Novels about ancient Rome -- with women, if you please!
October 23, 2015 10:23 AM Subscribe
It's been about nine years on the green since someone asked about novels of ancient Rome, and I'm hankering for some newer reads. Recommendations solicited!
I'm particularly hoping that the last nine years have produced some novels that focus as much on the women of ancient Rome as on the men. I get oddly lonely, reading books where the women stay on the sidelines.
Bonus points for beautiful prose styling!
Negative points for mystery novels... despite my best efforts, I've never enjoyed one.
I'm particularly hoping that the last nine years have produced some novels that focus as much on the women of ancient Rome as on the men. I get oddly lonely, reading books where the women stay on the sidelines.
Bonus points for beautiful prose styling!
Negative points for mystery novels... despite my best efforts, I've never enjoyed one.
Best answer: Kate Quinn has several on my ToBeRead list, but I haven't read them yet. They tend to have younger main characters and get put in the YA category.
posted by soelo at 11:49 AM on October 23, 2015
posted by soelo at 11:49 AM on October 23, 2015
Best answer: Household Gods, Tarr and Turtledove is exactly what you're looking for. A modern woman cast back to the height of the Empire. Very much a mouse eyed-view, focused on a woman's domestic life of the period. She's not in Rome, but one of the Roman provincial towns.
posted by bonehead at 12:07 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by bonehead at 12:07 PM on October 23, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: The Falco mystery novels have quite a few women. The main character isn't a women but many of the other major characters are.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 12:41 PM on October 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Confess, Fletch at 12:41 PM on October 23, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I really dug Drakenfeld by Mark Charon Newton. It's a not!Rome fantasy series with a character who's basically a Roman CIA official who solves crime.
posted by spunweb at 4:38 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by spunweb at 4:38 PM on October 23, 2015
Best answer: Flow Down Like Silver is historical fiction about Hypatia, a late Roman astronomer living in Alexandria. I haven't read it, but when I saw your question I immediately thought of Hypatia.
posted by permiechickie at 4:43 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by permiechickie at 4:43 PM on October 23, 2015
Best answer: I am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith. I read it because it was a Kindle First book one month (which are hit and miss), and ended up enjoying it more than I expected to.
posted by Pryde at 5:29 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by Pryde at 5:29 PM on October 23, 2015
Best answer: Empress Livia dominates most of the first part of I, Claudius.
posted by ovvl at 7:38 PM on October 23, 2015
posted by ovvl at 7:38 PM on October 23, 2015
Best answer: Fictionalized Byzantine Rome, The Sarantine Mosaic by Guy Gavriel Kay. Powerful, smart, strong women abound.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:28 PM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 11:28 PM on October 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Awesome. I look forward to exploring all these suggestions!
posted by artemisia at 11:26 AM on October 25, 2015
posted by artemisia at 11:26 AM on October 25, 2015
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posted by ottereroticist at 10:27 AM on October 23, 2015 [4 favorites]