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Jul 17, 2017tjdickey rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
A very readable account, despite the looming background - Nero is of course born into a family steeped in murder (Caligula tries to drown the infant boy as a joke in the opening pages), incest (even Oedipal obsessions), the corruption of absolute power (Nero knows the intoxicating cries of the mob), and creeping madness in the multiple personalities he freely acknowledges. George's overall intent is to rehabilitate this fascinating figure somewhat, showing the deeply-felt artistic side of his personality more than the stereotype of the mad ruler, though in the context of a ruling family so steeped in its own blood and that of its people, the work is cut out for her.