08-17-2012, 12:03 AM
As an avid reader with no reading time to waste, I'll put it bluntly - no, I don't enjoy reading literary bullshit where the protagonist is a divine gift given to man from the gods above.
As well, and even more of a turn-off for me when reading anything set in a historical setting, I absolutely cannot stand when an author imputes modern cultural and moral values upon characters living in the past.
I have read I, Claudius, which was a fantastic, quick read, that satisfied these two criteria completely. Other than that, I am in the process of reading Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. McCullough's books are masterful, particularly the first two, but I must admit that I am being worn down a bit on Caesar - he suffers from the 'divine gift' phenomenon that I mentioned above. Undoubtedly, Caesar was a great man in many ways; exceptionally capable militarily and politically. But he was not as perfect as portrayed by McCullough. Personally, I found her characterization of Sulla to be far more interesting...and likeable for that matter. What McCullough does absolutely fantastically is bring the culture, the morality, and the physical world of ancient Rome to life with startling talent. Of course, I know she's taken her liberties with many details that are more a matter of debate than known fact, but still, you cannot deny that the novels exude what I think is a realistic sentiment of ancient Rome.
I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings with this statement, we all like what we like, but I feel that far too many of the novels about ancient Rome being produced these days suffer from superhero-itus, just as Hollywood does. And to me, there is nothing in a superhero story.
Regarding the age issue, I would tend to agree, despite the fact that I'm only 25. The majority of my friends and colleagues are not as discerning when it comes to their entertainment...or reading, if they read any.
As well, and even more of a turn-off for me when reading anything set in a historical setting, I absolutely cannot stand when an author imputes modern cultural and moral values upon characters living in the past.
I have read I, Claudius, which was a fantastic, quick read, that satisfied these two criteria completely. Other than that, I am in the process of reading Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series. McCullough's books are masterful, particularly the first two, but I must admit that I am being worn down a bit on Caesar - he suffers from the 'divine gift' phenomenon that I mentioned above. Undoubtedly, Caesar was a great man in many ways; exceptionally capable militarily and politically. But he was not as perfect as portrayed by McCullough. Personally, I found her characterization of Sulla to be far more interesting...and likeable for that matter. What McCullough does absolutely fantastically is bring the culture, the morality, and the physical world of ancient Rome to life with startling talent. Of course, I know she's taken her liberties with many details that are more a matter of debate than known fact, but still, you cannot deny that the novels exude what I think is a realistic sentiment of ancient Rome.
I am not trying to hurt anyone's feelings with this statement, we all like what we like, but I feel that far too many of the novels about ancient Rome being produced these days suffer from superhero-itus, just as Hollywood does. And to me, there is nothing in a superhero story.
Regarding the age issue, I would tend to agree, despite the fact that I'm only 25. The majority of my friends and colleagues are not as discerning when it comes to their entertainment...or reading, if they read any.
Alexander
