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The Romance of Atlantis
THE ROMANCE OF ATLANTIS brings to life all the dazzling splendor of that lost kingdom. However, Atlantis is threatened by powerful neighboring states. Tension increases when the ruler of an adjacent kingdom bids to marry the empress. If she marries him, Atlantis would be safe from invasion. Yet, such a marriage contradicts the deepest feelings of her heart, the secret wisdom of her lineage, and her sacred trust as queen. We will not spoil your enjoyment of this novel by telling the conclusion!
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
84 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Caldwell
152 books558 followers Also known by the pen names Marcus Holland and Max Reiner.
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
Taylor Caldwell was born in Manchester, England. In 1907 she emigrated to the United States with her parents and younger brother. Her father died shortly after the move, and the family struggled. At the age of eight she started to write stories, and in fact wrote her first novel, The Romance of Atlantis, at the age of twelve (although it remained unpublished until 1975). Her father did not approve such activity for women, and sent her to work in a bindery. She continued to write prolifically, however, despite ill health. (In 1947, according to TIME magazine, she discarded and burned the manuscripts of 140 unpublished novels.)
In 1918-1919, she served in the United States Navy Reserve. In 1919 she married William F. Combs. In 1920, they had a daughter, Mary (known as "Peggy"). From 1923 to 1924 she was a court reporter in New York State Department of Labor in Buffalo, New York. In 1924, she went to work for the United States Department of Justice, as a member of the Board of Special Inquiry (an immigration tribunal) in Buffalo. In 1931 she graduated from SUNY Buffalo, and also was divorced from William Combs.
Caldwell then married her second husband, Marcus Reback, a fellow Justice employee. She had a second child with Reback, a daughter Judith, in 1932. They were married for 40 years, until his death in 1971.
In 1934, she began to work on the novel Dynasty of Death, which she and Reback completed in collaboration. It was published in 1938 and became a best-seller. "Taylor Caldwell" was presumed to be a man, and there was some public stir when the author was revealed to be a woman. Over the next 43 years, she published 42 more novels, many of them best-sellers. For instance, This Side of Innocence was the biggest fiction seller of 1946. Her works sold an estimated 30 million copies. She became wealthy, traveling to Europe and elsewhere, though she still lived near Buffalo.
Her books were big sellers right up to the end of her career. During her career as a writer, she received several awards.
She was an outspoken conservative and for a time wrote for the John Birch Society's monthly journal American Opinion and even associated with the anti-Semitic Liberty Lobby. Her memoir, On Growing Up Tough, appeared in 1971, consisting of many edited-down articles from American Opinion.
Around 1970, she became interested in reincarnation. She had become friends with well-known occultist author Jess Stearn, who suggested that the vivid detail in her many historical novels was actually subconscious recollection of previous lives. Supposedly, she agreed to be hypnotized and undergo "past-life regression" to disprove reincarnation. According to Stearn's book, The Search of a Soul - Taylor Caldwell's Psychic Lives, Caldwell instead began to recall her own past lives - eleven in all, including one on the "lost continent" of Lemuria.
In 1972, she married William Everett Stancell, a retired real estate developer, but divorced him in 1973. In 1978, she married William Robert Prestie, an eccentric Canadian 17 years her junior. This led to difficulties with her children. She had a long dispute with her daughter Judith over the estate of Judith's father Marcus; in 1979 Judith committed suicide.
Also in 1979, Caldwell suffered a stroke, which left her unable to speak, though she could still write. (She had been deaf since about 1965.) Her daughter Peggy accused Prestie of abusing and exploiting Caldwell, and there was a legal battle over her substantial assets.
She died of heart failure in Greenwich, Conn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
February 2, 2010
I was given a used copy of this book when I was in high school, and I was hooked from the first page. I have reread this book many times since. It defies description in so many ways - the setting is imaginative and incredibly detailed, the characters are richly drawn, the story is atmospheric and rich - moody, oppressive; you can feel the last days of Atlantis hanging in the air and the impending doom. And the ending is amazing - an intriguing combination of history and fiction, a historical "what if." Even more intriguing is the story of the author - how she dreamed the story as a pre-teen, as if she was a re=incarnation of the empress herself and her family thought she had copied the story, thinking it too mature/advanced to have been written by her! Amazing!
