Hi, in my previous post I recommended Les Liaisons Dangereuses. It really is a good yet shocking book.
But I have decided to let you in on a few other literary works that I recommend reading.
Die Abenteuer des Werner Holt by Dieter Noll:
This is about an adolescent during World War II who goes through a process from naively believing nazi propaganda to disillusion and resistance.
One could argue that it is for WW2 what Remaque's All Quiet on the Western Front is for WW1.
Werner Holt is not available in English as far as I know, so read Remarque, if you haven't already. It is stunning.
If you are interested in ancient Rome and like crime stories read John Maddox Robert's SPQR series. These books are very well researched and a lot of fun to read. All the most important characters and events of the late Roman Republic are described from the point of view of a fictinous son of one of the most important arisocratic families of that time, the Metelli. This guy, Decius, meets Crassus, Pompeius, Cicero, Cato, Catilina, Coldius, Milo, Caesar and even Cleopatra.
The first book of the series is called The King's Gambit. The second book is about the Catiline conspiracy. It is my favourite from the series.
The author works his way from 70BC (book no. 1) to 49BC (book no. 9) I am sure he will cover Caesar's death eventually.
The series is full of suspense yet funny and very educational as well.
Speaking of Rome: For the early Empire (1st century AD) I recommend Robert Graves' fictional autobiography of the Emperor Claudius which comes in two parts.
There is a great BBC mini series available on DVD which is believed to be the best mini series ever put on film. Playing time about 12 hours. Have food and drinks close to the couch because you 'll get hooked easily.
To be continued...
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3 comments:
The BBC mini-series you recommended looks teriffic.
What Do you mean? "...looks terrific"?
Did you see the cover, did you watch a bit? Or does it just sound interesting?
Anyway, it is highly recommended to be aware of the characters' names. Because there are plenty.
Hi Marco,
I haven't seen the movie. By stating that it "looks terrific," despite not having seen the film or DVD/VHS cover, I simply meant that the story appears appealing.
Thanks for the suggestion about paying careful attention to character names, too.
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