THE MEMOIRS OF CLEOPATRA are narrated by Cleopatra herself. They begin when Cleopatra is a child in the palace of Alexandria, then follow her through to her famous death scene. Although Ms. George can be wordy at times, describing the clothes or landscape with more description than the reader really needs, the story more than makes up for this.

MEMOIRS is a lengthy book, and not for readers who don't like history or aren't willing to put in the time to read it. I have several friends who stopped half-way through, but for anyone who is a fan of ancient Rome, ancient Egypt or history in general, you'll be well rewarded in reading this.

Margaret George can write. At times her prose is remarkably good, almost poetic in its beauty. I think I'd enjoy reading a non-historical novel by her. My only objection to this book is her flagrant dismissal of history in creating aspects of her novel. The other Egyptian themed author to compare is the brilliant Pauline Gedge, herself an Egyptologist whose strict adherence to historical facts makes her books something you know you can trust and which are completely believable. Or Wilbur Smith who takes some liberties with his unhistorical figures but has them so connected to historical facts that you accept them without the reservations you develop with George. I think historical fiction should be as accurate as possible. Of course, novelizations require fictionalizing fact, but there's a line over which I fear George has stepped.

George has an annoying habit of trying to take historical figures and place them into scenarios common to the average person, presumably to make the reader relate, when in fact, the reverse happens. For example, she has Cleopatra as a young girl running wild, doing as she pleases, going off on excursions with boys. Fishing, swimming, boating with boys, going off on a long trip down the Nile on a whim. It was like Cleopatra was a tomboy on Huck Finn's raft. This idea is just so wildly not possible that it destroys the suspension of disbelief so necessary when reading an historical novel. These images are just too ridiculous to be believed. Another such example was the Pharaoh, Cleopatra's father, who liked to spend his evenings in something that translated as close to a family room as she could get. Princes and Princesses lying on the floor playing with toys or being bounced affectionately on daddy's knee. I all but saw faux wood panelling, oval braided rugs and Sear's plaid sofas in that scene. Some Pharaohs had hundreds of children, wives, concubines. I doubt they bounced anyone on their knees and probably often never set eyes on some of their children.

The other aspect which disturbed me was bringing modern notions into an Egyptian time period. The most glaring example of this was when Cleopatra was preparing to marry Marc Antony and referred to her "wedding gown". Please! Why stop with that? Why not have the honeymoon get-away chariot and tossing a bouquet of lotus flowers at crowds of bitter, desperate vestal virgins?

She also did something which I found personally repellent. While she treated the Egyptian and Roman gods with appropriate awe and respect necessary for this character, she did insert some scenes that were in very poor taste about Cleopatra's fascination with the Old Testament and her longing and approval of the foretold Christ. Please!

If George made these kinds of frankly amateurish mistakes with her other books, I would strongly hesitate to read them. The thing that saved this book from being a morass of faux pas and bad taste is the fact that in all other respects, she is a brilliant writer. Her writing keeps you turning the pages. You roll your eyes in disgust at these lapses and are tempted a time or two to throw the book across the room, but the lure of beauty left unread is too much to repel you for long.

Yes, this book is very long, but worth the time. I found it very engaging for the most part, although at times, especially toward the end, the battle descriptions got a bit tiresome. The author creates a Cleopatra who is very intelligent, admirable, and an instinctively wise ruler. I did enjoy the descriptions of the lifestyle and culture of her realm and others she visited; I was aware of her Greek ancestry before reading this book, but I learned a great deal more about the ties between Egypt and Greece, as the legacy of Alexander the Great from reading it. Before reading this book, I really had only read a little about Cleopatra, and had seen the epic film starring Elizabeth Taylor; it was interesting to see what elements of the story in the movie matched up with George's account and what didn't. I had read a couple novels about Ceasar, but this book had the most complete creation of his personality that I've read to date. I very much appreciated and enjoyed the Afterward, which gave some account of things that happened after the novel's ending, as well as clarifying what the author based on historical accounts and what she filled in with her own imagination. I confess I skimmed over some of the battle scenes toward the end, partly because I was tired of them, and partly because I wanted to find out what happened with Cleopatra and Octavian. The series of betrayals she and Antony suffered were rather depressing, but I knew basically how it was going to end, so that was expected, I guess. If you like Egyptian culture in general, check out The River God, by Wilbur Smith - it's a wonderful story of a queen & has lots of great descriptions, etc.

