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This really is an *action thriller*! I never expected that after reading the first 2 volumes! I thought this was just about Cicero going into exile and eventually being killed, but all the stuff that's going on here - incredible! It's no longer a "philosophical" book as maybe, vol. 1 was, it's action and crime non-stop!

Das Buch ist wirklich noch viel spannender als erwartet! Es wurde schon zum Ende des 2. Bandes hin sehr spannend, und so ist es auch geblieben! - Aber welch ein absoluter*Sumpf*! Diese Machenschaften, Intrigen, jeder gegen jeden, everybody stabbing everybody else in the back... And they call it "politics" - well, if that is "politics", then politics is indeed "das schmutzigste Gewerbe der Welt"!

Reading (notably the second half) of the book, I was going to give Cicero a break and read a German thriller next because things were were just getting too bad and too sad in this trilogy, but very cleverly Robert Harris ended volume 2 in such a way that you simply have to carry on reading, especially when you have already got volume 3 ("Dictator") in the house

I've been thinking this for a while: Going by what I've read in this book, Cato is much more "my kind of person" (than Cicero)! At least, he sticks to his principles when Cicero manoeuvres around (herumlavieren), calling it "being political", but actually just being boundlessly opportunistic...

From p. 251 onwards, it goes downhill - Cicero goes downhill and it's not exactly enjoyable to watch his decline. "Geritten von Größenwahn", and that manifests itself in more than one way, at least as seen through the eyes of Tiro (or should I say, Robert Harris). - It's still very "spannend", possibly even more so than before, but Cicero has lost his senses and my sympathy. Shame that...

"'Unfortunately,' replied Cicero, 'politics is neither as clean as a wrestling match, nor played according to fixed rules.'"

Every now and then, you also get rewarded by some words of wisdom, such as, "...(a person) of great ambition and boundless stupidity, two qualities which in politics often go together", or, "All three of her brothers... had been consul, and if Aurelia had been born a man, she would certainly have achieved the rank herself, for she was shrewder and braver than any of them".

This one was funny in the end: Four "litters" appeared in front of Cicero's house. "Litters"? I know all about "cat-litter" and "cat-litter trays", but "litters borne by four liveried slaves"? I had to work it out from the context but when I eventually double-checked it in the dictionary, I found it was "Sänfte"! Ok, alles klar!

I'm braving this book now. I say "braving" because - as much as I really do like Harris's writing - it contains quite a few words and terms which I don't understand, and I don't really want to turn to the dictionary every time something creeps up that I don't get. In some cases, my ignorance may be due to the fact that I'm not a native speaker, in other cases it may just be because I'm not a classicist.

I'm braving this book now. I say "braving" because - as much as I really do like Harris's writing - it contains quite a few words and terms which I don't understand, and I don't really want to turn to the dictionary every time something creeps up that I don't get. In some cases, my ignorance may be due to the fact that I'm not a native speaker, in other cases it may just be because I'm not a classicist.

Gefällt mir ganz gut, spannend, besser als "Wundbrand"

Sehr spannend, praktisch genauso spannend wie Band 1!

Gefällt mir

Mittlerweile ist es seit einiger Zeit doch recht spannend geworden! 4/5

It's ok. Schon spannend, but nowhere as gripping as volume 1. I'll give it 3.5/5

Getting into it now... On the first page (p 7) I was shocked by the appalling "quality" of the German translation and double-checked: And yes, this book was not translated by the same person as vol. 1 - a shame! But it got better (or less bad). - Then there were a lot of new people and new places but I've got used that now and found my way round it, so I'm beginning to enjoy the book now

It's not bad but nowhere near as good as vol. 1 ("Springflut"). Something like 3.5/5

Didn't like the first few pages, "not my cup of tea", but it soon got a lot better and interesting! I've also got over the initial "shock" of reading this book in English - it's ok, even though I did prefer the German translation of the first version, the style sort of suited the German language better, I felt, but that's very subjective

Incredible! Compelling reading - an amazing compilation of different stories spanning a wide period of time, each and every one of them very well told. Unlike the first two books which basically focussed on two main characters over time, in this book we find out about a wide range of different people's stories, one as amazing as the other

It's a good read (in spite of it being utterly depressing - but we knew that before we started reading the book...)

An absolute page-turner! - I really don't get why only vol. 1 + 2 seem to be translated into English when there are 7 volumes so far altogether! All of them are translated into German, as I found out today!

Viel versprechend!

I don't like this story; I don't like the content of it. Contrary to their justifications, I think it's absolutely scandalous how these two journalists are actively encouraging (including financing!) terrorist activities that may not even have happened without their active support. Until they appeared, it was just "a mad idea" that may never have led to anything! It's almost as if they were setting it up themselves

Ziemlich langweilig. Weder ein Krimi, noch ein Thriller, noch eine "thrilling story"...

Kann man lesen, reißt einen aber absolut nicht vom Hocker...

I can't help it but I can't enjoy the book as much any more since Cicero decided to sell his soul to Pompey and write speeches for him that go right against his very own ideas and convictions - and all that just to further his own career ambitions. This is not funny and not enjoyable - but for all I know, exposing this kind of behaviour may well be the point of the book...

Really enjoying this book! Love the language in general and the wittiness and humour of Tiro's side notes

Very well written. Lots of humour, too. I obviously don't understand *every* word because I'm not very familiar with Roman history but I understand enough to make this enjoyable reading. I'm just amazed how this Roman senate session looks like a caricature of the UK parliament (or the other way round, not sure). - Is this where the UK got all its weird procedures from, from the Romans, from well over 2,000 years ago?

I've asked myself if I liked the story and I think I don't particularly like it - but I'll still carry on reading it to find out what happens. I do, however, think other volumes in this series were a lot better! This is all a bit "an den Haaren herbeigezogen" and completely ott