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The Manilianus Duology #2
The Roman
Mika Waltari . Rome . En compagnie du jeune Minutus qui va devenir tour à tour légionnaire dans les forêts bretonnes, favori du philosophe Sénéque, époux de la fille de l'empereur Claude, intendant de Néron et ami de l'apôtre Pierre, Mika Waltari nous emmène dans l'empire romain au sommet de sa gloire. Dans ce roman d'une précision historique hallucinante, deux destins se croisent, celui de Minutus, et celui du christianisme naissant avec comme personnages secondaires Vespasien, Agrippine, les apôtres Paul, Pierre et Luc, Pétrone, Messaline, Simon le Magicien, Titus, Claudia, Octavia, Popée, Britannicus, Domitien, Flavius Josèphe et bien évidemment Néron, dont Mika Waltari nous raconte l'incroyable règne. Plongés dans la folie, la grandeur et la barbarie de l'empire romain, on découvre la montée en puissance d'un empereur fou et celle des premiers chrétiens, prêts à tout pour leur foi. Prouesse littéraire sans égal et pur joyau du talent extraordinaire, voire divin, de Mika Waltari, ce livre est plus qu'un livre: il abat la frontière du temps et de l'espace pour nous poser au coeur de la plus grande ville de tous les temps: Rome. .
647 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
106 people are currently reading
1,157 people want to read
About the author
Mika Waltari
203books663followersMika Toimi Waltari was a Finnish historical novelist, best known for his magnum opus The Egyptian.
Waltari was born in Helsinki and lost his father, a Lutheran pastor, at the age of five. As a boy, he witnessed the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki. Later he enrolled in the University of Helsinki as a theology student, according to his mother's wishes, but soon abandoned theology in favour of philosophy, aesthetics and literature, graduating in 1929. While studying, he contributed to various magazines and wrote poetry and stories, getting his first book published in 1925. In 1927 he went to Paris where he wrote his first major novel Suuri illusioni ('The Grand Illusion'), a story of bohemian life. In terms of style, the novel is considered to be the Finnish equivalent to the works of the American writers of the Lost Generation. (In Waltari's historical novel The Adventurer, taking place in the 16th century, the hero is a Finn who goes to Paris during his twenties and lives there a rather bohemian life). Waltari also was, for a while, a member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, though his political and social views later turned conservative. He was married in 1931 and had a daughter, Satu, who also became a writer.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Waltari worked hectically as a journalist and critic, writing for a number of newspapers and magazines and travelling widely in Europe. He directed the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti. At the same time, he kept writing books in many genres, moving easily from one literary field to another. He had a very busy schedule and strict work ethic. It has been claimed that he also suffered from insomnia and depression, sometimes to the extent of needing hospital treatment. He participated, and often succeeded, in literary competitions to prove the quality of his work to critics. One of these competitions gave rise to one of his most popular characters, Inspector Palmu, a gruff detective of the Helsinki police department, who starred in three mystery novels, all of which were filmed (a fourth one was made without Waltari involved). Waltari also scripted the popular cartoon Kieku ja Kaiku and wrote Aiotko kirjailijaksi, a guidebook for aspiring writers that influenced many younger writers such as Kalle Päätalo.
During the Winter War (1939�1940) and the Continuation War (1941�1944), Waltari worked in the government information center, now also placing his literary skills at the service of political propaganda. 1945 saw the publication of Waltari's first and most successful historical novel, The Egyptian. Its theme of the corruption of humanist values in a materialist world seemed curiously topical in the aftermath of World War II, and the book became an international bestseller, serving as the basis of the 1954 Hollywood movie of the same name. Waltari wrote seven more historical novels, placed in various ancient cultures, among which The Dark Angel, set during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is probably the best. In these novels, he gave powerful expression to his fundamental pessimism and also, in two novels set in the Roman Empire, to his Christian conviction. After the war, he also wrote several novellas, showing particular mastery in this genre. He became a member of the Finnish Academy in 1957 and received an honorary doctorate at the University of Turku in 1970.
Waltari was one of the most prolific Finnish writers. He wrote at least 29 novels, 15 novellas, 6 collections of stories or fairy-tales, 6 collections of poetry and 26 plays, as well as screenplays, radioplays, non-fiction, translations, and hundreds of reviews and articles. He is also the internationally best-known Finnish writer, and his works have been translated into more than 40 languages.
Waltari was born in Helsinki and lost his father, a Lutheran pastor, at the age of five. As a boy, he witnessed the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki. Later he enrolled in the University of Helsinki as a theology student, according to his mother's wishes, but soon abandoned theology in favour of philosophy, aesthetics and literature, graduating in 1929. While studying, he contributed to various magazines and wrote poetry and stories, getting his first book published in 1925. In 1927 he went to Paris where he wrote his first major novel Suuri illusioni ('The Grand Illusion'), a story of bohemian life. In terms of style, the novel is considered to be the Finnish equivalent to the works of the American writers of the Lost Generation. (In Waltari's historical novel The Adventurer, taking place in the 16th century, the hero is a Finn who goes to Paris during his twenties and lives there a rather bohemian life). Waltari also was, for a while, a member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, though his political and social views later turned conservative. He was married in 1931 and had a daughter, Satu, who also became a writer.
Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Waltari worked hectically as a journalist and critic, writing for a number of newspapers and magazines and travelling widely in Europe. He directed the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti. At the same time, he kept writing books in many genres, moving easily from one literary field to another. He had a very busy schedule and strict work ethic. It has been claimed that he also suffered from insomnia and depression, sometimes to the extent of needing hospital treatment. He participated, and often succeeded, in literary competitions to prove the quality of his work to critics. One of these competitions gave rise to one of his most popular characters, Inspector Palmu, a gruff detective of the Helsinki police department, who starred in three mystery novels, all of which were filmed (a fourth one was made without Waltari involved). Waltari also scripted the popular cartoon Kieku ja Kaiku and wrote Aiotko kirjailijaksi, a guidebook for aspiring writers that influenced many younger writers such as Kalle Päätalo.
During the Winter War (1939�1940) and the Continuation War (1941�1944), Waltari worked in the government information center, now also placing his literary skills at the service of political propaganda. 1945 saw the publication of Waltari's first and most successful historical novel, The Egyptian. Its theme of the corruption of humanist values in a materialist world seemed curiously topical in the aftermath of World War II, and the book became an international bestseller, serving as the basis of the 1954 Hollywood movie of the same name. Waltari wrote seven more historical novels, placed in various ancient cultures, among which The Dark Angel, set during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is probably the best. In these novels, he gave powerful expression to his fundamental pessimism and also, in two novels set in the Roman Empire, to his Christian conviction. After the war, he also wrote several novellas, showing particular mastery in this genre. He became a member of the Finnish Academy in 1957 and received an honorary doctorate at the University of Turku in 1970.
Waltari was one of the most prolific Finnish writers. He wrote at least 29 novels, 15 novellas, 6 collections of stories or fairy-tales, 6 collections of poetry and 26 plays, as well as screenplays, radioplays, non-fiction, translations, and hundreds of reviews and articles. He is also the internationally best-known Finnish writer, and his works have been translated into more than 40 languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
February 9, 2022
Ihmiskunnan viholliset = The Roman (The Manilianus Duology #2), Mika Waltari
The Roman is a fiction novel by Mika Waltari published in 1964. Set in Rome, the book is a sequel to The Secret of the Kingdom, a novel about the early days of Christianity.
