Cleopatra's Story: A Historical Fiction Novel

Kindle Customer: This is a really fun way to detail the life of Cleopatra beginning to end. The language is simple enough and modernized enough to be understood while not feeling overly dramatized. That being said - this is still a historical book. Prepare for a lot of war talk and politics.

United States on Nov 10, 2023

DT.DT.: The book is so well written and detailed, I love it. Really happy with the price as well, go for it, especially if you love history.

India on Mar 11, 2023

Foxglove Summer: Antony and Cleopatra is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. I studied it at school and thirty years later I still know huge parts by heart. The language is lovely, but I feel Shakespeare has been unkind to Cleopatra, that there was a lot more to her. And, in this book, we meet this version of the Queen.

To hold the reader's interest for 1200 pages is remarkable in itself. We see Cleopatra as a queen, a mother, a politician and a strategist. She is a woman equal to her male counterparts.

As I raced through the book and Actium came nearer and nearer I felt overwhelming dread and sadness. In the end I stayed up till 5am to finish this.

It is beautifully written and compassionate. A stunning achievement.

United Kingdom on Nov 25, 2022

Courtney: Margaret George's The Memoirs of Cleopatra tackle the difficult task of telling the story of Cleopatra's life. The last Ptolemy to rule Egypt. The great Queen of Egypt. Cleopatra was not only a clever Queen but also a mother and woman who loved two powerful Roman commanders. She faced many challenges before and during her rule. Writing this novel had to have been daunting, but George pulled it off beautifully.

The Memoirs of Cleopatra is written as if Cleopatra is writing her life story on scrolls for someone to read once she is gone from the world. She wanted her truth written to combat others' versions of Cleopatra. I enjoyed George's choice to write out Cleopatra's life this way. It gave a more personal feel to the novel. I especially loved how the story is so highly detailed. This is a 900+ novel filled with every possible observation, small or large, that made up Cleopatra's daily ongoings and significant life events.

I deeply admire the Cleopatra presented in The Memoirs of Cleopatra. You can see how clever and curious she is from a young age. Her ability to soak up knowledge like a sponge is one of my favorite qualities of Cleopatra. Once she came into power,...

United States on Sep 13, 2022

Amazon CustomerAmazon Customer: Amazing read. I am writing this review after reading about 600 pages and it has not let me down. For those who always wondered about Egyptian and roman history.. significance of why we read Julius Caesar in school.. you must read this book. Very interestingly the author has used the facts the world knows and things around it to build an amazing historical fiction.

India on Dec 04, 2020

Bookfriend: I read this book years ago, so didn't expect it to "grab me" again quite so much this time round - but I was wrong.

The reader is immediately drawn into the exotic and dangerous world of Cleopatra, from three years old and right through her reign, and nowhere is this story heavy going.
The scents, colours, and fabulous wealth are all described vividly - a wonderfully entertaining blockbuster "read".

A small grumble is that the print in the new version could be a bit darker. The font is already quite small, so something subtle like your bedside light might not be enough to do the job.

I do love the new golden cover, though - much better than the original where the queen was shown in death. Here, she's definitely alert, and every time I put the book down she keeps her eye on me, till I gave her my attention again - !

United Kingdom on Sep 12, 2013

munchkinsraves: I first read the 'Memoirs of Cleopatra' many years ago....It was in our collection and became a victim of a disappearing act. That was years ago... Now, when I saw the title I pounced on it:'YESSS'!!!
I loved it the first time I read it, and here the second time, its just as good. It is not a book that you want to put down in a hurry. The pages turn themselves...
Written in the first person, it gives a unique insight into this queen who ruled over 1,000 years ago.The detail is rich, the history well researched. Ms. George draws on the few items there are left of this enigmatic,yet forever fascinating queen that feature her portrait, from the coin to the idealised portraits in stone.
They always say that history is written from the 'eyes of the victor' of whatever battle[s], in this case,Actium and Cleopatra has not always been portrayed in the most favourable light. This work 'evens the score a bit', presenting history from a more 'fair' point of view...
Even if you are not one for history, you are sure to enjoy this. Do not be put off by its size...the pages just fly by.

United Kingdom on Jul 04, 2011

Graeme Moore: If you prefer your historical fiction to be non stop action or something you could read over a boring weekend...then this probably isnt your cup of tea.

If you prefer however a book that makes you feel like you have gone back in a time machine - so rich is the detail painted by Maragret Georges excellent prose that it makes the reader feel as though they are front and center with the real Cleopatra - then you will love this epic tale.

While one may know the tales of Cleopatra and her flings with Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and her famous death scene, this book is so much more. George does a tremendous job to recreate the rich settings, hardly documented events and travels in the life of Cleopatra, and customs that abound in the life of the Egyptian royal palace, as well as religion and Egypt itself in such clarity no one can fail but to be awe inspired by Georges account of the times. All-in-all this brings to life the real Cleopatra, not as a superficial 2-dimensional seductress (of Hollywood fame)but as the truly inspiring figure she was and the reason why she is one of few great ancient historical female figures who come to mind when we recall those times. Fom age...

United States on May 20, 2007