I Am Livia
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This highly polished and compelling story of ancient Rome is told by Livia Drusilla, wife of Caesar Octavianus who defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra in the Battle of Actium. This Livia, however, treats herself more kindly than history has done. She blithely waves away any allegation about committing murder for political purposes. A champion of women's rights, mostly her own, Livia reveals her manipulative and politically cunning nature—something she may have acquired at her father's knee, as he was among those who plotted the assassination of Julius Caesar. The author offers a richness of historical detail, taking us from Livia's early marriage to Tiberius Nero to her second marriage to Julius Caesar's adopted son. Able to arrange events in her favor, Livia persuades her first husband to give her away to Caesar even as she prepares to deliver his second child. Seamlessly written, this novel will appeal mightily to fans of historical fiction.
Review
"I Am Livia is a wonderful journey to ancient Rome that provides amazing, thoughtful insight into one of its most influential and unconventional citizens...Smith's Livia is such a dynamic character, so approachably human, at times fearless and forceful but also merciful and just...The historical backdrop of Rome becomes more accessible, less academic, when seen through the lives of Smith's characters." —Historical Novels Review
"[Smith] does a wonderful job of showing political upheaval through the eyes of a young woman of important status living through it with full comprehension of what is going on...Not only does Livia become a sympathetic and inspiring protagonist, but, seen through Livia’s eyes, Caesar Augustus becomes a flesh and blood man, brilliant, ambitious, arrogant, and yet vulnerable. This book superbly mixes strongly developed, emotionally complex characters with well-researched accurate history. It humanizes historical figures that had, for me, just been names on a timeline. I can’t recommend it highly enough." —Susan Coventry, author of The Queen’s Daughter
"[Smith] does a wonderful job of showing political upheaval through the eyes of a young woman of important status living through it with full comprehension of what is going on...Not only does Livia become a sympathetic and inspiring protagonist, but, seen through Livia’s eyes, Caesar Augustus becomes a flesh and blood man, brilliant, ambitious, arrogant, and yet vulnerable. This book superbly mixes strongly developed, emotionally complex characters with well-researched accurate history. It humanizes historical figures that had, for me, just been names on a timeline. I can’t recommend it highly enough." —Susan Coventry, author of The Queen’s Daughter
More About the Author
Phyllis T. Smith was born and currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College and a master's degree from New York University, Phyllis pursued a practical career in computer applications training, yet found herself drawn to literature and art of the ancient world. I Am Livia is her first novel. She has another novel set in ancient Rome in the works.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
398 of 415 people found the following review helpful
By
Rob Slaven
TOP 500 REVIEWER on April 1, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
12 Comments
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I received this book from the Kindle Firsts offering for this month. Despite getting a book for free, as usual, I give my absolutely candid thoughts below.
Generally I tend to rant on about positives and negatives but this book doesn't really warrant that so much as it does simple observation. Topically speaking, this book encompasses one of the most interesting bits of Western History and it seems to do it at just about the perfect level of detail. Often historical fiction covering Roman history can be very heavy and bogged down with casts of characters numbering in the dozens. In this case the cast is light and simple and easy enough to follow at a relaxed read without feeling like you're studying for a college-level course.
Somewhat related to that, the writing too is very modern and you can choose to look at that as a positive or a negative. Personally I like my ancient Romans to sound a bit more ancient but in this case they could be just anyone from down the street. They use the occasional time-period appropriate term but it's always defined at least the first couple of times it's used.
In summary, I didn't watch "I, Claudius" but this book does catch my attention and makes me consider running off to some unnamed online video streaming service to catch up on the show. It's an inherently readable work that still manages to retain much of the color of the time period. Recommended for those who prefer their historical literature without all the thee's and thou's.
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Thanks for reading this far. It's always my endeavor to write helpful reviews that have exactly the information you want to know to make a decision, especially on Kindle Firsts where there's a free book on the line! If my review has been helpful then great! If it's not then please leave a comment and let me know what you want to know so that I can improve not only this review but all my reviews in the future.
