| Imperium | |
|---|---|
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Robert Harris. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Publication date | 4 September 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 416 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-09-180095-1 (first edition, hardback) |
| OCLC Number | 67374396 |
| Preceded by | Pompeii |
| Followed by | Lustrum |
Imperium is a 2006 novel by English author Robert Harris. It is a fictional biography of Cicero, told through the first-person narrator of his secretary Tiro, beginning with the prosecution of Verres.
The book is the first in a trilogy. A sequel, Lustrum, was published in October 2009. The sequel was delayed whilst Harris worked on a contemporary political novel, The Ghost, inspired by the resignation of Tony Blair. Work on the Roman books resumed after The Ghost's completion.
The book was serialized as the Book at Bedtime on BBC Radio 4 from 4 to 15 September 2006, read by Douglas Hodge. An abridged audiobook on compact disc is available, read by British actor Oliver Ford Davies. Unabridged audiobooks on compact disc are also available, read by Simon Jones and Bill Wallis.
Contents |
Plot
Imperium tells the story of Cicero's early career until the point at which he becomes a consul. It follows three main events: the trial of Gaius Verres (a corrupt governor); a political crisis involving Pompey the Great and his arch-rival Crassus; and Cicero's election campaign and election as consul.
Reception
Imperium was well received by the reading public – it received mostly very favorable reviews on Amazon.com[1] – and by critics. In the New York Times, Marcel Theroux called the book "meticulous, absorbing, informative" and "gripping", although he notes that Cicero the man remains an enigma and considers strained the novel's efforts to draw parallels to the war on terror.[2] The Independent's reviewer, Manda Scott, was enthusiastic, calling the book "a joy to read in every way, and as a mirror to the politics of our present age [it] has no equal".[3] In The Guardian, Tom Holland praises Harris's scrupulous reliance on the original sources while retaining "his trademark readability"; in Holland's view, "genres ancient and modern" – classical Latin prose and today's thriller – "have rarely been so skilfully synthesised."[4]
Release details
- 2006, UK, Hutchinson (ISBN 0-09-180095-1), Pub date 4 September 2006, hardback (First edition)
- 2006, UK, Simon & Schuster (ISBN 0-7432-6603-X), Pub date 26 September 2006, hardback
External links
- A little bit of politics (interview), Observer, 3 September 2006
- 'Digested read' (parody) by Jim Crace
- Der letzte Republikaner (interview, German), Telepolis, 11 November 2006
References
- ^ "Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Paperback)". http://www.amazon.com/Imperium-Novel-Ancient-Robert-Harris/dp/0743498666. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Theroux, Marcel (October 22, 2006). New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/22/books/review/Theroux.t.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Scott, Manda (1 September 2006). "Imperium, by Robert Harris: Ancient law and disorder". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/imperium-by-robert-harris-414140.html. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
- ^ Holland, Tom (2 September 2006). "Putting the past together". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2006/sep/02/featuresreviews.guardianreview16. Retrieved 23 December 2009.
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