Catilina's Riddle

Catilina's Riddle is an excellent and very different historical novel. As a former history major and student of Latin who loves detective novels, I found Catilina's Riddle compelling. This novel appears to be another investigation of Gordianus the Finder but it is so much more. The real inquiry in Catilina's Riddle is psychological rather than legal. It presents the historical, political and sociological tussle between the forces of Cicero, noted advocate and orator, and Catilina, a charismatic rebel who seeks control of the Roman republic. The struggles portrayed in the book are carefully researched and written. Saylor mined the speeches of Cicero and Catilina and analyzed many ancient writings of the period to uncover minute details of the events. Most of the activity takes place at or near Gordianus' rural estate, but the events transform the Roman state. In this novel Gordianus grows in wisdom and self-awareness. His major mission is to function as a host for Catilina and a spy for Cicero. His primary task, however, is learning to understand the elusive Catilina, abide his contentious neighbors, and tolerate members of his own household. Gordianus grapples with his own inward anxieties. He relocated to an Etruscan farm to escape the pressures and chaos of Rome only to have the struggles follow him. Having uprooted his family he confronts their difficulties adapting to a new culture. City breed, Gordianus anguishes with the administration of a farm. For a lover of history this is one of the most researched and footnoted historical novels ever written. For those who enjoy mysteries Catilina's Riddle is subtle but engrossing. For anyone who likes studying people and personalities, Saylor's descriptions of characters is intriguing. For people who love puzzles this novel is full of baffling perplexities.

Steven Saylor is currently one of my favorite authors and Catilina's Riddle is, I think, the best of the whole Sub Rosa series. Saylor really captures the charisma that such characters as Ceasar and Catilina must have had and Gordianus provides us with the "behind the scenes" view of some of these most famous characters in history. The Mystery is solid, although somewhat incidental to the history, and the descriptions of life on an ancient farm are unique in my reading experience. If you like Rome and/or Mysteries it doesn't get any better than this.One down side: This is good enough to buy the hardback, its a keeper, but I made the mistake of getting the paperback. This is the Ballantine Publishing Group paperback with the headless statue on the cover. The leaves were already falling out of the book before I'd gotten 10 pages in. If you are like me, part of the enjoyment of a book is the feel (I like paperbacks) and the feel of a book with pages falling out is down right depressing.

I am reading Saylor's Sub Rosa series in sequence, and this third novel is so far the most ambitious. This time Gordianus is faced with the Catilina conspiracy in the year of Cicero's consulship. Saylor has the infinite cleverness not to take historical sides, and to show us that every story can be told in different ways. Cicero's foibles and Catilina's appetites are superbly shown, as well as the passage of seasons in the Etruscan countryside, a day of elections in Rome, the taking of the auguries on a young man's sixteenth birthday, every detail of Roman life and more that we have learned to expect from the author. The book is a great success, not least because we believe in the characters and we see them grow and change, from Cicero to Gordianus's teen-aged son. Saylor also manages to convey Catilina's homoerotic attraction to any reader with economy and talent (if you read well, it seems obvious from the clues that he seduces Gordianus - as a straight reader I was impressed with the elegance and efficacy of the writing of what could have been a very dicey passage.) We have come to expect, in more ways than one, that a Steven Saylor book will transport us into a different universe, and "Catilina's Riddle" doesn't disappoint. I am eagerly waiting for the next volumes and a larger part given to Caesar.

I've always enjoyed historical novels, particularly those which managed to teach me about a particular period in depth while still telling me a good story. Because of the "dumbing down" of mass market publishing, it's more difficult nowadays to find really top tier historical novels. In this instance, Saylor's historical novel almost obscures the mystery. But readers who love accurate historical fiction can't miss with this one.

I've never been a big fan of mysteries. Frankly, most of them are contrived nonsense. However, I do enjoy the Gordianus series, not for the "mystery", but for the insight into Roman life of the first century BC. This tale shows the trials and tribulations of family life during the time of the "Conspiracy of Cataline". Saylor makes this time come alive. Personally, the tale of the three headless bodies just does not interest me. The true wonder of this book is the wonderful depiction of Roman family life and the dangers that it held.