The Lock
Kane Jaro has written a trilogy based on the last years of Republican Rome, and has done so with great aplomb. She is to be applauded for the effort which this endeavour must have taken. In the first book,The Lock, she views the period through using the story of the statesman Cicero, in the second book,The Key, the same period and technique is used, but with Catullus as the character, and in the final book,The Door in the Wall, she uses Caesar. The key to the books, however is the character Caelius, the Marcus Caelius Rufus of Cicero's Pro Caelio: the story in each case is told through his eyes, although not in an intrusive way - each of the central characters is able to speak and operate without Caelius being present. By using these different perspectives, Kane Jaro is able to tell the same story in three different ways, building up the suspense in each one until the full story is revealed in the final book. It is important that each book is read in the correct order in order that the denouement comes as a surprise to the reader.Kane Jaro has taken a period of Roman history when there were a great deal happening, and there were many factions at work, each pulling in their own different directions. This has enabled her to allow the story to unfold in the way that it does, and allows the confusion of the events to mask the underlying story. As might be expected the three books reflect the style of each of the authors, the first being based around various speeches of Cicero, and being somewhat ponderous, the second is rather more ephemeral and views Catullus through the poetry he wrote about Lesbia, and the final book is retrospective of Caelius when all the threads are pulled together. I found each of the three books a gripping read, both in their own right and as a trilogy.I would recommend them to any teacher who feels the need for a little light relief from some of the more weighty tomes available on the last days of the Republic. For a student of the period, they certainly can be recommended - perhaps as holiday reading for one about to embark on one of the Ancient History topics related to this period. Although it must be pointed out that they are fiction and as such should not form the basis of a serious essay on the period, they certainly provide a readable and interesting overview of the period in a way that the reader will not feel like they are doing holiday work! --David Standen, JACT ReviewThe Lock,by Benita Kane Jaro (281 pages, June 2002), is the third in a trilogy of vivid historical novels set near the end of the Roman Republic.The Key(1988) focused on the poet Catullus, whileThe Doorin the Wall (1994) revolved around the intrigues and relationships of Julius Caesar.The Lockcenters more on the Roman senator Cicero and his attempts to prevent the collapse of democracy and thwart the machinations of Pompey in his bid for sole control of Rome. Written engagingly and with a clear grasp of the complexities of Roman politics,The Lockshows how the ancients came to grips with some of the same choices and challenges that we face today. --Stephanie Orhpan, Editor, C & RL NewsThrough her deft use of dialogue and descriptive detail, Benita Kane Jaro imaginatively brings to life the personalities and political intrigues of ancient Rome in the turbulent days of Julius Caesar. She is especially successful at recreating the smells, sights, sounds and tastes experienced by her characters, and thereby summoning up the physical texture as well as the intellectual substance of lived reality. --Judith Peller Hallet, Professor of Classics, University of Maryland