Lindsey Davis

[Nephele]

What did you think Nephele? Have you started at the beginning of the series yet? I'm on my way to the library this morning to pick up "Venus in Copper". Looking forward to it.

 

I started at the beginning of the series and I'm now about halfway through the fourth book -- The Iron Hand of Mars -- in which Falco travels to Germania to deliver a new standard to legio XIV from Vespasian, and winds up embroiled in a murder mystery and legate abduction that appears to combine political intrigue with commercial competition.

 

I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover this series! I'd say someone ought to make a film series adaptation out of these novels, except I'm skeptical of anyone doing it right. Davis' writing is vividly descriptive and evocative of ancient Rome, and her characters are wonderfully memorable.

 

I've got to hunt down a copy of the next novel in the series now, so I'm not left high and dry when I finish this one!

 

-- Nephele

[Melvadius]

.<SNIP> I'd say someone ought to make a film series adaptation out of these novels, except I'm skeptical of anyone doing it right. Davis' writing is vividly descriptive and evocative of ancient Rome, and her characters are wonderfully memorable.

 

<SNIP>

-- Nephele

 

I think that Lindsay would tend to agree with the second part of your statement. she has allowed radio serialisations to start on BBC but film rights are a different issue following a bad experience she had with the first book filmed and the falling through of a BBC TV series the full details on her page about Film Rights. Her comments about the one book filmed bear repeating here:

 

The Age of Treason. Columbia TV bought, for a very modest sum, rights to 'The Silver Pigs'. This was years ago, when neither Falco nor I were famous. I was persuaded that the producer liked my books for the reasons that made them distinctive, but when I saw the script it lacked my title, plot, dialogue, narrative style, narrative attitude, view of women, view of men, irony, and period authenticity. The only scene I recognised was from a book to which Columbia never owned the rights. I wrote and said what I thought; my name was taken off the film. I have never seen it. This film's existence had the advantage off holding of competing offers. I made it known that I seriously regretted the distress caused to my readers and that only if I was promised better would the rights ever be sold again.

 

Personally I have to admit that I do quite enjoy the film but only if you discount any possible connection with either Lindsay's books or historical accuracy.

[Crispina]

Thanks for posting the link to the Lindsey Davis site. Some interesting info there.

[Crispina]

What did you think Nephele? Have you started at the beginning of the series yet? I'm on my way to the library this morning to pick up "Venus in Copper". Looking forward to it.

 

I started at the beginning of the series and I'm now about halfway through the fourth book -- The Iron Hand of Mars -- in which Falco travels to Germania to deliver a new standard to legio XIV from Vespasian, and winds up embroiled in a murder mystery and legate abduction that appears to combine political intrigue with commercial competition.

 

I can't believe it's taken me so long to discover this series! I'd say someone ought to make a film series adaptation out of these novels, except I'm skeptical of anyone doing it right. Davis' writing is vividly descriptive and evocative of ancient Rome, and her characters are wonderfully memorable.

 

I've got to hunt down a copy of the next novel in the series now, so I'm not left high and dry when I finish this one!

 

-- Nephele

 

So how did you like "The Iron Hand of Mars"? I enjoyed this book, too; altho the "bull dancing" towards the end was a little much, even for Didius Falco! Ha. In fact the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed, but I think everything he set out to solve got solved. I'm still not sure if he gets paid for all his work or others continue to take the credit.

 

Anyway I picked up "Poseiden's Gold" at the library today, the next book in the series, and am looking forward to starting it tonight. How far into the series are you?

[Nephele]

So how did you like "The Iron Hand of Mars"? I enjoyed this book, too; altho the "bull dancing" towards the end was a little much, even for Didius Falco! Ha. In fact the last few chapters seemed a bit rushed, but I think everything he set out to solve got solved. I'm still not sure if he gets paid for all his work or others continue to take the credit.

 

Anyway I picked up "Poseiden's Gold" at the library today, the next book in the series, and am looking forward to starting it tonight. How far into the series are you?

 

I'm a good way into Poseiden's Gold. Totally hooked on Falco. And, yes, the bull dancing was a bit over the top in the previous novel. Hahaha!

 

-- Nephele

[GhostOfClayton]

I'm about three quarters of the way through the first one (The Silver Pigs) on Audiobook, so no spoilers, please. I can see why you're all hooked!

 

I bought the BBC dramatisations for the next three (Shadow's in Bronze, Venus in Copper and The Iron Hand of Mars).

 

Good move? Bad move?

 

PS The guy who reads the audiobook sounds just like Andy Hamilton (the comedian). I'm not sure overseas readers will know him, but I'm sure he will be familiar to the Brits.

