Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth
Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth is a 2022 nonfiction book by Francine Prose. It is a part of Yale University Press' Ancient Lives series of books.[1]
Overview
[edit]The first half of the book dispels myths about Cleopatra's life and reign. The book's second half examines representations of Cleopatra in popular culture.
Reception
[edit]The book received mostly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for tackling myths about Cleopatra[2] and addressing the sexualization of female rulers.[1][3] A Publishers Weekly review described it as a lucid and persuasive reinterpretation."[4]
Some critics felt that Prose's biography of Cleopatra was weaker than her literary analysis.[5] Marissa Moss in NYJB wrote that "most effective part of the book is when Prose steps outside of history entirely and casts a critical eye on how books and movies made Cleopatra into a villain."[6]
Arienne King of World History Encyclopedia praised the book's analysis of Cleopatra's literary portrayals, but criticized it for not examining Middle Eastern sources or Western media produced after 1963.[5] Maxwell Carter of The Wall Street Journal criticized the book for being too flattering a portrayal of Cleopatra, writing: "That Ms. Prose is right about so much [...] makes the neatness and predictability of her moral conclusions all the more disappointing."[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Arieff, Allison (October 31, 2022). "Review: In 'Cleopatra,' Francine Prose dispels the sexualized mythology surrounding a powerful ruler". Datebook. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ Cleopatra.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ Sandbrook, Dominic. "Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth by Francine Prose review — maneater or victim?". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ "Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth by Francine Prose". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ a b King, Arienne. "Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth (Review)". www.worldhistory.org. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ "A book review by Marissa Moss: Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth (Ancient Lives)". www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
- ^ Carter, Maxwell. "'Cleopatra' Review: Ancient Egypt's Mysterious Queen". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-02-28.