If you are new to Harris or an exisitng fan I don't believe that you will be disappointed by Imperium.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 which maybe mean but I did enjoy Fatherland & Archangel more.
This is the story of Marcus Tullius Cicero as narrated by his secretary and loyal servant Tiro. ... Read review
When Tiro, the confidential secretary of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified ... more
stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events which will eventually propel his master into one of the most famous courtroom dramas in history.
When Tiro, the confidential secretary of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified ... more
stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events which will eventually propel his master into one of the most famous courtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island's corrupt Roman governor, Verres.
Advantages: Entertaining, intriguing story, warm & funny in places. Disadvantages: Some Harris fans may feel that Imperium is not as fast paced as Fatherland or Archangel.
If you are new to Harris or an exisitng fan I don't believe that you will be disappointed by Imperium.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 which maybe mean but I did enjoy Fatherland & Archangel more.
This is the story of Marcus Tullius Cicero as narrated by his secretary and loyal servant Tiro.
Tiro charts Cicero's rise up Rome's political ladder from 79BC to 64BC, recounting his trials & tribulations in a ... ...paced action, Harris had me craving every day for my dose of Roman political intrigue.
As Cicero comes neither from an aristoric family or has achieved military glory on the battlefield, it seems that the odds of his rising to the highest positions of power are stacked against him.
Cicero's greatest hope lies in his incredible intellect and his very unroman habit of occassionally choosing right over wrong.
more
If you are new to Harris or an exisitng fan I don't believe that you will be disappointed by Imperium.
I rated this book 4 out of 5 which maybe mean but I did enjoy Fatherland & Archangel more.
This is the story of Marcus Tullius Cicero as narrated by his secretary and loyal servant Tiro.
Tiro charts Cicero's rise up Rome's political ladder from 79BC to 64BC, recounting his trials & tribulations in a riveting and in places touching manner. Without relying on fast paced action, Harris had me craving every day for my dose of Roman political intrigue.
As Cicero comes neither from an aristoric family or has achieved military glory on the battlefield, it seems that the odds of his rising to the highest positions of power are stacked against him.
Cicero's greatest hope lies in his incredible intellect and his very unroman habit of occassionally choosing right over wrong.
Harris' portrait of Cicero is not completley one-sided. Some of the less chivalrous aspects of Cicero's nature are on display here as well.
Although I cannot comment on the accuracy of Harris' Rome, the numerous characters such as Pompey, Crassus and Caesar and the various plots that unwind throughout make this a book well worth the purchase price.
Advantages: Fascinating insight into Roman politics Disadvantages: No orgies!
Ancient Rome is back in vogue, maybe this stems from huge success of the film 'Gladiator' a few years ago but more recently this fascination has spread to TV and books. The highly enjoyable TV romp Rome presented us with the more common vision of the ancient capitol featuring plenty or orgies, assassinations and torture... an adult Roman soap opera if you like. In the sphere of literature there have been many historically based fantasy fictions such as the Emperor series by Conn Iggulden or the books by Valerio Massimo Manfredi one of which 'The Last Legion' has also been made into a film. Some authors however has attempted to bring a more realistic vision of ancient Rome to us and RobertHarris in his previous book 'Pompeii' and in this book 'Imperium' has given us a literary version of the docu/drama, blending real life historical ...
Advantages: Great plot, strong narrative, memorable episodes Disadvantages: Too many names can confuse by the end, knowledge of ancient Rome helpful
Imperium is the fifth novel by RobertHarris. I have read the first three, Fatherland, Enigma and Archangel, which might be said to belong to the genre of alternative history. I have not read Pompeii which is based on the events around the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, but when I saw Imperium at the airport I was tempted to buy it. A three hour flight and nearly 200 pages later, I think it is safe to say that I was hooked.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
The book is written in the form of a first person narrative, that person being the nearly 100-year old slave, Tiro, who as a slave of the famous orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, invented a system of shorthand that enabled him to take down great amounts of speech verbatim, which could be read back faultlessly. In his twilight years, Tiro sets down what Cicero was like, having been privy to ...
Advantages: Accurate detail, some interesting points Disadvantages: Abrupt ending, bit too political
As a fan of RobertHarris' earlier novels I looked forward to Imperium with much anticipation. The fact that the novel was based around Cicero was a bonus as Ancient Rome is something of an interest to me and I have previously enjoyed historical novels based in Rome (notably the Caesar series by Conn Iggulden).
However I have to say that I was disappointed in this novel. Although well written it just seemed to drag on for me and though there were some points of interest it was all too political.
There just was not the same amount of action or suspense as present in Harris' previous works such as Fatherland or Archangel. I would say Imperium is very much like Pompeii in that it promises more than it delivers.
Both Imperium and Pompeii are interesting but just didn't have that hook to capture my interest fully. I found the ending ...
Product Information for "Imperium - Robert Harris" »
Product details
Type
Fiction
Genre
Historical Fiction
Title
Imperium
Author
Robert Harris
Publisher
Hutchinson
Number of Pages
416
Edition
Paperback
ISBN
0091795427; 0091800951; 0091801257; 8425341426
Manufacturer's product description
When Tiro, the confidential secretary of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events which will eventually propel his master into one of the most famous courtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island?s corrupt Roman governor, Verres. The senator is Cicero, a brilliant young lawyer and spellbinding orator, determined to attain imperium ? supreme power in the state. This is the starting-point of Robert Harris?s most accomplished novel to date. Compellingly written in Tiro?s voice, it takes us inside the violent, treacherous world of Roman politics, to describe how one man ? clever, compassionate, devious, vulnerable ? fought to reach the top. ?Sometimes it is foolish to articulate an ambition too early ? exposing it prematurely to the laughter and scepticism of the world can destroy it before it is even properly born. But sometimes the opposite occurs, and the very act of mentioning a thing makes it suddenly seem possible, even plausible. That was how it was that night. When Cicero pronounced the word ?consul? he planted it in the ground like a standard for us all to admire. And for a moment we glimpsed the brilliant, starry future through his eyes, and saw that he was right: that if he took down Verres, he had a chance; that he might ? just ? with luck ? go all the way to the summit?? From the PublisherThe first book in a major new trilogy set in the Ancient Roman Empire by the number one bestselling author of Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel and Pompeii See all Product Description
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