The protagonist and narrator is Minutus, the son of Marcus, the main character of the previous novel. Minutus is a Roman citizen striving to survive without political entanglements.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهاردهم ماه آوریل سال1995میلادی
عنوان: مينوتوس مشاور نرون - کتاب دوم؛ نویسنده: میکا ولتاری؛ مترجم: ابوالقاسم حالت؛ تهران، درسا، سال1372، در523ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان فنلاند - سده20م
رمان «مینوتوس، مشاور نرون»، توسط «میکا والتاری»، نویسنده ی اهل «فنلاند» نگاشته شده� است؛ چکیده داستان زمان: سال60م؛ تا سال70میلادی؛ مکان: آسیای صغیر (شهر انتاکیه)، ایتالیا (شهر روم باستان)؛ «مینوتوس» در شهر انتاکیه (انطاکیه)، پایتختِ «شام» متولد میشود، او در حالیکه هنوز نوجوان است، به شهر «روم» میآید؛ و در آنجا با جوان دیگری به نام «لوسیوس دمیتیوس»، که شیفته و دلداده ی هنرهای ذوقی، همانند آواز، و موسیقی است، ارتباط دوستی پیدا میکند؛ دیری نمیپاید، که «لوسیوس دمیتوس» به نام «نرون»، مشهور میشود، و به مقام امپراتوری میرسد؛ این برخورد، و دوستی، بر تمام هستی و حیات «مینوتوس»، استیلا مییابد؛ «مینوتوس» نخست در «بریتانیا»، از سوی دولت «روم»، صاحبِ مقام میشود، سپس در سرزمین «ارمنستان ترکیه»، اسیر راهزنان خون آشام میگردد، و آنها، او را به عنوان گروگان نگاه میدارند، و سپس به مزدوری «سنک»، سیاستمدار و فیلسوف معروف «روم» درمیآید، و از سوی او ماموریتهای پنهانی پیدا میکند …�
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/02/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 19/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Roman is a fiction novel by Mika Waltari published in 1964. Set in Rome, the book is a sequel to The Secret of the Kingdom, a novel about the early days of Christianity.
The protagonist and narrator is Minutus, the son of Marcus, the main character of the previous novel. Minutus is a Roman citizen striving to survive without political entanglements.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهاردهم ماه آوریل سال1995میلادی
عنوان: مينوتوس مشاور نرون - کتاب دوم؛ نویسنده: میکا ولتاری؛ مترجم: ابوالقاسم حالت؛ تهران، درسا، سال1372، در523ص؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان فنلاند - سده20م
رمان «مینوتوس، مشاور نرون»، توسط «میکا والتاری»، نویسنده ی اهل «فنلاند» نگاشته شده� است؛ چکیده داستان زمان: سال60م؛ تا سال70میلادی؛ مکان: آسیای صغیر (شهر انتاکیه)، ایتالیا (شهر روم باستان)؛ «مینوتوس» در شهر انتاکیه (انطاکیه)، پایتختِ «شام» متولد میشود، او در حالیکه هنوز نوجوان است، به شهر «روم» میآید؛ و در آنجا با جوان دیگری به نام «لوسیوس دمیتیوس»، که شیفته و دلداده ی هنرهای ذوقی، همانند آواز، و موسیقی است، ارتباط دوستی پیدا میکند؛ دیری نمیپاید، که «لوسیوس دمیتوس» به نام «نرون»، مشهور میشود، و به مقام امپراتوری میرسد؛ این برخورد، و دوستی، بر تمام هستی و حیات «مینوتوس»، استیلا مییابد؛ «مینوتوس» نخست در «بریتانیا»، از سوی دولت «روم»، صاحبِ مقام میشود، سپس در سرزمین «ارمنستان ترکیه»، اسیر راهزنان خون آشام میگردد، و آنها، او را به عنوان گروگان نگاه میدارند، و سپس به مزدوری «سنک»، سیاستمدار و فیلسوف معروف «روم» درمیآید، و از سوی او ماموریتهای پنهانی پیدا میکند …�
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 09/02/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ 19/11/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
April 16, 2018
One of those rare books that makes you forget you're reading a story, and instead makes you feel like you've been put in a time-machine and are now looking into real Roman society, and into real people's lives.
October 6, 2017
Excellent historical novel -- the fictional memoir of a Roman patrician, written for his son. It spans many decades: from Emperor Claudius's reign until Domitian.
The hero fights with the II Legion in Brittania. His loves, his stint as beastmaster for the arena, government positions and postings to far-flung corners of the Roman Empire are all detailed, against the backdrop of Roman political upheaval. Always, the theme of Christianity, that small, proscribed sect, runs through the story, and influences the climax, given in an epilogue. Written more than 50 years ago, there are some factual errors but it is surprisingly well researched for those days. The book bogged down in Nero's reign and became tedious for awhile, then picked up again. The book probably could have used a more judicious editor at the part on Nero's reign. It is the 2nd volume in a duology: the first volume being .
The hero fights with the II Legion in Brittania. His loves, his stint as beastmaster for the arena, government positions and postings to far-flung corners of the Roman Empire are all detailed, against the backdrop of Roman political upheaval. Always, the theme of Christianity, that small, proscribed sect, runs through the story, and influences the climax, given in an epilogue. Written more than 50 years ago, there are some factual errors but it is surprisingly well researched for those days. The book bogged down in Nero's reign and became tedious for awhile, then picked up again. The book probably could have used a more judicious editor at the part on Nero's reign. It is the 2nd volume in a duology: the first volume being .
July 30, 2020
5 �
Mika Waltari is undoubtedly the main reason I can enjoy reading historical fiction. The world building and characters are painted with such realism that you could easily relate to one or more of them.
The story is set during the reigns of Claudius and Nero, ending with the ruling of Domitian, painting the history of Rome and the beginnings of Christianity in Europe. Anyone that enjoys reading classical literature can agree with me that Mika Waltari is worth checking out.
Mika Waltari is undoubtedly the main reason I can enjoy reading historical fiction. The world building and characters are painted with such realism that you could easily relate to one or more of them.
The story is set during the reigns of Claudius and Nero, ending with the ruling of Domitian, painting the history of Rome and the beginnings of Christianity in Europe. Anyone that enjoys reading classical literature can agree with me that Mika Waltari is worth checking out.
March 8, 2016
I always wanted to read a book by Waltari, since he is one of the Finnish writers who is also known outside of finland. I stumbled upon this one first, so i finally read the heavy thing. It was entertaining and the story was interesting, mostly for my historical interest in ancient greece and rome. so it was enjoyable on that part, but it just was dragging out too long for me. I couldn't see a real climax of the book, it more or less rumbles on like a steady river. that is good enough, but i expected a bit more from this book to be honest.
August 20, 2024
Am terminat cartea asta în mult mai mult timp decât prevăzusem, așa că mi s-a părut necesar să îi scriu o recenzie. E ca o sarcină grea, căreia îi dedici neașteptat de mult timp și resurse, iar apoi simți nevoia ca lumea să știe că tu ai făcut-o. Copii, cariere, momente de cumpănă - oamenii au multe astfel de lucruri a căror amintire vor să o păstreze. Se pare că, momentan, pentru mine este o carte.
În acest punct din viața mea, sunt foarte interesată de tot ce presupune omul. Modul în care gândește, cum acționează, în ce fel este influențat de contextul în care se află. Însă, dacă încerci să bagi oamenii într-o categorie, chiar și în una secționată, le pierzi esența. Așa că nu poți decât să îi observi la nivel de individ, iar apoi să pui laolaltă lucrurile pe care le vezi. Asta face romanul acesta. Are o gramadă de personaje în cele 800 de pagini, iar fiecăruia îi oferă importanța de a fi privit. Ca cititor, vezi de unde a plecat, unde a ajuns, care au fost motivațiile sale: e foarte aproape de experiența de a privi către un om.
Deși la persoana I, protagonistul are cea mai clară evoluție, redată destul de obiectiv, pentru că nu își dă niciodată cu părerea despre sine.
Pe cât l-am simpatizat la început, pe atât mi-a displăcut până la final. Mi se părea că a decăzut. Dar societatea însăși se afla în colaps, lumea își pierdea coerența și, până la urmă, oamenii sunt sub vremuri, nu invers. În orice caz, l-am privit cu același interes și, până la final, m-a ajutat să pătrund puțin mai mult în firea umană.
Mika Waltari scrie ficțiune istorică, dar o ficțiune istorică grea. Una din părerile mele de rău este că nu știu temeinic istoria Romei. Scrierea ei m-a ajutat mult în sensul ăsta. Însă nu doar cu informații, ci mai degrabă prin relevarea unei societăți așa cum e ea: cu calitățile, frivolitățile, curajul, cruzimea, cu oamenii ei. E un lucru pe care nu îl regăsești în manualele de istorie, dar care apropie acea lume de a ta și face experiența de a fi un om sub timp mai puțin solitară.
În mai bine de o lună, am citit o carte, dar am și pătruns într-o lume, cu toate ale ei, am înțeles niște oameni, am văzut niște aspecte ale vieții de care nu știusem înainte și cred că toate astea au făcut, mai mult sau mai puțin, citirea acestei cărți o experiență.
