Imperium

Cicero #1

by Robert Harris

PRE-ORDER PRECIPICE, THE THRILLING NEW NOVEL FROM ROBERT HARRIS, NOW - PUBLISHING AUGUST 2024'Masterful' Sunday Times'Gripping and accomplished' Guardian'Truly gifted, razor-sharp' Daily TelegraphAncient Rome teems with ambitious and ruthless men. None is more brilliant than Marcus Cicero. A rising young lawyer, backed by a shrewd wife, he decides to gamble everything on one of the most dramatic courtroom battles of all time. Win it, and he could win control of Rome itself. Lose it, and he is finished forever.Imperium is an epic account of the timeless struggle for power and the sudden disintegration of a society.'In Harris' hands, the great game becomes a beautiful one' The Times'A further step forward by this brilliant man who excels in everything he writers' Sunday Telegraph

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Politics, Italy, Thriller

498 pages, ebook

First published September 19, 2006

About the author

ROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 stars. This book did exactly what I expected it to do. It was a both a solid, enjoyable read and at the same time an unremarkable story that will be forgotten as quickly as my self respect inhibitions on Tequila. To put it in the shell's nut, this was good entertainment but likely won't earn a hallowed place among your list of favorites.

I did appreciate that this book lent itself extremely well to audio because the story is VERY easy to follow and the narrative is not jammed with dense exposition that would require careful reading. Thus, I was able to listen and stay engaged in the story while organizing my library on goodreads and keeping tabs on the basketball and hockey games on TV (with the volume on mute). Plus, as a bonus, with my headphones in, my hands were free to hold my beer...it was your classic win-win, though somebody should flog me for using that expression.

This is the first book in a trilogy set in ancient Rome during the time of the First Triumvirate (i.e., Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus). By the way, I could have just said ancient Rome but Triumvirate is such a tasty word that I thought it needed some air time. Anyway, the story is a fictional biography centering on the legendary orator, Cicero, as told by his private secretary, Tiro. Tiro, we are told, invented the concept of shorthand which provides a credible basis for him to be able to transcribe everything that he sees and hears as he follows Cicero around. I found this to be a pretty effective plot device for showing the supposed "accuracy" of the narrative.

In this first book, we meet a young Cicero at the beginning of his career. Cicero is a junior Senator in the Roman Senate who has already garnered somewhat of a reputation as a brilliant speaker. As a result, he is sought out by a Sicilian merchant who has been robbed, libeled and threatened with death by the corrupt Roman governor of Sicily named Verres.

After much begging, cajoling and persuading, the merchant eventually secures Cicero’s agreement to represent him in prosecuting the powerful governor. From that fateful decision, we follow Cicero as he makes allies and enemies and skillfully maneuvers his way through the quagmire (giggity, giggity)
of Roman politics and with each success gains stature and prominence within the Roman hierarchy.

I thought the descriptions of Rome and the background of Roman life, while expectedly sparse, were still interesting and kept my attention. The book is certainly not a mechanism for one to obtain a detailed, historical account of life in ancient Rome, but since I didn't expect it to be I was not disappointed. There was enough detail to place the narrative and provide general background for the story which is all the story called for.

Overall, a good, solid read. If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is book that I think you will enjoy. If you are a scholar of ancient Rome and looking for insight and exposition on the details of ancient Rome, this is not where you will find them. For me, I found it a light, pleasant story and was never bored. I also found the characters and the narrative compelling enough that I will likely continue on with the series to see what happens next.

Hope this helps.

[Kalliope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction writers are cursed. They are not Robert Graves.

Nonetheless, this is an entertaining attempt with a provoking figure as the main focus to visit Ancient Republican Rome. The book deals with the fascinating life of the political animal and great thinker, Marcus Tullius Cicero.

This novel is the first in a Trilogy. The second has a different title for the English Lustrum and American editions Conspirata. The third one has not been published yet. I have so far read only this first one.

Imperium is a gripping read particularly thanks to three brilliant scenes, the Trial of Verres; Cicero’s Denouncement of Catilina; and Cicero’s election as Consul. The book closes with this last one. These scenes are brought to life magnificently so that at the end of the carefully staged rhetorical and theatrical interventions (then by Cicero, now brought to us by Harris), we are ready to burst out clapping.

These scenes have inspired painters in the past and may inspire cineastes in the future. Robert Harris has collaborated with Roman Polansky in a couple of movies already. Will they attempt this one?.




Anyway, what withholds the fifth star is that Robert is Harris and not Graves. The book has only a patina of Antiquity. There certainly is a load of Latin sites, characters and terms, but one does not feel that Antiquity circulates through Harris’s veins. These Latin references are the result of a serious but ring-fenced research which has been stuck on top of or squeezed in between the plot dynamics, at intervals, lest we forget that we are dealing with Antiquity.

Instead, what does circulate through Robert Harris’s veins is Politics. For indeed the plot is a political plotting in which Harris has intricately mixed the moral beliefs with the political personal ambitions of his main character. The result is that although the Cicero story and setting are fascinating (to me the main interest of the book), one suspects that the real pursuit of the book is contemporary (UK’s?) politics and fight for power.

Harris may be following a tradition. I wonder who was really depicted in this drawing for Punch magazine in mid 19th century (by John Leech).

[Labijose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aunque veo que alguno de mis colegas de GR incluso la ha abandonado, yo no dudaré en calificarla con la máxima puntuación.

El comienzo de la trilogía del gran Cicerón (106 AC a 43 AC) no puede ser más prometedor y fructífero. La vida de este político y estadista, uno de los mejores oradores de todos los tiempos, que vivió tiempos convulsos de la república romana, da para no una, sino las tres novelas que RH le dedica. Esta, en concreto, se divide en dos partes, la primera hasta su elección como edil, y la segunda hasta su nombramiento como cónsul. Todo ello narrado por Tirón, su secretario personal, que fue esclavo y luego manumitido por su dueño. Este Tirón no es un don nadie, pues a él se le atribuye la invención de una especie de taquigrafía, denominada notación tironiana.

