≡ [PDF] Gratis The Uncertain Hour A Novel Jesse Browner 9781596913394 Books

The Uncertain Hour A Novel Jesse Browner 9781596913394 Books

Download As PDF : The Uncertain Hour A Novel Jesse Browner 9781596913394 Books

The Uncertain Hour A Novel Jesse Browner 9781596913394 Books

The topic of Jesse Browner's novel - the last night of the Roman writer, Petronius Arbiter - may not be familiar; but Browner does an excellent job of illuminating that singular moment in Nero's reign. There is a special sensitivity in his portrayal of characters gathered for a last meal with a beloved friend. The draftsmanship is near perfect; the occasional use of modern expressions struck me more as beauty marks, each highlighting Browner's artistry. For beauty, structure and tight, clear drafting, I commend this work, not only to general readers, but particularly to writers.


Tags : The Uncertain Hour: A Novel [Jesse Browner] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. a.d. 66: Having been falsely implicated in a plot to assassinate the emperor Nero, Titus Petronius has a choice: await the executioner at dawn,Jesse Browner,The Uncertain Hour: A Novel,Bloomsbury USA,1596913398,Historical - General,Historical fiction.,Rome;History;Nero, 54-68;Fiction.,Suicide;Fiction.,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION General,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - General,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,History,Italy,Nero, 54-68,Petronius Arbiter,Rome,Suicide,United States

The Uncertain Hour A Novel Jesse Browner 9781596913394 Books Reviews

This is a simply wonderful novel, allowing any reader with a historical interest the pleasure first of all of seeing ancient Roman life in startling concrete detail through the eyes of a remarkably sophisticated, witty person, Petronius, the Emperor Nero's Stoic/Epicurean ruler in matters of taste.

As others have mentioned, the novel is principally set on the last day of Petronius' life at the special farewell banquet - honeyed dormice are among its delicacies - which he's arranged before his own suicide, himself having fallen out of Nero's favor owing to court intrigue. Interspersed are flashbacks which give the background of Petronius' chief relationships in life, those with his cryptic mistress Melissa and his hotheaded, emotionally free Spanish protege, the poet Martial.

Even more pleasurable than the historical dimension is the human dimension of Petronius' life, his strengths and limitations, which Browner as philosophical novelist richly sets forth. As an emotionally reserved general who's spent much time in the provinces, Petronius is of the opinion that, though life should be lived well and nobly, public life at the courts of emperors offers much to endure and little to enjoy, and that a guardedness in such is, consequently, the path best followed. His private attachment to his mistress, though, for this very reason of his habitual tempermental reserve becomes one which, unfortunately, leaves too much unsaid. Their rapprochement towards the novel's end, after so much indirection, is credibly rendered and astonishingly moving.

Set against Petronius' reserve, which we've seen colors even his private life, is the emotional openness, anger, and general imprudence of his adopted son of sorts, Martial. The handholding and goodbyes of these two wonderfully realized figures in the novel's final pages are also moving in the extreme.

The epigraph of the novel anticipates Henry James' urging that one should above all actually "live," rather than choosing to get through life without having to experience its joys and pains. I think in recognizing Melissa's loyalty - a light shows she's waited up for him to assist in his final act - and in telling Martial that he loves him as a son, Petronius for all his philosophy comes to realize he's in fact experienced those two consolations of a life often nasty, brutish and short - love and friendship.
If this is not the best novel I have read this year, it certainly comes close.

In a short chapter in his Annals of Roman History, Tacitus gives a brief summary of the end of the life of one Petronius, the emperor Nero’s ‘arbiter elegantiae’ or style councillor. This man had been sentenced to death following a conspiracy against Nero’s life, in which he had probably not been involved. As a concession to past friendship the emperor permitted Petronius one night to settle his affairs and end his own life. There is a general agreement that this Petronius is also the author of the Satyricon, an intensely scatological Latin novel, which may possibly be a satire of Nero’s own way of life.

Browner’s novel fleshes out that final night, taking Petronius, his house guests and the reader through those hours leading up to the condemned man’s death. The novel is an intensely moving experience, as Petronius strives to fathom some purpose to his life, revisiting in his mind his past experiences and the mistakes which have brought him to this end. The author keeps close to scholarly theory about who Petronius was and also to Tacitus’ account, showing how Petronius opened his veins and then bandaged them up more than once so that his death would not come sudden; how he held a banquet where his imminent death was the only subject not permitted for discussion; how he penned a frank letter to Nero expressing his opinion honestly and without flattery.

Browner writes rich and limpid prose, the narrative flowing and subtle. There is a strong sexual element, especially in the flashback scenes, reflective of the nature of the times, but also, like the dishes served at the banquet, suggestive of the Satyricon itself. For me two aspects really stand out.

The idea of making Petronius the patron of the scarcely Romanised poet Martial was a masterstroke. The portrayal of the emotionally prodigal poet is a brilliant counterpoint to the Romans who deliberately repress all emotional display. The final scene with Petronius and Martial conversing as they walk through the land and village around the villa in ‘the uncertain hour’ just before dawn is simply wonderful. The scenes with Martial are often not just moving but also very funny - the anti-climactic visit to the Sibyl of Cumae a good example.

The second element I enjoyed especially is how Browner integrates the suicides of Seneca and Lucan, two others of Nero’s circle caught up in the same plot. Lucan had botched his attempt, as had Seneca. Petronius is determined not to do the same. His dinner guest Lucilius complains about how Seneca has ruined his life by making him the respondent for his letters from a stoic, letters which still survive and profess to advise on how best to live one’s life – an attempt at gaining an immortal memory.
Finally, the history and course of Petronius’ relationship with Melissa, a soldier’s wife who becomes his lover, is haunting and sensual, containing strong elements of the Biblical relationship of David and Bathsheba.

A terrific novel – one I will certainly revisit.
I was utterly taken in by the prose and content of this book. Not my typical choice of story (historical reference) I was drawn in and easily led to a place I was unable to abandon until the end.
Wonderful!
Not much of an analyst here, but I really enjoyed this book. Great imagery on what life could have been like during the Roman Empire. Enjoyed it, and have lent to several friends who also enjoyed it.
The topic of Jesse Browner's novel - the last night of the Roman writer, Petronius Arbiter - may not be familiar; but Browner does an excellent job of illuminating that singular moment in Nero's reign. There is a special sensitivity in his portrayal of characters gathered for a last meal with a beloved friend. The draftsmanship is near perfect; the occasional use of modern expressions struck me more as beauty marks, each highlighting Browner's artistry. For beauty, structure and tight, clear drafting, I commend this work, not only to general readers, but particularly to writers.