- Paperback: 1042 pages
- Publisher: Time Warner International; New edition edition (Jun 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0515119660
- ISBN-13: 978-0515119664
- Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 10.7 x 4.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,018,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Light Bearer
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A novel set in the decadent years just before the collapse of the Roman Empire.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Publisher
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 7/25/94 'STARRED' REVIEW
Probably the greatest compliment to Gillespie's first novel is that at 800 pages, the book isn't too long. Spanning the years between A.D. 52--shortly before Nero's accession--and Nerva's accession in 96, the novel invokes tribal warfare, two tyrants, Domitian's terror, gladiatorial spectacles, blood vengeance, imperial intrigues and a mythic love. At the center is Auriane, the daughter of a Chattian chieftain fated to lead her tribe against Rome but also to disgrace it by murdering her father. On the other side of the Alps is Marcus Julianus, a philosophically disposed nobleman trying to salvage justice under the despotic Nero and Domitian. Marcus is haunted by his late father's vague records of a German warrior maid, and the two finally meet when Auriane is captured in Domitian's Chattian campaign. Gillespie depends upon the reader's indulgence when describing the lovers early meetings. But this is a quibble because the romance is secondary to the mature couple's greater, more pressing concerns. For anyone interested in this tumultuous period of Roman despotism and Germanic tribes, Gillespie's epic is an intriguing recording of everyday detail, national issues and, more impressively, overarching influences of religion and psychology.
Probably the greatest compliment to Gillespie's first novel is that at 800 pages, the book isn't too long. Spanning the years between A.D. 52--shortly before Nero's accession--and Nerva's accession in 96, the novel invokes tribal warfare, two tyrants, Domitian's terror, gladiatorial spectacles, blood vengeance, imperial intrigues and a mythic love. At the center is Auriane, the daughter of a Chattian chieftain fated to lead her tribe against Rome but also to disgrace it by murdering her father. On the other side of the Alps is Marcus Julianus, a philosophically disposed nobleman trying to salvage justice under the despotic Nero and Domitian. Marcus is haunted by his late father's vague records of a German warrior maid, and the two finally meet when Auriane is captured in Domitian's Chattian campaign. Gillespie depends upon the reader's indulgence when describing the lovers early meetings. But this is a quibble because the romance is secondary to the mature couple's greater, more pressing concerns. For anyone interested in this tumultuous period of Roman despotism and Germanic tribes, Gillespie's epic is an intriguing recording of everyday detail, national issues and, more impressively, overarching influences of religion and psychology.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Anyone out there that has not read The Light Bearer is missing out on one of the greatest reads ever. I have read this book six times and have not yet tired of it. Its characters and plot draw you deep into an amazing ancient civilization that to most people is a mystery. Not many books have the power to draw real emotion but this book makes you feel every kind as if you your self where the character. The author Donna Gillespie never fails to describe even the smallest parts in amazing detail that draw you back to that ancient time. All I have to say now is where's the sequel because this book has left me gagging for more of the same.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book was very entertaining. It's the type of book that I would just love to see the movie version of. It's got all the makings of a good hollywood movie: the suffering of wars, corrupt and unethical politics, the clashing of pre-christian cultures, all mixed up in the storytelling with the tale of a destined love between Auriane, living in what is now Germany, and Marcus,a Roman Senator. Although this sounds like a romance novel, it isn't--because I don't think Gillespie would try to cheapen the novel that way. All in all, it was a very entertaining read, leaving me wishing I was Auriane.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
One of the finest examples of historical fiction I have read. The characters are complex and developing throughout the book, the setting--including the warring psychology and belief systems of Rome and the 'barbarians' --are wonderfully described. I am still 'haunted' by some of the imagery and marvelous juxtapositions in this book (after a couple of weeks). On the other hand, the historical detail does not prevent this from being a page-turner--and a pretty easy read. After reading this book, Donna Gillespie has made it high on my list of favorite historical fiction (loosely defined) authors, which includes Margaret George, India Edghill, Edward Rutherford, Steven Pressfield, Diana Gabaldon, Ken Follett, Irving Stone, and Sharon Kay Penman. All of these authors have varying styles, but what unites them is the protrayal of the paradigms of the times about which they write through well-researched detail. The Light Bearer is a perfect example of this amazing talent. If you enjoy HISTORICAL historical fiction, and some of the authors above, this is a book for you.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
An epic tale of Germanic-Roman conflict and love
It took me a long time to read this book, because it is a long book. It is way, way, way, way, WAY too long! Read more
Published 18 days ago by Lance Mitchell
An epic of love and war in the ancient world
At the beginning of the dark-ages the Anglo-Saxon tribes invaded from Germania. And we know little about them. Read more
Published on 9 May 2008 by Angelcynn
Read the book, see the light
The old Roman Empire was a kind of nasty place to be if you weren't Roman. But for Auriane, a daughter of the Germanic tribes, it's become a hell on earth. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2007 by Lilly Flora
A Fascinating Book
This is a big book by any standards, 800 pages and is the result of years of research and study by the author into the culture, and history of Rome and the Germanic tribes. Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2007 by J. Chippindale
A heroin who discovers the joy in her life
Harking back to my ancestors of 2000 years ago I was engrossed in the story of Auriane the remarkable Germanic priestess to be, drawing heavily on historical evidence regarding the... Read more
Published on 21 April 2007 by Frank Bierbrauer
Historical fiction at its best
Fantastic! Read this book! A wonderful historical novel set in Roman times, but with a fantasy feel to it. Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2003
Spun Like a Spiderweb
Donna Gillespie is an incredible weaver of tales. The spinning of history and story resulted in one of the very finest historical fiction novels I have ever read. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2001
Fantastic!!!!!
This is a rich and compelling story that evokes history more powerfully than anything I've ever read. It will stay with me forever!
Published on 9 Sep 1999
Pretty good, but...
The Lightbearer is a sensuously written tale of a Germanic priestess named Auriane and a Roman noble named Marcus Julianus. Read more
Published on 31 Aug 1999
The fastest thousand pages I've read in a very long time.
Thanks largely to Colleen McCoullough, I've found myself reading more and more about Republican and Early Imperial Rome. Read more
Published on 5 Aug 1999
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Fiction > Contemporary Fiction
- Books > Fiction > Historical
- Books > Romance > Adult & Contemporary
- Books > Romance > Historical
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
