The October Horse cover

The October Horse

by Colleen McCullough

Rome, 48BC. Scene of one of the greatest political battles - and one of the most passionate love affairs - of all time. Julius Caesar is in the prime of his life and at the height of his powers. But behind the myth lies a man beset with contradictions. Happily married, he is also the lover of the enigmatic Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. A great general, he wishes to bring to an end Rome's endless wars. Conscious of his own power, and contemptuous of lesser men, he is determined not to be worshipped as a living god or crowned emperor. But Caesar is a man whose very greatness attracts envy and jealousy to a dangerous degree, and as the political intrigues which surround him reach their climax, his destruction becomes inevitable. As the Ides of March approach, one of the most powerful stories in history reaches its dramatic conclusion...

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?