Margaret George has done it again! Just as she did in The Autobiography of Henry VIII, Margaret George has given an utterly realistic voice to a famous historical figure, while remaining true to the facts contained in whatever documented sources are available.Many other novels about Cleopatra focus only on her affairs with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony. Many of them also repeat the myths and inaccurate stories about her that grew out of Roman propaganda. Books like these usually ignore the facts that Cleopatra was not a femme fatale who seduced hundreds of men, but a capable ruler who competently governed Egypt by herself for many years; that she was actually only with two men in her entire life (her arranged dynastic “marriages” to her brothers were almost certainly in name only); that she was also mother to four children. Cleopatra’s real story has enough drama, love, war, and intrigue to make a fascinating tale all on its own, and Margaret George does it full justice. Cleopatra’s stories of her childhood are probably mostly from George’s imagination, but very plausible. George then has Cleopatra relate how she overcomes the palace coups staged by her own family; how she allies herself to Julius Caesar and later to Marc Antony to maintain Egypt’s independence, falling in love with each of them in different ways; how she convinces Antony to join her in an attempt to create an eastern dynasty after they realize that Octavian is untrustworthy; and finally how, after being defeated by Octavian and losing Antony, she decides to maintain her dignity by committing suicide rather than being taken back to Rome by Octavian to be paraded in his Triumph. The story is written in first person in the form of a memoir, with an epilogue by her physician Olympos, who was an actual historical figure whose writings are an important accurate source for Cleopatra’s life and especially her deathbed scene. The book is a little long, because George goes into full detail about everything, but you are so caught up in the story that you hardly notice. I always wondered how history would have been different if Cleopatra could have been content to confine herself to governing an independent Egypt instead of making a bid to expand her territory. But even Cleopatra was not immune to the dreams of empire-building that all monarchs seem to have had then.
The Queen of Egypt, speaking in a unique voice expressing unexpected thoughts…I’d admit that I put off reading this novel for the longest time—its thickness was an excuse I harped on, fearing that I might get bored with the story without even reaching the half of it (despite reviews to the contrary).Of course, I realized the foolishness of this sentiment soon enough when I found myself staying up well into the hours of the night, turning page after page, losing myself in the grandiosity and harshness of Ptolemaic Egypt and the treacherous, unstable world that was Rome. Through it all, I marveled at the skill with which Margaret George sought to blend truth with the long-established views of Cleopatra as the seducer and corrupter of powerful men, and the harbinger of Rome’s doom.A scintillating novel, couched in colorful prose that one can actually feel the heat and grit of the desert sands, the cool polished floors of the palace halls, and the breeze that sweeps from across the bay right into Cleopatra’s window. The figures of Caesar, Antony, and Octavian are just as striking—with allusions to human weaknesses and failings behind their powerful personas. And even secondary characters like Olympos and Mardian bring a touch of humor, whimsy, and even more humanness to the mystery that is Cleopatra. From those first words of salutation to the goddess Isis, to the accounts of events after the Queen’s suicide, The Memoirs of Cleopatra stands as a masterful story that brought to vivid life the woman, the mother, and the ruler possessed of unflagging strength of love and loyalty to her people, her children, and her lovers. Her silent “admissions” of fear, frustration, loneliness, and even pain make this “memoirs” truly unique, as it purports to shed a tantalizingly unexpected dimension in her person when held against the usual non-savory portrayals of her in the annals of history.
What do You think about Memoirs Of Cleopatra (1998)?
The first 800 pages were fantastically engaging and I plowed through them in less time than it normally takes me to read several books. Caesar's assination, as described, was quite underwhelming, but Cleopatra's agony at Antony's death more than makes up for it. The last 160 were quite a slog, and the descriptions of Antony's doldrums following the seige of Actium, especially when read in the heat of summer, were truly grueling.I learned that stealing from my mom is a good thing, else I never would have come by this on-the-whole-delightful brick.
—Christina Stenstrom
Margaret George does an amazing job of making you feel as if Cleopatra is walking beside you narrating the story of her life. The writing in this book is descriptive and takes you away to Cleopatra's time to the point you vividly you feel as if you could reach out and touch the people and places around her. I didn't want this book to ever end however, by the time I was at the end of the book I felt as if Cleopatra and I were close friends. There were times in the book I had to stop and remind myself how atypical Cleopatra was in the day and age she lived. Cleopatra's strength as a women in a time where men ruled was brought to life in this book. This book was well researched, proof of that is at the end of the book where the author takes the time to site why she wrote what she did. She also states the places she used her creative license and why she did. I highly recommend this book. Walking away from this book I had such a deep admiration for Cleopatra and how history has changed who she was and what she did.
—Traci
Whew! What a long book. This was my first foray into anything Cleopatran and I thought it was well worth it. I like long books, but this one was almost too long for me. Especially the last third of the book became very repetitive. How many times can she pine over Antony and worry about her children inheriting an Empire without sounding droll? Then again, it probably was an agonizing time of waiting for her - no emails or cell phone or AP newswire in those days to keep you informed.I really got a sense of Egypt, and Alexandria as the New York of the Ancient World. I loved the descriptions of the Nile, Alexander's Tomb, Isis' Temple, etc. It was very transporting.The character of Cleopatra was also very endearing. She was intelligent, feeling, capable, creative and bold. I say "the character" of Cleopatra because I have my doubts as to how realistic this might have been. Some of her actions were so selfish that I had a hard time squaring that away with the character I was becoming so fond of.
—Charlotte
