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Karen Essex
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Kleopatra Paperback – August 1, 2002

by Karen Essex (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 67 ratings
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High drama and ancient history combine in this novel of the early life of Egypt's infamous queen, at once a beautiful seductress, brilliant politician, and the most powerful ruler of her time.
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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    Kleopatra
  2. Print length
    400 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  5. Publication date
    August 1, 2002
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9780446679176
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0446679176
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0446679178
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; Reprint edition (August 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780446679176
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0446679176
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 67 ratings

About the author

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Karen Essex

Karen Essex

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KAREN ESSEX is the national and international bestselling author of five books of historical fiction including the acclaimed two volume biographical novel KLEOPATRA: The Early Years, the little known story of the princess’s rise to the throne; & KLEOPATRA Book II: The Pharaoh, focusing on the queen’s political acumen as well as her romances. LEONARDO'S SWANS puts Leonardo da Vinci’s rivalrous female muses at its core, aristocratic women who shaped the art and politics of the Italian Renaissance.The novel was a runaway bestseller in Italy and won the prestigious Premio Roma for foreign fiction. STEALING ATHENA is a sweeping historical saga from the perspectives of two fascinating women, Aspasia, philosopher and mistress to Pericles, and Countess Mary Elgin, who twenty-three hundred years later saw the demise of Pericles’s great Athenian monuments. DRACULA IN LOVE retells Bram Stoker’s classic tale from the perspective of Dracula’s obsession, Mina Harker, who surprises readers with her own supernatural lineage.

Also an award-winning journalist & screenwriter, Karen has written for Netflix, James Cameron and Fox Studios, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, and Fox TV. She was graduated from Tulane University with a BA in Theater, attended graduate school at Vanderbilt University, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. A New Orleans native, she has also lived in London, Paris, and Los Angeles.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
67 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

SAVVY SALLY
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Kleopatra
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2016
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I read the second volume first and loved it, so I decided to buy Volume I. Volume II was a marvelous historic fiction (as was Volume I); however, Volume II covers Kleopatra's 20 year reign and is far more exciting than Volume I in which she grew from a child to a very young woman. Today, she would have been about 13 by the end of the volume. It was an important read, if as I am, you search for the history of the most powerful women leaders in the world. Volume I helps the reader understand what, in her youth, shaped her ability to become the greatest strategist of Egypt. One comes to understand why Egypt was, in many ways, more effective than the Rome of her day.
2 people found this helpful
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lalunagypsy
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book I have ever Read!
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2010
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This is seriously the best book I have ever read. I am very interested/ familiar with Egyptian History especially during Kleopatra's time. This book is very well written and Essex transports you into Alexandria almost feeling the sea air blow and the city's wonderful smells. I very rarely reread books, but I've read this fabulous book at least 6 times.
2 people found this helpful
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Iris Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2014
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Interesting read
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Marian Elder
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2016
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I loved this book. It recorded my rating incorrectly. This was a retread for me! It's that good!!! 5 stars please'
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Robin E. Lutsky
5.0 out of 5 stars kleopatra
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2008
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Wonderful book anyone interested in ancient Eygpt will find it extremely
educational yet one must remember that this is historical fiction.
3 people found this helpful
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Ms. Patricia Anne Hunter
3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2011
I would have liked this book more without its occasional crude language, particularly the anachronistic F word. Ms Essex also failed in her research about Rome. Kleopatra's father couldn't have taken her round the Forum because reigning monarchs were not permitted inside the city walls. Even when she came to Rome as Queen, Caesar's personal guest, she lived in a villa across the Tiber. Nor did Mediterranean people of that era eat mangoes and oranges - these fruits were unknown until centuries later.
2 people found this helpful
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katherine tomlinson
5.0 out of 5 stars Cleopatra with a K--A new version of an old story
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2015
In the royal palace by the sea in the city of Alexandria, the queen of Egypt is dying. KLEOPATRA V, TRYPHAENA, has a fever of unknown origin and even the blind Armenian healer summoned by her husband, King PTOLEMY XII (called AULETES) has failed to offer relief. Three-year-old KLEOPATRA, her father’s favorite (he calls her his “small piece of joy”) waits with her older sister BERENIKE (8) and half-sister THEA (14) for news. Thea, daughter of Tryphaena and a Syrian prince, promises Berenike she will always look after her but has no such soft words for Kleopatra, whom she despises. When it’s clear that her mother will not recover, Thea seduces her step-father. Shortly after her mother’s death, Thea weds the King and tells Kleopatra she must call her “mother.” On the day of the wedding Kleopatra puts up such a fuss that Thea has her drugged with valerian. And that’s just the start of this juicy historical novel that offers us a very different view of Cleopatra than the one we usually see of a mature woman torn between two lovers.
This is more like an Egyptian GAME OF THRONES, with siblings turning against each other and fathers marrying daughters and intrigue and deceit around every corner. It’s all vastly entertaining and Kleopatra is a heroine we root for as she negotiates the pitfalls of court life and manages to stay alive. Sex. Politics. This book calls out for the miniseries treatment. It’s an extremely entertaining read with great characters, solid dialogue, and events that may be invented, but feel authentic.
One person found this helpful
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Lauralee
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Historical Biography of Cleopatra!
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2017
Kleopatra tells the story of Kleopatra VII’s earlier years. The story begins when Kleopatra is three years old and she cannot speak Greek. Over time, Kleopatra learns many languages. The story also tells Kleopatra’s life as a child who roam’s Alexandria’s streets. She is shown to be clever and has a respect for the Egyptian culture. She also learns Roman alliances as the only way to ensure her family’s dynasty. One day, Alexandria’s mob are furious with her father, and he runs away to Rome taking Kleopatra along with him. He learns that his wife, Kleopatra VI and his daughter, Berenice IV betrays him. Kleopatra and Ptolemy XII beseech the Romans to restore Ptolemy's rightful place to the throne.

