Not as good as the first man in rome but still a great novel.

haa i was going to write the exact same review this time!!

The Grass Crown by Colleen McCullough is a monster of a book. Coming it at just under 1000 pages of reading, it is quite an undertaking. The undertaking is well worth the effort.

The Grass Crown takes to us those days of internal strife during the Late Roman Republic. Here we get to read about the great historical figures of Gaius Marius, Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Young Julius Caesar, Young Pompey, Young Cicero, and many others. Collen McCullough does a superb job of writing historical Rome that it seems, almost, as if we were reading the accounts of an author who did live in Rome during the Late Republic.

If you have any interest in Roman history this is a must read. It is the second in the Masters of Rome series.

A massive book and, I'm sorry to say, not a well-written one. The great figures of ancient Rome are portrayed as juvenile and simple minded. Indeed the character development is very weak, and the dialogue is mired in endless exposition. There is no subtlety or depth anywhere in these thousand-plus pages. There is no moral compass, either; the actions even of serial killers are narrated with a blandness that is strangely uninvolving.

The author's long suit is research. She knows and clearly loves ancient Rome. But this series reads like a comic-book version of Rome's history in the 1st century B.C.

5/5. Obra maestra de la novela histórica, igual que el libro anterior en todo momento te hace entrar en el final de la época de la Republica Romana. Vives de primera mano acontecimientos tan importantes como la guerra social contra los itálicos, el comienzo de la guerra contra Mitrídates, el principio de Julio Césasr, el desarrollo de Sila y el final de Cayo Mario. Es cierto que hay muchísimos personajes con nombres muy similares, miembros de las mismas familias. Pero gracias a ello aprendes el día a día en la capital romana. Bebes del texto en todo momento y, aunque en algunas situaciones se te puede hacer algo pesada la lectura, es un libro que a los días estás buscándolo de nuevo. No se hasta que punto se le puede comparar a la novela de Posteguillo, pero la autora detalla de una forma mucho más concreta, específica y completa la vida diaria de los protagonistas y personajes secundarios. Una Oda a la novela histórica de la República Romana.

4.5 stars.

The Grass Crown is the second book in the Masters of Rome series and is honesty even better than the first one. Its main characters are again Gaius Maius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla.

This is rapidly becoming one of my favourite series. McCullough's knowledge of the historical period is just mesmerizing. The setting, the traditions, the characters - everything truly comes to life in her novels. It is obvious she did extensive research and perfectly knows what she's writing about, but there is more than that. Her narration wonderfully works also because, while incredibly rich, it is not heavy or boring by any means. There is lots of politics and wars, with an impressive cast of characters, and yet she makes it easy to understand everything that's going on. It is true I have a good knowledge of Roman history, and that there are some slower parts (after all, it is a giant of a book!), but I think every reader could enjoy this novel and shouldn't be afraid of its lenght.

The strenght of McCullough's novel is also evident in the two main characters. Maius and Sulla are very different, almost opposite men, and yet both of them are absolutely fascinating, complex and realistic. My favourite of the two is definitely Sulla: I've always liked him as a historical figure (obviously, I like morally ambiguous men...), but McCullough really made me fall in love with him as a character. I loved him in the first book already, but my love for him became absolute in this novel. He is the perfect example of an anti hero: honestly, there are not so many good qualities in him, and most of his actions are difficult to justify, but I found him perfect all the same. I myself was surprised at how attached I'd grown to him. I felt so much for him after his son's death. I was truly heartbroken.
As for Maius, while I did not love him as much as Sulla, I still really enjoyed his characterization and especially his physical decline and his slowly descent into madness. It was terribly sad and very well portrayed.

I can't wait to continue with the series and see how McCullough will portray Julius Caesar, who is definitely my favourite historical figure of all time. He already appears in this novel as a child and, to be perfectly honest, I found him a little too perfect for my tastes, but I'm still excited to see how he will be portrayed as an adult.
Don't miss this series if you like Roman history; you won't be disappointed.

Este foi o segundo volume de uma série de sete! Melhorou em relação ao primeiro volume. Nesta obra somos transportados para Roma antiga; estamos lá, vivemos lá, respiramos aquele ar... Muito bom!