June 21, 2011
The Romance of Atlantis is a work of Fantasy or Science Fiction and as the preface states, Ms. Caldwell wrote this novel when she was twelve years of age. Her family ran a publishing company but they wouldn’t publish this novel. Instead, they accused the twelve year old of plagiarism, unconvinced that a girl could write a complete book including realistic adult situations
After reading this story I was impressed that a twelve year old could have the knowledge in her time period to write so well. This is my first reading of anything by Caldwell and her Atlantis is well envisaged however, I really didn’t like the characters much. Since this book is written by a twelve year old who deserves credit where credit is due I give it 5 stars !!
After reading this story I was impressed that a twelve year old could have the knowledge in her time period to write so well. This is my first reading of anything by Caldwell and her Atlantis is well envisaged however, I really didn’t like the characters much. Since this book is written by a twelve year old who deserves credit where credit is due I give it 5 stars !!
September 1, 2014
Amazing how the writer wrote this book when she as only 12 years old. Some juvenile aspects still remain in the narrative. But the author was sufficient aware of the progress of the science since she mentioned the nuclear energy among other scientific facts.
May 2, 2017
I read this as a teenager and loved it. I'm partial to stories about Atlantis-- don't know why...
May 11, 2011
An amazing story...did Taylor "see" Atlantis? Jess Stearn writes a foreword that will astound the reader about Taylor Caldwell at twelve years old.
January 30, 2011
An amazing read. The characters have their own style of talking and speak it in a philosophy type of way, even though Salustra will probably tell you she doesn’t like philosophy.
The read is about the life of an Empress and the last days (actually it never really does mention how long before the end; it could have been months, I am pretty sure we skip some years after she become Empress before we got to the months part.) of Atlantis. What she does and how she does everything for the love of her country all up to the end of it.
You also get out of the book how some of the people live, what technology they have compare to their neighbors, and what they think, believe and speak of.
The read is about the life of an Empress and the last days (actually it never really does mention how long before the end; it could have been months, I am pretty sure we skip some years after she become Empress before we got to the months part.) of Atlantis. What she does and how she does everything for the love of her country all up to the end of it.
You also get out of the book how some of the people live, what technology they have compare to their neighbors, and what they think, believe and speak of.
January 5, 2012
I loved this book when I read it as a teenager. When I read it again as an adult, it was still an intriguing story, but the writing style and especially the conversation were stilted. I'm giving it the average of the 5 stars I would have given it the first time I read it and the 3 stars I would give it now.
April 23, 2019
Amazing! so catchy, one cannot stop reading it. It really takes you to another world, makes you feel everything: you suffer, rejoice, worry and enjoy along with the characters. Besides that, it carries profound wisdom and philosophical matters (and how certain is about human nature) that leaves you awestruck. I highly recommend this book, an impressive work of a 12-year-old girl.
July 16, 2012
One of my favorite books growing up!
September 21, 2012
Super dry and hard to get through.
May 13, 2021
Terrible, that's the review in one word. Caldwell give us the story of the final days of Atlantis mixing every thought she had without structure. The society of Atlantis resembles the Roman Empire. They wear robes, sandals, swords but they also have the atomic bomb, electricity and solar energy. They are advanced but it´s never clear how advance. They don´t use fossil fuel but a simple cloud is enough to paralize their solar plants. And they nuke the dinosaurs hahahaha.
The protagonist is Salustra Empress of Atlantis, a shallow contradictory character whose only trait is to laugh. Caldwell describes her laughing a thousand times. 80% of the action takes place in the Palace. The other main character is Ragnar, Emperor of Altustri, a civilization in the north resembling the barbarian tribes of germanic origin. They use oil but somehow travel in wooden ships. Nothing makes sense. To add to this disaster, religion and Yavhe are mixed at the end.
