- Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
- Publisher: Signet Book (30 Jun 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0451209044
- ISBN-13: 978-0451209047
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 10.8 x 2.7 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,679,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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32 reviews
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Unfocused and unreal
18 Aug 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The best part of The Tribune is the military detail on the responsibilities of a tribune commanding a regiment of light cavalry in the Roman Near East. The author, Patrick Larkin, also knows how to keep a plot moving. Aside from that I found little of interest in the book. Although the characters wear armor and kill each other with swords and javelins and so on, their mind set and values are almost completely modern. One of the chief pleasures of historical fiction -- a sense that the past was another world, inhabited by people with different morals, assumptions and ways of seeing and thinking -- is totally lacking.
The narrator, Lucius, is stodgy to the point of being wooden. He is also so unconvincingly high-minded as to seem a Christian saint before Christianity. Lucius agonizes endlessly over moral dilemmas, few of which seem likely to have preoccupied a real Roman tribune of cavalry circa 30 A.D.
The most interesting character, the Emperor Tiberius's adopted son Germanicus, disappears in the second half of the novel and dies off stage, and although he has been Lucius's protector and hero his death has next to no impact on the young tribune. None of the issues and people that dominate the first part of the book are at all important by the ending.
The prose is no better than serviceable; the dialogue (here comes that word again) wooden. Larkin's characters are types, not individuals. Lucius, for example, is given a wise older doctor as traveling companion, becomes best buddies with his second-in-command, a stalwart young Gaul, and is aided by a precocious youth, whose role is spoiled brat with a heart of gold.
Worse, characters are divided into good guys and bad guys, with the bad guys really bad and the good guys uncompromisingly good. Readers will not have to strain to decide in which camp the various characters belong. Look in vain for human ambiguity or complexity. One character in particular, the twelve year old, Paulus, is simply unbelievable. His speech and behavior would be far more plausible as a touchy and rather narrow but also highly intelligent and basically decent adult. That, of course, woul ruin the irritating one-to-one Biblical analogy Larkin is at such obvious pains to set up.
The Tribune can't decide what kind of book it wants to be. It starts as a historical novel and ends as rather clumsy propaganda for Christianity. Lucius, for example, is run through by a sword thrust but has his life saved by, no kidding, an actual miracle right out of the New Testament. We are also supposed to believe that God twice speaks directly to Lucius in dreams, influencing the plot. I prefer my historical novels straight, thank you.
The narrator, Lucius, is stodgy to the point of being wooden. He is also so unconvincingly high-minded as to seem a Christian saint before Christianity. Lucius agonizes endlessly over moral dilemmas, few of which seem likely to have preoccupied a real Roman tribune of cavalry circa 30 A.D.
The most interesting character, the Emperor Tiberius's adopted son Germanicus, disappears in the second half of the novel and dies off stage, and although he has been Lucius's protector and hero his death has next to no impact on the young tribune. None of the issues and people that dominate the first part of the book are at all important by the ending.
The prose is no better than serviceable; the dialogue (here comes that word again) wooden. Larkin's characters are types, not individuals. Lucius, for example, is given a wise older doctor as traveling companion, becomes best buddies with his second-in-command, a stalwart young Gaul, and is aided by a precocious youth, whose role is spoiled brat with a heart of gold.
Worse, characters are divided into good guys and bad guys, with the bad guys really bad and the good guys uncompromisingly good. Readers will not have to strain to decide in which camp the various characters belong. Look in vain for human ambiguity or complexity. One character in particular, the twelve year old, Paulus, is simply unbelievable. His speech and behavior would be far more plausible as a touchy and rather narrow but also highly intelligent and basically decent adult. That, of course, woul ruin the irritating one-to-one Biblical analogy Larkin is at such obvious pains to set up.
The Tribune can't decide what kind of book it wants to be. It starts as a historical novel and ends as rather clumsy propaganda for Christianity. Lucius, for example, is run through by a sword thrust but has his life saved by, no kidding, an actual miracle right out of the New Testament. We are also supposed to believe that God twice speaks directly to Lucius in dreams, influencing the plot. I prefer my historical novels straight, thank you.
13 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Fantastic! Historical fiction at its finest.
3 Jun 2003
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I read this book in its entirety on a trans-pacific flight to Tokyo. I didn't want to put it down. Pat Larkin does a brilliant job crafting a suspenseful historical novel. This book is made for the movies. If you enjoy history, or mystery novels, this one is for you.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Interesting premise, adolescent delivery
24 Nov 2011
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I picked up The Tribune in a used bookstore for 80 cents. Although it has an interesting premise, the plot is predictable and the characters completely one dimensional stereotypes borrowed from other books (Turtledove for one). The author seems to have no idea of internal conflict or shades of gray in his characterizations. Heroes are all shiningly good and the villains unutterably evil, with nothing in between. There is a traitor and his identity is painfully obvious from the start, though you are supposed to be shocked and surprised when his revelation is tediously built up over too many pages towards the end of the book (ho hum, yeah, didn't see that coming).
The main characters appear to have modern mindsets and the dialogue in places sounds like it takes place in a modern high school. The writing doesn't convey the feeling of being in a different time, and it becomes apparent that the author hasn't researched the era very well.
As you get towards the end of the book, the story degenerates into a biblical dungeons and dragons quest, complete with sorcery and magical healing. Unfortunately, the battle scenes are incoherent, indicating the author knows in his head what he wants to have happen, but is incapable of putting it down in an intelligible fashion.
If this book was written by a ten year old, I'd say not too bad kid! If by an adult I'd say find another job.
The main characters appear to have modern mindsets and the dialogue in places sounds like it takes place in a modern high school. The writing doesn't convey the feeling of being in a different time, and it becomes apparent that the author hasn't researched the era very well.
As you get towards the end of the book, the story degenerates into a biblical dungeons and dragons quest, complete with sorcery and magical healing. Unfortunately, the battle scenes are incoherent, indicating the author knows in his head what he wants to have happen, but is incapable of putting it down in an intelligible fashion.
If this book was written by a ten year old, I'd say not too bad kid! If by an adult I'd say find another job.
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