Publication Date: March 7 2017
3.5 stars
Almost a decade ago, I plowed through all of Margaret George's work to date and was immensely pleased by the fact someone could so deftly recreate long ago time periods. When this book came available, I jumped a the chance to experience Roman history in George's words and to see if my pleasure of her writing stood the test of time... and it did, mostly. Nero, like many of these ancient Roman Emperors, is mostly known through rumor and the writing of his enemies. This book follows most of the first part of his life, beginning as a young boy and going through his initial reaction to the burning of Rome. In this rendition, he is not completely a bad person but someone dealing with vindictive, suspicious and power-hungry family members. Murder of close family becomes such a regular aspect of his life that it eventually becomes expected. I thought the atmosphere of Roman civilizations was well developed in this book and I loved the history that she included. Anyone familiar with Roman Emperors knows the amount of scandal involved and while it is included, I felt it mostly skimmed over so the lurid details weren't really included. I found the writing somewhat simplistic and Nero's introspection grew tiresome at times, however, I enjoyed this detailed look into a possibly misunderstood ancient leader. The book ends abruptly but George states in her afterward that sequel may be in the works. If that is indeed the case, I will definitely be picking it up. I received this book from Penguin's First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.
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