Y no, aquí las batallas no serán con espadas y lanzas, serán dialécticas. Asistiremos a la preparación de sus discursos, sus enfrentamientos con casi todo el resto del senado romano, su ambición desmedida (que fuera brillante no quiere decir que no tuviera su parte oscura y maquiavélica, que la tuvo), su ascenso, y andando la segunda y tercera novela, su irremediable caída. Y todo ello, contado por un Robert Harris que aquí SÍ se nos presenta como un gran escritor, porque este autor da una de cal y una de arena. Pero aquí nos dará tres de arena con esta trilogía. De lo mejor que ha escrito. Con mucha ficción, pero también con bastante parte histórica, por lo que me lo he pasado en grande, además de haber aprendido datos interesantes sobre el personaje y sobre este fascinante periodo. Por lo tanto, ahí van mis cinco estrellas.

[Mark Porton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperium by the brilliant, Robert Harris is the first of a trilogy about the man with the man who had a brain the size of a planet - Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 BCE – 43 BCE). This man was a legal advocate extraordinaire, a senator…..and I won’t give away what else he became (or didn’t become), as that would be giving the game away, right?



Cicero

The book is narrated by Marcus Tullius Tiro (Died 4 BCE – nobody knows when the poor bastard was born, as he was a slave – Cicero’s secretary). He was also brilliant, he could scribe anything and everything, he was also an advisor to Cicero at times, and they were more partners than slave and master. But now and then Cicero told him to do things, as you would a pet.

This was a fascinating time during the late Roman Republic – giant figures such as Pompey and Crassus were exerting their might on enemies and fellow Romans alike. Caesar was stretching his wings, and his rakish, Machiavellian manner was becoming more apparent. There’s also a list as long as your arm of other interesting characters, some you may have heard of others perhaps not.

We see Cicero prosecute a slimy, nasty character (Verres), Governor of Sicily – who thinks he’s well above the law, as he tramples all over his people – stealing, killing, prosecuting, executing them to meet his own ends. Cicero needs to overcome the fact Verres has friends in high places to make sure he faces justice.

Harris’s Cicero is just brilliant – and he and Tiro, form a formidable team. It was a marvel to see how Cicero tried to out manoeuvre his rivals in the courts of the time.

The second part of the book is more political. Cicero is putting himself up for election to be one of the two Consul’s of the Republic. Fun fact: Republican Rome was averse to having one single person in charge, so they had balances of power. Like two, equal, Consuls, also a Senate and other mechanisms in place.

This is why, it was a bit surprising, in my view – how Caesar eventually manoeuvred himself into a position of Dictator (for life) and then young Octavian (Augustus) came along and carried this on and became the emperor, hence the start of Imperial Rome.

I digress – So Cicero needs to do some fancy footwork to negotiate this dense, dank, ecosystem of manipulators, liars, cheats, deceivers, back stabbers, shysters and pettifoggers (…..and I won’t list their worst attributes), to achieve his political objectives. It’s an amazing read – and it is a worthy reminder that the shenanigans we witness in the theatre of politics today, are no different to the politics of the past.

A credible, well-researched, and beautifully narrated audiobook.

5 Stars (upgraded 1 star from my initial rating)

[Allen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 2025. One of my favorite books of all time. The audio is phenomenal. A required read for anyone who likes Roman hist fic or political dramas.


-----
Such a good political drama filled with corruption, compromise, and rousing speeches. Always nice to know that politics hasn't changed in 2000 years.

Full review to come.

[Jan-Maat]

I was listening to the radio one morning and the presenter was interviewing Robert Harris on the subject of his new book the concluding part of a Trilogy about the man known to eternity as Chickpea - or Cicero perhaps with a bit of luck, if the gods of Technology smile upon us you can hear for yourself. Harris was of the opinion that we need "more politicians like Cicero rather than Caesar" - a view you will certainly agree with if you are Gaulish, and that he thought that "Winston Churchill was as close as we've got in a long time" to having a Cicero type in British politics - having read the first part of the trilogy I find that an unusually bleak evaluation of Churchill for somebody in British public life to make, and when asked if Britain is in want of another Cicero type politician Harris' answer was "definitely". I surprised when I heard that, and all the more so after reading really...After all don't we have enough Ciceros in politics all round the world, there doesn't seem to be any particular shortage of ambitious people who will change their allegiances, abandon principles, act at times with surprising naivety, and marry just to get a little closer to holding high political office.

No doubt because of all this Imperium was a fun read, a surprising paean to the skill of shorthand, and if the Roman pirate crisis was intended as a deliberate parallel to the ongoing terrorist crisis - a novel with a couple of barbed themes.

Kalliope felt that not being Robert Graves was something of a disadvantage to the historical writer. I'm not so sure. It's a long while since I read Graves and my memory of I, Claudius has certainly been coloured by the old BBC TV series with Brain Blessed, Derek Jacobi, et al well, we're all Romans now. Harris has a slave, Tiro as his narrator, who we can accept has more limited knowledge than Cicero, allowing Harris to get away with some info-dumping. Harris is attempting something far broader than Graves' intimate portrait of everyday Roman family life, and my feeling was that he was pretty good at introducing period detail but without stinking out every page with the odour of Garum factories as in the ancient Mediterranean fish sauce . Graves' central figure is the misunderstood, underrated, quietly observing, intellectual - and how a misunderstood, underrated, quietly observing from self imposed exile writer ever managed to come up with such a figure I suppose we'll never know, while Harris is more interested in the questions around the choices and actions a man makes in public life. Perhaps considering his background as a newspaper man that is no great surprise either.

Not sure though if I'll ever go to read the rest, but then I've read just enough Roman history to know how it pans out in the end.

[Gabrielle (Reading Rampage) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this sounds weird, but I love Cicero. I love his eloquent and passionate writing (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), his love of books and his humanism. There was no way I would not want to read some historical fiction about him, especially when I saw that Harris wrote his trilogy on Cicero from the point of view of Tiro. Cicero’s personal secretary wasn’t just a scribe: he invented the system we now think of as shorthand, and kept such a meticulous record of his master’s life that we owe most of what we know about Cicero to him. And yes, what I do for a living predisposes me to love long-suffering assistants. But let’s face it, most great men and women would be lost without the person who keeps their notes and timetables in order!

