Give me some recs for classics related books?

Question

I love stuff like Colleen McCollough's Song of Troy, Lindsey Davis' Falco series and so on. Can anyone else recommend anything good set in Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome. (Not Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Having read "The Oracle", I not only want seven hours of my life back, I'd like to give the author a good slap if I ever meet him).

Answer 1

Try these:

The Last of the Amazons, by Steven Pressfield
When We Were Gods, Colin Falconer

Answer 2

Mary Renault's books set in Ancient Greece
The Last of the Wine
The King must Die
The Bull from the Sea
Lion in the Gateway
The Mark of Apollo
The Persian Boy
The Praise Singer

In a more fantastic action adventure style are Fred Saberhagens
The Face of Apollo
Ariadne's Web
The Arms of Hercules
God of the Golden Fleece
Gods of Fire & Thunder (this last one set in Valhalla not Greece)

Answer 3

The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers is really good. It is about a Jewish slave girl in Rome and a German captive made a gladiator in Rome around 70-80 A.D. i think.

1. A Voice in the Wind
2. An Echo in the Darkness
3. As Sure as the Dawn

The first and second are about both but mostly the slave girl, and the third almost exclusively about the gladiator and can stand by itself if needed.

Answer 4

Try the Myth series by Canongate - they have commissioned several modern day author's to 're-tell' classic myths - so far they have released:

Short History Of Myth by Karen Armstrong

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood - which tells the Odyssey from Penelope's point of view, waiting at home for Odyssey to stop sha**ing his way home...

Weight by Jeanette Winterson - the story of Atlas, and how he literally takes the weight of the world on his shoulders

The Helmet Of Horror by Victor Pelevin -
Lion's Honey by David Grossman

And Im not sure if its out yet, but :
Dream Angus by Alexander McCall Smith

They have also signed Donna Tartt to write one, but the subject isnt confirmed. They are brilliant and a really good twist on the originals.

For something more classic, go with Robert Graves!

Answer 5

'The Firebrand' by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The story of the fall of Troy from Kassandra's persepective - a feminist retelling.

If you like Classics I also highly reccommend 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt. It's not set in the ancient world; it's an intellectual thriller about a group of Classics students at university. Someone with an interest in the subject would definetely appreciate it.

Answer 6

Always worth a read is Rosemary Sutcliffe "Eagle of the Ninth" There is also a very good novel called "Augustus" not sure of author but if you want the real thing there are some wonderful translations of Suetonnius "Twelve Caesars" and Plutarch's Makers of Rome

Answer 7

Rather than a general Ancient Rome book, I can recommend two books specific to one of its characters. The books are both by Robert Graves and called "I, Claudius", and it's sequel is "Claudius the God", and they are written as an autobiography and just brilliant, The books see the development of the Roman Empire through the eyes of Claudius, a member of the royal family. Born with a stammer, a twitch and lame, Claudius is treated as a fool by all of his powerful and power hungry relatives but manages to outlive them all, including his murderous grandmother Livia, his perverted uncel Tiberius and his mad nephew Caligula. They're just brilliant!!

Answer 8

Try the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers

Answer 9

Steven Saylor's series about Gordianus or John Maddox Roberts' SPQR series.

Answer 10

Polly,
You did say classic literature didn't you, so here goes.

White Fang, Last of the Mohicans,
Dracula, Les Miserables,
Frankenstein, Picture of Dorian Grey,
Gullivers travels, Robinson Crusoe,
Hunchback of Notre Dame, Red Badge Of courage,
The Jungle, War of the Worlds

TDCWH