Overall, what did you think of Babylonia?
I had trouble with this book. I read about a third of it and then stopped because of the graphic gore and violence. I just can’t subject myself to that. So, I didn’t finish it and won’t have much to add to the discussion.
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I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The exploration of Mesopotamian civilizations, a subject I find endlessly fascinating, was richly detailed, reflecting the author’s extensive research. The characters were well-developed and layered, adding depth to the narrative. While I occasionally struggled to understand their motivations, it didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the story. The palace intrigue was particularly captivating and kept me engaged throughout. However, I’d like to note a trigger warning: the book contains some graphic depictions of warfare and domestic abuse, which may be difficult for some readers.
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I do understand. It was a violent time with a culture that valued power and destruction of others. I did think the author tried to balance the need to show the cruelty and violence with the story needs rather than just showing violence and gore.
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Barbara, I agree. I enjoyed reading about the food, the clothes and the customs. I appreciated the extra materials such as the map, index of characters, etc. It made it easier for me to get invested into the story and the culture.
The violence was tough to read. Sometimes I had to take a break before continuing to read.
Overall, this was a win for me.
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The book was a bit of a slog for me. I’m not sure if it was because I was reading it during the holidays. I was irritated with just about everyone but especially the men in power who were really big whiners. The violence didn’t bother me so much since I understand its context in the time period. I just didn’t find many people with redeeming qualities other than the slaves, to be honest
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@Roberta_Winchester I totally get that. No worries if you had to dump the book.
I really enjoyed it. I like period pices and books that i learn something from. And i like strong women characters.
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I liked the book and enjoyed reading it. The author did wonderful research. The book kept my interest and I do enjoy books about strong women. She is an excellent writer. I also enjoyed her first book Clytemnestra. Looking forward to her next book.
I loved this book. I thought the writing was beautiful.
The vivid descriptions of time and place were breathtaking to me. I realize there was violence but got through those parts as best as I could.
it was a five star read for me.
I loved the love hate relationship that Semiramis had with Onnes and King Ninus.
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I can see why the book wouldn’t appeal to some, but man, I adored this one. Excellent historical fiction, wonderful characters, good writing… This was actually one of my favorite reads this past year.
(And I gotta admit, I kinda like the violence, just as long as they didn’t kill off the tiger. That probably would have been a deal-breaker for me, LOL.)
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I loved this book. To quote many a review, I couldn’t put it down. Following the rise of Semirami from orphan, to captive, to queen is interesting as well as mezmerizing.
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Absolutely agree about the tiger 
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I enjoyed reading Babylonia. I was excited to read this book, because I had enjoyed the book Clymenstra by the same author. I did think it was difficult at times reading of the savage behavior but the story kept my interest all the way to the end.
I enjoyed reading this book because of Casati’s extensive research and her writing skill. I found several of the characters extremely interesting because they were enigmatic - Nisat and Sasi, in particular. I agree with Barbara E that it was sometimes difficult to understand the motivations of some of the characters, but I thought they were all multi-dimensional, flawed, and fascinating. In addition to beautiful descriptions and a storyline that flowed, the author was able to insert many sayings of general truths about human nature throughout the book. For example, after attacking and defeating the Bactrians, Semiramis has blood on her hands and asked herself, “Can one rise, hurting others?” I knew nothing about the ancient Assyrian Empire before Costanza Casati took me on this journey.
I was thoroughly intrigued with this story and learning about ancient Assyria. Casati writes in a descriptive way that creates vivid images in my mind, and I feel as if I am right there watching the story unfold. Commoners, slaves, and eunuchs lived an extremely harsh existence compared with the lives of the powerful and of royalty, and Semiramis, who lived as both, was a bold, determined woman. Through reading about her life in the village and in the palace, readers are exposed to the struggles of the powerful and to the daily struggles and hopelessness of many living in the lower stations of their society. Babylonia is a great book for learning more about this time period.
I very much enjoyed this historical epic. Semiramis is a fascinating character whose life story is a compelling read. The setting of the ancient empire of Assyria is brilliantly portrayed in all its power and cruelty. And the weaving of the epic of Gilgamesh into the story is very well-done. Overall, I highly recommend this book.
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I loved the book and would highly recommend it. I was totally intrigued with all the characters and loved learning about the Assyrian culture. The author’s writing is so vivid and descriptive, and her development of all the characters made this a wonderful read.
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