This book is good as far as taking you to another time and the way things were. I think the entire book focuses way too much on Cesar and Rome though. I actually only read half of it because I grew tired of reading about Rome and Cesar. Was starting to wonder if the book is about Cleopatra or Cesar? If I want to read about nothing but Cesar, I would have bought a book about him only.

This book was absolutely spectacular! Margaret George takes you through the life and times of the larger-than-life Cleopatra. I became so attached to the characters in this book that I was actually sad to end it. Alexandria and Rome are brought to life before us--George's prose is so minutely detailed that I felt transported to this tumultuous era in history. Before reading this book (which sticks closely with the facts) I thought of Cleopatra as this mysterious kohl-eyed seducer of men, and after watching HBO's mini-series, Rome, I thought her to be a shrewd and unsympathetic character. How wrong I was. The show only portrayed her as the Romans saw her--an overindulgent and strange foreigner. She was in fact highly intelligent, loyal to her people and those she loved, and the first Ptolemy who learned to speak Egyptian. After inheriting the throne from her father she built up the Egyptian economy and made the country a rich and prosperous land. Her life was a triumph and a tragedy, full of intrigue, betrayals, and great love. At the end of this book I was so moved that I could not help but shed some tears. This is a piece of literature not to be overlooked!

This book certainly is not a quick read. However, I found it kept me entertained. The development of the character of Cleopatra is excellent. There are some sections that could be cut in length, but overall a very good book.

This is one of those huge books that you feel obligated to finish reading only because you started it ! Most people who contemplate buying this book are already familiar with Cleopatra's story and are fascinated enough to want to read a book to paint a complete picture. For me this book ruined the strong, powerful woman that I'd imagined her to be. The way the author portrays her she appears to be a silly, whining woman completely devoid of common worldly sense, let alone wisdom, who had no control over the events in her life. You begin to wonder why Caesar would be mesmerized by such an ordinary woman. And then you promise yourself that you will shut the book if Cleopatra utters "Oh Isis" one more time !! Agreed that this is a piece of fiction..but does that disclaimer really forgive the author for forever destroying the image of a past queen? Face it..sometimes the truth is not as important as a reaffirmation that there have been powerful, self-assured, enigmatic people in history.

A friend of mine gave me this book, telling me it was one of the best things she'd ever read. Since I have a passion for Ancient Egypt I gave it a whirl, even though the sheer volume of this book was daunting. Not exaggerating, this book took me a year to finish, but not for the usual reasons it would take anyone a year to finish. I savored the entire thing, every moment, every word. As an avid reader, I've gotten into the habit of skim reading most books, but I read every single word of those 970 some odd pages. Anyone who has an interest in historical fiction, Cleopatra, Egypt, or even feminism would enjoy this book. George doesn't just make Cleopatra a character you'll remember forever, she also goes into great detail about her brothers, sisters, and father; her lovers Caesar and Marc Antony; and her own children.

From a fictional point of view the way she describes all the characters and their reactions to actual historical events is never boring and always memorable. From a historical point of view, the extent of her research really shines and I learned quite a few things I hadn't known before.

If lengthy books don't turn you off immediately, then you should definitely delve into this one. You'll be enraptured and fully satisfied by the time it's finished.

If you're looking for other books like this one, you should try The Ptolemies by Duncan Sprott, or if you want something with fictional characters set in that era, try River God by Wilbur Smith.

Margaret George's writing, coupled with Cleopatra's story, create a masterpiece that is all-consuming and captivating. I was a prisoner of its pages, often up until or 4 or 5am unable to put it down. In reading the Memoirs of Cleopatra, you are able to enjoy the splendors of Egypt, travel to Rome, have passionate love affairs with the 2 most powerful men in the world, endure the weight of civilization on your shoulders, encounter several brushes with death, and rule a country. And these are just a few highlights of the life of a wise princess, a persuasive queen, a fierce warrior, a fiery lover...the most powerful woman of her time, Cleopatra...all beautifully crafted by Margaret George.

Many other reviewers have posted here explaining the outline of this story, so I won't bore you with the same details. But suffice it to say that as someone who is loathe to get through heavy books (and this is a seriously heavy looking book), I found this to be refreshing. The writing is beautiful, the characters well-rounded, and the author brings ancient Alexandria to life in a way that makes this book simply fly by. Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in history, particularly ancient Roman or Egyptian life.

