"Cleopatra: A Life" by Stacey Schiff is one of those biographies that is just as entertaining as a work of fiction.
Schiff freely admits that most of the historical data about Cleopatra is not only written by men who never knew her or where alive when she was, it's also propaganda that is designed to make the Romans more than justified for defeating the Egyptian Queen.
The Romans hated strong women, considering them unnatural. In Rome at this time women had few rights, where as in Egypt women enjoyed rights on par with what we have in America today. Women in Rome were expected to be faithful to their husbands, good mothers, silent but intelligent, sober yet able to host a sumptuous dinner, sexual beings yet not obviously so.
Cleopatra was the opposite of all this. Intelligent, well spoken, schooled in history, chemistry, literature, philosophy, religion, art, speaker of nine Languages (including the incredibly difficult Egyptian language). She could charm anyone, not with her sexuality alone, but her ability to see those around her, navigate the difficult political situations, and position herself to reap the most benefits.
She was richer than any Roman, and any of the monarchs around her. A Queen who was in exile when Caesar helped her win back her throne, Cleopatra was nothing if not resourceful. She believed that she was indeed a daughter of Isis, and her countrymen hailed her as the embodiment of that Goddess. During her almost decade long affair with Antony she was able to restore Egypt to what it had been at the height of the Ptolemy rule three decades earlier.
Schiff references mainly Plutarch and Dio, and some Josephus. She freely shows the discrepancies in their accounts, yet also shows what the historians may have almost gotten right. Each of these major historians were tried and true Romans, and needed to justify Rome attacking and over throwing Cleopatra. They also wanted to show how strong men like Caesar and Antony could be taken in by the Egyptian Queen without admitting that it may have been love, respect, and the ability of these men not only to see the political sense it made to align with the richest kingdom in the ancient world but also the power Cleopatra wielded just by virtue of being herself.
Of course, the easiest course, as Schiff pointed out, was to make Cleopatra an insatiable pervert, saying it was only her sexuality that garnered her such power and not all her other attributes. Cleopatra isn't the only woman of power to have been so maligned by historians, just the one with the most mystery around her.
Schiff does an excellent job of trying to solve the mysteries that surround Cleopatra with little historical record from Egypt during Cleopatra's reign. In the end, there are many questions left for the reader to answer for themselves, though Schiff has definite opinions; as any good biographer does.
In the end, I have great respect for Cleopatra. It has reawakened my desire to know about the glories of ancient Egypt, pre and post Ptolemy reign. I honestly didn't want the book to end. I knew what would happen, I knew Antony and Cleopatra are ruined, driven to Alexandria in defeat, left without any allies and finally commit suicide to avoid being taken by Octavian's forces back to Rome.
What I didn't know was how strong, how intelligent, how broad her interests were. And in the end how all her intellectual prowess, her strength, her pride, her love couldn't save her from blinding defeat.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Book #12: "Brain Rules for Baby"
"Brain Rules for Baby" by John Medina is one of the best parenting books I've read so far.
Dealing with something as complex and nebulous as the human brain can come across dry and far too academic, but Medina breaks down the complex information and studies to a lay-man's level. Simply organized, with often funny stories from his own parenting journey, it's a book that anyone can learn from; even if your kids are older than five.
He talks about what makes a child smart and happy. He breaks these down by talking about the genetics (nature) and the parenting atmosphere (nurture) that leads to success in each.
I found it amazing that the core of Medina's book could be found in "Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. Karp's book felt disorganized and a bit overwhelming in comparison to Medina's but Karp broke down strategies for getting the desired results more than Medina does; I would have to say this is my only criticism and frustration. Medina lays out some very convincing and wonderful knowledge about how children's minds develop and why, but often I was left with "Yes but HOW?"
I believe that it's never too late to adjust how we do things, to constantly learn and change. That's why I would recommend this book to any parent who has children at any age; even those who may not be parents but who have constant contact with children such as teachers, nannies, daycare workers, grandparents, etc.
I borrowed the copy I just finished but will buying a copy from Amazon ASAP because I know this is a book I will want to refer back to.
Dealing with something as complex and nebulous as the human brain can come across dry and far too academic, but Medina breaks down the complex information and studies to a lay-man's level. Simply organized, with often funny stories from his own parenting journey, it's a book that anyone can learn from; even if your kids are older than five.
He talks about what makes a child smart and happy. He breaks these down by talking about the genetics (nature) and the parenting atmosphere (nurture) that leads to success in each.
I found it amazing that the core of Medina's book could be found in "Happiest Toddler on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp. Karp's book felt disorganized and a bit overwhelming in comparison to Medina's but Karp broke down strategies for getting the desired results more than Medina does; I would have to say this is my only criticism and frustration. Medina lays out some very convincing and wonderful knowledge about how children's minds develop and why, but often I was left with "Yes but HOW?"
I believe that it's never too late to adjust how we do things, to constantly learn and change. That's why I would recommend this book to any parent who has children at any age; even those who may not be parents but who have constant contact with children such as teachers, nannies, daycare workers, grandparents, etc.
I borrowed the copy I just finished but will buying a copy from Amazon ASAP because I know this is a book I will want to refer back to.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Book #11: "Assassin's Apprentice"
I am fighting an awful cold so my review will be brief.
"Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb was a book I have mixed feelings about.
Fitz is the bastard son of the King-in-waiting, Chivalry. When Fitz's maternal grandfather abandons him on the doorstep of Chivalry's brother, Verity, he is forced to find his way in a world of cold politics, relatives who don't know what to do with a royal bastard,and a country under attack from a frightening enemy. Fitz does find a place, of sorts, but every time he believes he has found a family, it is taken from him.
The book is told from the first person POV, which can be tricky because the easiest way to tell the story; and indeed the only way to tell the story, is by telling instead of showing. Authors skilled with this POV can make the telling seem like showing and can craft scenes that are immediate and suspenceful.
This story is far more telling than showing, although done in a way that often times makes you feel as if you are being shown. I liked the style for the most part, but did get annoyed when there were things I felt should have been shown rather than told to me.
I don't mind protagonists being hurt, or put through horrible things in stories, but I do have a tendency to dislike it when I can pretty much expect anything good that has happened to the protagonist to either be stripped from him brutally or end up being a liability.
In the end the story picked up significantly and had a good, strong pace that almost makes me want to read the other two books in the series.
Almost.
"Assassin's Apprentice" by Robin Hobb was a book I have mixed feelings about.
Fitz is the bastard son of the King-in-waiting, Chivalry. When Fitz's maternal grandfather abandons him on the doorstep of Chivalry's brother, Verity, he is forced to find his way in a world of cold politics, relatives who don't know what to do with a royal bastard,and a country under attack from a frightening enemy. Fitz does find a place, of sorts, but every time he believes he has found a family, it is taken from him.
The book is told from the first person POV, which can be tricky because the easiest way to tell the story; and indeed the only way to tell the story, is by telling instead of showing. Authors skilled with this POV can make the telling seem like showing and can craft scenes that are immediate and suspenceful.
This story is far more telling than showing, although done in a way that often times makes you feel as if you are being shown. I liked the style for the most part, but did get annoyed when there were things I felt should have been shown rather than told to me.
I don't mind protagonists being hurt, or put through horrible things in stories, but I do have a tendency to dislike it when I can pretty much expect anything good that has happened to the protagonist to either be stripped from him brutally or end up being a liability.
In the end the story picked up significantly and had a good, strong pace that almost makes me want to read the other two books in the series.
Almost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)