În acest punct din viața mea, sunt foarte interesată de tot ce presupune omul. Modul în care gândește, cum acționează, în ce fel este influențat de contextul în care se află. Însă, dacă încerci să bagi oamenii într-o categorie, chiar și în una secționată, le pierzi esența. Așa că nu poți decât să îi observi la nivel de individ, iar apoi să pui laolaltă lucrurile pe care le vezi. Asta face romanul acesta. Are o gramadă de personaje în cele 800 de pagini, iar fiecăruia îi oferă importanța de a fi privit. Ca cititor, vezi de unde a plecat, unde a ajuns, care au fost motivațiile sale: e foarte aproape de experiența de a privi către un om.
Deși la persoana I, protagonistul are cea mai clară evoluție, redată destul de obiectiv, pentru că nu își dă niciodată cu părerea despre sine.
Pe cât l-am simpatizat la început, pe atât mi-a displăcut până la final. Mi se părea că a decăzut. Dar societatea însăși se afla în colaps, lumea își pierdea coerența și, până la urmă, oamenii sunt sub vremuri, nu invers. În orice caz, l-am privit cu același interes și, până la final, m-a ajutat să pătrund puțin mai mult în firea umană.
Mika Waltari scrie ficțiune istorică, dar o ficțiune istorică grea. Una din părerile mele de rău este că nu știu temeinic istoria Romei. Scrierea ei m-a ajutat mult în sensul ăsta. Însă nu doar cu informații, ci mai degrabă prin relevarea unei societăți așa cum e ea: cu calitățile, frivolitățile, curajul, cruzimea, cu oamenii ei. E un lucru pe care nu îl regăsești în manualele de istorie, dar care apropie acea lume de a ta și face experiența de a fi un om sub timp mai puțin solitară.
În mai bine de o lună, am citit o carte, dar am și pătruns într-o lume, cu toate ale ei, am înțeles niște oameni, am văzut niște aspecte ale vieții de care nu știusem înainte și cred că toate astea au făcut, mai mult sau mai puțin, citirea acestei cărți o experiență.
October 2, 2019
Waltarimaisella jaarittelulla kehittyvä historiallinen, jännittävä kertomus antiikin Roomasta kristinuskon alkuvaiheita. Alku eteni hitaasti, loppu ahmimalla. Waltarilla on ollut todella valtava historiantuntemus. Tämä on osa 1, osa 2 saa odottaa, koska on pakko siirtää lukemaan kirjastossa varaamiani kirjoja, joita on saapunut taas viikottain.
June 9, 2024
Prilis zldhave, príliš politicke a prilis nabozenske na moj vkus, inac super.
October 14, 2024
Melkein yhtä hyvä kuin Valtakunnan salaisuus. Nämä Waltarin historialliset romaanit ovat suurta herkkua, äänikirjana saavutettavia. Markus Bäckman on oiva lukija.
October 18, 2024
Helposti lähestyttävä ja mielenkiintoinen tarina antiikin Rooman valtapelistä ja kristinuskon noususta. Kirja on jatkoa Valtakunnan salaisuus -teokselle, mutta toimisi hyvin myös itsenäisenä teoksena. Yksi tähti pois kirjan puuduttavasta pituudesta.
September 1, 2023
Taitaa olla toiseksi viimeinen niistä Waltarin pitkistä historiallisista romaaneista, joita en ole vielä lukenut.
Kirjassa taustalla kummitteleva kristinuskon jotenkin vääjäämätön ylivertaisuus on kerrassaan vieraannuttavaa. Toisaalla saa sellaisen vaikutelman, että osa kirjasta on kirjoitettu sen johdosta, että Waltari pystyisi briljeeraamaan historian tuntemuksellaan.
Eepoksessa on toki hetkensä. Loppua kohti tunnelma tiivistyy - kunhan on ensin vatvottu 500 sivua keisari Neron edesottamuksia.
Kirja on kirjoitettu ikään kuin isän kirjoituksena pojalleen. Heidän välinsä eivät ole kummoiset. Tätä etäännytystä olisi voinut käyttää paljon enemmänkin; isä olisi voinut paljon enemmän luennoida ihmisluonteesta, sen sijaan että kertoo seikkailuistaan pitkin Rooman valtakuntaa.
Kirjassa taustalla kummitteleva kristinuskon jotenkin vääjäämätön ylivertaisuus on kerrassaan vieraannuttavaa. Toisaalla saa sellaisen vaikutelman, että osa kirjasta on kirjoitettu sen johdosta, että Waltari pystyisi briljeeraamaan historian tuntemuksellaan.
Eepoksessa on toki hetkensä. Loppua kohti tunnelma tiivistyy - kunhan on ensin vatvottu 500 sivua keisari Neron edesottamuksia.
Kirja on kirjoitettu ikään kuin isän kirjoituksena pojalleen. Heidän välinsä eivät ole kummoiset. Tätä etäännytystä olisi voinut käyttää paljon enemmänkin; isä olisi voinut paljon enemmän luennoida ihmisluonteesta, sen sijaan että kertoo seikkailuistaan pitkin Rooman valtakuntaa.
October 31, 2022
Almost as good as The Egyptian but it kind of spluttered towards the end.
As with his other books this is a fictional autobiography covering the reign of Emperor Claudius's reign until Domitian. It mainly covers Nero's reign. As with his other books the narrator gets to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, has no luck with women and somehow schemes and survives all of the various Roman power struggles.
The character is quite interesting as he appears a naive nice guy but is quite cunning and ruthless. It's possible a very realistic portrayal of what a person had to do to survive in those days.
The book also covers the early days of Christianity and it's conflict with the Jews and Roman religions. Quite fascinating.
Waltari is now one of my fav historical fiction writers.
As with his other books this is a fictional autobiography covering the reign of Emperor Claudius's reign until Domitian. It mainly covers Nero's reign. As with his other books the narrator gets to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, has no luck with women and somehow schemes and survives all of the various Roman power struggles.
The character is quite interesting as he appears a naive nice guy but is quite cunning and ruthless. It's possible a very realistic portrayal of what a person had to do to survive in those days.
The book also covers the early days of Christianity and it's conflict with the Jews and Roman religions. Quite fascinating.
Waltari is now one of my fav historical fiction writers.
June 18, 2019
Mika Waltari (1908-1979) was an extremely productive writer and is probably the best-known Finnish novelist outside his homeland. The Roman, an English translation of Waltari’s historical novel Ihmiskunnan Viholliset (The Enemies of Mankind) (1964), was the last novel Waltari published, and it reflects his pessimism about human nature and his ambivalence toward Christianity.
The protagonist, Minutus Lausus Manilianus, is a kind of upper-class Forrest Gump who wanders through the late-1st century Roman world getting to know everyone of importance, from Claudius, Agrippina, Nero, and Vespasian to Peter, Paul, Luke, and Simon Magus. Minutus even gets to name Lugundanum (London) after his Brittonic lover (505) and to bring Vespasian crucial intelligence from Jerusalem under siege.
Waltari knows his Tacitus and his New Testament; his historical references are mostly plausible (though Minutus’s introduction of scented soap to Rome is a stretch) (160). But the outlandish happenstances of the novel that allow Minutus to both sympathize with Christians and to organize Nero’s massacre of them strains to the breaking point a reader’s willing suspension of disbelief.
In some places, Waltari seems to write with tongue planted firmly in cheek, as when he complains about Roman teenagers trying to study while a slave is “waving a sistrum or banging two copper saucepan lids against each other while a hoarse singer wails Egyptian street ballads.� (546) Again, Waltari concludes the book with an anachronistic conflict between Christians who cannot agree whether in baptizing Minutus “the entire body should be submerged� or “a sprinkling on the head would suffice.� (571)
To my taste, the novel is overlong and the character of Minutus unconvincing. It’s certainly possible for an author to make his protagonist a lucky, rich, and unreflective dolt, but the reader somehow has to be made to care about the dolt’s existence. I didn’t make any sense of Minutus except as a vehicle by which to fictionalize 1st century Roman history.