"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" is an amazing piece of historical fiction that chronicles the life of the Queen of the Nile from her childhood until her tragic death. This books depicts Cleopatra as a strong and intelligent ruler who would do anything to protect her family, her children, and her greatest love of all: Egypt.

This is a truly an amazing story, and the narration is exceptional. Author Margaret George did meticulous research and covered all the major events in Cleopatra's life, including her rise to power at a young age, the numerous betrayals by her siblings, how she coped with Egypt's economic and political difficulties, and of course her relationships with Caesar and Marc Antony.

I was completely swept away by this book. So many details of the stories and details presented are grounded in historical evidence, and it's hard to remember that this is actually a work of fiction. George's portrayal of Cleopatra is simply stunning. If there's any fault with the book, it is perhaps that when faced with choosing between several different historical accounts, George always went with the version that painted Cleopatra in a better light. However, I don't see anything wrong with that, as it is fiction, after all.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great story about a fantastic woman ruler, and it's also a passionate love story...two passionate love stories, actually! What a fabulous novel.

"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" is an amazing piece of historical fiction that chronicles the life of the Queen of the Nile from her childhood until her tragic death. This books depicts Cleopatra as a strong and intelligent ruler who would do anything to protect her family, her children, and her greatest love of all: Egypt.

This is a truly an amazing story, and the narration is exceptional. Author Margaret George did meticulous research and covered all the major events in Cleopatra's life, including her rise to power at a young age, the numerous betrayals by her siblings, how she coped with Egypt's economic and political difficulties, and of course her relationships with Caesar and Marc Antony.

I was completely swept away by this book. So many details of the stories and details presented are grounded in historical evidence, and it's hard to remember that this is actually a work of fiction. George's portrayal of Cleopatra is simply stunning. If there's any fault with the book, it is perhaps that when faced with choosing between several different historical accounts, George always went with the version that painted Cleopatra in a better light. However, I don't see anything wrong with that, as it is fiction, after all.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great story about a fantastic woman ruler, and it's also a passionate love story...two passionate love stories, actually! What a fabulous novel.

I have read this book multiple times and find myself falling even deeper in love with it each time. Margaret could have taken a lot of liberties with this book but she doesn't. She certainly has done her research.
The characters practically jump off the pages. The more you get to know them, the more you adore them. Even the most detail of descriptions is not enough. You find yourself wanting more and more.

If there is one thing I didn't particularly like is how modern she wrote Cleopatra. She sugar coated her morals and point of view.
It would have been a lot more interesting if she had given us the Cleopatra who is widely believed to have murdered her brother. It would have been a challenge that I guess she wasn't ready to take. Shame, really.

An outstanding and enrapturing recovery of one of the world's most prolific queens, Margaret George has got it. This story is intricate, emotional, and relative to a real woman. Cleopatra, motherless, young, and already attractive in many ways, was brought up her father's favorite in a flourishing country. She was proud, unabashed, and she would be queen if it took everything she had. And not Queen to her brother's King, but Pharaoh in her own right.

Fighting a heart-wrenching battle, Cleopatra manages to barely avoid her own death by her usurping sisters, using her foreign "allies" with no help from her father. Soon, she is placed on the throne and begins a reign in Egypt the modern world has ever seen.

Through struggles to keep her throne, a love affair with the most powerful man of the time, Caesar's gradual fall and murder, her own expansion, a marriage to Caesar's shadow Marc Antony, and her own demise and suicide, we watch George's Cleopatra with more admiration and respect than any noted English Queen or American woman to date. I find this story to be refreshing, hearty, and worth every hour spent reading it. Absolutely amazing.

This is a beautiful novel. it is long, but when I first read it, I couldn't put it down. I have probably read it more than ten times now. Margaret George is masterful in her telling of the life of Cleopatra. She is portrayed exactly as I would have imagined her to be. Many women identify with Cleopatra, myself included, as she invokes images of beauty, power, love, and tenacity. This is my absolute favorite work of fiction, ever.

I am an avid reader with a bordering obsession in Egyptology....Hands down my Favorite book of all time. A trully gifted Author, who's done her homework.. I could swear to you, I saw the world through Cleopatra's eyes while reading this Unbelievably DETAILED Novel....COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!!! A Must !!!

