-02
ISBN: 0743266102
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Book Reviews of Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Book Review: Utterly compelling continuation of Cicero's struggle for recognition
Summary: 5 Stars
Power politics is an ugly business, whether it's played in the halls of the Senate in 21st century Washington, or the Senate of Republican Rome in the first century BC. Harris could have chosen to set his thriller in the former; happily for readers he has opted instead to tell a story of high-stakes political games-playing featuring the celebrated orator Cicero and the ruthlessly ambitious military leader, Julius Caesar. When the novel opens, Cicero is on top of the world -- literally and rhetorically. He's on the roof of his house, studying the skies for omens as he begins his year as Consul, the ultimate authority in Rome. Even his carping wife seems happy.
Then there's a murder on the day of his accession to power -- and while the mystery never really occupies center stage in this drama, it's an ominous sign of the plots that are being brewed by Cicero's political foes behind the scene, including some of Rome's most noble families. As in the first volume of this projected trilogy, Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome, the tale of Cicero's year as consul and the conspiracy he must combat and resolve, even if it means going against his own principles, is told through the eyes of his slave and scribe, Tiro. Above all, however, this is the story of Cicero's realization that the most dangerous threat to the Roman Republic he cherishes may remain and be embodied in one of its increasingly popular military leaders: Caesar. Seeing Caesar through Tiro's eyes gave me an entirely fresh sense of how he might have been perceived not only by his aristocratic peers or a 'new man' like Cicero but by the broader population of Rome on whose support he would craft the beginnings of what would become an empire. It's an absolutely chilling portrait of someone who to the outward world appears intelligent, committed and effective, and yet who is utterly cold and manipulative.
I enjoyed the first volume of this saga so much that I didn't want to wait for the second to be published in the U.S., but ordered it from the U.K. when it appeared last year. I wasn't disappointed, and was even happy to fork over the extra $10 shipping fee to get it as soon as I could after a yearlong publishing delay. Now I'm condemned to wait another year or two for the third and final volume to appear, it feels like torture.
This is a book that anyone who has read Colleen McCullough's immense seven-volume series starting with The First Man in Rome will relish. Even better, it's a fast-paced version of some of the events covered in those books that will appeal to anyone who shied away from McCullough's books as being either too ponderous, excessively detailed or simply way too long. This is the story of the decline and fall of the Roman republic, the collapse of a political ideal, through the eyes of Cicero, who still cherishes that ideal and that system. The timing of his rise to the top at a time when being ruler of Rome means he must grapple with the harsh truth that his idea of Rome and the reality are no longer the same is as heartbreaking as in any classical tragedy. The suspense doesn't falter, the historical accuracy is remarkable and Harris's crisp style is admirable.
Highly recommended; I can't wait for the next installment.
Summary of Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient Rome
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