Skip to main content

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George: A Book Review

The Memoirs of Cleopatra
Author: Margaret George
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 980
Source: Personal collection
Synopsis: Bestselling novelist Margaret George brings to life the glittering kingdom of Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, in this lush, sweeping, and richly detailed saga.

     Told in Cleopatra's own voice, The Memoirs of Cleopatra is a mesmerizing tale of ambition, passion, and betrayal in the ancient Egyptian world, which begins when the twenty-year-old queen seeks out the most powerful man in the world, Julius Caesar, and does not end until, having survived the assassination of Caesar and the defeat of the second man she loves, Marc Antony, she plots her own death rather than be paraded in triumph through the streets of Rome.

     Most of all, in its richness and authenticity, it is an irresistible story that reveals why Margaret George's work has been widely acclaimed as "the best kind of historical novel, one the reader can't wait to get lost in." (San Francisco Chronicle).

     My Review: The Memoirs of Cleopatra tells the story of Cleopatra VII from her early childhood to her death. Cleopatra was the favorite daughter of Ptolemy XII. When her father had to flee to go to Rome, Cleopatra’s older sisters decided to take the throne for themselves. Cleopatra learned from her older sisters that she could be a strong and capable ruler herself. When Cleopatra becomes queen, she learns that she can not rest easy on the throne. Her husband and brother Ptolemy XIII and her sister, Arsinoe, plot a coup against her. In order to be restored to her rightful position as queen, Cleopatra must ally herself with the Roman general, Caesar.

   In this novel, Cleopatra tells her side of the story. Cleopatra denounces the myths and charges that are brought up against her by her enemies. Cleopatra is more personable and is very sympathetic. As she reflects on her life, she wonders which course of actions, she might have taken to prevent her fate. However, she concludes that it was destiny. Cleopatra is portrayed as an ambitious and head-strong woman. She can also be very manipulative. Through her faults, it is obvious that she loved Egypt the most. Every action she does has been for what she considers the good of Egypt.

    Overall, The Memoirs of Cleopatra is full of courtly and political intrigue, betrayal, romance, and drama. At the heart of it all is a woman who fought to make her dreams of a glorious Egypt to come true, only to lose all she has ever loved. Besides Cleopatra, I thought the characters were all very fleshed out. Caesar is calculating and prudent. Antony is pleasure-loving and weak-willed. He is easily manipulated by all around him. Octavian is cold, shrewd, and power hungry.  This novel has the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy. Even though we all knew how it ended, I could feel Cleopatra’s looming doom by the poor choices that she makes, and wished that her outcome would have changed at the Battle of Actium. Nevertheless, The Memoirs of Cleopatra will be sure to linger with you long after you have read the final page. While this book is long, it never seemed long for me. This was one of the few books that I didn’t want to end! Margaret George has a talent for making Ancient Egypt come alive. The Memoirs of Cleopatra is one of the rare novels that must never be missed! After reading this novel, you can see why she is known as queen of historical fiction. I have read many books on Cleopatra, and so far this is the best one. I look forward to reading more books from her in the future.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Here is the official book trailer for Margaret George's novel, The Memoirs of Cleopatra:


 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

King Alfred's Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who Written out of History by David Stokes: A Book Review

King Alfred’s Daughter: The Remarkable Story of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, the Heroine who was Written out of History Author: David Stokes Genre: Historical Fiction Publisher: The Book Guild Publication Date: 2023 Pages: 348 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: King Alfred is dead and the achievements that made him great are in jeopardy. Rebels challenge the succession of his son Edward to the Wessex throne, and his old ally in Mercia is sick. The Vikings in the Danelaw sense the time has come to complete their conquest of England.       It falls on Alfred’s firstborn, his daughter, Æthelflæd, to unite the Anglo-Saxons. Reluctantly, she takes up the challenge. But can a woman rebuild ruined towns and lead men into battle against hardened Viking warriors? And can Æthelflæd fulfil her father’s dream of uniting England?       Based on contemporary sources and archaeological evidence, King...

King John's Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa De La Haye by Sharon Bennett Connolly: A Book Review

King John’s Right Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa De La Haye Author: Sharon Bennett Connolly Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Pen & Sword History  Release Date: 2023 Pages: 236 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: In a time when men fought and women stayed home, Nicholaa de la Haye held Lincoln Castle against all-comers. Not once, but three times, earning herself the ironic praise that she acted ‘manfully’.      Nicholaa gained prominence in the First Baron’s War, the civil war that followed the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. Although recently widowed, and in her 60s, in 1217 Nicholaa endured a siege that lasted over three months, resisting the English rebel barons and their French allies. The siege ended in the battle known as the Lincoln Fair, when 70-year-old William Marshal, the Greatest Knight in Christendom, spurred on by the chivalrous need to rescue a lady in distress, came to Nicholaa’s aid. ...

Cleopatra's Daughter: From Roman Prisoner to African Queen by Jane Draycott: A Book Review

  Cleopatra’s Daughter: From Roman Prisoner to African Queen Author: Jane Draycott Genre: Nonfiction, History, Biography Publisher: Liveright Release Date: 2023 Pages: 336 Source: Netgalley/Publisher in exchange for an honest review. Synopsis: The first modern biography of one of the most influential yet long-neglected rulers of the ancient world: Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Antony and Cleopatra.      As the only daughter of Roman Triumvir Marc Antony and Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII, Cleopatra Selene was expected to uphold traditional feminine virtues; to marry well and bear sons; and to legitimize and strengthen her parents’ rule. Yet with their parents’ deaths by suicide, the princess and her brothers found themselves the inheritors of Egypt, a claim that placed them squarely in the warpath of the Roman emperor.      “Supported by a feast of visual and literary references” (Caroline Lawrence), Cleopatra’s Daughter reimagines t...