Word: cleopatras
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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Satire is the aim of the novel, but satire is never quite so sophisticated and lewd as the puerile effusions of the flapperish Cleopatra whose acquaintance we make in perusing the "Diary." She boldly describes her appearance in Rome as the public mistress of Caesar and forthwith begins to criticize Rome, Caesar, and every one else except Antony and a few other of the Roman jeunesse doree whose appetites for wine and illicit love are as strong as hers. Her philosophy is Hedonistic; she proclaims herself a sensualist and not satisfied with the fast pace of the Romans she attempts...
...turn, Julius Caesar, Virgil, Antony, Cicero and Brutus become the subject of Cleopatra's unconventional commentaries and after each one has been sufficiently cheapened and demoralized beyond recognition the author turns to Roman stupidity, brutality and licentiousness which he riotously portrays without causing the reader to blnk an eyelash. His obstreperous satire becomes annoying when it is detected as so obviously blatant and artificial. It might be justifiable to sweep all of the heroism away from the character of Caesar, but there should be a motive for such an action. Satire without an objective is innate...
There is a depraved note throughout the volume. Cleopatra writes, "let not my enemies, therefore, condemn me too readily. Perhaps, they, too, if their sense of the futility of life were as keen as mine, would seek forgetfulness in a like orgy of pleasures. My conduct is nothing more than a gesture of angry defiance flung into the face of the gods. I can never forgive them for making me mortal while reserving immortality for themselves. If they can look down upon me and laugh at my helplessness, I will show them that I, too, can laugh at myself...
...Cleopatra discusses everything from Greek philosophy to Tennessee evolution, and always she manages to insinuate the worst. Only at intervals does she make some mater-of-fact statement which catches the reader's fancy and conveys more truth then all of her long dissertations. For example, she says: "At the slave bazaar I also purchased a negro porter and a Greek philosopher. I paid five thousand sesterces for both of them --a most exorbitant price...
Beyond its incongruity and spiciness, however. "Cleopatra's Private Diary" is totally lacking in either originality of sustaining vigor. It is truly une gaucherie...