Customer Reviews

The Venus Throw

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Firstly, readers of this review who have not read any of Saylor's novels should proceed directly to 'Roman Blood', the first of the Gordianus mystery series (set in ancient Rome). Saylor's books are best read in sequence in order to capture the essence of its private eye hero (Gordianus the finder).

Unlike the other Gordianus novels, The Venus Throw is a mystery involving murder and intrique close to and in (!) the Gordianus household. An old Egyptian friend of Gordianus is murdered and, of course, Gordianus is hired to find the killer. The outcome is very surprising, and all along we are entertained by Saylor's excellent prose. And true to form, Saylor also sprinkles in copious sauciness (orgies, boys behaving badly, etc) without being crude.

Bottom line: one of the best of a fine historical mystery series. Highly recommended.

I've liked Saylor's books in the past because of two principle reasons: the mystery is solved in a plausible way for that period and the dynamics of the institution of slavery are played out well. In the past, Gordianus is dealing with political struggles and economic gains but in this book something is tackled: the unequal dynamic between the .... Almost everything Gordianus thinks he knows about women is challenged and thrown out in this one book. This is where Saylor himself is stepping out of the "historical knowns" and stepping into spectulation. However, the spectulation is also reasonable given what is know about gender, ... and ... dynamics for the late Roman Republic. Also this is a very urban and family focused book, reflecting again the increasingly personal nature of the arguable decay in politics and society during this time. This book is more explicit so if the directness of Saylor's writing has been uncomfortable for you in the past, be forewarned; for those of us who could handle even more expliciteness, its a bit better.

(OOPS - SORRY, THIS ACTUALLY REFERS TO "ARMS OF NEMESIS" - MY BAD...) O.k., I'll admit it: I love Gordianus the Finder. Forget Marcus Didius Falco (of Lindsay Davis fame), Gordianus is the only man in Rome for me. Pegged as a "finder", Gordianus ferrets out the truth about scandals, mysteries, murders and more. In this lively tale set against the Spartacan slave revolt, the lives of 100 slaves hang in the balance while Gordianus tries to untangle a gordian knot of a murder. The master of the house is murdered, and two slaves are implicated. Every slave in the household will be put to death in the gladiator's ring unless Gordianus finds out the real truth. I love that Saylor takes Gordianus out of Rome, into the pleasure villas of the idle Roman rich, and gives us a tantalizing glimpse into yet another facet of Roman life. All of Saylor's novels are gorgeously researched, and the writing crackles with humor and menace in equal measures. Beware: once bitten by the Gordianus bug, you'll be hooked for life...

Saylor's work is, as always, excellent. This one focusses on the power struggles of Rome's elite in the late Republic...and on how the various loves and lusts in that elite cause nasty thingsto happen. In addition to providing an anecdote about pointing fingers and guilt that no reader will soon forget, this book really brings Rome to life...and reminds the reader that some things are eternal.

Even though I haven't found this book to be remarkable from the point of view that would classify it as a mystery, I must say it does have a certain seduction, a certain allure, that makes it kind of irresistible to the reader, who will not want to put it down until its very end. This such end is quite a revelation as well as a paradox. Gordianus' perspective of his roman world is changed dramatically when he first discovers that his old tutor not only wasn't a man of virtue, he was a man of a great many vices, vices that included sexual abuse and depravity. The second shock comes with the identity of the murderer (not even Gordianus could have imagined this one).

All in all, what really made this book enthralling and very dear to me is the small tribute it pays to the women of Rome. For the first time in Saylor's writing, we are invited into the secret world of the roman woman, her desires, her insecurities and her atrocities as well. I must say that since reading this book I also crave silk from Cos for my own wardrobe.

In a world where women had almost no voice at all, where they were only considered their husband's or master's property; we still see the indelible mark women leave wherever they are present, in every step of their way. Even if this is the only message in the book, it is quite and imposing one.

I really enjoy this series. Saylor has a brilliant way of combining history and mystery. Thank you for your hours of research to teach and tingle your reader, Mr. Saylor! It's hard to believe it while you are reading, but you know that the "Author's Note" is coming to basically say that what you have just read is ALL TRUE!! The fictitious world of Gordianus hooks the reader into the shocking reality of ancient Rome. Saylor finds those great historical incidents and skillfully gets Gordianus and family involved. We get a deeper look into the surprising past of another family member in this volume. I only gave 4 stars just because it's not one of those "one of the best books I've ever read" books, but it is certainly worth reading especially for anyone who has begun the Roman Sub Rosa series. Great book!

