Caesar - Softcover

Allan Massie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340599103 ISBN 13: 9780340599105

Publisher: Sceptre, 1994

Synopsis

'To take the conspiracy against Julius Caesar - one of the most famous murder plots in history - and make of it something fresh and exciting is no small feat. This is what Allan Massie has done in this fine novel which should appeal equally to those who know their Roman history and those for whom it is only a cloudy rumour of remote events' Evening Standard 'Massie's achievement is to infuse the mythical emperor with blood...he invigorates his characters with voices that seem to echo the present, not the past, and which are utterly convincing...a piece of bravura invention' Independent

About this title

About the Author:

Allan Massie is the award-winning author of many novels, including his Roman Quartet - Antony, Augustus, Tiberius and Caesar - as well as several works of non-fiction. He lives in the Scottish Borders and writes for the Daily Telegraph and the Scotsman.

From Publishers Weekly:

In this third in a projected quartet of historical novels set in ancient Rome, Massie (Tiberius) attempts to find new drama in the story of Julius Caesar's murder. The novel's narrator, a Roman general languishing in captivity among the Gauls, muses over the events that have brought down his career. He was once, it seems, Caesar's closest confidant-but became one of his chief betrayers. By casting his narrative in the form of a participant's testimonial, Massie opens a window onto the private triumph and tragedy that marked the final months of Caesar's life. Though the novel includes evocative, naturalistic descriptions (the account of the crossing of the Rubicon, for instance), the emphasis here is on character. In a series of rhetorical set pieces, the author represents the table talk of well-known personages. He follows previous novelists of Roman decadence in cataloging the sexual proclivities of the Roman worthies and explicitly echoes Shakespeare in describing the assassination and its aftermath. Ultimately, Massie's engaging work gives added zest to a familiar tale through its unique perspective.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sceptre
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0340599103
• ISBN 13: 9780340599105
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272