Generally I tend to rant on about positives and negatives but this book doesn't really warrant that so much as it does simple observation. Topically speaking, this book encompasses one of the most interesting bits of Western History and it seems to do it at just about the perfect level of detail. Often historical fiction covering Roman history can be very heavy and bogged down with casts of characters numbering in the dozens. In this case the cast is light and simple and easy enough to follow at a relaxed read without feeling like you're studying for a college-level course.
Somewhat related to that, the writing too is very modern and you can choose to look at that as a positive or a negative. Personally I like my ancient Romans to sound a bit more ancient but in this case they could be just anyone from down the street. They use the occasional time-period appropriate term but it's always defined at least the first couple of times it's used.
In summary, I didn't watch "I, Claudius" but this book does catch my attention and makes me consider running off to some unnamed online video streaming service to catch up on the show. It's an inherently readable work that still manages to retain much of the color of the time period. Recommended for those who prefer their historical literature without all the thee's and thou's.
---
Thanks for reading this far. It's always my endeavor to write helpful reviews that have exactly the information you want to know to make a decision, especially on Kindle Firsts where there's a free book on the line! If my review has been helpful then great! If it's not then please leave a comment and let me know what you want to know so that I can improve not only this review but all my reviews in the future.
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160 of 164 people found the following review helpful
By
C.R. Hurst
TOP 500 REVIEWER on April 1, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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When I saw the choices for this month's Kindle First program, I knew immediately which I would choose, I Am Livia. Having been a fan of the TV series and book, I Claudius, I recognized Livia as the wife of Augustus Caesar and mother to Tiberius Caesar who reportedly poisoned anyone who stood in the way of her ambition. The book does not disappoint, though the author, Phyllis T. Smith, takes a decidedly more understanding look at Livia than other historical accounts. In this historical fiction we hear the story of Livia through her own voice, from her early years as the precocious daughter of a prominent Roman family who learns not to utter "foolish truths" but instead to take "perverse pleasure in pretense". We see her rapid rise to power by marrying Octavian, who, after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra at the Battle of Actium, becomes "First Citizen" of Rome. Through it all, Smith reveals Livia as intelligent, scheming, and ruthless but curiously sympathetic, thanks in large part to the author's vivid first person narration. We can better understand Livia's methods, even though we should disapprove of them. I found I Am Livia an intelligent and engaging look at one of history's most notorious and perhaps most misunderstood women.
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100 of 103 people found the following review helpful
By
Tinfoot
TOP 500 REVIEWER on April 1, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
Verified Purchase
4 Comments
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Phyllis T. Smith has crafted something marvelous in I AM LIVIA. She has resurrected a historical figure long derided, discounted, dehumanized, everything but brought to life in such a genuine way. As Gary Jennings evoked a complete enviroment in AZTEC, Smith has depicted the burgeoning epoch of the Roman Empire. As James Clavell transported my daydreams in epic Asian adventures, Smith has exicited my imagination of real people engaged in earth shaking events. As Robert Graves captured my historical curiosity decades ago, Smith has wrought I AM LIVIA as a truly fitting literary companion to I, CLAUDIUS.
Using the same personal historical-account approach as Graves had, Smith goes far beyond Graves' sometimes sonorous style (and blatant copying of passages from Tacticus' own history), weaving historical details with a modern literary vividness. Never once is the reader pulled away from this deeply intimate account, every action, spoken word, self-reflection, every interaction with people involved in all things great and small fully fleshes out Livia's very being. I have a passing familiarity with Roman history, social mores, political events, and not once was there even the slightest jarring note outside of the world created by the author. I AM LIVIA is a seamless, fresh, flowing whole.
Even the ending, for all things must end eventually, was deftly done, no sudden rushing to wrap up dangling questions, no quick-sum synopsis and resolutions, just a natural concluding rest that leaves satisfactory savor.
I do hope that Smith may be persuaded to continue her literary work in the classical Roman era. For myself, although I have the Kindle edition, I deeply wish a hardback edition was available to keep my copy of I, CLAUDIUS and other Roman historical works company in their places of honor.