I really like Kleopatra’s portrayal in this novel. She is a tomboy, and likes to dress up as a boy to mingle with her people. This book shows Kleopatra’s love for Egypt and its culture. She is also the cleverest person in her family. Her father greatly trusts her and in Rome, he often relies on her advice. She is also bold and often speaks her mind. However, she does have her flaws. She can be unforgiving to those who betray her. Still, she is compassionate to her people and wants to be a great queen.

Overall, Kleopatra is an in-depth psyche about how Kleopatra transforms herself from an insignificant princess to be the Queen of Egypt. It shows how her upbringing affects the decisions and the woman she becomes when she becomes pharaoh. Kleopatra learns from her father’s and sister's mistakes in how she can rule. I also thought that this novel does a great job in the characterization of the other supporting characters. They are very complex and we get to see the motives behind their actions. The only thing that I dislike about this novel was that it was very slow, and I was not really interested in the story until Kleopatra is in Rome. The part where Kleopatra and her father are in Rome was very fascinating. Despite its slow beginning, this was an excellent portrait of Kleopatra. This is a novel not to be missed by fans of Kleopatra. I recommend this novel to fans of Michelle Moran, Margaret George, and Stephanie Dray.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Cullen
5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2013
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A fabulously engrossing book that had me hooked from start to finish. An eloquent writer that really knows how to capture a reader's imagination this is one of those books that is difficult to put down once you start it. This is one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read and it has provided me with a fascinating insight into Egyptian history.
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nakaot
4.0 out of 5 stars クレオパトラの少女時代から２１才までの珍しい物語
Reviewed in Japan on May 26, 2003
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クレオパトラが父王の膝に抱かれて育ちながら、政争で父と共にローマに逃れ、父の死後は姉弟間の王位継承争いでアレクサンドリアを脱走、その間、シーザーが都に攻め入り、彼女の謁見を要求。苦労して会いに行く行こうとするところまでの権謀術数と愛の物語。彼女の少女時代の珍しい話で、著者の幅広い語彙に、何度も辞書を引きながらも、興味深く読みました。勉強不足のため、彼女の母国語はギリシャ語で、当時のアレキサンドリアはギリシャ文化の中心地であることを知りました。(時代背景を説明する語彙の解説と簡単な年表が巻末に付いています。）付録に下巻の第１章が付いています(有名なシーザーと会う場面）ので、下巻も続けて読みたくなりました．映画化されるそうです。
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Elizabeth Taylor
1.0 out of 5 stars Another day another cleopatra book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2003
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This is not a good book by any definition of the word, the author has managed to take a story which involves incest, politics, lust and romance and turn it into something banal. I love historical fiction but instead of tempting us with descriptions of the past or fleshing our her characters the writer is content to ride on the back of a very old story. The fact that she has chosen to write of the young Cleopatra is perhaps her biggest problem. A nine year olds view of the all those goings on in the palace is only to be guessed at however the heroine reads as neither young or old neither experienced in the world or an innocent. So frankly if she dies on the next page poisoned on the whim of her sister or lives to fight another boring day in Alexandria one is left not really caring. The pace is slow, the people unappealing, the world unbelievable so despite having paid good money for this book and being facinated by the character of Cleopatra, sorry, I gave up at page 144.
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