This is the last of the
books I got for Christmas, and I just finished it recently. As the
name suggests, it's historical fiction, a genre I used to read quite
a lot (mostly Bernard Cornwell) but which I haven't really touched
for some time. Hannibal's one of my favourite historical figures,
which made me somewhat wary (doing justice to a colossus of history
is nigh on impossible).
I had very mixed
feelings about the book. Concisely, the plot moves at a cracking
pace, it's broadly historically accurate (the useful section at the
back enables the author to point out where he deliberately altered
things for the sake of the plot), the characters are often
two-dimensional, and the writing (whilst always clear) can be a bit
simplistic.
The two main characters
are Hanno, a young Carthaginian, and Quintus, a young Roman. The two
are pretty similar in social terms, until Hanno ends up enslaved and
sold to Quintus just as the Second Punic War is about to kick off.
There are various coincidences, but unless the plot were to focus on
real world key players (they feature but are not the focus) then it
necessarily has to be so. Hanno and Quintus are more well-rounded
than most other characters, but not especially deep.
There was also a ton of
head-hopping. There was no consistent focus on a single character's
perspective in a given scene/chapter, so we continuously learn what's
in the head of character A, then B, then C. It's a little strange.
I'm not particularly bothered by head-hopping, but if you are then
this could perhaps put you off.
Perhaps my favourite
aspect of the book was the cracking pace. There's never a feeling of
waiting around for something interesting to occur, or that a section
is padding to bulk out the book.
The mini-bibliography
at the back was useful (I was pleased to see Theodore Dodge near the
top of the list), and if/when I decide to buy something new on the
subject I'll probably check it again for ideas.
Hannibal: Enemy of Rome
is a fast-paced, light read that's enjoyable but not especially deep
or challenging.
Thaddeus
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