The first arc of Cicero’s story as told by Harris is about the famous corruption case of Verres, and the thorny process of election that brought him to the Senate – as well as the coming together of the First Triumvirate. As his private secretary, Tiro went everywhere with Cicero, and tells the story of his master’s investigation in Sicily, complicated political games and agile legal work in great detail. Even if there isn’t much room in this kind of narrative for atmosphere, Harris managed to make what can sound a bit dull (preparing a corruption trial and campaigning for the senate elections) pretty riveting – even if I already knew how the story unfolded.

The writing is good, but not lyrical; after reading John Williams’ excellent “Augustus” (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...), it’s difficult not to compare the style… Unlike Williams, Harris did not try to emulate the classical writing style, with all of its panache and vitriol, and I admit that I missed it. Having read some of Cicero’s writing, I was hoping his eloquence to shine a bit brighter on the page. That said, I find the story interesting enough to be on the look out for the sequels!

This is the kind of book that will appeal to fans of Roman history, but people who are unfamiliar with the historical characters might struggle a bit with all the Latin names, not to mention the ever-fickle alliances that causes them to switch allegiances constantly. 3 and a half stars.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

At school, history was always my favourite subject. It didn’t so much feel that I was being taught something, rather that I was being told stories – often interesting stories, too. And as a legacy of those days I’ve retained an interest in events that formed the world in which we live. I read a reasonable amount of non-fiction to fill the gaping holes in my knowledge but once in a while I like to pick up a book by someone like Robert Harris who is able to mix history with a little imagination. This manages to remove any hint of the dryness you can sometimes get from lists of facts interspersed with the erudite views of whichever learned historian’s book you happen to have picked up. No, Harris (and his like) fill the gaps with what they imagined was done and said by the real-life protagonists and weave this into a proper story.

Here, I was introduced to Marcus Tullius Cicero, a Roman politician and lawyer. The events covered in this book (book one of three) cover the years 79-64 BC. At this point, Rome was a republic, and Cicero’s declared life goal was to reach the highest elected political office, that of Consul. There’s a good deal of skulduggery and a fair sprinkling of the violent acts that were ‘enjoyed’ by Romans at that time, but there’s also courtroom drama and political intrigue. It’s a rich mix indeed.

The tale comprises the recollections of a first person narrator: Tiro was a slave and acted as secretary to Cicero. He’d invented a version of shorthand and thus was able to document, verbatim, words spoken by his master and others he came into contact with. In effect, the author has mixed known historical events with fragments of real speeches and extracts from letters to weave a compelling account of this time. It’s gripping stuff, and, to me, it felt like a mix of a Grisham courtroom drama combined with the political double-dealing of an episode of House of Cards.

I love this way of taking in historical events, and Harris just does it so well. I can’t wait to get my hands on book two.

[William Gwynne]

Just finished this renowned historical fiction trilogy about the famous figure of Cicero, who operated during a time of almost unparalleled change within the Ancient Roman Empire. One of those periods I've always had a great interest in, yet simultaneously know almost nothing about.

Featuring names that have echoed down the ages such as Caesar, Crassus, Pompey and more, this is a book that is largely political with action not at the forefront, yet the tension is rife throughout this tale, and it feels epic in scale, as you know the consequences of the results of these events will effect all who fall within the realms of the Roman Empire.

A thoroughly enjoyable read!

[Metodi Markov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Първият роман на Робърт Харис от трилогията му за живота и делото на великия Цицерон.

Обхваща десетина години, в които той учи риторика в Елада, адвокатства в Рим и първите му големи успехи при създаването на репутацията си на ненадминат оратор, юрист и държавник. Но мечтата му е много по-голяма, прицелил се е в абсолютната власт над Вечния град - Imperium!

Римската политика от късната Република болезнено ми напомня на тази в съвременна България - подкупи, безчестие, измами, кражби и убийства! Те водят единствено към провал и упадък, диктатура и беззаконие…

Харис ни предава своята интерпретация за случилото се тогава много умело и интересно - книгата се чете на един дъх!

Цитат:

"Властта носи на човека много охолства и лукс, но малко ръце остават чисти."

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harris has done something really smart here: if he'd published a three-volume biography of Cicero, no one would have read it. (Well, I wouldn't have.) So instead it's a trilogy of historical novels, which sounds way more fun. But it comes down to nearly the same thing, right? This is a very detailed, carefully researched work about Cicero.

It's told first-person by Tiro, Cicero's scribe, who's a real guy who wrote a real biography of Cicero (now lost). It's a clever gambit by Harris; it allows him, among other things, to slyly inform you when the passage you've just read is the actual transcript of Cicero's speech, which happens often. He just has Tiro say something like, "And I am certain that the above speech is exactly as he told it, because I wrote it down myself and the record still survives." That sentence is exactly true.

Harris's writing isn't always the most graceful - he's better on plot than style - but he's not incompetent. Here's a great passage describing Cicero:

"I pictured his quick thoughts running ahead in the way that water runs along the cracks in a tiled floor - first onward, and then spreading to either side, blocked in one spot, advancing in another, widening and branching out."

That's a very cool image.

For the most part, at least, Harris's research is meticulous. The first half of the book culminates with the trial of Verres, which (I looked it up) happened exactly as Harris writes it.

Unfortunately, Harris seems to abandon historical authenticity toward the end of Imperium; without giving too much away, the intrigue behind the climactic race for consulship is completely invented. To my knowledge, at least. I'd love to be proven wrong here. I researched it as best I could, and it looks like the behind-the-scenes maneuvering was over other things entirely.

Still, I liked it enough that I'm totally looking forward to the second book in the trilogy.