Caldwell wrote a short story or novella at the age of 12 (probably ture especially the ridiculous names like Salustra, Lazar, Altustri, etc) and his friend expanded and finish it in the 1970's and somehow they tricked people to think Caldwell was recalling a past life.
Avoid the book at all cost!!!
The protagonist is Salustra Empress of Atlantis, a shallow contradictory character whose only trait is to laugh. Caldwell describes her laughing a thousand times. 80% of the action takes place in the Palace. The other main character is Ragnar, Emperor of Altustri, a civilization in the north resembling the barbarian tribes of germanic origin. They use oil but somehow travel in wooden ships. Nothing makes sense. To add to this disaster, religion and Yavhe are mixed at the end.
Caldwell wrote a short story or novella at the age of 12 (probably ture especially the ridiculous names like Salustra, Lazar, Altustri, etc) and his friend expanded and finish it in the 1970's and somehow they tricked people to think Caldwell was recalling a past life.
Avoid the book at all cost!!!
October 3, 2020
[Strangely, GoodReads didn't connect my review on the Kindle version to this paperback edition. So I'm updating the paperback listing from that 2017 Kindle review.]
I first read this book in the mid 1970's, and it remained a favorite of mine for many years. However, it's been at least 15-20 years since the last time I read it, and it has not stood the test of time.
The world is a very different place in 2017 than it was in the 70's, and the environmental, political, social, and philosophical issues of Caldwell's Atlantis which seemed to distant and 'dramatic' are now all too familiar. Descriptions of the wealthy, corrupt Atlantean senate, ministers of science and energy who are more focused on personal prestige than advancing knowledge or meeting a crisis, and a populace which is outwardly passionately religious but not particularly virtuous hit too close to home.
Salustra, the Empress of Atlantis, was once one of my favorite heroines. Now I don't find her good company. Her cynicism, sense of superiority, and emotional isolation frustrate me. Her desire to institute a program of eugenics and her dismissal of other women are painful to read.
I had remembered "the good parts version" of the story (to crib from William Goldman's The Princess Bride): the conflict between Atlantis and its neighbor Althrustri, and the personal relationship between Salustra and Signar, the Emperor of Althrustri, the political manuvering. I had forgotten how much of the book was taken up with philosophical ruminations coupled with scorn for philosophy. It also suffers from old school casual sexism, with Salustra praised for being masculine, scorning women, and characterizing every other female character as a harridan, a fool, or a frigid virgin.
There were also multiple textual errors, with the especially annoying repeating mistake of having Signar's name misspelled as "Signal." Apparently someone was relying too much on spellcheck and less on actual editing.
If I didn't have a history with this book I would never have finished reading it. It was painful. I want to go back and re-write the story to bring back the glamorous, romantic, powerful tale I loved as an adolescent, but with a more mature sensibility.
I first read this book in the mid 1970's, and it remained a favorite of mine for many years. However, it's been at least 15-20 years since the last time I read it, and it has not stood the test of time.
The world is a very different place in 2017 than it was in the 70's, and the environmental, political, social, and philosophical issues of Caldwell's Atlantis which seemed to distant and 'dramatic' are now all too familiar. Descriptions of the wealthy, corrupt Atlantean senate, ministers of science and energy who are more focused on personal prestige than advancing knowledge or meeting a crisis, and a populace which is outwardly passionately religious but not particularly virtuous hit too close to home.
Salustra, the Empress of Atlantis, was once one of my favorite heroines. Now I don't find her good company. Her cynicism, sense of superiority, and emotional isolation frustrate me. Her desire to institute a program of eugenics and her dismissal of other women are painful to read.
