- Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
- Publisher: Laurel Leaf; Reprint edition (Oct 10 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0440415365
- ISBN-13: 978-0440415367
- Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 1.6 x 17.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 113 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #711,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
This uneven first novel is narrated by Anna, the first-born daughter of the Emperor of Byzantium, poised to inherit the throne. Inspired by the real Anna Comnena (1083-1153) who chronicled her father's reign in The Alexiad, the story begins in a convent, where 17-year-old Anna lives in exile. Most of the book flashes back to the princess's upbringing and her attempt on her brother John's life that led to her monastic imprisonment. Although the author successfully evokes an aura of claustrophobia within the castle and convent, she provides few details to distinguish one setting from another. The scenes in the throne room involving visiting dignitaries or soldiers do little to illustrate the pageantry or politics of the age, and the main characters lack definitionAwith the exception of the Machiavellian grandmother. Anna herself, with her education in history, classics and science, may reverse any preconceived assumptions about the ignorance and lowly position of women in the Middle Ages, but her character as portrayed here is not likable until the book's conclusion. Readers may not stay around long enough to witness her humbling fall from power and transition to scholar. Ages 10-up. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10-The 11th-century Byzantine princess Anna Comnena was a remarkable woman. Designated as a child to inherit the throne, she was educated to be a ruler. She learned, from her mother and grandmother, to manipulate the intrigues and factions of the court, and when she was displaced as heir by her brother, she schemed, without success, to assassinate him and regain her position. In this novel, Anna tells her own story, looking back on her former life from the convent to which she has been banished. The first-person device serves well to focus the action on the princess and to build a plausible character study of a brilliant and tempestuous young woman frustrated and embittered by the loss of her expectations of achieving supreme power. However, the book exemplifies the difficulty of writing a historical novel about a real person. Anna's brother is depicted throughout as a spoiled monster who (in contrast to the brilliant Anna) refuses to learn to read. Yet historians characterize John's rule as one of personal virtue and administrative competence and tell that he forgave his sister for her many conspiracies against him. Barrett acknowledges in an afterword that she "changed some of the facts," but, unfortunately, it is the story she spins that will remain with young readers. Still, few books, with the notable exception of Peter Dickinson's The Dancing Bear (Little, Brown, 1972; o.p.), have as their backdrop the colorful and historically significant Byzantine Empire.
Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
When I woke up this morning, I could see through my window-slit that the winter sky was dark. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt
When I woke up this morning, I could see through my window-slit that the winter sky was dark. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging,
By Caitlin Vanderkar (USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anna of Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)
Anna is set to take over her father's empire as the future heir. She has been training for this her whole life, when suddenly, her negative comments about her grandmother take their toll. Her brother is to be the new heir, and Anna is astounded. Life is suddenly torture. Anna and her mother plot to gain the throne back, but the scheme backfires and Anna is sent away.I liked the novel because it grabs your attention until the end. The emotions are real and insightful. The backdrop of the ancient empire is most realistic. This story isn't predictable and leaves itself open to the possibility of a sequel, which I would love to read. I did not like how much the main character suffered. It made the book slightly frustrating and depressing at times. Overall, I would recommend this book as a good read. Those who like history will probably like this book, as will those interested in the days long past.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Description of an awesome book,
By Kandace Ritter (Irving, TX USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anna of Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)
Anna of Byzantium is about the first born Princess of the Byzantium kingdom. In her young years, she gets a younger brother, who she despises since first sight. The boy grows up spoiled by his nurse, since their mother becomes sick after the birth. Because of this, he never comes into the classroom with Anna and her sister, Maria, and always throws tantrums over anything he wants or doesn't want (and always gets his way.) She gets betrothed to her cousin, Constantine. Anna's grandma starts 'teaching' her how to run the empire, since she was the heir. Her grandma talks about affairs, how to run this and that, but also puts down Anna's mother's family.Anna and her mom try to tell the King of what his mother is doing, but she denies it, so he won't believe them. A lot of history between Anna's mother and grandmother rise up. Anna, while talking to her tutor, talks about how when she goes to rule the kingdom, she will first kill her brother off. Her brother, being taught by their grandmother, hides out wherever Anna is and tells on her whenever he hears anything. So, he runs straight to his father and Anna is confronted on it. She is scared for her life then because it was death for whoever wished death on a royal. But, she gets off, but she's not the heir anymore...her brother is. Her father and once betrothed, Constantine, go to war...her father gets sick, and Constantine dies. After her father's death, her brother ends up banning her from the library (where she spends all her time.) Anna and her mother start a plot on killing Anna's brother. Anna goes to put medicine that was deadly (that she got before her father died by his sickbed) and tried to put it in her brother's cup (he had a king's cup, so no one else's was like his, and only he could drink from it.) well, she gets caught, but her brother, in rebellion to her grandma, sends her to a convent. Threw all this, Anna's slave, dreams of her freedom and marrying her betrothed. She ends up finding Anna at the convent, after so long without seeing her, and presents Anna with her daughter, who is named 'Anna'. This book I read in less than a day, straight threw. It was incredible for a book of its length. I would recommend it :)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book that show's all aspects of being a princess,
By "thoroughbred8889" (Carefree, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anna of Byzantium (Mass Market Paperback)
The main reasons why I liked this book was because it did not have the all to common happy ending and Anna was portrayed as middle ages princess, not a modern thinking girl. She had a bit of a temper and was rather selfish at times, whiich I thought made her character all the more interesting. A must read book, filled with lessons to be learned
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