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Harris is one of my favorite authors, and ancient Rome is one of my top genres. Earlier this year I read "I, Claudius" and loved it, and decided to read Book #1 on Harris's trilogy on the life of Cicero. I love this book. By the way, did you know that Cicero means chick peas! Lots of good stuff in here about the early career of Cicero up to his election of Counsel of Rome. The book is divided into 2 parts with the first part paying attention to his early trials and ending with his election as Aedile of Rome, with the second part detailing his rise to Consul. Now this is historical fiction at its finest, as the book is allegedly derived from the scrolls of Cicero's personal secretary Tiro who wrote a history of Cicero. While those scrolls no longer exist they are referenced by Plutarch and others and so this is as close as we will get to actual historical detail. Well written, Tiro paints the picture that Cicero was the master of politics and if what is in this book is correct, then Machiavelli had nothing on Cicero! Wonderfully written with well portrayed characters, this is a great novel that one should consider if you have any interest at all in the machinations of ancient Rome and the art of politics!! Cannot wait to read the next two books in the trilogy!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this was a 5 star read. Robert Harris has Tiro, Cicero's scribe/clerk, writing the linear in time progressions of his younger "coming up" to power years. It holds those eyes and hearts of Roman sensibilities during change in the republic, both in its aristocrats, and in its plebs - incredibly well. And how Cicero connotes the entire, foremost the law- courts, religious and holiday festivals also influence and surround attention and direction.

There are quotable paragraphs every few pages. Some humorous, but most psychologically power pithy.

This is a dense novel. Many names, many placements, numerous procedural expanses of litigation language parsed over dozens of offices for many years. Most historical novel lovers probably will not enjoy this as much as I did for those very reasons, but I'm sure they would still appreciate the scale of the read toward certain aspects of Cicero's core. If nothing else- for the oratory practices and window to public speaking as he develops. But because the book IS in this linear in style- so rigid, stoic? So Roman! Not at all in the action or fast pace of a modern plotted best seller. But a decade's length trudge to a pinnacle.

What I love. It's not overly translated or interpreted for modern ears. It's context is NOT defined in language of 21st century emotive, declarative, or relative culture or morality. It's what the law states and how that law's transgression is judged. And by whom it is judged and equivocated to "fair".

Street smarts of advertising, marketing- bribery. Many and various practices of physical brutality. Rome and the Empire as it existed with Pompey, Crassus, Catalina and numerous other characters of more infamous names before the changes that ended a republican form and tumbled to a emperor instead.

The parallels for situational politics are too numerous to name them all. The answer to the pirate swarms causing death and destruction issue is a close parallel to ISIS. What will be the ultimate outcome for "free stuff"? If it actually comes from privatizing public holdings or formerly "rich" aristocrat's land?

"These people are a warning of what happens to any state which has a permanent staff of officials. They begin as our servants and end up imagining themselves our masters!"

Excellent read. I can't wait for Cicero#2

[Xabi1990 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decepción.

Tenía buenas críticas y apareció en un artículo de esos del País de “10 libros que hay que leer de …”. Y yo voy y caigo como un tonto. Si ya digo que lo buenos de esto de GR sois los amigos a los que ya conozco los gustos… Si ponéis 4 o 5 estrellas a un libro es difícil que no me vaya a gustar.

Venga, al tema. Robert Harris e Imperium.

Abandonado al 81%. Y es que me aburría, no me interesaba seguir leyendo, ni por la trama ni por los personajes. Lo que se dice estilo literario sí tiene este señor, lo admito. Sólo por eso he conseguido avanzar tanto. Bueno, y porque la ambientación del senado y de Roma en general en tiempos de la República es muy buena.

La historia son los tejemanejes político sociales de Cicerón allá por el siglo I a.c.. Y si ya me cansan los políticos que sufrimos hoy en día por este país ni te cuento ver lo mismo entre Cicerón, Craso, Pompeyo o demás nombres que intrigan por las páginas del libro. Incluso aparece Julio Cesar en sus comienzos y me he dicho “Hombre, a ver si se anima la cosa”. Pero ni por esas.
Y digo “nombres” porque se me quedan en poco más que eso, no consigo “ver” a ningún personaje, no empatizo ni toman entidad. Así que ni trama ni personajes….mal asunto. Imposible que a mí me atraiga leer con esas dos carencias (subjetivas, ¿eh?).

En novela histórica estoy acostumbrado a leer sobre militares o emperadores o tramas más ágiles. Aquí el Sr Harris nos cuenta solo juicios de Cicerón o mini-intrigas con rivales políticos de la época. Insuficiente para atraer mi atención.

Me ratifico : Negrete, Posteguillo, ¡qué buenos sois!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I just finished listening to "Imperium" by Robert Harris. Once more, Harris delves into the inner workings of the Roman Empire only this time, he retreats back to the Republican era and creates a fictional biography of Marcus Tullius Cicero as seen through the eyes of his slave secreatary, Tiro.

Since I was originally seduced into my passion for learning about the Roman Empire by Colleen McCullough and her "Masters of Rome" series of novels, I naturally began this investigation of the life of Cicero with misgivings since Cicero is less than heroic in McCullough's books that tend to present Julius Caesar as the more admirable character.

Harris does not really change that perception of Cicero so much as provide the context for his opposition to Caesar and his fated alliance with the optimates, the group of aristocrats who formed the core of the faction that opposed Caesar in the senate and eventually, the civil war.

However, despite the fact that Cicero was not a sympathetic protagonist, I came to admire his tenacity in the face of social discrimination. His efforts to joust legally and politically within a system heavily weighted in favor of the wealthy and powerful were equally commendable.

As a "new man" Cicero could not rely on a long established patrician heritage to ease his climb up the coursus honorum to the seat of consul, the ultimate imperium, or symbol of authority, in the empire. He was also not militarily inclined so he did not seek the traditional path to political power through conquest either. Instead, he chooses to rely on his keen perception of political strategy and oratory skill to fight his way to the top through the law courts and Roman courts were as rife with personal danger, both literally and politically, as they were with bribery. The obstacles Cicero faced extended to his personal life as well.

Married to an aristocratic wife, Terentia Varrones, Cicero often walked a thin line with his efforts to thwart the designs of rich governors who plundered provinces or attempted to bribe their way into office or out of trouble. She often berated him for alienating her own social class.

Terentia maintained control of a huge dowry that was probably the primary reason Cicero married her. But, Cicero had to request a loan from her through her business manager as if she was just another moneylender in the forum. At one point, he had to present his entire legal defense to her to convince her she would get her money's worth. In fact, Cicero's wife was so hard-nosed and autocratic, I was surprised when half way through the book she has a thirtieth birthday. I thought from her forceful behavior she must have been much older.