I had remembered "the good parts version" of the story (to crib from William Goldman's The Princess Bride): the conflict between Atlantis and its neighbor Althrustri, and the personal relationship between Salustra and Signar, the Emperor of Althrustri, the political manuvering. I had forgotten how much of the book was taken up with philosophical ruminations coupled with scorn for philosophy. It also suffers from old school casual sexism, with Salustra praised for being masculine, scorning women, and characterizing every other female character as a harridan, a fool, or a frigid virgin.
There were also multiple textual errors, with the especially annoying repeating mistake of having Signar's name misspelled as "Signal." Apparently someone was relying too much on spellcheck and less on actual editing.
If I didn't have a history with this book I would never have finished reading it. It was painful. I want to go back and re-write the story to bring back the glamorous, romantic, powerful tale I loved as an adolescent, but with a more mature sensibility.
April 3, 2016
The details of the "regeneration chamber" by which certain residents of Atlantis in this story extend healthy lives go only a little further than "respect radiation," and the imaginary society helmed by a queen named Salustra blends atomic energy and Roman organization with decidedly mixed results, but the miracle of this novel is that Taylor Caldwell wrote it when she was only 12 years old.
Despite her inexperience in life (never mind writing) at the time, Caldwell still shows a preternatural gift for storytelling. That the palace intrigue is predictable and the romance between Salustra and her northern rival Signar a little hackneyed matters not much for any reader willing to marvel that a pre-teen author put the whole thing together. This is not Dear and Glorious Physician by any means, but only because Caldwell had not yet come into her full powers as a novelist.
Despite her inexperience in life (never mind writing) at the time, Caldwell still shows a preternatural gift for storytelling. That the palace intrigue is predictable and the romance between Salustra and her northern rival Signar a little hackneyed matters not much for any reader willing to marvel that a pre-teen author put the whole thing together. This is not Dear and Glorious Physician by any means, but only because Caldwell had not yet come into her full powers as a novelist.
March 17, 2016
I think this must have been my grandmother's...I can't imagine what appeal it would have had for my father.
The storyline is predictable, the writing mediocre. What makes it intriguing are the preface and afterword. This book was written by a 12 year old girl. Although the style is immature, the content and insights into human nature are startling and strange for one so young. It seems she may imagine herself to be a reincarnation of the last Empress of Atlantis, and fancies that these are her memories.
Perhaps she has temporal lobe seizures, or someone whispered the Atlantean equivalent of 1001 Arabian Nights to her during her formative years. Regardless, what kept me going through it was the weird, dreamy, out-of-proportion, incongruity of a 12 year old identifying with the feelings of a worldly 30 year old...
The storyline is predictable, the writing mediocre. What makes it intriguing are the preface and afterword. This book was written by a 12 year old girl. Although the style is immature, the content and insights into human nature are startling and strange for one so young. It seems she may imagine herself to be a reincarnation of the last Empress of Atlantis, and fancies that these are her memories.
Perhaps she has temporal lobe seizures, or someone whispered the Atlantean equivalent of 1001 Arabian Nights to her during her formative years. Regardless, what kept me going through it was the weird, dreamy, out-of-proportion, incongruity of a 12 year old identifying with the feelings of a worldly 30 year old...
August 10, 2022
I would really recommend reading it.
It’s a novel that I had never hear of but I am amaze of how much it makes you feel as if you were seeing a movie or even standing inside of this wonderful ancient but futuristic legend place called Atlantis.
It a great book that makes you re-think a lot of things and throughout the course of the story you are just hooked and want to know what happens next to each of the characters.
It’s a novel that I had never hear of but I am amaze of how much it makes you feel as if you were seeing a movie or even standing inside of this wonderful ancient but futuristic legend place called Atlantis.
It a great book that makes you re-think a lot of things and throughout the course of the story you are just hooked and want to know what happens next to each of the characters.
Want to read
November 21, 2014Necesito mucho encontrar éste libro. Fue uno de los primeros que empecé a leer (sin dibujitos) cuando tenía unos 12 o 13 años y el caso es que desapareció antes de que llegara a la mitad. La historia es que no lo encuentro en librerías, al grado de que comienzo a pensar que imaginé todo el asunto. Ahok.