“- O problema dessas mulheres é que têm muito pouco que fazer […] têm amas para os filhos, festinhas com as amigas em que o que conta são os mexericos, teares em que não têm qualquer intenção de mexer, e cabeças demasiado vazias para encontrarem consolação num livro”

“[…] o rei Nicomedes era tão efeminado que dava vontade de rir; adorava trajes longos, vaporosos, de tecidos de lã transparentes, de cores verdadeiramente requintadas; às refeições, punha uma cabeleira loura muito encaracolada, e usava sempre brincos enormes, ornados a joias; pintava a cara ao jeito de uma prostituta barata, e o seu tom de voz não abandonava o falsete. De majestade, nada tinha, e, no entanto, dirigia a Bitínia há mais de cinquenta anos – e dirigia-a com mão de ferro, tendo escapado com êxito a todas as conspirações que cada um dos filhos tramara contra ele. Olhando para o rei – e sabendo que, desde a puberdade, Nicomedes devia ter apresentado ao mundo aquela personagem esganiçada e efeminada – Júlia tinha dificuldade em acreditar, por exemplo, que aquele homem tinha liquidado o próprio pai com mãos eficientes; ou que conseguisse preservar a lealdade e o afecto dos seus súbditos.”

“- Vou ter um filho, Marco Pórcio
[…]
- É meu ou do teu marido?
[…]
- Não sei […] Espero que seja teu
[…]
- Espero que não”

“Cepião continuou a bater na mulher. […] Tais cenas constituíam para ele um estímulo sexual irresistível, além de lhe darem uma sensação de poder fantástica; […] Finalmente entendia para que serviam de facto as mulheres.”

“Quando um homem rouba aquilo que acha que, por direito, lhe pertence, não lhe chama roubar. Chama-lhe recuperar.”

“- As mulheres são gado estranho. […) Costumam pôr os filhos à frente dos próprios interesses. Será bom que te acauteles contra aquela que não o faça”

“- O romano está a construir uma estrada!
- Uma estrada?
[…]
- Mas já lá há uma estrada
- Eu sei, eu sei!
- Então para quê construir outra?
[…]
- Eles adoram construir estradas. Deve ser uma maneira de andarem ocupados
[…]
- Creio que é possível que Lúcio Cornélio Sila esteja a melhorar a estrada. Quanto melhor estiver a estrada, tanto mais depressa ele poderá deslocar as suas tropas. É por isso que os romanos constroem boas estradas.”

“o que mais nos atrai são sempre as imperfeições da natureza humana”

“As fêmeas são seres inferiores […] Protegêmo-las das preocupações, da pobreza, das responsabilidades. É por isso que vivem mais tempo do que nós”

“”E agora vou contar-te um segredo inestimável acerca das mulheres Lúcio Cornélio. Uma mulher pode ter decidido, com toda a sua força, que não quer determinado pretendente – mas se esse pretendente se retrai subitamente pelo simples facto de ela olhar com desprezo para o seu traje, uma coisa sucederá pela certa: ela acabará inevitavelmente por atentar no peixe que, de repente, se afasta a toda a pressa.”

“A maior parte dos comandantes perdem as suas batalhas antes de começarem a combater”

“- Mamerco, és casado, não és? – perguntou Sila.
Tal pergunta surpreendeu-o ao ponto de pestanejar.
- Sim, Lúcio Cornélio, sou casado
-Tens filhos?
- Uma menina. Tem quatro anos.
- Gostas da tua mulher?
- Não. É uma criatura horrível.
- Já alguma vez pensaste na hipótese de te divorciares?
- Não penso outra coisa sempre que estou em Roma. Fora de Roma, tento não pensar nela.”

“Os mais pobres nunca têm dívidas. E nunca têm dívidas porque nunca têm dinheiro. Quem pede emprestado são as classes médias e altas. Na maior parte dos casos, têm de pedir emprestado para continuarem a subir ou para manterem o seu estatuto. Os agiotas só emprestam dinheiro a quem lhes apresenta garantias. Por isso, quanto mais alto subirmos na escala social, tanto mais dívidas encontraremos.“

Segon llibre de la sèrie "Masters of Rome". Abarca diferents fronts: l'intent de donar privilegis o ciutadania als aliats de les diferents tribus de la península Itàlica per part de Drus que deriva en la Guerra Social, d'on sortirà anomenat Sila com a "imperator" i se li atorgà la corona d'herba o corona gramínia, la més alta distinció en l'àmbit militar de l'època (que se li podia donar a un general pel fet de salvar el seu exèrcit); l'enfrontament entre Sila i Mari per qui ha de fer front a les amenaces de Mitríades i Tigranes a l'Est; i, a més a més, les infàncies de Juli Cèsar i Cató el Jove.