The confrontations in the courtroom, the senate and the frenzied voting pens of the Campus Martius provide as much tension as a Roman battlefield and Harris does a masterful job of peopling these scenes with memorable characters. He does not shy away from presenting Cicero's "warts" either.

Cicero takes calculated risks to obtain his objectives but he is also a pragmatist and, like most politicians, must form and break alliances as opportunities present themselves. Although he prosecutes a corrupt governor early in his career to gain stature as Rome's preeminent advocate, Cicero later defends a corrupt governor to regain the favor of the moneyed classes as his year to run for consul approaches.

I was unaware of how deep-seated an enemy Crassus was to Cicero, at least as presented by Harris. In fact, Crassus was presented with a vicious edge, more dangerous than simply a wealthy wannabe.

I also found it ironic that Pompey had little affection for Cicero either even though both were "new" men. Cicero aspired to become consul, but he seemed satisfied with the overall structure of the Roman Republic. He was appalled when Pompey pressured him to support Pompey's own attempt at wresting control of the empire from the aristocrats of the senate (years before the civil war with Caesar) with his campaign for the award of sweeping powers to eliminate an upsurge in pirate activity. It must have seemed hipocritical to Cicero later when Pompey and the optimates opposed Julius Caesar on the grounds that he was attempting to take sole control of the empire, although the book ended with Cicero's election to consul.

Another surprise was the villainous portrayal of Catalina as a violent, brute of a man who had openly murdered people who stood in his way. I had kind of come to admire Catalina as the misunderstood sometimes-rascal presented in Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder mystery, "Catalina's Riddle". Now I'm going to have to do more research of original sources to come to my own conclusion about this historical enigma.

I had also always assumed that the aristocrats opposition to Caesar's proposed land reforms was based on greed. In "Imperium" however, Harris makes a plausible case for the aristocrats' fear of absolute power that Caesar would gain through the patron-client relationships that would result from land redistribution.

Harris presents an absorbing study of politics and the culture of power in the late Roman Republic and I find "Imperium" to be a worthy successor to Harris' "Pompeii".

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много хубав и интересен исторически роман! Той представлява първа част от трилогия, която проследява съдбата на легендарния оратор Цицерон. Робърт Харис по разбираем и въздействащ начин е пресъздал атмосферата в Римската република и нейното падение до империя...

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much fun....

review to follow.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in a series of three about Cicero (106 B.C. – 43 B.C.)—Roman statesman and famed orator. The three are books of historical fiction. Here in the first we follow his career from senator to praetor to consul, ending in the year 63 B.C. His close friend, private secretary, slave and scribe, Marcus Tullius Tiro ( circa 94 B.C. – 4 B.C.), relates the story of Cicero’s life. Tiro is often referred to in Cicero’s letters and is known as the father of shorthand. A trusted friend and equipped with such a skill, he was Cicero’s constant companion, and thus also a perfect one to tell us about Cicero.

Imperium, the title of the first book, is a Latin word. It means in a broad sense the power to command. Through government? Through political position? Through words? Words--having the ability to speak well, gives one power over others. Mastery over words can be used to attain one’s goals.

The second in the series is titled Lustrum in the UK and Conspirata in the US. This confused me, and that is why I explain this here. Dictator is the title of the last.

The very beginning of the book pulled me in most--we are given a short review of how the youth had been educated. As a student, Cicero studied under Appolonius Molon, learning Greek philosophy and poetry, the importance of a healthy diet and exercise, and the art of speaking eloquently and forcefully, the art of making one’s self heard and remembered. We quickly grasp the importance of oratory.

Yet Cicero was a Roman, and his career as a statesman is one about political maneuvering and power. The focus shifts from the wisdom and teachings of Greek civilization to the power and politics characteristic of the Roman Empire. It is here the focus remains. What must Cicero do to succeed? How did he become a consul? Trained in the art of oratory he still had to maneuver in the politically controlled world of Rome.

Cicero’s skill of oratory is mirrored in the lines of this book. There are numerous lines of wisdom elegantly expressed. To what extent we are given actual quotes I do not know.

I wish an author’s note, distinguishing between what is fact and what fiction, had been added, and in some way those lines that are quotes of Cicero should have been made identifiable.

While I liked the elegant prose, at times the political scheming and maneuvering left me confused. Similar sounding and lengthy Roman names were hard for me to keep straight. The more you are acquainted with life in Ancient Rome and its legal system, the easier the book will be to follow. I found the description of Roman life as it is presented in Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town by Mary Beard to be clearer. This book l too gave three stars.

The audiobook is well narrated by Bill Wallis, except that he does not clearly articulate Roman names. Sometimes they are said too fast and sometimes they drone on so long you fail to hear the end. Maybe this is why the names gave me trouble! Otherwise the narration is good. I have given the performance three stars. He does not over-dramatize.

I did prefer the author’s An Officer and a Spy, about the Dreyfus affair, a lot more. That book I gave five stars.

My review in a sentence? The oratory impressed me; the politics confused me.

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading a biography of Julius Caesar after having watched some episodes of “Rome,” a rather bawdy but interesting version of the rise of Octavian in which Cicero plays a prominent, if cheesey role, so I knowing Harris through some other books, I grabbed this one.

Told through the eyes and memory of his servant, Tiro, supposedly the inventor of shorthand, the mechanism for perfect recording of the actual speeches, Cicero’s place in the history of oratory (Demosthenes taught that content was less important than delivery) and role in the growing conflict between the “plebes” and aristocracy (“the fish rots from the head down) is secured. A real person, Marcus Tullius Tiro, was Cicero’s slave then freedman, who wrote about Cicero, since lost, and collected many of Cicero’s works.

“Imperium” is a Latin word (not that I remember it from my high school Latin) which can be roughly translated as “power to command,” that refers to the power of the state over the individual, but also implies the power gained from wealth and ownership of “stuff,” i.e., the aristocracy.