Steven Saylor's fascination with Ancient Rome began at an early age. A history graduate and former newspaper and magazine editor, he lives in Berkeley, California. His series of books about Ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder are extremely popular both here in England and also in America. Anyone who is a fan of Lindsey Davis will love these books too. Steven Saylor brings Ancient Rome to life, so much so that the reader can lose himself in the sights and sounds of the ancient city.

Gordianus the Finder, the investigator of crimes, a man whose skill and integrity have made him much sought after by some of the most important men in Rome. Men who may need a secret to be kept, men who need to know that when Gordianus is working for them he will be discreet and not susceptible to bribery.

The Sub Rosa series is very quickly growing in popularity and it is easy to see why. The main character Gordianus the Finder is both a likeable and believable character and the author's descriptive talents bring the sights and sounds of Ancient Rome leaping off the pages. In this novel set in the period 50 BC Gordianus is hired to investigate a murder and he must follow a trail of intrigue to places that no one in their right mind would go, into the realms of political power. Nobody is more devious than the men who rule Rome. Men who, on the surface are the height of respectability, but rub the surface . . .

With THE VENUS THROW Saylor returns to top form. His combination of historic detail, mystery and eroticism makes very compelling reading. This is probably Saylor's most mature book to date and threatens to break out of the mystery/history genre and into literature. In the opening scene of the book we meet a hulking diplomat in female drag and a fine-boned eunuch disguised as a man who have come to Gordianus for shelter from those trying to murder them. Thus Saylor signals right off the bat that sex roles in Roman Society are going to be a major theme. One major thread in this rich tapestry concerns the lives of women. Although Bethesda (formerly Gordianus's slave and now his wife) and the profligate aristocrat Clodia come from opposite ends of society, their womanhood binds them together along with Diana (the adolescent daughter of Bethesda and Gordianus) and Zotica, a sexually abused slave girl. Venus, goddess of femininity is invoked throughout the book via outsized idols and gambler's oaths. Then there are the exotic Egyptian eunuchs, neither man nor woman, who serve The Great Mother, Cybele. (There's a fairly detailed description of the ritual by which the eunuchs of that cult castrate themselves in a fit of religious ecstasy.) The book has many exotic settings where exhibitionism/voyeurism, sexual promiscuity and perversion (sadomasochism, incest), poisonings and stabbings, political intrigue, jealousy and revenge are enacted. Among the settings are a sleazy tavern frequented by crooks, bohemians, gamblers and downwardly-mobile prostitutes, bathhouses where homosexual acts are commonplace, and a lady's country hideaway where she can be surrounded with good looking naked young men hired to do her bidding. Throughout the book we have Gordianus' respect for the truth at war with his desire to believe the best about people. Gordianus is a moral man in an immoral society. The book's climax is a riveting trial scene wherein Cicero brilliantly turns the tables on his client's opponents. The mystery element of this book is probably the best of the Sub Rosa series so far. I certainly did not guess the murderer and was rather shocked when the truly disturbing truth was revealed. With this book Saylor proves himself an author of surprising philosophical and literary depth. I very much look forward to the future volumes in this series.

I read Saylor to go back to Rome. In this one he takes us inside the Clodii family, a clan worthy of its own non-fiction book (different members have them, but a full popularly written history would be ideal). This novel introduces us to the sister of the cross dresser who inspired Caesar's line about requiring a wife above suspicion.

Like the two other Saylor's that I've read, there is a lot of scholarship behind the story. Here, Rome's criminal justice system is put on display as is a description of the oratorical style that built Cicero's career. There is something on the role of women, you learn more (Arms of Nemesis does a better job) of the role of slaves and you visit different places in the Palantine neighborhood, traveling by foot and liter.

Saylor lives up to the high standard he set in the earlier Gordianus novels, delivering a novel with fascinating characters and an intricate plot, set against a deteriorating Roman Republic. More and more, though, one has to wonder if Gordianus is truly deserving of his "Finder" title; he seems to never discover the truth except by accident or divine intervention! Gordianus' forensic abilities aside, however, The Venus Throw is a highly enjoyable read, worth every penny.