The protagonist, Minutus Lausus Manilianus, is a kind of upper-class Forrest Gump who wanders through the late-1st century Roman world getting to know everyone of importance, from Claudius, Agrippina, Nero, and Vespasian to Peter, Paul, Luke, and Simon Magus. Minutus even gets to name Lugundanum (London) after his Brittonic lover (505) and to bring Vespasian crucial intelligence from Jerusalem under siege.
Waltari knows his Tacitus and his New Testament; his historical references are mostly plausible (though Minutus’s introduction of scented soap to Rome is a stretch) (160). But the outlandish happenstances of the novel that allow Minutus to both sympathize with Christians and to organize Nero’s massacre of them strains to the breaking point a reader’s willing suspension of disbelief.
In some places, Waltari seems to write with tongue planted firmly in cheek, as when he complains about Roman teenagers trying to study while a slave is “waving a sistrum or banging two copper saucepan lids against each other while a hoarse singer wails Egyptian street ballads.� (546) Again, Waltari concludes the book with an anachronistic conflict between Christians who cannot agree whether in baptizing Minutus “the entire body should be submerged� or “a sprinkling on the head would suffice.� (571)
To my taste, the novel is overlong and the character of Minutus unconvincing. It’s certainly possible for an author to make his protagonist a lucky, rich, and unreflective dolt, but the reader somehow has to be made to care about the dolt’s existence. I didn’t make any sense of Minutus except as a vehicle by which to fictionalize 1st century Roman history.
August 16, 2017
Mika Waltari oli nero. Siitä ei pääse mihinkään. Hänen historiallisten romaanien ajankuvaus on käsittämättömän tarkkaa ja todentuntuista. Ihmiskunnan viholliset kertoo roomalaisen Minutus Manilianuksen elämän hänen itsensä kertomana. Ajallisesti tarina sijoittuu Jeesuksen kuoleman jälkeisiin vuosiin 46-79 jKr. Minutus kokeen rakkaudet ja menetykset, poliittiset juonittelut, juutalaisten ja kristittyjen väliset uskonopilliset eripurat, sotaretket ja fyysiset sekä henkiset kärsimykset. Minutus kuitenkin menestyy lähes kaikessa mihin lähtee mukaan. Hän vaurastuu taloudellisesti ja päätyy lopulta Rooman senaattiin. Samalla hän seuraa läheltä keisari Neron valtaannousun ja tuhon.
En kuitenkaan myötäelänyt Minutukset elämää aivan yhtä vahvasti kuin Sinuhen. Siltikin erinomainen opus. Hyllyssä odottaa jo Valtakunnan salaisuus, jonka päähenkilö on Minutuksen isä.
En kuitenkaan myötäelänyt Minutukset elämää aivan yhtä vahvasti kuin Sinuhen. Siltikin erinomainen opus. Hyllyssä odottaa jo Valtakunnan salaisuus, jonka päähenkilö on Minutuksen isä.
January 12, 2014
A great historical summary from which I learned a lot about the horrible ages of the Roman Empire and maybe even about the world. Everyone is an asshole! Sadly, the storytelling wasn't what I had hoped for. The storyline was in my opinion kind of flat, without any real peaks or lows. As historical novels go, I much prefer Swedish author Guillou even though he has a tendency to exaggerate the perfection of his heroes. Better that though than the weak-willed Minutus of Waltari. Even though such a hero may be more true to reality, for me he grew kind of boring as the pages went on and on and on and on.
But thought-provoking it was.
But thought-provoking it was.
October 3, 2015
this is the gold standard for bumbling anti-hero tale narrated in his own words; alternates between funny and wrenching and has been a perennial favorite of many including the famous plagiarism case and a few homages
October 15, 2022
My comments in video:
Religious war and conspiracy theories. He created an amazing historical mystery.
Historical novel by the great Finnish storyteller Mika Waltari, which introduces us to the time of Emperor Nero, accompanying the protagonist in the testimony he presents to us of the tumultuous times he lived through, providing interpretations of history, explanations and psychological descriptions of the emperor, and even historical mysteries (or conspiracy theories?). As is characteristic in the works of Waltari (Sinuh the Egyptian, specifically), he presents us with elements of orphanhood, the presence of a tempting and beautiful woman, and the distinctive religious conflict that develops. It is important to note that the work is for connoisseurs, since it does not explain many topics in depth since it assumes that they are already known (which is why I recommend reading other works such as I, Claudio by Robert Graves, the Rome saga by Colleen McCullough, among others), but allowing the characters to evolve even though we know the official story, allowing the characters to lie or discover the truth, leaving us with the anecdotal and gossipy flavor of Suetonius. It can also be seen that it was inspiring for works such as the film Pi, an extraordinary story, or elements used by Posteguillo in his trilogy on Trajan (such as descriptions of chariot races, gladiator fights, trips to China by Romans?, and even stories curious as soap, all with an exquisite technique changing direct and indirect style in the dialogues, respecting a solid structure that unites elements from beginning to end, and that allow a fluid and exciting reading. I wait for your comments.
Guerra religiosa y teorías conspiratorias. Creó un misterio histórico sorprendente.
Novela histórica del gran narrador de historias finlandés Mika Waltari, que nos presenta la época del emperador Nerón, acompañando al protagonista en el testimonio que nos presenta de los tiempos tumultuosos que vivió, aportando interpretaciones de la historia, explicaciones y descripciones psicológicas del emperador, e incluso misterios históricos (o teorías conspiratorias?). Como es característico en las obras de Waltari (Sinuhé el egipcio, específicamente), nos presenta elementos de orfandad, la presencia de una mujer tentadora y hermosa, y el distintivo conflicto religioso que desarrolla. Es importante destacar que la obra es para conocedores, pues no explica muchos temas con profundidad pues supone que ya se conocen (por lo que recomiendo antes leer otras obras como Yo, Claudio de Robert Graves, la saga de Roma de Colleen McCullough, entre otros), pero permitiendo que los personajes evolucionen a pesar que conocemos la historia oficial, permitiendo que los personajes mientan o descubran las verdades, dejándonos el sabor anecdótico y chismoso de Suetonio. También se puede ver que fue inspirador para obras como la película Pi, una historia extraordinaria, o elementos usados por Posteguillo en su trilogía sobre Trajano (como descripciones de carreras de cuádrigas, luchas de gladiadores, viajes a China por romanos?, y hasta historias curiosas como la del jabón; todo ello con una técnica exquisita cambiando en los diálogos el estilo directo e indirecto, respetando una estructura sólida que une elementos de inicio a fin, y que permiten una lectura fluida y emocionante. Espero sus comentarios.
Religious war and conspiracy theories. He created an amazing historical mystery.
Historical novel by the great Finnish storyteller Mika Waltari, which introduces us to the time of Emperor Nero, accompanying the protagonist in the testimony he presents to us of the tumultuous times he lived through, providing interpretations of history, explanations and psychological descriptions of the emperor, and even historical mysteries (or conspiracy theories?). As is characteristic in the works of Waltari (Sinuh the Egyptian, specifically), he presents us with elements of orphanhood, the presence of a tempting and beautiful woman, and the distinctive religious conflict that develops. It is important to note that the work is for connoisseurs, since it does not explain many topics in depth since it assumes that they are already known (which is why I recommend reading other works such as I, Claudio by Robert Graves, the Rome saga by Colleen McCullough, among others), but allowing the characters to evolve even though we know the official story, allowing the characters to lie or discover the truth, leaving us with the anecdotal and gossipy flavor of Suetonius. It can also be seen that it was inspiring for works such as the film Pi, an extraordinary story, or elements used by Posteguillo in his trilogy on Trajan (such as descriptions of chariot races, gladiator fights, trips to China by Romans?, and even stories curious as soap, all with an exquisite technique changing direct and indirect style in the dialogues, respecting a solid structure that unites elements from beginning to end, and that allow a fluid and exciting reading. I wait for your comments.
Guerra religiosa y teorías conspiratorias. Creó un misterio histórico sorprendente.
