Review: The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of Helen of Troy and Elizabeth I now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history.

 Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.

 As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.

 While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become, an Emperor who became legendary.

 With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.

Hardcover, 528 pages

Expected publication: March 7th 2017 

by Berkley Books

****

Margaret George is synonymous with epic historical door stopper sized books. If you want a quick fluffy read don't look here. But if you're looking for something that is meaty with grit, rich in history with depth, intrigue as well as a setting steeped in political and cultural mayhem you've come to the right place.

 I have read everything that Margaret George has written though I've done it in audio book format this being my first time reading one of her books. Her books are usually close to a thousand pages in length or over 40 hours in audio. I will admit to a bit of puzzlement when I realized this book came in at only 528 pages, thankfully discovering Nero's life will be done in 2 parts, hopefully the wait for book 2 won't be too long.

 I know nothing about the historical figure Nero which made this all the more enjoyable. The Confessions of Young Nero begins when he is a very young child. Watching him grow up in the environment he was in made it all the easier to connect with him and to really get a sense of who he was turning into. To understand what made him tick and why.

 As always Margaret George captured the essence of Rome here, I loved how Paul of Tarsus made an appearance as well as the earthquake in Pompeii, even the fight for Britain with Boudicca showed the far reaches of his empire.  While at times more interested in the arts Nero was a very interesting character and I can't wait for the conclusion to his story.

“If only history lessons had been like this.”—Cosmopolitan 

 “Extensively researched with the highest integrity, and deeply engaging, it sets a new benchmark for the genre.”—New York Times bestselling author Alison Weir

 “George leaves us with the most coveted prize of fiction: a world. . . we wished existed, and that thoroughly does between the covers.” —Chicago Tribune

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read X (examples: New Adult novels, historical fiction, a certain author, books about a certain topic, etc)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1. Not into vampires (or witches).  Has Twilight or Sookie turned you off vampires or you are just afraid to read about them.  Well here is a series for you.  Forget that some say this is an adult version of Twilight, it's SO much better. 

 2. What you've never heard of Eleanor of Aquitaine!?  Seriously?? Well have I got a book for you!

3. Not sure about Stephen King, think he is all horror and no substance, this is one of my favorites.

4.  Audio books are a favorite of mine, I always have one on the go (dog walking, running, driving and even housework).  All Margaret George books have been read this way, Memoirs of Cleopatra is my favorite coming in at 5 minutes shy of 50 hours. Don't knock it till you try it.  Not all books are 50 hour long, depends on the size of the book.

 

 5.  Chick lit isn't your thing, mine either.  But give this series a try, it's good for a smile and chuckle every once in a while. Also works well as an audio too - though be careful if you are listening to this walking down the street, you might get strange looks if you start laughing out loud.

6.  How about some non fiction?  It's not a dry as you might think. Julia Fox wrote a really interesting book called Sister Queens about Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile, check it out.

7.  Children's books, think they are just for kids? There are some great coming of age and award winning books that had me captivated, this is a great one to start with.  Works good to read to your kids too.

8.  Not into paranormal stuff.  Give The Ghost Bride a try,  you will get so taken in with the story that you'll forget you don't like this genre. 

9. Books made into movies. READ THE BOOK FIRST!  Some books just don't make the cut, Harry Potter was wonderful, so was The Book Thief, The Other Boleyn Girl - well I lasted 5 minutes in that movie and never looked back (the book is a favorite of mine).

10.  Afraid to start a series, sometimes it is nice to read about familiar faces again, provided they aren't released so far apart that the author passes in the middle of the series (The Wheel of Time, much to my boys dismay).  My favorite is the Graham Saga - check out my post from a couple days ago, you could even win a set of these books.

The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George

This is the story of England's most 

famous, and notorious, king.

 

Henry was a charismatic, ardent - and brash - young lover who married six times; a scholar with a deep love of poetry and music; an energetic hunter who loved the outdoors; a monarch whose lack of a male heir haunted him incessantly; and a ruthless leader who would stop at nothing to achieve his desires. His monumental decision to split from Rome and the Catholic Church was one that would forever shape the religious and political landscape of Britain.

Combining magnificent storytelling with an extraordinary grasp of the pleasures and perils of power, Margaret George delivers a vivid portrait of Henry VIII and Tudor England and the powerhouse of players on its stage: Thomas Cromwell, Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas More and Anne Boleyn. It is also a narrative told from an original perspective: Margaret George writes from the King's point of view, injecting irreverent comments from Will Somers - Henry's jester and confidant.

Paperback, 939 pages

Published September 15th 1998 by St. Martin's Griffin (first published 1986) 

Margaret George is one of my very favorite authors.  I have read 4 of her novels so far

and all have been through Audible, this one coming in at just over 41 hours, I have so much
respect  for the amount of research and time (fifteen years in the making) that went into

this book. I was capitaved the whole way through and those 40 hours went by very fast.

After reading for many years about the nastiness of Henry VIII, the greedy slob, adulterer,
wife be-header and really the list could go on and on. It was a refreshing change to get his
side of the story. After all there are always two sides to every story. But when it came to 
Henry VIII he has never really be given a chance to speak.up. Margaret George changed
that and she has done a wonderful job.  She has shown a side of Henry VIII that is totally
believable.  Written with rich details this book made it possible to see the human side of
the King from being second born (and never really destined for the throne), seeking 
approval from his parents to life at court, his many wives and being King of England along
with being a father, I think this is one of Margaret George's best.

Definitely a must read for those that enjoy Tudor period HF. 

"There is was., that dreaded word - love.  I did not want to be 
loved; that was the burden. 

Unwanted love was the greatest burden of all."

Margaret George is the author of The Autobiography of Henry VIII, Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, and Elizabeth I:among other novels. Margaret first got the idea to write historical fiction when, after reading numerous books that viewed Henry VIII through the eyes of his enemies and victims, she found herself wondering if there might be another side to the story. She became determined to let Henry speak for himself, and it took fifteen years, about three hundred books of background reading, three visits to England to see every extant building associated with Henry, and five handwritten drafts for her to answer the question: What was Henry really like?