Tag Archives: historical fiction

Kokoro

Posted on October 7, 2009 by smellincoffee

Kokoro© 1957 Natsume Soseki248 pages A favorite history professor of mine typically assigns novels as part of his required reading, and for his Modern Japanese History course, I read a novel set in the last years of the Meiji period. … Continue reading →

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A Murder on the Appian Way

Posted on September 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

A Murder on the Appian Way © 1997 Steven Saylor 413 pages “Oh, the times! Oh, the morals!” – Cicero “Ah, judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason!” – Mark Antony, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. … Continue reading →

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Roma

Posted on August 30, 2009 by smellincoffee

Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome © 2007 Steven Saylor 555 pages < When I first saw this book’s full title, I was amused by what seemed to be presumption. The novel of ancient Rome? Really? Its plot summary — … Continue reading →

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Catalina’s Riddle

Posted on August 25, 2009 by smellincoffee

Catalina’s Riddle 1993 Steven Saylor 430 pages Returning to Steven Saylor’s Roma sub Rosa series was a treat last week, but I did not expect to be as riveted as I was this week while reading Catalina’s Riddle. Our principle … Continue reading →

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The Venus Throw

Posted on August 18, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Venus Throw © 1995 Steven Saylor 308 pages Back during the spring I began enjoying Steven Saylor’s Roma sub Rosa series, depicting life during Rome as it passes from republic to empire through the adventures of Gordianus the Finder, … Continue reading →

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The House of the Vestals

Posted on April 24, 2009 by smellincoffee

The House of the Vestals: The Investigations of Gordianus the Finder© 1997 Steven Saylor260 pages In previous weeks I have read two novels by Steven Saylor starring Gordianus the Finder, ancient Rome’s very own private detective. This book is a … Continue reading →

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Arms of Nemesis

Posted on April 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

Arms of Nemesis: A Mystery of Ancient Rome© 1992 Steven Saylor318 pages Two weeks ago I read Roman Blood, a mystery novel set in late-Republican Rome. It was the first in the series Roma sub Rosa, and Arms of Nemesis … Continue reading →

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Roman Blood

Posted on March 28, 2009 by smellincoffee

Roman Blood: A Novel of Ancient Rome© 1991 Steven Saylor401 pages They had an awful lot of sex in ancient Rome. Not quite as much as the Cro–Magnons in Jean M. Auel’s Earth Children series, but a good part of … Continue reading →

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Archangel

Posted on March 23, 2009 by smellincoffee

Archangel: A Novel© 1998 Robert Harris432 pages No one can accuse Robert Harris of same-ness in his settings: after one alternate history mystery novel set in 1975 Nazi Germany, two novels set in ancient Rome, and another set in 1943 … Continue reading →

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Enigma

Posted on March 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

Enigma© 1995 Robert Harris320 pages Publishers are fond of affixing swastikas to book covers when they involve Nazi Germany in any way. Enigma is one such book, as it is a historical action-mystery story set in the grim days of … Continue reading →

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