Novela histórica del gran narrador de historias finlandés Mika Waltari, que nos presenta la época del emperador Nerón, acompañando al protagonista en el testimonio que nos presenta de los tiempos tumultuosos que vivió, aportando interpretaciones de la historia, explicaciones y descripciones psicológicas del emperador, e incluso misterios históricos (o teorías conspiratorias?). Como es característico en las obras de Waltari (Sinuhé el egipcio, específicamente), nos presenta elementos de orfandad, la presencia de una mujer tentadora y hermosa, y el distintivo conflicto religioso que desarrolla. Es importante destacar que la obra es para conocedores, pues no explica muchos temas con profundidad pues supone que ya se conocen (por lo que recomiendo antes leer otras obras como Yo, Claudio de Robert Graves, la saga de Roma de Colleen McCullough, entre otros), pero permitiendo que los personajes evolucionen a pesar que conocemos la historia oficial, permitiendo que los personajes mientan o descubran las verdades, dejándonos el sabor anecdótico y chismoso de Suetonio. También se puede ver que fue inspirador para obras como la película Pi, una historia extraordinaria, o elementos usados por Posteguillo en su trilogía sobre Trajano (como descripciones de carreras de cuádrigas, luchas de gladiadores, viajes a China por romanos?, y hasta historias curiosas como la del jabón; todo ello con una técnica exquisita cambiando en los diálogos el estilo directo e indirecto, respetando una estructura sólida que une elementos de inicio a fin, y que permiten una lectura fluida y emocionante. Espero sus comentarios.
April 22, 2024
Mika Waltari’s ‘The Roman� describes the experiences of Minutus Lausus Manilianus, the narrator, a Roman citizen of equestrian rank, during the reigns of Agrippina (through the Emperor Claudius) and her son, the Emperor Nero.
Published in 1964, it follows on his earlier novel, ‘The Secrets of the Kingdom�. Both books are about the development of Christianity under immensely hostile conditions, first from the Jews and then from the Romans. ‘The Roman' follows the careers of the Emperor Nero and the Apostles Peter and Paul through the narrative and life of Minutus.
In ‘The Roman,� the first part is a kind of bildungsroman, with the young Minutus growing up in Damascus, until his father decides to start him on a political career and takes him to Rome. The people he meets include the senile Emperor Claudius and his entourage, including Nero’s tutor Seneca. Through Seneca, he begins a career that takes him from Rome to Britain, where under Vespasian’s orders, he studies one of the more famous British tribes - the Iceni. His career propels him to Corinth, to Athens, to Armenia, Cilicia, to Ephesus and back to Corinth. All through this, his official duties see him as an opponent to the new Christian religion, while everywhere, he meets with Christians so gentle, so meek despite their high-born status that his personal inclinations are to this new faith. And he holds in his hands a rare gift from his father: a wooden cup that Christ is supposed to have drunk from.
The book is disappointing, despite its early promise, as it reveals Minutus as an incompetent fool, a cuckold and Nero’s clown. His character is indecisive and insensitive. But the question seems to be, does he assume the guise of an imbecile the better to negotiate Rome’s treacherous politics, for he does quite well for himself in financial matters. His wife regards him with contempt, but this means nothing to him � he is smart enough to remain alive despite her menagerie, her bloodlust and her lovers. From his one time noble aspirations, his marriage makes him little more than a circus manager, especially responsible for the wild beasts that are let loose in the arena. We read with horror as he watches the grisly murder of Nero’s mother Agrippina.
The book is as good as ‘The Egyptian� technically, that is, in terms of historical detail, but it suffers by comparison with the 1896 ‘Quo Vadis?� by Henry Sienkiewicz, which concentrates on the life of Nero, and covers a large portion of ‘The Roman'. Secondly, the light, faux biographical style of ‘The Roman' was attempted very successfully by Robert Graves's ‘I, Claudius.�
It has moments of great promise, moments of unequalled horror, and of unutterable poignancy in the personal life of Minutus, reflections of the horror and tragedy taking place in the Roman theatre. The execution of St Peter is reflected in the beheading of Marcus, Minutus’s father; the murder of Agrippina is reflected in the sacrifice of Minutus's son, Jucundus, torn apart by wild beasts in the games that Minutus was responsible for organising.
Published in 1964, it follows on his earlier novel, ‘The Secrets of the Kingdom�. Both books are about the development of Christianity under immensely hostile conditions, first from the Jews and then from the Romans. ‘The Roman' follows the careers of the Emperor Nero and the Apostles Peter and Paul through the narrative and life of Minutus.
In ‘The Roman,� the first part is a kind of bildungsroman, with the young Minutus growing up in Damascus, until his father decides to start him on a political career and takes him to Rome. The people he meets include the senile Emperor Claudius and his entourage, including Nero’s tutor Seneca. Through Seneca, he begins a career that takes him from Rome to Britain, where under Vespasian’s orders, he studies one of the more famous British tribes - the Iceni. His career propels him to Corinth, to Athens, to Armenia, Cilicia, to Ephesus and back to Corinth. All through this, his official duties see him as an opponent to the new Christian religion, while everywhere, he meets with Christians so gentle, so meek despite their high-born status that his personal inclinations are to this new faith. And he holds in his hands a rare gift from his father: a wooden cup that Christ is supposed to have drunk from.
The book is disappointing, despite its early promise, as it reveals Minutus as an incompetent fool, a cuckold and Nero’s clown. His character is indecisive and insensitive. But the question seems to be, does he assume the guise of an imbecile the better to negotiate Rome’s treacherous politics, for he does quite well for himself in financial matters. His wife regards him with contempt, but this means nothing to him � he is smart enough to remain alive despite her menagerie, her bloodlust and her lovers. From his one time noble aspirations, his marriage makes him little more than a circus manager, especially responsible for the wild beasts that are let loose in the arena. We read with horror as he watches the grisly murder of Nero’s mother Agrippina.
The book is as good as ‘The Egyptian� technically, that is, in terms of historical detail, but it suffers by comparison with the 1896 ‘Quo Vadis?� by Henry Sienkiewicz, which concentrates on the life of Nero, and covers a large portion of ‘The Roman'. Secondly, the light, faux biographical style of ‘The Roman' was attempted very successfully by Robert Graves's ‘I, Claudius.�
It has moments of great promise, moments of unequalled horror, and of unutterable poignancy in the personal life of Minutus, reflections of the horror and tragedy taking place in the Roman theatre. The execution of St Peter is reflected in the beheading of Marcus, Minutus’s father; the murder of Agrippina is reflected in the sacrifice of Minutus's son, Jucundus, torn apart by wild beasts in the games that Minutus was responsible for organising.
June 22, 2022
The Egyptian by Mika Waltari is one of my all time favorite books. It makes you feel like you are time traveling with Sinuhe the physician as your companion. So naturally, I had high hopes for this novel too. While this novel does not quite reach the greatness of the previous novel, it is still quite a fascinating work.
In this novel, Mika Waltari paints the picture of 1st century Rome in very vivid detail. The circus games, the chariot races, the senate, etc. literally come alive in front of the reader's eyes. The novel weaves a rich tapestry with many historical Roman characters like Claudius, Nero, Agrippina, Poppaea, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, etc. It also describes the early days of Christianity.
Its protagonist, Minutus is a selfish person whose intentions are not so pure. A motherless child, he was neglected by his father also for most of his formative years. Over time, his father does come around to paying attention to him, but his remarriage pulls them apart once again. Therefore, from a very early age he has had to fend for himself. Unfortunately, this has turned him into a first-rate opportunist who is not a bad person but who keeps his interests above everyone else's. In fact so great is his selfishness and cowardice that he watches his eldest son being executed in an arena and does nothing to stop the whole thing. Later, he even convinces himself that his son was involved in serious crimes (actually petty crimes at best!) against the Roman empire & was bound to be executed sooner or later. Even when he gets to know that Nero has had his senator father and stepmother executed, he does not say a single harsh word to him. Naturally, his love life is complicated too. Even though he is a shrewd businessman, he is by no means an intelligent or sensitive man. He lacks the moral fortitude to stand besides the women he loves (Claudia & Lugunda) and ends up bewitched by power-hungry and manipulative women (Agrippina, Sabina, Poppaea & even Antonia). He may have had a shot at something real with Antonia but in the end is not smart or courageous enough to even attempt to make something of it. With his wife Claudia he has a son whom he calls Julius and for whose benefit he is apparently writing his diary. From this point onwards, he attributes all his cowardice and political machinations to increasing his son's future prospects. But as bad as he is, Minutus has quite a few redeeming qualities too. He is good to the Christians & Jews alike. He does end up saving a lot of lives by mediating peace between the different religious factions.