There are some startling images of historical veracity. For example, Crassus, bringing his army back to Rome, crucified 6000 prisoners, slaves, along more than 300 miles of the Appian way, spacing he crosses about 17 to the mile, as a warning to any future Spartacus who might wish to revolt against the imperium. (From the Third Servile War - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_S...)

Harris shows an intimate knowledge of Rome and its history managing to portray all of it through the legal battle between Cicero and the great legal mind of Hortensius (who defends the role of rhetoric in Cicero’s Hortensius) the famous advocate in a trial in which Cicero defends a friend from Gaius Verres, a disreputable and thoroughly corrupt Senator (all historical figures.). Corruption, as we would understand it, was rampant and institutionalized. Votes were for sale; in fact, there were bribery merchants and it took a great deal of money to gain and remain in power, “voters never forgave a cheapskate.”

What I found quite remarkable is how Harris’s Roman Senate and political world so mirrors our own.

This is not a book for those who like flesh-slashing, cut-them-up action stories. Rather, it’s an intricate legal novel of startling historical veracity (as far as I can research) that really held my interest. There are some wonderful turns of phrase. While making a comment about hagiography, Tiro says simply it is the “distorting light of the future on the shadows of the past.”

This is the first of a trilogy.

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent novel about Roman politician and arguably greatest orator Marcus Tullius Cicero, that I understand is the start of a trilogy.

The novel is narrated in first person by Cicero's freedman and secretary Marcus Tullius Tiro (upon freedom, slaves used to take up the praenomen and nomen of their masters), and covers Cicero's early life as a struggling young advocate trying to make a name for himself as he studiously takes classes with legendary orators from Greece both to improve his speech-giving style, his rhetoric and to cure his annoying stutter. His big chance comes when he's approached by a Sicilian notable for help in prosecuting the island province's powerful but corrupt governor Gaius Verres, a case that initially Cicero is doubtful about but finally accepts once he realises the lawsuit's potential to push his stalled career forward. He's proven correct, as the Verres case turns him into Rome's most famous advocate and gives him the edge over Hortensius, his rival for the laurels of greatest Roman orator.

After that, all goes full sail ahead for our friend Cicero, so the novel also continues at a rather quiet pace. Until we arrive to the point in Cicero's life when he encounters what's undoubtedly his most celebrated and at the same time most infamous case, the prosecution of Lucius Sergius Catilina. There was more than one legal mess involving Catilina that Cicero was implicated in, as any Roman history buff will remember, and the one this first volume covers is merely the first one, the least spectacular one. If you've ever got your hands on Cicero's letters or the Loeb compilation of his entire output that's survived to out days, you know what I am alluding to. But if you haven't, I do recommend you get acquainted with that material.

I said at the start of my review that this novel is "decent", and that's exactly what it is. It's historically correct and accurate, Harris knows the period well and has been careful to not portray Cicero as either too great or too below his merits. However, it falls short of being an engrossing storytelling and is lacking that hard-to-define quality that allowed Colleen McCullough and Robert Graves to pen those masterpieces they did set in the same period or soon after as Harris. It has high value for seeing a different portrayal of the same period and people, but it sure won't be causing you to exclaim and laugh and shed a tear. Good, as I said, and that's it.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2007, and its the 1st volume of the magnificent "Cicero" trilogy, situated in Ancient Rome.

This story is written through the eyes and voice of Tiro, Senator Cicero's confidential secretary, and this Tiro by inviting a stranger into the house of his master he will set in motion a series of events that will propel his master into instant fame and glory.

Senator Cicero, not only a brilliant lawyer, but also a terrific orator, and also determined to attain imperium, will defend this man against corrupt Roman Governor, Verres, and it will be a law case that will make to name of Cicero forever.

Within this treacherous Roman world of politics with violence and death, Cicero, himself a man of passion, compassion an vulnerability, must somehow seem to survive if he wants to realise his ambition.

His ambition is to become Consul, and to reach that aim he must take down Verres ans start his rise to the very top.

What is to follow is an intriguing and wonderful reconstruction of Cicero as a clever and devious individual, lawyer and orator, and this all told through the voice of Tiro, but it will show us also that the Roman world in this period of history is full with men longing for power and they will do everything they can to obtain it, be it by force, treachery, revenge and/or ultimately death.

Highly recommended, for this is an excellent opener about Cicero and his rise to power, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Captivating Cicero Imperium Begin"!

[Julio Bernad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me hice con este libro a raíz de la excelente reseña que Labijose le otorgo y la aún más sorprendente pésima opinión que les merece al resto de reseñistas habituales. La disensión, el alimento de las almas inquietas y los masoquistas como este que os habla. Así que me dije, estando como está la política que menos que ver cómo nació y cómo la practicaron los senadores romanos. Ahora me queda claro que los políticos no han perdido ni un ápice de su hijoputismo, solo su astucia e inteligencia.

Esta es la historia de Cicerón, el gran orador romano y una de las figuras públicas más importantes de la historia de la República Romana y, por que no ir más allá, de la historia de occidente. Un homine novo, que venía a significar un recién llegado del pueblo llano, un hidalgo de provincias que ascendió a lo más alto gracias a su retórica, su conocimiento del derecho romano y las intrincadas y complejas relaciones humanas y la caprichosa naturaleza del poder. Una figura fascinante, sin duda, pero ante todo política, es decir, un maquiavélico hijo de perra que sabia muy bien a que ascua acercar su sardina y bajo que sombra cobijarse; un hombre de principios flexibles y firme sentido de la moral, siempre y cuando esta coincidiera con sus intereses; un hombre ambicioso, batallador, inteligente, taimado, intrigante con el que es muy difícil empatizar. Un político, vaya, pero qué político.

