- Gebundene Ausgabe: 416 Seiten
- Verlag: Grand Central Publishing (7. August 2002)
- Sprache: Englisch
- ISBN-10: 0446530255
- ISBN-13: 978-0446530255
- Größe und/oder Gewicht: 16,1 x 3,4 x 23,7 cm
- Durchschnittliche Kundenbewertung: 3.0 von 5 Sternen Alle Rezensionen anzeigen (1 Kundenrezension)
- Amazon Bestseller-Rang: Nr. 831.932 in Englische Bücher (Siehe Top 100 in Englische Bücher)
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From Library Journal
This stunning sequel to Kleopatra completes the story of one of the most celebrated, audacious, admired, and reviled women the world has ever known. History is always written by the victor, and so it was in the case of the political union among Kleopatra, Julius Caesar, and Marcus Antonius. Octavian, Kleopatra's most implacable enemy, much maligned her in his autobiographical papers, and the picture he painted of Kleopatra as ruthless, decadent, and self-indulgent has been passed down through the ages. Essex gives us a new image of the famous ruler, though even she claims in the author's notes that she may have been unkind to Octavian in an effort to balance the historical record. Nonetheless, in Pharaoh we see a queen who carefully and intelligently forges strong political and personal bonds to Rome through Julius Caesar prior to his assassination, then to Antony, Caesar's protege. The deep commitment she feels for these two men, her children, and her country is evident in every page right up to the final climactic moment of her tragic death. Though the plot occasionally bogs down in the morass of historical detail, readers will enjoy the vivid portrayal of Kleopatra and the period in which she lived. Recommended for larger public libraries. Jane Baird, Anchorage Municipal Libs., AK
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Kurzbeschreibung
Following on from 'Kleopatra', the glittering epic of Egypt's queen continues as she allies herself with Anthony and begins a love story that immortalizes her as one of history's greatest political players and most tragic heroines.
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The queen stares at the phalanx of whores as if she is about to execute a normal rather than deplorable duty of state. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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The queen stares at the phalanx of whores as if she is about to execute a normal rather than deplorable duty of state. Lesen Sie die erste Seite
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Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
Kleopatra as a clever und highly intelligent Queen, who wanted to keep her country independent from the Roman Empire. The prose is beautiful and the well known story convincingly told. The historical trivia is entertaining and keeps to the well accepted facts. For the history and the research she deserves 5 stars.
However, from the point of a reader of historic novels, I feel somewhat disappointed. The reason I bought this book (and the prequel "Kleopatra") was not to get a precise biography of the late Roman Republic. For this you might as well read good biographies, like that by Michael Grant. A historical novel should contain a bit more fiction, a bit more speculation, and a bit of controversy, which may not be approved by the history professor next door, but fits into the storyline or is expected by the reader. Somehow I got bored in the middle of this sequel, since I knew the history well and was not offered something "new" to keep me hooked. Minus 1 star.
Another point irritated me. You notice through most parts of the book, that it is written by a female American writer. The book is a women's book for a female audience. In both volumes you get just about a hint of sexuality at the beginning as a teaser, the violence is modest, the characters sometimes very politically correct. I accept the author's intention to describe Kleopatra in a different way than the wanton seducer of all men around her. This is historically correct and not my point. But Kleopatra was not a woman following Christian moral in a Hellenistic time half a century before the birth of Christ. For a book dealing with a time period of war, conquest, male dominance and brutality the setting is simply to sterile and clean to be convincing. And Kleopatra could be transferred directly to modern day America, where she could apply for an office in your local church or charity. I got the impression the author (or the publisher) did not want to alienate mainstream female book club members, therefore Kleopatra was described as any woman's best girl friend. I understand that, but it costs another star from a male reader.
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A breathtaking novel, rich in detail and historical minutiae
15. Oktober 2002
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
PHARAOH is, in a word, breathtaking. In more than a word: barbaric, sensual, entrancing, romantic, tender and cruel, with a lusty cast of characters. Karen Essex presents her vision of the great queen of Egypt in this captivating novel rich in detail and, if anything, filled with more historical minutiae than the first volume, KLEOPATRA. It is a kaleidoscope of Roman and Greek trivia.
