Through research and captivating writing, Prose vividly portrays Cleopatra, showcasing her intellect, political skill, and complex relationships in a way that both enlightens and engages the reader.

I didn’t know much about Cleopatra's life to begin with so I did learn a lot of things along the way. Some good, some bad. The book tries to dismantle other portrayals of Cleopatra in different media instead of showing me the most accurate version of Cleopatra and her life. This made the book spend a lot of time being tiresome.
I knew it was non fiction, so I didn’t expect a retelling or anything close to a novel, but the writing tends to land flat and dry, not very engaging so it is a bit hard to go through the book. Also, many times I got lost and I had to go back to remember who I was reading about since many times we go through the family tree. It was confusing.

This is an insightful and engaging book ideal for history buffs, feminist readers, and those intrigued by ancient cultures. It presents a fresh and nuanced viewpoint on the iconic Egyptian queen, questioning conventional stories and providing new insights into her life and legacy. Thank you to NetGalley and Yale University Press for providing me with an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, some of the research and writing is fascinating and contained information that I had not heard before about this fascinating person in history. However, large sections of the writing also felt redundant and rambling and I wanted more clarification of where the information came from.

I enjoyed this one though and would recommend it to others who wanted to learn more about Cleopatra.

Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth by Francine Prose is a thought-provoking and informative read that is perfect for history enthusiasts, feminist readers, and anyone fascinated by ancient civilizations, as it offers a fresh and nuanced perspective on the legendary Egyptian queen, challenging traditional narratives and shedding new light on her life and legacy.

Having never read another book on Cleopatra, I enjoyed this fully. I find historical books are always great to be redone and updated to encourage new generations to pick up and learn without feeling like they're picking up old dusty textbooks or other books that are perhaps more classic. Thank you for a great book!

I was expecting to learn more about Cleopatra in this biography, but unfortunately "Cleopatra: Her History, Her Myth" seems to focus more on the accomplishments of the men she was with than what Cleopatra herself accomplished.

Also, the book spends a considerable section on pop culture interpretations of Cleopatra's life which could have been really interesting but felt rather repetitive with the main criticism being that Cleopatra has been sexualized constantly in movies, paintings, etc.

This tells the story of Cleopatra. It is a very basic book. It deals with the facts that we already know. Not the book I was expecting

Thank you Net Galley for providing me with a free copy of Cleopatra in exchange for a honest review.

A perfect non fiction read, about the life of the famous queen of Egypt Cleopatra. Enriched with details, beautiful flow and as informative as possible this is an absolute must read for anyone interested in this famous historical figure.

I love books on Cleopatra but this book offered a new history on this strong queen.
It casts new lights in the Queen we live s as bd her rein.
Highly recommend. A throughly enjoyable read.

Absolutely fascinating. Cleopatra is one of my favourite historical figures, so seeing another perspective of her was great. Would definitely read more from this author.

I loved the way this book read like a biography rather than a straight history book. Though the author does give opinions, commentary, and historical context for many of the events in the book, the literary writing style was really captivating. It was also a good mix of familiar, but not too familiar. Going into the book, I knew most of the Cleopatra story, but was still surprised by how many things I knew that weren't the full story. If you like biographies with literary writing, definitely pick this up.

I like the author's views of Cleopatra movies and writings, pointing out all the silly elements put only to retain the seductress image. Of course, she was no saint, but she deserves to be remembered as a remarkable lady.

I have been very interested in the life of Cleopatra, and was excited to find this exploration of her life and history.

To call this book a reinterpretation of Cleopatra, I feel, does this a disservice. It is an in depth, and very straight forward examination of the actual documentation we have of Cleopatra's life. It is highly focused in dismantling the fictionalized depictions of Cleopatra that have been published ever since her death.

There is no fictionalizing of scenes or meetings, and in fact, Prose goes out of her way to explain the discrepancies between documentation of Cleopatra's time and the historical texts created years and years after her death.

It was fascinating to read about all the things beyond the seductive Queen that Hollywood has portrayed for decades. And I learned so many new things. And I also really appreciated how Prose didn't try and put a more modern thought process into Cleopatra's motivations and plans.

My thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this ARC.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but found it did nothing for me.

The book regurgitates well-known information and historic portrayals of the ancient queen and fails to present this information in a way that's novel or meaningful.

It's not that the book didn't have solid information; it's more that the book itself was simply unnecessary.

Thanks: Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book provides a concise yet comprehensive exploration of Cleopatra's life, but paradoxically, it left me feeling more uncertain about her true essence than ever before.

In this thought-provoking read, Francine Prose skillfully challenges the pervasive myths and misrepresentations surrounding Cleopatra. However, as I delved into the historical accounts presented, I couldn't help but question the authenticity of every piece of information we have about this enigmatic Egyptian leader. Nadia Wassef's thought-provoking work, "Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller," heightened my awareness of the inherent biases in the portrayal of Egyptian history, predominantly influenced by colonizers. While Prose does address instances of Orientalism, it's important to acknowledge that her perspective, as a Western feminist, also comes with its own limitations.

All in all, this book offers a valuable overview of Cleopatra as a historical figure who wielded power and ruled Egypt effectively for decades. However, it serves as a reminder that the complexities and nuances of her life and reign might forever remain elusive, obscured by layers of historical interpretation and cultural bias.

This is a simple story about Cleopatra's life. It only talks about what ancient sources say without guessing or making things up. Francine Prose's writing was amazing and imaginative. You might think this is a made-up story, but it's not. It was hard to understand the history of the Ptolemies before Cleopatra because all the men were named Ptolemy. This is not the book's fault. This book was not arranged in the best order, but I still learned a lot about history.

This was a very brief biography of Cleopatra. The author tried to reinterpret her life. However, there is nothing new. It has already been done before by the excellent biographer Stacy Schiff. Still, it was a very easy and entertaining read!

The premise sounds interesting, but the execution is not to my taste. Thank you for sending me this e-ARC.

This is quick read that covers a lot of ground on the subject of Cleopatra, but upon finishing it, I had the sense that I knew less about the Egyptian leader than ever.

Francine Prose argues that Cleopatra has been the subject of many myths and mischaracterizations. And even as this book presents historical accounts, I found myself questioning every piece of information we have about her. After reading Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller by Nadia Wassef, I’m hyper aware of how Egyptian history has been primarily told by colonizers. And while Prose calls out instances of Orientialism, her work is written from the perspective of a Western feminist, which has its limitations.

Overall, this is a good overview of Cleopatra as a historical figure who successfully ruled Egypt for decades.

I received a digital advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and Yale University Press in exchange for an honest review. I also listened to the audiobook.