La historia nos la cuenta su fiel secretario -y esclavo- Tiro, inventor de la taquigrafía con que conseguía transcribir con precisión las largas peroratas de su señor y de los senadores romanos. En estas memorias, un Tiro muy anciano relata la trayectoria de Cicerón desde su labor como abogado hasta su ascenso como cónsul, en las que presenciamos como el retórico va escalando dentro del senado valiéndose únicamente de su elocuencia. No hay nada que no pueda conseguir con las palabras, le recriminan a Cicerón. Y es muy cierto. Para lograr convertirse en el gran abogado del pueblo de Roma es capaz de llevar a juicio a un gobernador por corrupción en uno de los casos más importantes de su tiempo, que es lo que ocupa el primer tercio de la novela. Luego, en un giro de 180º , cambia todos sus principios democráticos para con el pueblo y siembra las semillas del imperio que vendrá apoyando la candidatura Pompeyo como comandante único del ejercito. Por suerte, hay un breve momento de integridad en el que Cicerón se mantiene firme en sus principios gracias al nacimiento de su primer hijo varón. Y no quiero revelar tampoco mucho más pues, aunque tampoco nada de lo que diga puede considerarse un destripe, no voy hacer una mejor semblanza del personaje protagonista en esta reseña que la novela.

Junto que el retrato de Cicerón, las batallas dialécticas en el senado son lo mejor de la novela. De hecho, la contundencia de las argumentaciones contrastan mucho con el estilo en que está escrito el resto de la novela. En efecto, Robert Harris no es precisamente un esteta; mejor dicho, hay muchos pasajes en los que el estilo es directamente desagradable, no pretendidamente desagradable, sino simple, limitado, carente de sustancia y, lo que es peor, cargado de anacronismos. Esto último, usado como recurso estilístico en ciertas obras con ambientación histórica -que NO históricas-, suele gustarme mucho por sus posibilidades cómicas. Sin embargo, cuando tenemos pretensiones de retratar fielmente un periodo histórico concreto, y nos esforzamos en pulir las descripciones, representar cada detalle arquitectónico, los usos y costumbres de cada clase social, los objetos y utensilios que maquillan la vida del pueblo llano y la aristocracia, si logramos realizar el mejor de los frescos de una época, digo, no podemos caer en el error de no adecuar el lenguaje. No hablo de imitar y escribir la obra como si fuéramos un escritor del periodo del que queremos hablar, como hace Juan Eslava Galán en su Búsqueda del unicornio, pero si al menos configurar un trampantojo creíble. Al igual que aplaudí el cuidadísimo uso del lenguaje de Susanna Clarke en Jonathan Strange y el señor Norrell, la forma en que hablan los personajes de Harris no me llevan a su Roma republicana, por lo demás, perfectamente descrita y convincente. Es una desperdicio pulir tanto el continente y dejar el contenido contenido. Es como tocar un cencerro al final de una sinfonía o pintarle un bigote a la Gioconda.

Por lo demás, le doy la razón a Labijose: es una historia buenísima. Prueba de ello es que voy a continuar con la saga, aunque desafortunadamente ya sepa que esto va a acabar como el rosario de la aurora.

[Roman Clodia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uneven and meandering, lacking a strong historical sense

This is an ok rather than a brilliant read. I found it unevenly written and paced, and while the plot starts quite tight it ends up meandering all over as if it's not quite sure what it wants to be about.

It starts off being about Cicero and the Verres scandal (if you're interested in the actual speeches that Cicero made against Verres, they can be found in Political Speeches), but then turns into Cicero's chase for the consulship.

There isn't a strong sense of Republican Rome and this could have been a contemporary novel rather than 'historical' as far as atmosphere went. Rather oddly, Harris mixes up contemporary with historical so, for example, he talks about Cicero's 'drawing room', his 'valet', and describes men with 'pomaded hair' in the Forum! Also his understanding of the political structure is innaccurate: no-one was ever voted in as a senator: they stood for political office (as a quaestor, aedile, praetor) and automatically joined the senate as a result of winning; and his use of 'imperium' is also not quite right: it doesn't mean 'power' but a specific form of authority i.e. consuls had imperium and so did an army commander but he only held it outside the city and laid it down before crossing into the city of Rome. These might be niggles but I found them very off-putting and irritating.

Harris also simplifies the politics of this period and, very oddly, makes Cicero something quite different from the historical record: Harris' Cicero is constantly described as being on the side of the 'radicals' as a 'revolutionary', as a man of the people and against the 'aristocrats'. Apart from Roman society not really being split along such simple lines, Cicero was never a radical in the slightest. As a 'new man' (novus hominus) he was desperate to be part of the traditional elite and was against the men who did want to change society legitimately such as Caesar.

So I did enjoy this in parts as I love this period, but objectively speaking this just isn't that good a book. For a far better fictional evocation of ancient Rome, stronger characters, and a real sense of history I would recommend Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series far above this.

[aria ✧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

── 5.0✦

Power brings a man many luxuries, but a clean pair of hands is seldom among them.

When Tiro, the confidential secretary (and slave) of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually propel his master into one of the most suspenseful courtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island's corrupt Roman governor, Verres. The senator is Marcus Cicero—an ambitious young lawyer and spellbinding orator, who at the age of twenty-seven is determined to attain imperium—supreme power in the state.

Of all the great figures of the Roman world, none was more fascinating or charismatic than Marcus Tullius Cicero. And Tiro—the inventor of shorthand and author of numerous books, including a celebrated biography of his master (which was lost in the Dark Ages)—was always by his side.

Compellingly written in Tiro's voice, Imperium is the re-creation of his vanished masterpiece, recounting in vivid detail the story of Cicero's quest for glory, competing with some of the most powerful and intimidating figures of his—or any other—age: Pompey, Caesar, Crassus, and the many other powerful Romans who changed history.

If someone told me a few days ago that this would be the book to get me out of a slump and also end up my most surprising five-star read of the year, I would have called them crazy. When going through my owned books searching for anything that could help me out of a slump, I stumbled upon the Cicero trilogy, a series I had bought so long ago at the recommendation of one of my favourite booktubers but just never picked up. By chance, a review describing it as a court drama set in ancient Rome popped up on my feed and I decided why not? I read the entire Part One in one night. Part Two took longer because I had other responsibilities but I read it quickly as well. I struggled putting it down. I have never been so entranced by a story and I think a major part of it is that I’m not that well versed on Roman history.

I knew of Cicero but not much about him and those I did know much about were Pompey, Caesar and Crassus, better known as the First Triumvirate. Reading this and finding out how heavily involved Cicero was with the three of them was a delight. The engaging writing, well-written political manoeuvring and Cicero’s endless witticism made this an amazing read.