Edited October 28, 2010 by GhostOfClayton

[Crispina]

I'm about three quarters of the way through the first one (The Silver Pigs) on Audiobook, so no spoilers, please. I can see why you're all hooked!

 

I bought the BBC dramatisations for the next three (Shadow's in Bronze, Venus in Copper and The Iron Hand of Mars).

 

Good move? Bad move?

 

PS The guy who reads the audiobook sounds just like Andy Hamilton (the comedian). I'm not sure overseas readers will know him, but I'm sure he will be familiar to the Brits.

 

By "dramatisations", do you mean video? Where did you find them?

[GhostOfClayton]

I'm about three quarters of the way through the first one (The Silver Pigs) on Audiobook, so no spoilers, please. I can see why you're all hooked!

 

I bought the BBC dramatisations for the next three (Shadow's in Bronze, Venus in Copper and The Iron Hand of Mars).

 

Good move? Bad move?

 

PS The guy who reads the audiobook sounds just like Andy Hamilton (the comedian). I'm not sure overseas readers will know him, but I'm sure he will be familiar to the Brits.

 

By "dramatisations", do you mean video? Where did you find them?

 

They're radio plays that the BBC did some time ago. They were pretty cheap on eBay so, being a thrifty Yorkshireman, I bought them in preference to the actual audiobook. If you'd like to borrow one to see what you think, let me know.

[Crispina]

By "dramatisations", do you mean video? Where did you find them?

 

They're radio plays that the BBC did some time ago. They were pretty cheap on eBay so, being a thrifty Yorkshireman, I bought them in preference to the actual audiobook. If you'd like to borrow one to see what you think, let me know.

 

Thank you so much. I may take you up on that, did you get the chance to listen to any of them yet?

[GhostOfClayton]

did you get the chance to listen to any of them yet?

 

Not yet, but I've imported the CDs onto iTunes, so they're just cluttering my desk now . . . and they're far from alone in that respect.

[Nephele]

I'm about three quarters of the way through the first one (The Silver Pigs) on Audiobook, so no spoilers, please. I can see why you're all hooked!

 

I bought the BBC dramatisations for the next three (Shadow's in Bronze, Venus in Copper and The Iron Hand of Mars).

 

Good move? Bad move?

 

PS The guy who reads the audiobook sounds just like Andy Hamilton (the comedian). I'm not sure overseas readers will know him, but I'm sure he will be familiar to the Brits.

 

I didn't know there were audiobooks for the series! I've never heard of Andy Hamilton, but Falco has such a dry irony so perhaps a comedian is a good choice as the reader.

 

I'm going to see about ordering the audiobooks for my public library, so then I can borrow them for free.

 

-- Nephele

[GhostOfClayton]

Unfortunately, they're not all available on Audiobook. The later ones seem to be the easiest to find.

 

If you don't have any luck with your library, the cheapest way to get hold of them is via Audible.com. The scheme is that you join, and pay $7.49 a month. In return for this you get one audiobook a month - which is quite a good deal (they charge a higher monthly fee to folk this side of the Atlantic).

 

Good library system, by the way. We have to pay for audiobooks at our library.

 

. . . and you are, of course, always welcome to have a borrow of my copies of the dramatised CDs.

[Nephele]

Unfortunately, they're not all available on Audiobook. The later ones seem to be the easiest to find.

 

If you don't have any luck with your library, the cheapest way to get hold of them is via Audible.com. The scheme is that you join, and pay $7.49 a month. In return for this you get one audiobook a month - which is quite a good deal (they charge a higher monthly fee to folk this side of the Atlantic).

 

Good library system, by the way. We have to pay for audiobooks at our library.

 

. . . and you are, of course, always welcome to have a borrow of my copies of the dramatised CDs.

 

Thanks for the offer, GoC! But I found two pages of Lindsey Davis' novels in audio format at Amazon. These don't appear to be read by Hamilton, though (unless I missed his name somewhere). I'm going to be ordering a bunch today for my library.

 

-- Nephele

[Bryaxis Hecatee]

I recently found an article by Roger Pearse saying later books of the serie did not live up to his expectations, to the point he's decided not to buy them anymore : http://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/?p=5178

 

What do you enthousiast readers think ?

[GhostOfClayton]

Thanks for the offer, GoC! But I found two pages of Lindsey Davis' novels in audio format at Amazon. These don't appear to be read by Hamilton, though (unless I missed his name somewhere). I'm going to be ordering a bunch today for my library.

 

It's not Andy Hamilton actually reading them, it's a guy called Christian Rodska - he sounds just like Andy Hamilton (who's quite famous over here), but isn't half as well known.

 

Off topic, but do you work in a library?