Overall, it is a very good attempt at creating a lost era. Be forewarned though, the era in question has a lot of blood and gore in it!
In this novel, Mika Waltari paints the picture of 1st century Rome in very vivid detail. The circus games, the chariot races, the senate, etc. literally come alive in front of the reader's eyes. The novel weaves a rich tapestry with many historical Roman characters like Claudius, Nero, Agrippina, Poppaea, Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, etc. It also describes the early days of Christianity.
Its protagonist, Minutus is a selfish person whose intentions are not so pure. A motherless child, he was neglected by his father also for most of his formative years. Over time, his father does come around to paying attention to him, but his remarriage pulls them apart once again. Therefore, from a very early age he has had to fend for himself. Unfortunately, this has turned him into a first-rate opportunist who is not a bad person but who keeps his interests above everyone else's. In fact so great is his selfishness and cowardice that he watches his eldest son being executed in an arena and does nothing to stop the whole thing. Later, he even convinces himself that his son was involved in serious crimes (actually petty crimes at best!) against the Roman empire & was bound to be executed sooner or later. Even when he gets to know that Nero has had his senator father and stepmother executed, he does not say a single harsh word to him. Naturally, his love life is complicated too. Even though he is a shrewd businessman, he is by no means an intelligent or sensitive man. He lacks the moral fortitude to stand besides the women he loves (Claudia & Lugunda) and ends up bewitched by power-hungry and manipulative women (Agrippina, Sabina, Poppaea & even Antonia). He may have had a shot at something real with Antonia but in the end is not smart or courageous enough to even attempt to make something of it. With his wife Claudia he has a son whom he calls Julius and for whose benefit he is apparently writing his diary. From this point onwards, he attributes all his cowardice and political machinations to increasing his son's future prospects. But as bad as he is, Minutus has quite a few redeeming qualities too. He is good to the Christians & Jews alike. He does end up saving a lot of lives by mediating peace between the different religious factions.
Overall, it is a very good attempt at creating a lost era. Be forewarned though, the era in question has a lot of blood and gore in it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2018
Mika Waltari romaan "Inimkonna vaenlased" on saanud kriitikat kui teos, mis jääb venima ning mille lõppetamiseks puudusid kirjanikul ideed. Mina nii karm ei oleks - vastab tõele, et mõnda teose neljateistkümnest peatükist oleks võinud kirjanik või toimetaja usinalt kärpida. Mitte, et vested oleksid lugejat tüüdanud, kuid silmas pidades jutustuse keset puudus neil teinekord lihtsalt oluline tähendus. Samuti ei heidaks ma teosele ette selle raskemeelsust ja pessimistlikku alatooni. Pigem leian, et Waltari ei ole pidanud vajalikuks ilustada ammu möödunud ühiskonda ja sellega kaasas käivad lugusid ning on üritanud manada võimalikult realistliku pildi sellest, "kuidas tegelikult Rooma impeeriumi aladel asju aeti."
Tegelikult on tegemist siiski väga mõnusa ajastu hõnguga teosega, mis kätkeb suurel hulgel hüvesid ja pahesid, mis Rooma impeeriumis (ja selle provitsides) üldse leida võis. Lugu ise rullub lahti ka põneval ajal - varajane kristlus on Roomas kanda kinnitamas, imperaatoritroonil on koha sisse võtnud noor kunstinautlejast keiser Nero (põgusalt juttu ka Claudiuse valitsemisajast, mõningasel määral ka pärast Nerot Rooma impeeriumit valitsenud keisritest).
Loo minategelaseks on hilisem senaator ja konsul Minutus Lausus Manilianus, kes vaatamata oma nimele (minutus = tühine (ladina keeles)) ja oma kaasaegsete pidevatele vihjetele, ei olegi nii tühine, kui nimi ettekirjutuse teeb. Eelkõige tuleb Minutusele ette heita tema lihtsameelsust ning seda eelkõige suhetes naistega, kes näevad temas peamiselt abivahendit saavutamaks mistahes eesmärke. Minutus satub pahatihti erinevate võimumängude keskmesse ise arusaamata, millist rolli ta seal etendab ning ka tagantjärele oma rolli tulemis eitades. Ülbus ja enesekeskus, mis olid mehe peamisteks iseloomujoonteks lapsepõlves moonduvad loo arendes leebuseks ja mõistuvseks. Samuti näitab Minutus üles erakordselt head vaistu äriasjades - mehe varanduse suuruse kohta õnnestub meil saada mõningasi vihjeid ja ka oma elu lõppvaatuses vihjab ta oma pojale, et viimane peaks üllatuma tõsiselt, kui lõpuks tema testament avatakse. Oskas ju Minutus äri ajada tagaplaanil ilma, et oleks pidanud vajalikuks sellega uhkeldada.
Tegelikult on tegemist siiski väga mõnusa ajastu hõnguga teosega, mis kätkeb suurel hulgel hüvesid ja pahesid, mis Rooma impeeriumis (ja selle provitsides) üldse leida võis. Lugu ise rullub lahti ka põneval ajal - varajane kristlus on Roomas kanda kinnitamas, imperaatoritroonil on koha sisse võtnud noor kunstinautlejast keiser Nero (põgusalt juttu ka Claudiuse valitsemisajast, mõningasel määral ka pärast Nerot Rooma impeeriumit valitsenud keisritest).
Loo minategelaseks on hilisem senaator ja konsul Minutus Lausus Manilianus, kes vaatamata oma nimele (minutus = tühine (ladina keeles)) ja oma kaasaegsete pidevatele vihjetele, ei olegi nii tühine, kui nimi ettekirjutuse teeb. Eelkõige tuleb Minutusele ette heita tema lihtsameelsust ning seda eelkõige suhetes naistega, kes näevad temas peamiselt abivahendit saavutamaks mistahes eesmärke. Minutus satub pahatihti erinevate võimumängude keskmesse ise arusaamata, millist rolli ta seal etendab ning ka tagantjärele oma rolli tulemis eitades. Ülbus ja enesekeskus, mis olid mehe peamisteks iseloomujoonteks lapsepõlves moonduvad loo arendes leebuseks ja mõistuvseks. Samuti näitab Minutus üles erakordselt head vaistu äriasjades - mehe varanduse suuruse kohta õnnestub meil saada mõningasi vihjeid ja ka oma elu lõppvaatuses vihjab ta oma pojale, et viimane peaks üllatuma tõsiselt, kui lõpuks tema testament avatakse. Oskas ju Minutus äri ajada tagaplaanil ilma, et oleks pidanud vajalikuks sellega uhkeldada.
August 24, 2022
Three and a half stars, really. This is historical fiction about a Roman noble living in the times of emperor Nero and facing the growing influence of the Christianity. The book has been translated into English as .
I enjoyed the meticulous research Waltari has obviously done in order to paint the picture of the Roman daily life so vividly as he has done here. I guess you have to be somewhat familiar with Roman and ancient Christian history in order to enjoy it fully, though. He references different historical events and characters constantly, and if you haven't heard of them before, you will probably miss most of the references. I'm afraid Waltari also indulges in the annoying habit of trying to get cheap laughs from the audience by making his protagonist comment how "that hack Juvenalis will never acquire lasting fame" and the like.
The main character Minutus Lausus is a non-conventional protagonist: he's pretty dense, self-serving and cowardly. The book is written as his memoir, though, so he paints himself constantly in the best possible light. This is a good literary device, and Waltari uses it well. Unfortunately Minutus isn't always fully believable character. How many times can different women use him as a pawn in their political games? Not to mention him being apparently rather unmoved when Nero does horrible things to his close family, just because he "doesn't want to get to his bad side".
This book is also way too long. You could cut the entire adventure in Britain off the book and this wouldn't get any weaker. Also in the middle there are too many similar scenes with Nero, and they all didn't have to be included. Cut 200 pages from this book, and it would be a four-star book, easily.
I enjoyed the meticulous research Waltari has obviously done in order to paint the picture of the Roman daily life so vividly as he has done here. I guess you have to be somewhat familiar with Roman and ancient Christian history in order to enjoy it fully, though. He references different historical events and characters constantly, and if you haven't heard of them before, you will probably miss most of the references. I'm afraid Waltari also indulges in the annoying habit of trying to get cheap laughs from the audience by making his protagonist comment how "that hack Juvenalis will never acquire lasting fame" and the like.