Help!
Help!
February 9, 2008
Third of a group I am now reading.
Very romantic story of Atlantis.
Interesting that Caldwell seems to place herself in each of her writings in some way.
Good Read.
Very romantic story of Atlantis.
Interesting that Caldwell seems to place herself in each of her writings in some way.
Good Read.
January 15, 2013
Sin duda, es mi libro favorito. Una historia que hace sentir. Se vive, se sufre, se motiva. Absolutamente recomendado.
September 19, 2015
Excelente novela la he leído más de tres veces
December 24, 2015
Buen desarrollo de los personajes!
November 6, 2020
DNF, Can't read this. Not for me at all.
February 23, 2021
This book started my belief in past lives
December 30, 2022
I read this book when I was a young teen, and the story always stuck with me. So, when I saw a deal on the ebook, I got it. Taylor Caldwell said she wrote this when she was 12. If that’s true, then she knew a lot about intimacy, rhetoric, and philosophy for that age! Reading it again, I’m struck by how much I probably didn’t understand when I read it as a teen. Still, I don’t recall being confused by the narrative, so I must have accepted the story as is,
The Romance of Atlantis is a complex and heavy, but enjoyable, read. Salustra is the empress of Atlantis struggling to hold on to the throne in a decadent nation where nature suddenly blocks the sun and cuts them off from their advanced solar technology. Although her father warned her on his deathbed that she wants the people to love her, she chose instead to have them respect her. With many freedoms available to her citizens, divisions and factions fight for what is truth. But, in the light of their lost electricity, dissatisfaction grows, especially with the empress.
The ticket to saving her empire might rest on a marriage alliance with a barbaric empire to the north, but Salustra refuses to relinquish her power to a husband.
The intricacies of politics, religion, and the Senate complicate everything she attempts, and ultimately, as the ruler of a corrupt empire, she is blamed for the loss of the sun and electricity.
This story reveals the dangers of corruption for corruptions sake, the hypocrisy of many organized religions, and the greed of those who see themselves superior to the common person.
Again, if she really wrote it at 12, then the only explanation for such a complex story is Taylor Caldwell’s suggestion that she is Salustra reincarnated. Do with that what you will.
The Romance of Atlantis is a complex and heavy, but enjoyable, read. Salustra is the empress of Atlantis struggling to hold on to the throne in a decadent nation where nature suddenly blocks the sun and cuts them off from their advanced solar technology. Although her father warned her on his deathbed that she wants the people to love her, she chose instead to have them respect her. With many freedoms available to her citizens, divisions and factions fight for what is truth. But, in the light of their lost electricity, dissatisfaction grows, especially with the empress.
The ticket to saving her empire might rest on a marriage alliance with a barbaric empire to the north, but Salustra refuses to relinquish her power to a husband.
The intricacies of politics, religion, and the Senate complicate everything she attempts, and ultimately, as the ruler of a corrupt empire, she is blamed for the loss of the sun and electricity.
This story reveals the dangers of corruption for corruptions sake, the hypocrisy of many organized religions, and the greed of those who see themselves superior to the common person.
Again, if she really wrote it at 12, then the only explanation for such a complex story is Taylor Caldwell’s suggestion that she is Salustra reincarnated. Do with that what you will.
July 29, 2025
Atlantis, as imagined by Taylor Caldwell, is a land full of anachronisms. The culture is very much modeled on Ancient Rome but with technology of the 20th Century (nuclear power, solar energy) and beyond (Rejuvenation Chambers).
The unpublished manuscript was written when Caldwell was 12 years old. In the 1970s Caldwell and Jess Stern revised the manuscript, and this version was published in 1975. It's a gloriously romantic, eminently readable novel. It focuses on Selestra, Empress of Atlantis. She must contend with palace intrigue and threats from the neighboring country of Althrustri, also on the continent of Atlantis. Althrustrians are considered barbarians by the Atlanteans. They are less scientifically advanced and they don't have the coddled lifestyle of the Atlanteans. But this makes them all the more dangerous as warriors.