The Memoirs of Cleopatra is a mammoth novel, both in size and scope. Crammed full of historical events, real-life characters and period detail, it breathes new life into the familiar story of the fabled Queen of Egypt.

The book revolves around a triumvirate of finely crafted characters: the ambitious Cleopatra, the aloof Caesar, and the vacillating Antony. While the tale occasionally bogs down under its sheer weight--I felt like I needed a scorecard to keep track of all the characters--it is nonetheless a riveting read.

Margaret George is a fine writer, skillfully depicting epic battles, palace intrigues, and tender intimacies. At times, as Cleopatra reflects upon her life or upon human nature, George's prose is profound and takes on the beauty of poetry.

I think this book would appeal to just about anyone who likes historical fiction. Don't let its size intimidate you.

"Memoirs of Cleopatra", by Margaret George, was by far one of the best books I have ever read, and I love books. I was constantly in emotional turmoil along with the character as she made her way through life. George has a great gift for making situations seem real. I felt as if I were actually in the room with Cleopatra as she held meetings, walked the palace, and best of all, had her intimate moments with the two great loves of her life, Ceasar and Marc Antony. I could hardly put the book down as I was enthralled by every detail. I even cried at the inevitable ending (I rarely cry from books), which I knew was coming and almomst dreaded it knowing the book would soon thereafter come to an end.

George really researched her facts well and made them seem as if everything actually happened, even the unknown gaps in Cleopatra's life. I learned a great deal and would never have learned so much from reading a textbook, simply because I would have fallen asleep. With this, I was constantly enthralled and was thinking about it even at work. I wanted to continually read it until I could read no more!

One note, I have read her other two books when I was younger, and, after reading this book at an older age, I feel as if these books would be best suited for older teens and up. The content is very saturated with facts and details that a younger reading may become lost with, let alone the love scenes may be a bit too much for young teens.

Overall, wonderful book by a wonderful author! I am currently re-reading "Henry VIII" and it is amazing!

This 960 page book is truly outstanding. I have loved Cleopatra from the first time I read about her in grade school. This book gives you tons of visual images through the words of the author and a list of fact-checking sources in the back of the book (something very important to me).It is heart-breaking at times and even though most people know the way she died, it's still with dread that you turn those last few pages. But it's hard not to be in awe of Margaret for doing such a fantastic job. I highly recommend this book.

At first I was intimidated by the length of the book. I got past that once I opened it, it was a little long winded in the beginning but I somehow couldn't put it down and by the end was wishing it had a sequel.

I have to admit I am in love with Cleopatra. After all, she is one of the very women who have made her mark on the history of time. Margaret George writes a beautiful fictional story based on Cleopatra's life.

This 900+ page masterpiece is not for the faint of heart -- you'll spend hours every day poring through the story. It gets exhaustive at times, but this is in accordance with the action, and absolutely heartbreaking at others. I would recommend it to any history buff, and anyone who wants to learn more about the mysterious Cleopatra.

Memoirs is a very long book but I found myself loving every page - every word. It truly is a time machine - you will feel transported.

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 3 onwards, we follow her fears, insecurities, courage, will to succeed and claim her destiny, struggles to understand her own country and protect its interests in a Roman dominated world. Its all here. And added to that is the way George shows Cleopatras, intelligence, humour, gentleness, and loyalty and love for her servants, family and followers as well as her lovers - even when they let her down time and time again including Caesar and Antony.

Its masterful characterisation that brings you to wish Cleopatra and the apparently nobly lovable (in this account) but flawed Mark Antony had succeeded in overcoming Octavian (later Augustus Caesar)and changed history. And it was oh so close. Thats the gift of a marvellous writer - immersing us so much into a long dead persons mind that you feel so one with them and their thoughts and motives - it is almost as though you were side by side with them willing them on at that time. Truly brilliant writing. Highly recommended to the serious lover of high class historical fiction.

As a footnote: The end of the book may leave a bitter taste to the romantics in us; However(little spoiler)..Little Juba II who was paraded in chains by Julius Caesar in one of his many triumphs at age 4 (its in the book and a sweet scene of innocence it is) following his father Juba I's defeat and death in Numibia during the civil wars went on to marry Cleopatra's daughter (paraded in Octavians triumph) and together - after their Roman upbringing - they went on to create a thriving kingdom in Numibia and later Mauretania during a 40 year relationshio full of love. Thus a happy end of sorts.

