I Am Livia

By: Phyllis T. Smith

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

Her life would be marked by scandal and suspicion, worship and adoration.…

At the tender age of 14, Livia Drusilla overhears her father and fellow aristocrats plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar. Proving herself an astute confidante, she becomes her father’s chief political asset - and reluctantly enters into an advantageous marriage to a prominent military officer. Her mother tells her, "It is possible for a woman to influence public affairs," reminding Livia that - while she possesses a keen sense for the machinations of the Roman senate - she must also remain patient and practical.

But patience and practicality disappear from Livia’s mind when she meets Caesar’s heir, Octavianus. At only 18, he displays both power and modesty. A young wife by that point, Livia finds herself drawn to the golden-haired boy. In time, his fortunes will rise as Livia’s family faces terrible danger. But her sharp intellect - and her heart - will lead Livia to make an unbelievable choice - one that will give her greater sway over Rome than she could have ever foreseen.

©2013 Phyllis T. Smith (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great point of view

It was wonderful to hear a rendition of the mother of Rome’s viewpoint. Augustus, or “Tavius” as she calls him is such a compelling and fascinating persona, also my favorite Caesar. The story is written like a retelling in a continuous journal. The narration is average, sometimes the inflections don’t match the words, so I consider it an average, certainly not terrible narration.

Good story, bad narration

Is there anything you would change about this book?

For one thing, I'd have had her call him Octavian instead of "Caesar," by which most people understand Julius. Later she could haveAlso, much of the writing is overblown, but it may seem worse than it really is because of the narration.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I thought it was good.

How could the performance have been better?

How could it have been worse? Narration stilted, other voices (women, children, men) annoying, but worst of all, too many mispronunciations of places and personal names. Didn't anybody look anything up?

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

yes, but I'm a pushover for Roman costumers.

Any additional comments?

Interesting portrait of what it's like to be married to a complicated alpha male. Also enjoyed Livia's friendships with other women, including Octavia. Fictional first-person narrative that corrects bad press the first Roman empress has been saddled with (she wasn't bossy, she was savvy; they weren't poisons, they were medicines) makes a good read that would have been better with tighter writing. I kept wanting footnotes (difficult in audio, of course), or at least an epilogue about the sources, but historical fiction does impose a willing suspension of disbelief.

I wanted to like it

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No, the two hours I spent with this book are lost forever.

What didn’t you like about Joyce Bean’s performance?

The narration is a performance, not a reading. Children's voices are squeaky, men's voices are gravelly, and the narrator's voice is flat. There's a weird pause before "he said" or "I replied" almost every time (probably so the reader can adjust her voice). There's a strange rhythmic pattern to the sentences: two are read on a rising tone, one on a falling tone, and one is flat. Rinse and repeat.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Depending on the casting, yes I would.

Any additional comments?

I wanted to like this, I really did. But after two hours, I knew It was a waste of time.

Wonderful book . . .

Wonderfully written. Beautifully narrated. I spent a couple of hours studying the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which greatly added to my understanding and enjoyment of I Am Livia., for her story plays a central role during this important transitional period of Rome's history. But don't get me wrong. Although it greatly enhanced this void is my historical knowledge, that isn't why I chose to read it. I chose it for the book's promise of being a fascinating read about real lives sometimes caught up in what seemed unresolvable human dilemmas. And the author and narrator could not have done a better job in keeping this promise.

History told at its best!

A gripping story from the beginning to the end - wonderfully told through the eyes of Ceasars wife - I felt transported back in time and couldn’t stop listening - highly recommend

Decent story, middling performance

Interesting story, not among the best told of the “famous women’s perspective on history” genre but worth a read/listen. The narrator uses a particularly annoying little girl voice for the women characters at the beginning that gets only slightly better as they age.

Loved the story

Love the story. Fan of the show Domina, but I am a history buff! On to the Daughters of the Palentine Hill!

Chicken soup for the feminist soul

I am not usually a fan of historical fiction but I found this book pretty captivating. The beginning was kind of boring as she was a stubborn little girl married against her will, but as she matured I was enthralled by how much I could relate to her. I think a young feminist would feel inspired by her. I felt real empathy for her jealousy about not conceiving to her battles with love against logic. I don't know that I would have paid for this book, but since it was included in prime, I'm glad I gave it a listen.

Enjoyable historical fiction

Though at times the storyline bled from one Sunkist to another it was compelling and a good listen. I was aways eager to get back to it.

Even better listening than reading!

Although I’ve read this book already, I am picking up so much more listening to it! On a bit of an Ancient Rome binge at the moment and this books fits perfectly.