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'The Emperor's Babe' by Bernadine Evaristo

'The Emperor's Babe' by Bernadine Evaristo

Book review

by Milla (Tue Jun 23, 2009)

If I were to meet you at a party and say, ‘Hey, there's this great book ...' you might draw closer and say, ‘Ah, interesting stranger, tell me more.'

‘Well,' I'd say, ‘it's in verse ...' and as my eyes grew more intense in the fervour of proselytizing, yours would glaze with the first pricklings of desperation; you might lick your lips nervously and glance around for rescue. 

'It's set in Roman London, AD211,' I'd breeze on, pretending not to notice.

By now, panic gripping you, you would be feeling the nasty sensation of one who is well and truly trapped.

But trust me. I understand, dear reader, truly I do. I'm never to be found, willingly, within fifteen feet of a beret and just the word ‘poetry' can make me twitch. However this novel really is very different, truly worthy of the word ‘unique' and one of my favourite books in recent years.

It concerns young Zuleika, feisty daughter of Sudanese immigrants done well, who is married off to a brutal, rich and absent Roman. While the fat cat's away (on business or philandering), the bored mouse will play. But when Septimus Severus, the Emperor himself, swings by, and gives Zuleika ‘A Look' with his desert eyes, then things get both interesting and dangerous and, yes, events are set in motion which can only end in tragedy.

I found it impossible not to be captivated by Zuleika, or dragged along by her story, and as a character she enchants, one of many in the novel neatly and succinctly drawn. She is too sassy to be a Great Vulnerable heroine, but she lives and breathes and convinces utterly. No whining, although armed with ample grievance for playing the victim, nor is she merely daffy chick lit heroine dumped in a different century, despite being supplied with that classic duo of soul mates; the gayboy/loose cannon girlfriend, with whom she drowns her sorrows.

The novel, for it is a novel despite the unusual presentation, is refreshing both in content and style and it is all but impossible not to be sucked in. The verse is loose and zingy; it is immensely readable, both powerful and tender, funny and outrageous, bloodthirsty and absurd. The poetry allows for fantastic use of pithy, vivid language, and is no mere gimmick since Evaristo's superb handling means the tempo changes fluidly according to the mood, and the story sings out. Perhaps due to the verse, pace and structure, rather than in spite of them: being told in so few words, there is no room for duff padding.

The historical background rings true, too, with thought-provoking points to be made about such very early immigration, as well as ‘Home Alone' young wives. Perhaps there's a self-conscious modern reference too many, maybe it goes an ‘innit' too far, but really the anachronism enforces its modern zip and brings pace and texture.

It is in turns touching, life-enhancing and shocking - for instance there's a breathtaking gladiator scene which pops your eyes out, while intimations of married life with an unimaginative brute makes one wince with cross-legged outrage.

Please, don't wriggle from me and my zeal; I have no albatross lurking in my past, just a wish to share my love of a rewarding, vivid and unique book.

 

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Milla
Posted Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 11:53 am Reply Delete
thanks for your comments, chaps. Always the one to worry about the bad sheep who won't come when the shepherd whistles, it's LazyandHappy and LBD I'm going to fret about. G'arn, give it a go.Report Abuse
Posted Tue Aug 4, 2009 at 2:47 pm Reply Delete
Never come across this and have now added it to my list of things to read. Great sounding book. I bet I can read it with my cocoa.Report Abuse
Fennie
Posted Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 10:39 pm Reply Delete
Great review Milla. Almost tempts me - but I just have so much to read these days - the literature piles up - though I daresay that I could learn much about the Roman way of life, about which I know tantalisingly little apart from the fact that Roman women were so good at contraception (using herbs) that there was a real danger of a shortage of Romanettes. Oh, and that they weren't allowed to eat with men but had to hide behind a curtain listening to the conversation of menfolk as if it were a species of radio.Report Abuse
Pipany
Posted Thu Jun 25, 2009 at 8:37 am Reply Delete
Well, I seem to be alone in my love of poetry here. This was an excellent review Milla and the novel is now added to my wishlist.Report Abuse
LazyandHappy
Posted Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 9:40 pm Reply Delete
I am with LittleBrownDog on this one. While I really enjoyed reading the review, I am going to have to skip anything written in verse. I lose interest reading stop signs at this point in my life so I am not sure I would be able to stick with this for too long.Report Abuse
LittleBrownDog
Posted Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 8:58 pm Reply Delete
Superb review, Milla, but I think I'll probably give this a miss. It was the eye-popping gladiator scene and the cross-legged outrage that did for me. I'm sure it's excellent in its own way, but at my time of life, I'm just really looking for something to go with my cocoa.Report Abuse
Edward
Posted Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 1:01 pm Reply Delete
I've been resisting this book for some time, but I'm definitely going to give it a go. Thanks for a great review.Report Abuse
exmoorjane
Posted Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 11:48 am Reply Delete
Great review. I think I have only read one book in verse - Vikram Seth was it? Golden Gate? But enjoyed it which proves it can be done. I'm now tempted by this one.Report Abuse
Posted Tue Jun 23, 2009 at 8:00 am Reply Delete
Great review! Beret-wearing poets bring me out in hives.Report Abuse

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