The main character Minutus Lausus is a non-conventional protagonist: he's pretty dense, self-serving and cowardly. The book is written as his memoir, though, so he paints himself constantly in the best possible light. This is a good literary device, and Waltari uses it well. Unfortunately Minutus isn't always fully believable character. How many times can different women use him as a pawn in their political games? Not to mention him being apparently rather unmoved when Nero does horrible things to his close family, just because he "doesn't want to get to his bad side".
This book is also way too long. You could cut the entire adventure in Britain off the book and this wouldn't get any weaker. Also in the middle there are too many similar scenes with Nero, and they all didn't have to be included. Cut 200 pages from this book, and it would be a four-star book, easily.
April 11, 2025
As was the case with his masterful work, "The Egyptian", this novel by Mika Waltari gives us good insight into the history of the selected area and times, which is mainly but not exclusively Rome in the time of the Judeo-Claudian dynasty. It did not enthuse me as much as the other novel, though, perhaps because Waltari has tried to encompass too much history over too wide an area in this one. The result is that it can become a bit tedious at times. I found this particularly the case near the end, where Waltari seems determined to give us as much as possible of the intrigues during and just after Nero's reign. I usually enjoy novels that instruct me in historical facts as well as grip me in their story, but too much instruction can detract from the delight of the novel.
Waltari depicts the very early Christians as being as contentious in their various sects as is the case today. In particular he shows Peter and Paul as being very antithetical, which quite probably they were. He also shows early Christians very ready to be violently quarrelsome with the Jews, and not displaying much of the very peaceful message Jesus preached. Again, he is quite possibly right in this and we probably wrongly assume those early Christians followed the teachings of Jesus better than we do today.
Minutus Manilianus, who is "The Roman" in this novel, comes across to me as a very self-aggrandizing man, who takes many clearly immoral actions yet believes himself (and other clearly evil historical figures we meet) to be basically quite moral. I suspect this was very much Waltari's intention, showing us how senior Romans would have acted and how they would have viewed themselves. If so, he has done his job very well.
If it had not been for the historical tedium I would have enjoyed this novel much more, but I still gained pleasure from reading it and am glad I did.
Waltari depicts the very early Christians as being as contentious in their various sects as is the case today. In particular he shows Peter and Paul as being very antithetical, which quite probably they were. He also shows early Christians very ready to be violently quarrelsome with the Jews, and not displaying much of the very peaceful message Jesus preached. Again, he is quite possibly right in this and we probably wrongly assume those early Christians followed the teachings of Jesus better than we do today.
Minutus Manilianus, who is "The Roman" in this novel, comes across to me as a very self-aggrandizing man, who takes many clearly immoral actions yet believes himself (and other clearly evil historical figures we meet) to be basically quite moral. I suspect this was very much Waltari's intention, showing us how senior Romans would have acted and how they would have viewed themselves. If so, he has done his job very well.
If it had not been for the historical tedium I would have enjoyed this novel much more, but I still gained pleasure from reading it and am glad I did.
July 24, 2018
Another of my bargain buys. I bought this in 1973 for NZ $0.45c. At that time I did a lot of night shift work with little to do and I read it in a week (639 A5 sized pages). Now, 2018, I am retired, but it took me 3 weeks to read. Well in the NZ winter it is the European summer and my spare time is taken up not just with part-time work and correspondence connected with my history research but with watching motorcycle speedway (much is Polish or Swedish, so maybe I should try and learn those languages). But, it was not just other distractions, as I still usually manage to get through a book this size in a week or less. Others have given an outline of the story, so I won't go there, all I will do is comment on Minutus Lausus Manilianus, whose fictional biography this is.
Agrippina: "You are the most gullible fool I've ever met, I think."
Nero: "But my own judgement tells me that you are more stupid than far sighted ..."
I felt like slapping his legs so many times that I had to stop reading and do something else till I had re-settled my mind. In addition to being gullible and stupid, he is untrustworthy and very happy to dob in or betray anyone, even friends, if he feels his position is at risk.
Rome was totally corrupt, disingenuous, and had little thought for human life, and this book shews that well.
I have read the book twice now, but I am not sure I will trouble my self again.
Agrippina: "You are the most gullible fool I've ever met, I think."
Nero: "But my own judgement tells me that you are more stupid than far sighted ..."
I felt like slapping his legs so many times that I had to stop reading and do something else till I had re-settled my mind. In addition to being gullible and stupid, he is untrustworthy and very happy to dob in or betray anyone, even friends, if he feels his position is at risk.
Rome was totally corrupt, disingenuous, and had little thought for human life, and this book shews that well.
I have read the book twice now, but I am not sure I will trouble my self again.
January 11, 2024
For me, this book wasn't quite 4 stars, but neither 3 stars.
Overall it was enjoyable, a what seems to be authentic look into the latter half of the ancient Roman empire. It is a good book through which one could peer into ancient Rome, with glimpses into other cultures as well.
Topic
I enjoyed the historical ancient Rome setting and there were plenty of things to learn historically and culturally speaking.
A fair amount of focus is given to the emergence of Christianity and the Jewish-Christian conflict as well as the impact of Christianity on Rome. I feel like sometimes there is too much focus on the general Christianity subject through less relevant events, character interactions, etc.
Writing style
It is mostly easy to read (Romanian translation), with a balanced amount of words that are not commonly used (archaisms, bookish or ancient culture related words).
My main dislike is the last part of the book, which is comprised of the very long monologue from the main character, feels to me a bit incoherent in terms of subject and time. At times it felt like rambling (but that adds perhaps to the authenticity of what the monologue represents?) with various subjects interleaved into each other and without following a strict chronological timeline at times.
After the long monologue, the Epilogue of the book that wraps up everything (after 570+ pages) is less than 2 pages... I would have much preferred a longer and detailed epilogue instead.
Overall it was enjoyable, a what seems to be authentic look into the latter half of the ancient Roman empire. It is a good book through which one could peer into ancient Rome, with glimpses into other cultures as well.
Topic
I enjoyed the historical ancient Rome setting and there were plenty of things to learn historically and culturally speaking.
A fair amount of focus is given to the emergence of Christianity and the Jewish-Christian conflict as well as the impact of Christianity on Rome. I feel like sometimes there is too much focus on the general Christianity subject through less relevant events, character interactions, etc.
Writing style
It is mostly easy to read (Romanian translation), with a balanced amount of words that are not commonly used (archaisms, bookish or ancient culture related words).
My main dislike is the last part of the book, which is comprised of the very long monologue from the main character, feels to me a bit incoherent in terms of subject and time. At times it felt like rambling (but that adds perhaps to the authenticity of what the monologue represents?) with various subjects interleaved into each other and without following a strict chronological timeline at times.
After the long monologue, the Epilogue of the book that wraps up everything (after 570+ pages) is less than 2 pages... I would have much preferred a longer and detailed epilogue instead.
February 20, 2023
I really liked the book. I liked the fact that both Minutus and his father are no heroes but normal people like me and you. They make mistakes. They hate to fight. They do not want to accept responsibility for their lives and for their deeds. On top of that, Minutus is utterly naive and trusting.
On the other hand, they briliantly handle tasks given to them by others and they are quite adept in accumulating riches.
However, there is one thing which made me stop reading any further. The moment when he is told by Claudia that his wife Flavia Sabina was cheating on him with a slave. Or probably with all of them. The whole Rome knows about it, the kid has dark skin and Minutus still thinks it is his child.
This is beyond dumb. Of course this is not the only dumb thing he does or did but this is the point when his honor is at stake and instead of killing the slave sending his slutty wife to faraway place, as soon as he gets threatened, he immediatelly backs out like a rabbit. That’s simply beoynd my comprehension. I accept he is a coward too but there should a point where even he needs to step up and defend himself.
On the other hand, they briliantly handle tasks given to them by others and they are quite adept in accumulating riches.
However, there is one thing which made me stop reading any further. The moment when he is told by Claudia that his wife Flavia Sabina was cheating on him with a slave. Or probably with all of them. The whole Rome knows about it, the kid has dark skin and Minutus still thinks it is his child.
