There are always some events in life that happen just to remind you that life has been going on(and will be going on) even if you are/were not part of it. I was reminded of that about six months ago, while browsing the sale table at Borders.Yes , the bookstore.
It was a warm October day in Houston,Texas,where we were visiting my in-laws. Bill and I stopped by the mall, for one reason or another, and we happened to stop at Borders. And here comes a confession, I hardly ever buy any books from the stores, I'd like to support local bookstores, but I need to support my budget more, and it is so much cheaper buying books online, especially that I buy them in bundles and get free shipping.Anyway, I was browsing the sale table at Borders, and happened to get a glimpse of the Colosseum on the front cover of one of the books. Ah, I forgot to mention that I was missing Rome greatly, so I jumped at the book. It was a novel by Steven Saylor, called Roma: The novel of Ancient Rome.
The novel, while considered fiction, is a very factual history of Rome, told through characters over a millennium of time. The reader does learn the revolution in Rome from its first king ,to the end of the crown age and the formation of the Republic , the different phases the Republic went through , until it lead to the great Roman Empire.
From the first chapter, the way Saylor approaches the story is very gripping, I kept wondering how he would be able to connect thousand years in one novel, while still keeping the reader engaged, well, he does so brilliantly. From the girl traveling with her dad trading salt up to the Emperor , you follow characters in a very solid generation line, there is even a generation tree at the beginning of the book to help you connect the characters.
The book is very well written, it is dense, still a page turner. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in Rome in particular or well put novel in general.It has become my absolute favorite book.
After falling in love with Saylor's novel, I started checking out his other work, and all I could think was "What was I doing while this brilliant author was writing all of these novels", again life goes on whether I am part of it or not. I am not sure how I haven't heard of Steven Saylor before finding this book, but I am very glad that I "found" him.
Saylor has a series of novels set in Ancient Rome, called Roma Sub Rosa, all featuring Gordianus The Finder, an investigator old roman style. This is what Saylor says about the name of his collection:
In ancient myth, the Egyptian god Horus came upon Venus engaged in one of her many love affairs. Cupid, her son, bribed Horus with a rose to keep quiet; thus the rose became the symbol of confidentiality, and a rose hanging over a council table indicated that all present were sworn to secrecy. Sub Rosa (“under the rose”) has come to mean “that which is done in secret.” Thus ROMA SUB ROSA: the secret history of Rome, as seen through the eyes of Gordianus.
I have been reading the novels of Roma Sub Rosa in chronological order(just finished Arms of Nemesis), and enjoying them immensely. I love Saylor's style of writing, the novels are very well written and plotted, and learning the history of Rome is the icing on an already very good cake.
Here is a link to Steven Saylor's website, if you are interested in more information about him or his work.
Comments (9)
Sounds like a very interesting book and a great author. I love reading about history. Thanks for posting this.
Posted by girasoli | April 1, 2009 4:09 AM
Posted on April 1, 2009 04:09
Thanks for the review. I'd never heard of Saylor so I'll definitely add him to my list. I think I'd enjoy that novel a lot.
I too try to shop at my local store but sometimes, I just can't resist the convenience of Amazon!
Posted by Annie | April 1, 2009 7:23 AM
Posted on April 1, 2009 07:23
I will watch out for this author in the future but my choices are limited to what's available in the local book stores and the choice is rather limited unfortunately. This sounds like a book i would love to read.
Posted by Bengbeng | April 1, 2009 8:06 AM
Posted on April 1, 2009 08:06
Hi Candi, This is fascinating and also makes me want to know how long it took the author to research all of this. That is what is interesting for me in reading historical fiction, the combination of factual bits of history with the creation of whole story lines and characters. This looks like pretty good summer reading for me. I'm going to look for his books in our library. Thank you.
Posted by Barb Cabot | April 1, 2009 3:02 PM
Posted on April 1, 2009 15:02
I think you all will not be disappointed.
Barb, I always wonder the same thing, how much research takes for just the one novel to be written. Not only is he writing a very good plot and mystery, he is also including and incorporating the events taking place in Rome at the time, brilliant in my opinion. It is so neat because he includes a chapter at the end,where he discusses his research, and points out the facts from fiction.
Posted by candi | April 1, 2009 5:10 PM
Posted on April 1, 2009 17:10
Sounds very interesting. I’m going to check it out. I support my local independent bookstore and shop there for used books. For new editions, I have to go with Amazon.
Posted by María I. | April 1, 2009 7:10 PM
Posted on April 1, 2009 19:10
Sounds like a great book and a great series! I love reading about Rome so I will definitely check this out.
Posted by Chiocciola | April 2, 2009 4:59 AM
Posted on April 2, 2009 04:59
Candi, I think you've mentioned Saylor's books before, so I recently ordered one from the series involving Gordianus The Finder.
I've got a couple of books to read first (book club picks) but I'm looking forward to traveling back to ancient Rome!
Posted by sandrac | April 5, 2009 5:26 PM
Posted on April 5, 2009 17:26
Sandra, let me know which book you got and how you liked. I think they are great.
Posted by candi | April 5, 2009 11:11 PM
Posted on April 5, 2009 23:11