Currently reading...
I'm particularly fond of novels set in ancient
Rome, particularly murder mystery/crime stories. I recently read the first four
of John Maddox Robert's
S.P.Q.R
series, and while I was reading the fourth,
The Temple of the
Muses,
I decided I really should make an effort and
find out the truth behind the recurrent plots - the Roman killing a cat in
Alexandria, what really happened during the rites of Bona Dea at Caesar's house
etc .
I've read a few general history texts on the period, but fancied something a bit
more authoritative, and a bit juicier.
I'm reading Carolyn Hammond's
translation, and while I have nothing to compare the translation to, it's very
readable. I'm enjoying it a lot. My only gripe is with the footnotes - they
should be
footnotes; I really hate flicking to
appendices to find out why a particular passage has been asterisked. The
footnote was invented for a reason, it doesn't break your flow of reading for
short notes.
As for Maddox; he's okay,
but the writing quality is very uneven, and his
S.P.Q.R
series isn't as good as Lindsey Davis'
long-running
Falco
series, or Rosemary Rowe's
Libertus
mysteries. However, Steven Saylor's excellent
Roma Sub
Rosa
series eclipses them all in almost every
way... start with Roman
Blood, and read up on your Cicero while you're
at it.
Posted: Wed - July 2, 2003 at 12:30 AM