This is beyond dumb. Of course this is not the only dumb thing he does or did but this is the point when his honor is at stake and instead of killing the slave sending his slutty wife to faraway place, as soon as he gets threatened, he immediatelly backs out like a rabbit. That’s simply beoynd my comprehension. I accept he is a coward too but there should a point where even he needs to step up and defend himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2025
Știm deja din Quo vadis, romanul lui Sienkiewicz, desfășurarea evenimentelor și succesiunea împăraților (Caligula, Claudius, Nero, Vespasian). În rest, totul este diferit, mult mai întunecat decît la prozatorul polonez. Iubirile nu mai sînt deloc romantice, personajele sînt mînate îndeosebi de setea înavuțirii și, foarte puțin (sau deloc), de modelul lui Christos și de cuvintele apostolilor. E posibil ca tabloul Romei, propus de Mika Waltari, să fie mai apropiat de realitatea istorică.
Exaltarea de altădată a dispărut. Nimeni nu se remarcă prin fapte ieșite din comun sau prin trăiri excepționale. Minutus Manilianus (protagonistul cărții) o iubește și n-o iubește pe vioaia Claudia Plautia Urgulanilla, ipotetica fiică a împăratului Claudius. Din pricina lui (și, îndeosebi, a naivității lui imbecile), nemiloasa Agrippina o trimite pe Claudia într-un lupanar din portul Misenum. În Romanul, oamenii sînt cruzi, aspri, sangvinari, josnici, abjecți, dar nicidecum fanatici religioși. Creștinii și evreii se ceartă între ei, populația Romei nu-i iubește nici pe unii, nici pe alții. E o epocă în care romanii s-au desprins de vechii zei, dar n-au pus alții în loc, cu excepția comunității creștine divizată și ea între învățăturile lui Chefa și Pavel.
Romanul tipic se numește aici Minutus Lausus Manilianus. În latină „minutus� înseamnă mic, umil, slab, mărunt și îl definește perfect pe protagonist. Nu este deloc un personaj pozitiv, e, mai degrabă, un netrebnic, un individ josnic, cu care nu poți simpatiza și nici nu te poți identifica. Îi urmărești tribulațiile cu scîrbă. Are toate defectele: e fricos, lipsit de scrupule, slab, imoral, incapabil de iubire și empatie. Cititorul nu-l poate înțelege și nici nu-l poate ierta. Iar Minutus tocmai asta și-ar dori, să fie înțeles și iertat de fiul său (și al Claudiei), Iulius Claudius Antonianus, care tocmai a primit toga virilă. Fiul nu-și iubește tatăl, așa cum nici Minutus nu l-a iubit pe Marcus Mezentius. În definitiv, romanul lui Waltari e un lung memoriu destinat ochilor fiului și o minuțioasă justificare a unor fapte imposibil de iertat.
Cînd viitoarea ta soție ajunge în lupanar din vina ta, cînd faci parte dintr-o conspirație (a lui Gaius Calpurnius Piso) și îți denunți senin tovarășii, cînd o părăsești pe Lugunda, preoteasa din Britania (cu care ai făcut un copil, pe Iucundus, față de care nu simți nimic), cînd participi la asasinarea Agrippinei și la dezmățul bezmetic al lui Nero, chiar dacă mori ca un martir, nu poți spera la înțelegere și mîntuire.
Interesul cărții stă, probabil, tocmai în prezentarea acestui personaj odios... (5.02.25, miercuri)
Exaltarea de altădată a dispărut. Nimeni nu se remarcă prin fapte ieșite din comun sau prin trăiri excepționale. Minutus Manilianus (protagonistul cărții) o iubește și n-o iubește pe vioaia Claudia Plautia Urgulanilla, ipotetica fiică a împăratului Claudius. Din pricina lui (și, îndeosebi, a naivității lui imbecile), nemiloasa Agrippina o trimite pe Claudia într-un lupanar din portul Misenum. În Romanul, oamenii sînt cruzi, aspri, sangvinari, josnici, abjecți, dar nicidecum fanatici religioși. Creștinii și evreii se ceartă între ei, populația Romei nu-i iubește nici pe unii, nici pe alții. E o epocă în care romanii s-au desprins de vechii zei, dar n-au pus alții în loc, cu excepția comunității creștine divizată și ea între învățăturile lui Chefa și Pavel.
Romanul tipic se numește aici Minutus Lausus Manilianus. În latină „minutus� înseamnă mic, umil, slab, mărunt și îl definește perfect pe protagonist. Nu este deloc un personaj pozitiv, e, mai degrabă, un netrebnic, un individ josnic, cu care nu poți simpatiza și nici nu te poți identifica. Îi urmărești tribulațiile cu scîrbă. Are toate defectele: e fricos, lipsit de scrupule, slab, imoral, incapabil de iubire și empatie. Cititorul nu-l poate înțelege și nici nu-l poate ierta. Iar Minutus tocmai asta și-ar dori, să fie înțeles și iertat de fiul său (și al Claudiei), Iulius Claudius Antonianus, care tocmai a primit toga virilă. Fiul nu-și iubește tatăl, așa cum nici Minutus nu l-a iubit pe Marcus Mezentius. În definitiv, romanul lui Waltari e un lung memoriu destinat ochilor fiului și o minuțioasă justificare a unor fapte imposibil de iertat.
Cînd viitoarea ta soție ajunge în lupanar din vina ta, cînd faci parte dintr-o conspirație (a lui Gaius Calpurnius Piso) și îți denunți senin tovarășii, cînd o părăsești pe Lugunda, preoteasa din Britania (cu care ai făcut un copil, pe Iucundus, față de care nu simți nimic), cînd participi la asasinarea Agrippinei și la dezmățul bezmetic al lui Nero, chiar dacă mori ca un martir, nu poți spera la înțelegere și mîntuire.
Interesul cărții stă, probabil, tocmai în prezentarea acestui personaj odios... (5.02.25, miercuri)
April 5, 2021
Excellent, well researched, and entertaining novel about life in first century Rome, a sequel to the same author's SECRET OF THE KINGDOM, which is helpful to have read prior to this though probably not absolutely necessary. What makes the tale all the more interesting is that the book's first person narrator is not the traditional hero, nor is he an anti-hero, rather a middling character of intermittent moral fiber who just happens to be adjacent to many interesting historical events, including some minor interaction with both Peter and Paul and the nascent, often intra-contentious Christian community and being relatively close friends with Nero. Highly recommended, particularly the well narrated audiobook version.
June 30, 2021
Ai spus cinci mii? a întrebat Nero entuziasmat. Nimeni n‑a folosit vreodată atât de mulți oameni într‑un spectacol, nici măcar în cele mai fastuoase marșuri triumfale. Cred că un singur spectacol va fi destul. Nu putem organiza un ospăț pentru popor care să se întindă pe mai multe zile, căci asta n‑ar face decât să întârzie și mai tare lucrările la clădiri. Din partea mea, poți să‑i pui să defileze prin oraș înainte să‑i aduci pe toți în circul meu. Astfel poporul va savura un prim moment al spectacolului și va avea ocazia să‑și manifeste aversiunea față de faptele cumplite ale creștinilor. Dacă vrei, lasă vreo câțiva să fie sfâșiați în bucăți de mulțime, dar ai grijă să nu‑ţi scape lucrurile de sub control.
June 6, 2023
Entertaining historical fiction. If the reader is familiar with this period of history, they will enjoy the experience all the more for all the famous people Waltari portrays.
On a very small side note. I think Waltari missed an opportunity to link his story to Arthurian legend. The main character owns an old wooden cup that Christ himself drank from, and he even goes to Britain. I was hoping he might lose his cup in Britain, and therefore, the reader could wonder if it could be the "holy grail" told of in Arthurian legend. Oh well, the ending mentions Juvenal fleeing to Brittain. I like to think he has the cup and that is how the grail winds up in Brittain.
On a very small side note. I think Waltari missed an opportunity to link his story to Arthurian legend. The main character owns an old wooden cup that Christ himself drank from, and he even goes to Britain. I was hoping he might lose his cup in Britain, and therefore, the reader could wonder if it could be the "holy grail" told of in Arthurian legend. Oh well, the ending mentions Juvenal fleeing to Brittain. I like to think he has the cup and that is how the grail winds up in Brittain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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