And, of course, as background to all of this are the mysterious rumblings in the Earth, strange atmospheric conditions and tidal waves appearing out of nowhere. Atlantean geologists and seismologists are baffled.
Despite all of these events, and. after all, this being a romance, Selestra has time for love affairs, which are the real heart of the novel.
This is the type of book that sweeps you up into its world and entrances you with its melodrama. Don't expect realism, but stories about Atlantis rarely concern themselves with realism.
Considering the provenance of the novel, its depictions of the sexual politics of Atlantis are remarkably sophisticated. Caldwell must have been a very precocious child indeed to have written "The Romance of Atlantis" at 12.
The unpublished manuscript was written when Caldwell was 12 years old. In the 1970s Caldwell and Jess Stern revised the manuscript, and this version was published in 1975. It's a gloriously romantic, eminently readable novel. It focuses on Selestra, Empress of Atlantis. She must contend with palace intrigue and threats from the neighboring country of Althrustri, also on the continent of Atlantis. Althrustrians are considered barbarians by the Atlanteans. They are less scientifically advanced and they don't have the coddled lifestyle of the Atlanteans. But this makes them all the more dangerous as warriors.
And, of course, as background to all of this are the mysterious rumblings in the Earth, strange atmospheric conditions and tidal waves appearing out of nowhere. Atlantean geologists and seismologists are baffled.
Despite all of these events, and. after all, this being a romance, Selestra has time for love affairs, which are the real heart of the novel.
This is the type of book that sweeps you up into its world and entrances you with its melodrama. Don't expect realism, but stories about Atlantis rarely concern themselves with realism.
Considering the provenance of the novel, its depictions of the sexual politics of Atlantis are remarkably sophisticated. Caldwell must have been a very precocious child indeed to have written "The Romance of Atlantis" at 12.
July 15, 2021
This was a fascinating read and in fact I think it's backstory was even more engaging than the actual story itself.
Apparently written by the author at the age of twelve after vivid dreams of a place called Atlantis, this novel is based loosely on those dreams.
Shelved for over sixty years due to the rejection of her publisher grandfather who was shocked at the content that a child of that age wrote, this was only picked up when someone readied it for publication at that point.
Sad how through circumstances a piece of fiction could so easily have been lost.
The story centres on the Empress Salustra who is trying to broker a marriage deal between her sister Tyrhia and the Emperor Signar to unite Atlantis and Althrusti.
But secretly she loves Signar herself and so a complicated love triangle ensues played out against the backdrop of Atlantis being submerged to its watery grave.
A real clever and forward thinking piece of writing as some of the technology mentioned can loosely be recognised as of recent years.
But honestly, written by a twelve year old?
I too have my doubts as it seems way too accomplished a skill level especially the romance, slaves and concubine angle, it seems as if plotted out by someone with a lot more life experience.
Though admittedly Jess Stearn also had a hand in tidying it up ready for the publishing market so who really knows?
All in all a fascinating little story set around the fictional world of Atlantis with an interesting and quite controversial take surrounding its inception.
Apparently written by the author at the age of twelve after vivid dreams of a place called Atlantis, this novel is based loosely on those dreams.
Shelved for over sixty years due to the rejection of her publisher grandfather who was shocked at the content that a child of that age wrote, this was only picked up when someone readied it for publication at that point.
Sad how through circumstances a piece of fiction could so easily have been lost.
The story centres on the Empress Salustra who is trying to broker a marriage deal between her sister Tyrhia and the Emperor Signar to unite Atlantis and Althrusti.
But secretly she loves Signar herself and so a complicated love triangle ensues played out against the backdrop of Atlantis being submerged to its watery grave.
A real clever and forward thinking piece of writing as some of the technology mentioned can loosely be recognised as of recent years.
But honestly, written by a twelve year old?
