Caligula - its not a Scarrow novel
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CaligulaI was not enthraled with this novel - apart from the weak story line the death of Caligula was a complete re-write of history. I was hoping this would be on par with the Eagle series written by Simon Scarrow but alas it falls well short of this benchmark.
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I Claudius, Spartacus etc
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This is ground which has been well-trodden before. Slave makes good against teh backdrop of Imperial depravity. Seems to me like the author has been watching too many sword-and-sandal epics on his DVD player. It's not particularly badly-written, just very cliched, even down to the sex scenes, olive oil and panting mutes (reminiscent of the Eagles series in the late '70s).
Personally I could also do without the animal cruelty scenes - okay, I know our hero is a bestiarius and I've read quite a lot of gladiator stuff but the author seems to take a certain amount of pornographic pleasure in the descriptions of animals being killed. The leopard at the beginning is a case in point. Disgusting. This sort of violence is best done off-screen as it were.
When reading the scenes with Claudius and Caligula one can't help harking back to the BBC's interpretation of Robert Graves. We know the story and the author fails to offer any new take on it or the mad emperor. I can't quite work out why it's called Caligula as the said imperial madman is one of the most two dimensional characters in the book- marketing ploy? I think more insight can be got from Massie's book.
I imagine the author has got some deep-seated teenage stuff of his chest and essentially this is what the book is - juvenilia.
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A good solid read
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With the Roman period being a popular era amongst many historical fiction writers any new book that comes out has to have something special in order to keep it not only entertaining but to make sure that its something fresh. Here Douglas Jackson tackles a tale based on Caligula from the point of view of a slave and whilst we do see that the historical "Little Boots" is about we also get to see perhaps the more modern interpretation of the character come to the fore.
This makes the book not only interesting but allows the reader a certain amount of freedom although to be honest I really would have liked the book from Caligula's point of view rather than that of a slave who looks after the Emperors Elephant. Well written, witty in points with a protagonist who is broken by the society and is not a warrior unlike his friend who is a renowned gladiator. It's a fun read, it entertains and takes the reader through to the last days of Caligula's reign and begins the first days of the his successor. Throw into the mix the authors poetic licence with the events of the Emperors death and the tale does have real possibilities. If you like your historical fiction, whilst this won't set the world alight it's a solid read.
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The Emperor's Elephant
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This is a real page turner of a book, its 300+ pages passing in no time.
Great characters, an intriguing and exciting plot full of twists and turns, and a highly evocative depiction of ancient Rome all make for one of the best historical thrillers I have read this year. What captured me most though was the slow-burn sense of menace that pervades the book; Caligula is a complex monster who looms over everything, the reader never knowing where his murderous whim will take him next. The ending is pure adrenaline.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys thrillers: it won't disappoint. Certainly something to fill in the months till Robert Harris's next Roman offering. Order your copy now!
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engrossing
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It was the ist time i had read a historical novel so i was a bit worried to start but was hooked on this book by the time i had finished the prologue .Reading the book i felt transferred to ancient Rome the author,s description of the buildings the smells and the poeple were amazing .Also the fight scenes were bloody with nothing taken away from the detail the book left me the reader looking forward to see what happens to Rufus and of course his elephant
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