Tot i el gran nombre de noms, cognoms i altres personatges que hi apareixen, Colleen McCullogh ho aborda de manera completa, amena i fàcil de digerir; és més, et quedes amb ganes de continuar llegint el següent llibre de la sèrie. Ajuda a entendre els fets que esdevindran al futur coneixent les amistats, enemistats, pactes i faccions de la vida pública i política de Roma.

Més a: https://www.centauresimarmetines.cat/...

I love this series! McCullough is such a good writer...her pacing, characterization, and style are all fantastic. I also enjoy reading about a period of ancient Rome that I am not as familiar with. I did enjoy "The First Man in Rome" slightly more than this one; I think because there was more of a "rise to glory" theme in the first book as opposed to this one's "fall from grace." Still so fantastic though.

McCullough's passion for all things Rome really translate in her books. This one is the second volume in the Master's of Rome series and it doesn't disappoint. It circles around Marius' decline and Sulla's rise to power concluding with the climax of Marius' last consulship. This book is essential to understanding the reasons and the climate in Rome which led to the fall of the Republic and the rise of Caesar and the Roman Empire.

It is here we are more intimately introduced to the young Caesar, to his childhood, his relationship to Marius, his undeniable intelligence, charm, and his love of war, which all combined to make a successful general. Meanwhile, Marius' influence and the Italian War all set the stage for the discontent in the Senate and the fall of the Republic.

Around this factual skeleton of the novel there are political intrigues woven from psychological manipulations and spicy dialogues. It submerges the reader into the world of Rome by revealing the egotistical reasons for power and war. Amidst this turmoil there are those (like Sulla) fully dedicated to centuries-old customs and keeping the power in patrician hands and those (like Cinna) who empathises with the Italians and believes Rome should concede it's citizenship to all of Italy for the gift of peace.

Whoever side you will be on, you will learn to understand all who made Caesar possible and undeniably connect this ancient past to our present; for, what is more important - following conservative and comfortable but sometimes irrational customs or aspiring toward progressive and propitious goals that may not have immediate gratification?

A mixed bag. Flashes of genius interspersed with long stretches of tedium and density. Rise of Sulla and Fall of Gaius Marius. List of characters woefully incomplete. Line drawings good but maps and diagrams poor. I do not understand reasoning for all the very positive reviews. 2.5/5.

"The Grass Crown" is Colleen McCullough's second book in her mammoth "Masters of Rome" series. We pick up the story of Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla again, following their involvement in the Social War and then their personal conflict over being chosen to lead a war against eastern King Mithridates. This conflict in turn led to Sulla's marching on Rome and Marius' later returning from exile to exact revenge.

So far, all of these events leads like a typical Wikipedia article. Happily, McCullough's writing expands a handful of paragraphs into a rich tapestry of over 1,100 pages. The main characters in these historical events are presented in great depth, including a few bits about young Gaius Julius Caesar, whose aunt Julia is married to Gaius Marius.

Because the novel centers on important political figures in Ancient Rome, it can't help being a bit more political history than personal history. We do get some personal stories of Sulla, and people like Marcus Livius Drusus and Aurelia, the mother of Gaius Julius Caesar. But we also get many pages telling the stories of many other minor characters. If you're not paying attention, all those nomens and cognomens start running together and you hear yourself muttering "Naughtius Maximus".

Despite the danger of becoming bogged down in political trivia, McCullough creates a second masterpiece of historical fiction in "The Grass Crown". The book is highly readable and when writing about certain battles or action sequences, we are definitely on the edge of our seats. Lovers of ancient history in general or Roman history specifically are further rewarded with a very rich and detailed story about characters that grow far beyond their two dimensional Wikipedia representations.

Great book, as historically accurate as for events and characters as a historical novel can be. I was so into this book I could physically experience the events to smelling tasting and the heartbreak that the characters experienced, it was so realistic to me that I was dreading the end of the book. I came to Identify with one of the main characters Gaius Marius, I was wishing that I could skip over the ending because I didn't want here about his last days and his death, which is was familiar with through reading history. I would love to have the luxury to read this series from book I ( First man of Rome) to the last book, straight through. I would love to spend the next year living in Rome through this series. But it is not to be. I recommend this book to all who love history.