I too have my doubts as it seems way too accomplished a skill level especially the romance, slaves and concubine angle, it seems as if plotted out by someone with a lot more life experience.
Though admittedly Jess Stearn also had a hand in tidying it up ready for the publishing market so who really knows?
All in all a fascinating little story set around the fictional world of Atlantis with an interesting and quite controversial take surrounding its inception.
December 19, 2017
I, once again, find myself in complete AWE of Taylor Caldwell! Thankful also to Jess Stern for introducing the idea of reincarnation to this world famous and very skeptical author of the twentieth century. It's hard to believe that a twelve year old, sheltered girl could have written anything so detailed as she did with "The Romance of Atlantis"! I was blown away by the first page and if I didn't believe in reincarnation when I started this book, I was very quickly convinced. Taylor Caldwell's own grandfather, who owned a publishing company, advised her father to destroy the book immediately! He felt like she would have had to plagiarize someone else's work once he read the book in it's entirety. Jess Stern convinced her to finally have the book published in (or around) 1980. I'm so glad he was able to talk her into it!
I have no answers as to how she would have known about science such as nuclear bombs and so much else! I'm not sure in the early 1900's, there was much printed about these things. This book has opened my interest in Atlantis. I want to know so much more! "The Romance of Atlantis" only covers the period of the last days and the fall of Atlantis. Ms. Caldwell even touches on the biblical story of Noah's Ark. THAT was fascinating!
I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves Taylor Caldwell, for anyone interested in reincarnation or anyone interested in Atlantis. Keep an open mind!
I have no answers as to how she would have known about science such as nuclear bombs and so much else! I'm not sure in the early 1900's, there was much printed about these things. This book has opened my interest in Atlantis. I want to know so much more! "The Romance of Atlantis" only covers the period of the last days and the fall of Atlantis. Ms. Caldwell even touches on the biblical story of Noah's Ark. THAT was fascinating!
I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves Taylor Caldwell, for anyone interested in reincarnation or anyone interested in Atlantis. Keep an open mind!
November 18, 2025
Written at twelve or not, Rand's book is very consistent with her following writing. The Romance of Atlantis is a love/hate story between Salustra, the Empress of Atlantis and Signar, the Emperor of Althustra, a far north country. It is also a great description of Atlantis and consistent with other readings of Atlantis.
Even if you don't believe in channeled writings or Atlantis, give yourself "the willing suspension of disbelief to compare the successes of Atlantis as well as her downfall - being so similar to the US even though written in 1917. By the way, Rand does not believe in spirituality or religion either.
I first read Rand in my twenties and really liked it. Then I went to re-read Atlas Shrugged about ten years ago, and was surprised to find it so harsh and patriarchal. Rand is a philosopher and I enjoy her philosophy and deeper thinking. I was always jolted when she came down hard on poverty and her belief that only the aristocrats should procreate! She is appalled at Jehovah, a new religion just coming onto Atlantis, who is an angry, jealous and violent god filled with punishment and judgement.
There are parts of her philosophy I really like, and others that are abhorrent.
Signar is appalled also that the highly intelligent and exquisitely beautiful Salustra does not believe in love. I enjoyed the history and I enjoyed the two rulers and their romance and lack of romance. Great read!
Even if you don't believe in channeled writings or Atlantis, give yourself "the willing suspension of disbelief to compare the successes of Atlantis as well as her downfall - being so similar to the US even though written in 1917. By the way, Rand does not believe in spirituality or religion either.
I first read Rand in my twenties and really liked it. Then I went to re-read Atlas Shrugged about ten years ago, and was surprised to find it so harsh and patriarchal. Rand is a philosopher and I enjoy her philosophy and deeper thinking. I was always jolted when she came down hard on poverty and her belief that only the aristocrats should procreate! She is appalled at Jehovah, a new religion just coming onto Atlantis, who is an angry, jealous and violent god filled with punishment and judgement.
There are parts of her philosophy I really like, and others that are abhorrent.
