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The Confessions of a Young Nero cover art

The Confessions of a Young Nero

By: Margaret George
Narrated by: Steve West, Susan Denaker, Katharine McEwan
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Summary

In the Roman Empire, no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman - or child.

As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson - it is better to be cruel than dead.

While Nero idealises the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. Most lethal of all is his own mother, Agrippina, whose only goal is to control the empire. But as her machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become - an emperor who became legendary.

©2017 Margaret George (P)2017 Penguin Random House LLC

Critic reviews

"Carefully researched, vivid and passionately told, this is the story of a fascinating new Nero, a sympathetic, artistic and conflicted soul struggling to navigate the vicious waters of Roman politics." (Madeline Miller, Orange Prize-winning author of The Song of Achilles)

"George's take on Nero is fascinating and convincing." (The Times

"A real treat for Roman history fans." (Sunday Express

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Different and entertaining.

I have always had an idea that Nero was villainized and made into the ultimate bad guy. I loved that this book explores his mentality, but I will say it does paint Nero as a much more human, intelligent, capable and innocent kind of person that I have in my own mind. He comes out as super rational and knowledgeable, and sensitive, rather than a man put into a position he simple was not fit for, with massive flaws.
I very much enjoyed the book, and will read the sequel, and I love the concept.

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