Overview – This was a bit of a disappointment for me when reading because I was expecting a different kind of take on seduction. There are many points in this book I will try to incorporate in my life. Though the writing and storytelling were great in this book, I couldn’t get past how inflated the meaning of seduction was in this text. The stories of Cleopatra explain how she was able to use her femininity to gain influence over Caesar, and how Casanova used his charm and laser focus to seduce many women. Those stories were great, but I fail to see how seduction can be multiplied in its definition to mean anything other than
sexual exploits. Which to me renders this book to be a great discussion of seduction and only seduction.
Theme – Seduction – the action of seducing someone, a tempting or attractive thing.
Biggest takeaway – Cleopatra had an enormous amount of influence and power over Caesar, so much so that she could almost be seen as a proxy leader of Rome. Long seen as a beautiful woman, most historical accounts say she was average looking, but what gave her an edge in her seductive style was her attention to detail. Throwing the emperor an extravagant party, then not showing up for it but being in his room when he retired to it later. Her demeanor lured Caesar into a romantic entanglement, which helped Cleopatra get what she wanted from the emperor of Rome.
Overall Satisfaction – 6/10 - Good read but failed to make the correlation between seduction and other elements of personal behavior.
Comments on the Author – Robert Greene is great, even though I only think this title is average. His writing and detailing of story are top-notch in every work he produces.
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