Full of Action and Excitement
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George Green was born in Dublin in 1956 and brought up in Tipperary, where he lived in a house built on an ancient burial mound. After university he embarked on a career in sport and leisure Ten years later he realized his mistake, took an MA in Creative Writing, began teaching and now works for the Department of English and Creative Writing at Lancaster University.
This is a book about all of the things that I look for in a novel. It is about Rome in AD34, a period and a place that I enjoy reading about very much. It is a time when the Emperor Tiberius preferred to be down the coast, in sunny Capri, away from the stench and mobs of the city, leaving all of this in the hands of his regent Sejanus, a man who has come down through history as reckless and cruel man.
Serpicus, one-time charioteer and now hunter of wild animals, also yearns for the quiet life like Tiberius, but of course not everyone can have the privileges of an Emperor. Money talks in the world of Serpicus and he has had an offer he can't refuse, from of all people the uncle of Sejanus..
The above synopsis provided by Amazon is more than adequate to give the reader a taste of the contents of the book and for those who do not like too much information before they read a book, my own gives just a taster of the start of an exciting and interesting story. As I said at the beginning, everything was in place in the book for me to know that I would enjoy it, I hope that you do too.
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A Pity
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General Varus cannot join his troops en route to the Teutoburger Wald because he ate a bad oyster. Great fun, but it is downhill after this great start.
Green should really bone up on his Roman history and not make silly errors that just turn one off.
Varus could not stand up in his stirrups because these were not invented for another 500 years.
A senator's son wants to run for the tribunate ? Sorry, not possible. The tribunate was reserved for plebeians, patricians were barred from running.
A sea battle in an amphiteatre? Possible, but not until the colosseum was built some 50 years later.
Chariot races after the gladitorial combat ? Not really, races tok place at the circus maximus.
Sejanus etal knew the names of the villages Decius and Serpicus came from. Unlikely, Germans did not live in villages but on individual farms. No names of any German settlements are known.
Nothing major but enough to give up on the book after 50 or so pages. Green writes a good story but should to a bit of reading up on his history.
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Fascinating
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I first read Hound and was so pleased with that I immediately ordered Hawk. To me Hawk is even better, but maybe that's just because I'm interested in Roman times. Anyway, a very good read with a very likeable protagonist in Serpicus. Keep up the good work George!
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George Green's Hawk - a gripping read
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I really enjoyed this. I came to George Green's first novel, Hound, with an interest in Irish culture, and was initially disappointed that his second book departs Ireland. But I decided the Roman Empire might be interesting too - and in Hawk it is. I feel I've gained insight into what it must have been like living through a part of the Roman Empire - especially for those not in power. This female reader was also interested in the roles played by heroic women. This isn't the kind of novel I'd normally read; it's action-packed and full of battles, while my usual taste leans towards more obviously psychological and 'literary' fiction. But Hawk conveys a satisfyingly vivid sense of 'being there'. The novel becomes gripping, especially once the scene has been set and the main characters are established; I found the second half particularly involving. There is, I think, a stronger narrative drive than in Hound (though that book had other appealing qualities), and the tension here is very well sustained. George Green's publishers are now perhaps sensing that his work could appeal to a wider range of readers. I felt the packaging of Hound did not do it justice; the cover was striking but unsubtle. I can understand why the Guardian critic described the book as 'oddly touching' - 'oddly' because one might not expect a novel with that dust-jacket to be so poignant. There are some beautiful, memorable scenes in Hound. The cover of Hawk is more sophisticated. The blurb still has a Hollywood ring to it (fair enough, I suppose - Green's work does have a filmic aspect, and surely screen potential). But the richer, more sombre imagery on the dust-jacket here seems truer to the content than was the exterior of Hound. The novel has fine clear prose and refuses a simple ending. I think Hawk could appeal to different kinds of readers: those seeking chiefly adventure and good yarning, but also those who enjoy the thoughtful historical novels of Allan Massie, for instance. I will definitely want to see where this writer's fiction goes in future. I'd happily read another 'Roman Empire' novel, but I can't help hoping George Green gets back to Ireland at some point. Perhaps in different garb...
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Praise for Hawk, George Green's second novel
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George Green's first novel was Hound, which I found to be really enjoyable reading, well written and with all the right content -exciting action, strongly defined characters, romantic interest, humour, and a story line with a historic background that stimulated me to find out more. When Hawk was published I wondered if it was going to be a disappointment. Having just finished reading Hawk I can honestly say that Hound was not 'a flash in the pan', and that Hawk is even better. The action scenes are so very well written that they were completely visible in my mind's eye, I was there - or at least hovering over with the Hawk! The main characters are more varied and even more memorable. And the humour is better and had me laughing aloud. Congratulations to George Green on achieving another briliant epic novel. In addition, without doubt both Hound and Hawk are ideal for the big screen.
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