Using the same personal historical-account approach as Graves had, Smith goes far beyond Graves' sometimes sonorous style (and blatant copying of passages from Tacticus' own history), weaving historical details with a modern literary vividness. Never once is the reader pulled away from this deeply intimate account, every action, spoken word, self-reflection, every interaction with people involved in all things great and small fully fleshes out Livia's very being. I have a passing familiarity with Roman history, social mores, political events, and not once was there even the slightest jarring note outside of the world created by the author. I AM LIVIA is a seamless, fresh, flowing whole.
Even the ending, for all things must end eventually, was deftly done, no sudden rushing to wrap up dangling questions, no quick-sum synopsis and resolutions, just a natural concluding rest that leaves satisfactory savor.
I do hope that Smith may be persuaded to continue her literary work in the classical Roman era. For myself, although I have the Kindle edition, I deeply wish a hardback edition was available to keep my copy of I, CLAUDIUS and other Roman historical works company in their places of honor.
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62 of 66 people found the following review helpful
By
Summer
on April 4, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
2 Comments
Sending feedback...
I do not read historical fiction books, so my reading of this book was very random. If am a being honest, the blood, opposition against women, and hatred for human life during Livia Drusilla's era in Rome sickens me. I have never been overly interested in the Roman empire or the civil wars, so I would not have picked this book up if not for Kindle First.
I am always eager to look at the newly updated Kindle First books. Although I am rarely interested in historical fiction novels, I was immediately drawn to I Am Livia. Honestly, I had never heard of Livia Drusilla before this book. Because of my lack of knowledge for the subjects, I would not know if the book is parallel with the truth(Although, I did do a little research once I finished reading!). Also, this is still a fiction novel. Being that the characters in the book lived almost 2,000 years ago, it might be difficult to know the exact words the characters spoke.
With that aside, I was surprised by how quickly I finished I Am Livia. I would say the romance between Tavius and Livia pulled me in most of all, but I also found the idea of living in Rome at the time of Augustus’ reign more interesting than I previously supposed. The lifestyle of the characters did not seem unimaginable, and I related to Livia’s feeling often.
The one thing I cannot stand is a horribly written book. This book met my standards. The way Phyllis T. Smith wrote the story of Livia’s life was almost seamless. I felt as if I was reading a true documentation of history! I saw no errors in word choice, and the writing allowed me to lose myself in the tragic love story.
I Am Livia is perfect for readers who both do and do not love historical fiction novels. I knew very little about the era and the factual information included in the book. Knowing little about the subjects will not take away from the story, and I believe a large portion of readers will enjoy this book.
I am always eager to look at the newly updated Kindle First books. Although I am rarely interested in historical fiction novels, I was immediately drawn to I Am Livia. Honestly, I had never heard of Livia Drusilla before this book. Because of my lack of knowledge for the subjects, I would not know if the book is parallel with the truth(Although, I did do a little research once I finished reading!). Also, this is still a fiction novel. Being that the characters in the book lived almost 2,000 years ago, it might be difficult to know the exact words the characters spoke.
With that aside, I was surprised by how quickly I finished I Am Livia. I would say the romance between Tavius and Livia pulled me in most of all, but I also found the idea of living in Rome at the time of Augustus’ reign more interesting than I previously supposed. The lifestyle of the characters did not seem unimaginable, and I related to Livia’s feeling often.
The one thing I cannot stand is a horribly written book. This book met my standards. The way Phyllis T. Smith wrote the story of Livia’s life was almost seamless. I felt as if I was reading a true documentation of history! I saw no errors in word choice, and the writing allowed me to lose myself in the tragic love story.
I Am Livia is perfect for readers who both do and do not love historical fiction novels. I knew very little about the era and the factual information included in the book. Knowing little about the subjects will not take away from the story, and I believe a large portion of readers will enjoy this book.
Thank you for your feedback.
If this review is inappropriate, please let us know.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
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