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 not only recreate the rich settings, events, customs of the day so that no one can fail but to be inspired by the times, but to show 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 3 onwards, we follow her fears, insecurities, courage, will to succeed and claim her destiny, struggles to understand her own country and protect its interests in a Roman dominated world. Its all here. And added to that is the way George shows Cleopatras, intelligence, humour, gentleness, and loyalty and love for her servants, family and followers as well as her lovers - even when they let her down time and time again including Caesar and Antony.

Its masterful characterisation that brings you to wish Cleopatra and the apparently nobly lovable (in this account) but flawed Mark Antony had succeeded in overcoming Octavian (later Augustus Caesar)and changed history. And it was oh so close. Thats the gift of a marvellous writer - immersing us so much into a long dead persons mind that you feel so one with them and their thoughts and motives - it is almost as though you were side by side with them willing them on at that time. Truly brilliant writing. Highly recommended to the serious lover of high class historical fiction.

As a footnote: The end of the book may leave a bitter taste to the romantics in us; However(little spoiler)..Little Juba II who was paraded in chains by Julius Caesar in one of his many triumphs at age 4 (its in the book and a sweet scene of innocence it is) following his father Juba I's defeat and death in Numibia during the civil wars went on to marry Cleopatra's daughter (paraded in Octavians triumph) and together - after their Roman upbringing - they went on to create a thriving kingdom in Numibia and later Mauretania during a 40 year relationshio full of love. Thus a happy end of sorts.

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 not only recreate the rich settings, events, customs of the day so that no one can fail but to be inspired by the times, but to show 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 has is one of few great ancient historical female figures who come to mind when we recall those times. Fom age 3 onwards, we follow her fears, insecurities, courage, will to succeed and claim her destiny, struggles to understand her own country and protect its interests in a Roman dominated world. Its all here. And added to that is the way George shows Cleopatras, intelligence, humour, gentleness, and loyalty and love for her servants, family and followers as well as her lovers - even when they let her down time and time again including Caesar and Antony.

Its masterful characterisation that brings you to wish Cleopatra and the apparently nobly lovable (in this account) but flawed Mark Antony had succeeded in overcoming Octavian (later Augustus Caesar)and changed history. And it was oh so close. Thats the gift of a marvellous writer - immersing us so much into a long dead persons mind that you feel so one with them and their thoughts and motives - it is almost as though you were side by side with them willing them on at that time. Truly brilliant writing. Highly recommended to the serious lover of high class historical fiction.

As a footnote: look for the parading of Juba II who is paraded at age 4 in Julius Caesars triumph in this book as that little boy in reality actually went on to marry Cleopatra Selene the daughter to Cleopatra and Mark Antony in a very successfull and loving partnership as rulers in Africa after their Roman upbringings.

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 not only recreate the rich settings, events, customs of the day so that no one can fail but to be inspired by the times, but to show the real Cleopatra, not as a superficial seductress but as a real and very impressive person. Fom age 3 onwards, we follow her fears, insecurities, courage, will to succeed and claim her destiny, struggles to understand her own country and protect its interests in a Roman dominated world. Its all here. And added to that is the way George shows Cleopatras, intelligence, humour, gentleness, and loyalty and love for her servants, family and followers as well as her lovers - even when they let her down time and time again including Caesar and Antony.

Its masterful characterisation that brings you to wish Cleopatra and the apparently nobly lovable (in this account) but flawed Mark Antony had succeeded in overcoming Octavian (later Augustus Caesar)and changed history. And it was oh so close. Thats the gift of a marvellous writer - immersing us so much into a long dead persons mind that you feel so one with them and their thoughts and motives - it is almost as though you were side by side with them willing them on at that time. Truly brilliant writing. Highly recommended to the serious lover of high class historical fiction.

I appreciated the author's prodigious research which is necessary to truly capture all aspects of Greco-Egyptian society, and move the story forward. The central character of Cleopatra is compelling enough, but when you add in all of the major figures of the Cleopatran era you get a colorful pastiche of drama, history, and romance. Yes, at times it seemed overlong, but the ending was satisfying, and made the journey worthwhile.

Of all works of fiction, this book certainly gives the most indepth account of the fascinating and tragic Queen of Egypt.


The author has clearly done extensive research and aquits this research well, in an entertaining and exteremly informative way.
Not only does she have an impressive array of books and documents that she studied before embarking on this work, but she travelled to Egypt, Rome, Israel and Jordan, and spent four years working on this epic.