With a familiar cast of characters, including Cicero, Cato, Octavian, and of course, Marcus Brutus, comes a fresh slant on this timeless tragedy. Kleopatra is not painted as the philandering vixen of the movies. Her fabled charms surface in small ways throughout the story, but Ms. Essex focuses on Kleoptra's political cunning and war tactics in her efforts to forestall takeover by the greedy Roman empire.
PHARAOH continues the mystique of KLEOPATRA, published last year. It begins in the 20th year of Kleopatra's reign as she is trying to rejuvenate a listless Marc Antony. Within a few pages, we are back in the third year of her reign. We join her at age 22 as she returns from exile, devising a clever ploy to evade her brother's army and seduce her way into an alliance with the great Julius Caesar. The book tells her life story from then on and only occasionally do we get a sense of foreboding in the chapters that jump ahead to the 21st year of her rule.
I won't bore you with a synopsis of the plot, for the story has been told many times. We all know of the betrayal of Caesar and the disastrous end Antony and Kleopatra came to. Yet Ms. Essex managed to grip and hold onto my attention from the very first page.
The author's ability to mesmerize her audience is showcased in myriad scenes, one of the best being Ceasar's murder. She personalized it for me by putting me right there beside him in the Senate, facing his assassins. The scene is not shortened in an effort to spare the bloody gruesomeness. Each blow of the dagger brought an empathic sort of pain. Caesar's thoughts as he lay dying --- imagined, by necessity --- ran through my head, leaving behind seeds of ideas and philosophical musings to mull over later.
But Kleopatra's horror at the realization of her predicament snapped me out of the reverie created by Caesar's joining with the gods. The serious position his death placed her in stole my attention and I could do nothing but read on, spellbound, anxious to see how the gods would favor her escape.
Sex pervades the story's atmosphere. This was an era when sex was used to further political strategies. But Kleopatra's best advice from her Prime Minister takes precedence more than once: "In matters of state, let your blood run cold." For a woman of her intense passion, this proves to be very difficult.
Although a highly engrossing read, I could not bring myself to move through the story with any speed, choosing instead to savor each of Ms. Essex's exquisite words. The last 30 pages or so took a couple hours to read, for the beauty of the writing mixed with the tragedy of the lovers' last days kept me running for Kleenex and tracing the keenly detailed events again and again.
...Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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Karen Essex does it again!
5. September 2002
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
This is great second book in the Kleopatra series. Ms. Essex does a wonderful job bringing the thoughts, actions, and mystery of Kleopatra to life. The book begins with her concerns about Antony's depression and self-degredation after the battle at Actium. She well knows what brings him to life and has summoned the most beautiful harlots in the kingdom and rallies their support as though they were an army to bring him to his senses. Then the story jumps back to her beginnings with Caesar and jumps back to Antony again. The switch in story line is well placed and doesn't detract at all from the seamless flow of the book. A well written, in-depth story that keeps you turning pages and makes you feel like you are there experiencing it all along with each character. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is an arm-chair Egyptologist and enjoys the lives and tribulations of the ancients.
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Better than the first...
12. August 2004
Format:Gebundene Ausgabe
Ok, so I have to admit I kind of liked this one. After I had read the first in the series (KLEOPATRA), I didn't hope for much. I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it seems as if a lot of events were crammed into PHARAOH's modest size (perhaps Essex should have included more history and less far-fetched bunk in the inferior KLEOPATRA????), it works. Kleopatra's relationships are beautifully crafted and I will admit that I fell for Antony as well! I wish that Essex would have paid more attention to Kleopatra's role as a mother as well, because when the children do pop up, it seems a bit random. Also, I was angry that Kleopatra's loyal servant Iras was turned into a cross-dressing eunuch-- I found that a bit hard to believe. Although I still- and probably always will- favor Margaret George's incomparable MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA, Karen Essex's PHARAOH was powerful, moving, and fluid in its own right. Read both and learn something.
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