Signar is appalled also that the highly intelligent and exquisitely beautiful Salustra does not believe in love. I enjoyed the history and I enjoyed the two rulers and their romance and lack of romance. Great read!
July 10, 2023
I have this thing about finishing books. However, about 30-40 pages into this one, I knew I did not like it, and I wanted to move on to something else (especially given how full my to read BOOKCASE -- yes CASE -- is), and yet I had to finish the damn book. I was listening to the audio. Had I been taking my valuable time to read traditionally, I probably would have given up. But audio is different, and the narrator was all right and even had a lilting almost mesmerizing cadence that at least provided good background noise as most of the time I was NOT really paying attention.
Given that this book was written by a 12 year old 100+ years ago based on a dream and revised with a co-author makes it a fascinating artifact, but it's not why the book is terrible. It may only be terrible by modern expectations and styles. I am sure that in its time period this novel of manners and royal courts and romance with a spice of intrigue might have been quite popular. By today's standards, it's not so compelling. I read it because of its setting in ATLANTIS, which connects to my own current fiction work, but I learned nothing of interest about Atlantis from this novel.
Given that this book was written by a 12 year old 100+ years ago based on a dream and revised with a co-author makes it a fascinating artifact, but it's not why the book is terrible. It may only be terrible by modern expectations and styles. I am sure that in its time period this novel of manners and royal courts and romance with a spice of intrigue might have been quite popular. By today's standards, it's not so compelling. I read it because of its setting in ATLANTIS, which connects to my own current fiction work, but I learned nothing of interest about Atlantis from this novel.
June 16, 2020
History repeating itself?
Excellent novel of the last days of the fall of Atlantis. I was impressed as I read this book of the striking similarities between Antlantis and the current state of affairs in the world today. There are some remarkable parallels between the political thoughts of the times, the corruption of religious thought, and the dependency of the people on the state or government to provide for their comfort thereby becoming indolent and self absorbed, both in Atlantis and in the world today. It makes one wonder is history repeating itself? It seems rather uncanny that a twelve year old was able to write so eloquently and profoundly. I suspect there is more to it than meets the eye. I wonder if Ms. Caldwell's dreams were past life memories that needed to be brought to light in our own current times as perhaps a cautionary tale or a warning of what the future holds for us as well.
Excellent novel of the last days of the fall of Atlantis. I was impressed as I read this book of the striking similarities between Antlantis and the current state of affairs in the world today. There are some remarkable parallels between the political thoughts of the times, the corruption of religious thought, and the dependency of the people on the state or government to provide for their comfort thereby becoming indolent and self absorbed, both in Atlantis and in the world today. It makes one wonder is history repeating itself? It seems rather uncanny that a twelve year old was able to write so eloquently and profoundly. I suspect there is more to it than meets the eye. I wonder if Ms. Caldwell's dreams were past life memories that needed to be brought to light in our own current times as perhaps a cautionary tale or a warning of what the future holds for us as well.
June 4, 2023
What an extraordinary book. It is a fantasy novel about Atlantis. The Empress Salustra is hosting the Emperor Signar of an adjacent kingdom who wants to marry her. She, however, isn't in a hurry to marry anyone. Each ruler has his or her own agenda. I didn't see the ending coming. Definitely different!
Taylor Caldwell wrote this book when she was 12 years old. I couldn't have written a book like this at 12. The book talks about atom splitters, rejuvenation rooms, philosophy, biology, physics, chemistry, and other science subjects knowledgeably. Frankly, the whole book was astounding. I read more about this book and found out that Caldwell based the book on a recurring dream she had over a period of two years.
Taylor Caldwell wrote this book when she was 12 years old. I couldn't have written a book like this at 12. The book talks about atom splitters, rejuvenation rooms, philosophy, biology, physics, chemistry, and other science subjects knowledgeably. Frankly, the whole book was astounding. I read more about this book and found out that Caldwell based the book on a recurring dream she had over a period of two years.
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