The author explains that her sympathy is with Cleopatra, and that much of the documentation of her story, was compiled at the behest of her arch-foe Octavian, and that some of her enemies included writers and poets such as Cicero, Vergil, Horace, which assured that her version of events would be silenced and the accounts would be skewed against her.
The author explains that the popular modern idea that Cleopatra was unattractive is incorrect, and that the way that coins and statues were done in those days would have made her look less attractive certainly.

The author gives a credible explanation of the death of her second brother Ptolemy, from comsumption,and the truth is we do not know how he died, and there is no conclusive evidence that she did indeed have him murdered.
The book is not only a window into the lives of Cleopatra, Julius Ceasar, Mark Antony and Octavian, but also a portrait of the world of the time, taking us from Egypt to Nubia, Rome, Syria, Anatolia Judea, Armenia and Pathia.

George fills in with an amazing cast of Cleoptra's retinue, such as her chamberlain,the eunuch Mardian, her physician Olympos, and her brilliant Hebrew finance minister, Epaphroditus. The book begins with a fictional account of the rescue of the three year old Cleopatra from a sea accident in which her mother is drowned, Cleopatra's growing up in the Egyptian royal court of Alexandria, the schemes of her sisters Cleopatra and Berenice, the death of her father, the arrival of Julius Ceasar and the incident of her being smuggled to him in a rug, the battles with her siblings, the first Ptolemy and Arsinoe, her romances with Julius Ceasar and then Antony ,and the tragic and ill-fated defeat of Cleopatra and Antony, by the ruthless and scheming Octavian, which could so easily have gone the other way.
One finds oneselves biting ones nails at the end of the book, dealing with Cleopatra's cartivity and her suicide.
A compelling novel, which I read in a week.

Filled with brilliant diaologue and description.

This book was an interesting interpretation of what it may have been like to be Cleopatra. The romances, Egyption and Roman cultures and Politics in this book were exceptional.
A good read, but sometimes felt a little long winded.

A biographical novel re-creating the entire life of an enigmatic, yet colourful, ambitious, conniving and flamboyant character such as Cleopatra embellished and fleshed out with fictional anecdotes and details to bring an enormous cast of characters to life cannot help but be long in the telling. The problem is compounded, of course, when the cast includes a list of players such as Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Octavian and Herod, King of Judea, each of whom is larger than life and worthy of a biography in their own right. Now, any lover of books knows that long need not of necessity be tedious but, frankly, even George's first-rate story telling abilities were simply not consistent enough or compelling enough to render this novel enjoyable for its excessive 1000 page length.

Oh, it had its exciting moments, to be sure - the high speed running sea battle with the Mediterranean pirates off the coast of Sicily; the final epic confrontation with Octavian at Actium; Cleopatra's heart-rending grief and the conflicting surge of her searing anger and dismay at the moment of Caesar's assassination; the crystal clear depiction of her character as a strong-willed, self-centered woman who was willing to risk all to further her ambitions and to protect the birthright of her son - but these moments were separated by intervals that were so wide as to render the book a tedious, difficult novel to complete with only sporadic rewards for those who persevered.

On the plus side, George injected her story with plenty of entertaining and informative historical aside raising questions that would certainly serve as fodder for interesting, thought-provoking discussion on a wide variety of topics germane even to this very day. Two examples in particular stood out for me.

This excerpt on the religious beliefs of the Egyptians of the day:

"Together Osiris, Isis, and Horus live as the holy family, a blessed three. The birth-chapel commemorated the miraculous birth of the child. Across the water from Philae, on the neighboring island of Biggeh, part of Osiris lay buried, and every ten days a golden statue of Isis was ferried over in a sacred barque to visit her divine spouse.",

would probably cause a modern Christian to pause, scratch his head and muse at the common appearance of the concept of Trinity.

As Cleopatra waited for news of Antony's exploits in Parthia, she thought:

"The Queen in me yearned for his victory, and prayed for that; the wife feared he would not return alive, and begged Isis only for his life. I was both the Spartan wife, saying, 'Return with your shield or on it,' and the Egyptian wife saying, 'Only return - even without the shield.'"

It occurred to me to wonder what the modern spouse says about their partner who has chosen a career in the military. Are they thinking in terms of honour, valour, career, survival, service to their country??

