Scan barcode
A review by kandicez
Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough
5.0
January 2015 -
McCullough's writing slays me because it's so smart. I feel smarter after devouring one of her novels. She researches EVERYTHING so every word and description feels spot on.
I always fall deeply into McCullough's books. Her writing style is so accessible, that even when the story is mired in history, geography, Latin, unfamiliar words, hard to remember names...I still live it as I read!
I love the story of A&C and have read many versions. The uber-romantic ones appealed to me when I was younger (of course), but now that I have "matured" McCullough's version seems so much more realistic. Antony was a boor. By all accounts, he was handsome, charming, and strong, but at the same time, he was a womanizer, drank to excess, and suffered feelings of inadequacy. These are the same faults that kept Gaius Julius Caesar from naming him his successor. This was a blow from which Antony never recovered.
Cleopatra, except in the most romantic versions of her life, was not a great beauty. Her appeal lay in her intelligence, reality, and speaking voice. There is no doubt she was an effective ruler. Caesar helped her develop her leadership skills after securing her throne. I find it believable that they shared a true love. Yes, the relationship was mutually beneficial, but only love would account for the longevity of their time as a couple. Antony arrives on the scene when she is already firmly ensconced in her reign. Caesar not only paves the way for Cleopatra's life but, in essence, paved the way to her for Antony.
Cleopatra's wealth was a great way for Antony to further his campaign. He didn't seek her out for an affair of the heart. She was a woman. He liked women. She needed a "godlike" man to father her children. They were infinitely useful to one another. I'm sure they developed real feelings, especially as their children were born, but theirs was a relationship of convenience. Out of sight, out of mind, seemed to be their approach to separations. It was perfectly acceptable and utterly realistic.
As she always does, McCullough brought Egypt and Rome to life for me. Each place Antony or Octavian visited felt very tangible, real, right here, right now, not centuries past. Politics are always the most intriguing aspects of any book on ancient civilization. Here, although the title is Antony and Cleopatra, we learn as much about Octavian's politics and motivations as theirs. No author will make me hate him less, but McC lets me understand him at least.
It's hard to read the end of any story about these doomed lovers, but here it's told in a tasteful, understandable way. We expect it, yes, but we can also understand it. Not just for the cruel deaths they suffer, but for the political maneuvering that made their deaths inevitable and unavoidable.
McCullough's writing slays me because it's so smart. I feel smarter after devouring one of her novels. She researches EVERYTHING so every word and description feels spot on.
I always fall deeply into McCullough's books. Her writing style is so accessible, that even when the story is mired in history, geography, Latin, unfamiliar words, hard to remember names...I still live it as I read!
I love the story of A&C and have read many versions. The uber-romantic ones appealed to me when I was younger (of course), but now that I have "matured" McCullough's version seems so much more realistic. Antony was a boor. By all accounts, he was handsome, charming, and strong, but at the same time, he was a womanizer, drank to excess, and suffered feelings of inadequacy. These are the same faults that kept Gaius Julius Caesar from naming him his successor. This was a blow from which Antony never recovered.
Cleopatra, except in the most romantic versions of her life, was not a great beauty. Her appeal lay in her intelligence, reality, and speaking voice. There is no doubt she was an effective ruler. Caesar helped her develop her leadership skills after securing her throne. I find it believable that they shared a true love. Yes, the relationship was mutually beneficial, but only love would account for the longevity of their time as a couple. Antony arrives on the scene when she is already firmly ensconced in her reign. Caesar not only paves the way for Cleopatra's life but, in essence, paved the way to her for Antony.
Cleopatra's wealth was a great way for Antony to further his campaign. He didn't seek her out for an affair of the heart. She was a woman. He liked women. She needed a "godlike" man to father her children. They were infinitely useful to one another. I'm sure they developed real feelings, especially as their children were born, but theirs was a relationship of convenience. Out of sight, out of mind, seemed to be their approach to separations. It was perfectly acceptable and utterly realistic.
As she always does, McCullough brought Egypt and Rome to life for me. Each place Antony or Octavian visited felt very tangible, real, right here, right now, not centuries past. Politics are always the most intriguing aspects of any book on ancient civilization. Here, although the title is Antony and Cleopatra, we learn as much about Octavian's politics and motivations as theirs. No author will make me hate him less, but McC lets me understand him at least.
It's hard to read the end of any story about these doomed lovers, but here it's told in a tasteful, understandable way. We expect it, yes, but we can also understand it. Not just for the cruel deaths they suffer, but for the political maneuvering that made their deaths inevitable and unavoidable.