View original postI didn't actually finish the series, because it became more intolerable as Caesar's role increased. The more even-handed approach McCollough used to portray flawed historical figures such as Marius & Sulla disappeared, as she made Caesar as much of a Mary Sue as you can get with an historical figure. I thought Stephen Pressfield went overboard on Dienekes in "Gates of Fire", until I read "Caesar's Women".
That's true. I remember the way she felt obligated to include the historical element of Caesar being accused of sodomy with the king of Bithynia, but then kept harping on how that was completely false slander. The series does go downhill as it progresses - the final book, Antony and Cleopatra, doesn't feature Caesar at all anymore, but that too wasn't up to the standards of the early ones, I thought.
Though the historical record, for what it's worth, does support the notion of Caesar being among the most remarkable personalities in world history. Some of that may be exaggerated praise from later generations, thanks to Augustus' political agenda, but we can't really determine that anymore now.
View original postI much preferred the portrayals of Cicero & Caesar in Robert Harris' "Imperium" & "Lustrum".
I have Imperium, but haven't read it yet.
View original postThat's an excellent description. The level of detail as well gives a strong impression of the cultural context, and the familial interrelationships as well. After reading McCullough, I found myself recognizing characters in other fiction on the period, as "so-and-so's grandson, the cousin of whatshisname, etc, etc." This series gave me a level of familiarity with the major players of the late republic akin to the characters of WoT or aSoI&F. For someone interested in that kind of immersion in cultural and social details, I would completely recommend this series.
Absolutely. Though in many cases she makes assumptions that aren't proven, in terms of characters and their family relations, particularly when it comes to the women on whom the historical record is always vaguer, most of all in Rome where all the women in a family had basically the same name (and successive generations of men did as well). So those conclusions aren't always entirely accurate, or at least not certain.
Colleen McCullough has passed away.
- 29/01/2015 12:21:51 PM
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It's a pity that The Thorn Birds gets so much attention when The First Man in Rome series
- 29/01/2015 02:16:26 PM
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That Rome series is the only thing by her that I've read.
- 29/01/2015 09:31:36 PM
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Just about every word goes for me too.
- 30/01/2015 12:27:36 PM
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Fair point on Caesar.
- 30/01/2015 05:53:34 PM
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I've read Morgan's Run, it was rather heavy reading for a ten-year old 
- 31/01/2015 11:43:44 PM
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- 31/01/2015 11:43:44 PM
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