"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" was a rewarding, informative and interesting novel but an intimidating, time-consuming, slog of a read that took will-power and dedication to complete. Recommended for those that enjoy ancient history, but only just!

Paul Weiss

A biographical novel re-creating the entire life of an enigmatic, yet colourful, ambitious, conniving and flamboyant character such as Cleopatra embellished and fleshed out with fictional anecdotes and details to bring an enormous cast of characters to life cannot help but be long in the telling. The problem is compounded, of course, when the cast includes a list of players such as Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Octavian and Herod, King of Judea, each of whom is larger than life and worthy of a biography in their own right. Now, any lover of books knows that long need not of necessity be tedious but, frankly, even George's first-rate story telling abilities were simply not consistent enough or compelling enough to render this novel enjoyable for its excessive 1000 page length.

Oh, it had its exciting moments, to be sure - the high speed running sea battle with the Mediterranean pirates off the coast of Sicily; the final epic confrontation with Octavian at Actium; Cleopatra's heart-rending grief and the conflicting surge of her searing anger and dismay at the moment of Caesar's assassination; the crystal clear depiction of her character as a strong-willed, self-centered woman who was willing to risk all to further her ambitions and to protect the birthright of her son - but these moments were separated by intervals that were so wide as to render the book a tedious, difficult novel to complete with only sporadic rewards for those who persevered.

On the plus side, George injected her story with plenty of entertaining and informative historical aside raising questions that would certainly serve as fodder for interesting, thought-provoking discussion on a wide variety of topics germane even to this very day. Two examples in particular stood out for me.

This excerpt on the religious beliefs of the Egyptians of the day:

"Together Osiris, Isis, and Horus live as the holy family, a blessed three. The birth-chapel commemorated the miraculous birth of the child. Across the water from Philae, on the neighboring island of Biggeh, part of Osiris lay buried, and every ten days a golden statue of Isis was ferried over in a sacred barque to visit her divine spouse.",

would probably cause a modern Christian to pause, scratch his head and muse at the common appearance of the concept of Trinity.

As Cleopatra waited for news of Antony's exploits in Parthia, she thought:

"The Queen in me yearned for his victory, and prayed for that; the wife feared he would not return alive, and begged Isis only for his life. I was both the Spartan wife, saying, 'Return with your shield or on it,' and the Egyptian wife saying, 'Only return - even without the shield.'"

It occurred to me to wonder what the modern spouse says about their partner who has chosen a career in the military. Are they thinking in terms of honour, valour, career, survival, service to their country??

"The Memoirs of Cleopatra" was a rewarding, informative and interesting novel but an intimidating, time-consuming, slog of a read that took will-power and dedication to complete. Recommended for those that enjoy ancient history, but only just!

Paul Weiss

I absolutely love this book, it is about Cleopatra her love and hate in this world. And the amazing part is if you want to know what happened to her and Julius Caesar afterward, you can check this book I just recently read, "Mastering Time Travel: Voyages Though Time" by author Sapphire, this has the descriptions about Cleopatra, that the author Sapphire did a time travel to check her looks and where she lived. And Cleopatra is currently reincarnated on earth.

I've always been an admirer of Queen Cleopatra, ever since I was very young. When this book came out I was 12 years old and the thickness of the volume didn't stop me from diving into it. This novel is well written, vivid, romantic and charming. George has got the facts of Cleopatra's life down to the wire, never missing anything important that happened in the queen's life. Characters like Caesar, Anthony, her advisors and family are also true to history. I've recommended this book to every passionate reader I know and I recommend it to anyone who has the time to take on this monstrasity of elegance. Buy it and read it, you will LOVE IT!!!

For all those reader's out there who suffer from insomnia, like myself. This is the book for you. Why, is it boring I hear you cry. No not in the slightest, but it is a heavy tome and the sheer weight of it will probably tire you out. Joking apart, as with all of Margaret Geor4ge's offerings, it is well written, well researched and well put together.

The book is told in the first person and as the title suggests it is about the happenings in the life of the very young Egyptian Princess and the fights she had with her brother who should take over the rule of Egypt after their father the pharaoh died. Follow on with her dalliance with the great Julius Caesar and ultimately her love for Mark Anthony. A love that finally brought about her death at her own hand.

Although the book is a novel,the background is expertly researched and would be of interest to anyone interested in Egyptology, as well as the ordinary reader who will read it simply because it is a good story.