I will forever remember how Chapter 9 made me feel. It was 3am in the morning and here I was cheering like one of the plebeians watching Cicero absolutely destroy Verres in court.

[Петър Стойков · Rating 5 out of 5]

Българският изговор на латинските имена отдавна ме дразни. Всъщност, мисля, че българската историческа наука и литература приемат руската (дали?) номенклатура за изговор, която изхожда от късновизантийския правопис и премахва окончанията на някои имена, а добавя окончания на други. Така Маркус Тулиус Кикеро (MARCVS TVLIVS CICERO) се превръща в Марк Тулий Цицерон. Докато римляните са използвали букват "С" за да обозначат звука "твърдо К". Cato примерно запазва изговора на първата си буква, но пък незнайно защо и той придобива последна, ставайки Катон...

Все още блажено невеж относно мутациите, които ще претърпи името му след две хилядолетия, Цицерон е римски политик и адвокат, съвременник на Цезар (чието име всъщност римляните са произнасяли Кайсар) и е смятан дори днес за може би най-великият оратор, живял някога.

Периодът, в който и двамата са живели е най-обсъжданият и може би най-интересният в съществуването на римската държава - превръщането й от република в империя.

Imperium е първата от тилогията книги, които романизират живота на Цицерон и описват именно политическите процеси, довели първо до ерозията, а не след дълго и до пълното унищожение на демокрацията в Рим - и възкачването на първия император.

Интересно е да се види как именно популистите като Цезар и Помпей, които са популярни сред народа и уж се борят срещу аристокрацията, довеждат до разрушаване на демократичните институции. От тогава нещата не са се променили особено в политиката и популизмът и социализмът винаги са носители единствено на амбициите на безскрупулни политици, стремящи се към власт.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imperium by Robert Harris, a work of historical fiction Cicero politician, lawyer, philosopher recounted by his slave Tiro during Rome's last days as a democratic republic. Cicero who came from a noble family but humble by the standards of the day, follows his ups and downs, a renowned orator involved in the numerous intrigues of Roman politics, and backed by Tirentia his staunchest supporter and his wife. Cicero constantly extolled politicians to return to former times of high morals, honesty, self sacrifice, reverence, this fictional account is told in a crime novel way with all its intrigues and possible traps and tricks, novel ends when he at his lowest point and no way he can head except up. You just have to forget your knowledge of Roman classics to make it suspenseful and enjoyable bit hard I know but not impossible.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never really been all that interested in Roman political history. After all, I am barely interested in modern politics. This is why I have owned this book for a few years and have put off reading it. But, having now taken that step and read it, I should not have put it off so long.

The book is written in an endearing style and the word I often used while reading it was 'jolly'. It seemed the one word I could think of to encapsulate its feel. I do not mean comedic, or silly, or slapstick, I mean simply jolly. The longer version of that? A light hearted narration with much unintentional humour wrapped in its prose.

The narrator is Tiro. The private secretary of the famous orator, Cicero.
Tiro recounts his life from a young man to a great age as he served Cicero - not as a freeman but as his slave - and aided him in his passionate rise from Senator to...well...I can not really say can I? You may know the details of Cicero's rise, but many won't. Cicero's rise through the ranks of Roman political theatre is one you must experience freshly through the book alone, if you choose to read it. Let me just say that since he was not born to an Aristocratic family, his climb through the ranks was not an easy one.
At times it seemed so fraught with failure that I came to find it amusing and would chuckle and roll my eyes and think "of course!" on many an occasion.

I felt the book was let down by it having been split into two very different halves. I was not expecting it and when Part One tied up and Part Two began I found myself feeling like I was starting a new book. This threw me and I could not recover.
I was so disappointed by the two very different Parts that I longed to give the book 3 stars to punish it. But how could I give 3 stars to a book that amused me as much as this one? Despite the Part Two not being as good as Part One (for my tastes), it was still entertaining enough to make me want to continue with the series. or perhaps it is meant to be a trilogy. I am not certain on that.
Besides, I have been assured that the second book is even better and that is temptation enough for me!

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome book about the clever political machinations of Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero at the near end of the Roman republic. I cheered for Cicero as he used his clever oratory and political acumen to destroy all the enemies in the court of law. There were political conspiracies exposed and some great characterization. Cicero is more than an opportunist seeking political gain as he is sincere about protecting the rights of the people against tyranny. Politics in the end times of the Roman republic was not unlike ours today with the struggle between the high born and low with secret back room deals going on. This was a page turner that drew you into both an entertaining and thought provoking story.

[Armin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aufgerundet auf fünf, um den Abstand zu einigen ganz netten Viersterne-Büchern zu markieren.
Ausführliche Rezi folgt später

[Bubu · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars for the narration, 4 for the story. But I'm rounding it down because of the awful audio version.

For a more in-depth analysis of the book, please read Marquise's wonderfully written review.

Robert Harris' books are pretty much hit and miss for me. But this series is truly good.

Imperium tells the story of Marcus Tullius Cicero, advocate, politician and orator; his rise to power as well as the slow decline of the Roman Republic. It's captivating and well written, giving the reader a fairly historically correct recount and analysis of events that leads to Cicero's consulship. Told by Cicero's former house slave and secretary, Tiro, it maintains a distance to the characters that I prefer in Historical Fiction.

Equally interesting is the glimpse we get of the structure of the Roman Republic. I believe it's safe to say that Hollywood has been successful in reducing this time period to sandals-and-swords-gladiator narratives.

Unfortunately, the audio version doesn't reflect the fascinating mechanisms, power struggles and intrigues that Robert Harris so aptly put into words. If I hadn't already read the books years ago, thus remembering roughly who's who and what's what, I would have struggled to stay interested.

Considering that Cicero was the greatest orator of his time, the narrator never gave Cicero's voice the immense power he wielded with his speeches which is an utter shame. Speeches could make or break a Roman politician in those times, and Robert Harris gave Cicero's speeches the necessary background and build-up to make it an engrossing read.

For anyone interested: read the books and avoid the audio version. Or, at least, listen to the sample first. The books are really good.