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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've listened to this in preparation for the trip to Pompeii. Excellent narration and a very good historical fiction.
I put myself in the hands of one of the big ones now, my first Robert Harris book. I thought I knew most of the story of Pompeii, I even went to the exhibition at the British Museum when it was on. Twice. Yet somehow I still didn’t know that Pliny died in the eruption. But, having said that, I’m going to assume that I can’t really hit any spoilers here.
Marius Attilius Primus (I often wonder if there is a Roman name generator knocking around somewhere) is an engineer, called down to the south to look after the mighty Aqua Augusta. The water flow is lessening, causing concern, and at one point stops altogether, and that can’t be good. Attilius is at first mistrusted by the small group of workers looking after the aqueduct, their previous supervisor having disappeared a little while previously.
While settling in and starting to investigate, Attilius attends a local noble, who’s fish have been seemingly killed by an absent minded slave. Can it all be tied together? In the background, Vesuvius smokes and mumbles quietly.
Harris evokes Rome’s pomp and the towns surrounding the Volcano in clean detail, at times you almost feel the sweat from the arid countryside and beating southern sun. Pliny is the only ‘famous’ son or Roman history we really come across, this being a self contained novel very much about the epic destruction of Pompeii, itself only part of the story in the last third or so. But Harris does explain the engineers methods, how he calculated how long there would be water available and how the aqueduct was maintained. Aside from the volcano, Attilius has to battle with his staff and the local noble, a former slave who made good from previous destruction.
Harris combines all of this into a page turning plot, as you rush, headlong to the eruption, wondering how on earth anyone would have known or understood what was happening. Indeed, it is interesting to read Pliny’s dictations about what he calls the manifestations, as someone, scientifically minded for that time, try to describe what they were seeing and make sense of it. I enjoyed Pompeii, perhaps mostly because of my love of Roman history more than anything else, but still an enjoyable read none the less.
(blog review here)
Marius Attilius Primus (I often wonder if there is a Roman name generator knocking around somewhere) is an engineer, called down to the south to look after the mighty Aqua Augusta. The water flow is lessening, causing concern, and at one point stops altogether, and that can’t be good. Attilius is at first mistrusted by the small group of workers looking after the aqueduct, their previous supervisor having disappeared a little while previously.
While settling in and starting to investigate, Attilius attends a local noble, who’s fish have been seemingly killed by an absent minded slave. Can it all be tied together? In the background, Vesuvius smokes and mumbles quietly.
Harris evokes Rome’s pomp and the towns surrounding the Volcano in clean detail, at times you almost feel the sweat from the arid countryside and beating southern sun. Pliny is the only ‘famous’ son or Roman history we really come across, this being a self contained novel very much about the epic destruction of Pompeii, itself only part of the story in the last third or so. But Harris does explain the engineers methods, how he calculated how long there would be water available and how the aqueduct was maintained. Aside from the volcano, Attilius has to battle with his staff and the local noble, a former slave who made good from previous destruction.
Harris combines all of this into a page turning plot, as you rush, headlong to the eruption, wondering how on earth anyone would have known or understood what was happening. Indeed, it is interesting to read Pliny’s dictations about what he calls the manifestations, as someone, scientifically minded for that time, try to describe what they were seeing and make sense of it. I enjoyed Pompeii, perhaps mostly because of my love of Roman history more than anything else, but still an enjoyable read none the less.
(blog review here)
Ugh. Where to begin.
To start, it took me 5 months to finish this. That might almost say everything.
But, I want to clarify why I gave this two stars, and I don't rate most books below 3 stars.
First, I understand the book is historical fiction with emphasis on fiction and takes place in Italy back in... 79 AD before the eruption of Vesuvius. But was it necessary to keep all the Italian names that sound alike? So many similar names made my brain cringe every time I had to read one. Which was often. Too often.
Second, there wasn't enough volcanic scenes. Not nearly as much as I bought the book to read in the first place. The volcano doesn't even erupt til nearly the last 1/4 of the book. I'm a natural disaster fanatic and this was the first volcanic novel I've read, and it was just disappointing regarding that aspect.
Overall, a nearly lame novel that focused on a dozen Italians during the week leading up to Vesuvius' eruption. Wasn't my piece of cake whatsoever.
To start, it took me 5 months to finish this. That might almost say everything.
But, I want to clarify why I gave this two stars, and I don't rate most books below 3 stars.
First, I understand the book is historical fiction with emphasis on fiction and takes place in Italy back in... 79 AD before the eruption of Vesuvius. But was it necessary to keep all the Italian names that sound alike? So many similar names made my brain cringe every time I had to read one. Which was often. Too often.
Second, there wasn't enough volcanic scenes. Not nearly as much as I bought the book to read in the first place. The volcano doesn't even erupt til nearly the last 1/4 of the book. I'm a natural disaster fanatic and this was the first volcanic novel I've read, and it was just disappointing regarding that aspect.
Overall, a nearly lame novel that focused on a dozen Italians during the week leading up to Vesuvius' eruption. Wasn't my piece of cake whatsoever.
Must-read before you visit the ruins. Harris enthusiastically conveys the inarguable fact that concrete was the greatest of all Roman inventions, and basically responsible for urban life as we know it. Rote mystery plot and paint-by-numbers romance are mostly an excuse to introduce modern readers to the joy that is Pliny the Elder. My only quibble is that current research shows Pliny's [b:cause of death|6541|Cause of Death (Scarpetta Book 7)|Patricia Cornwell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165603739s/6541.jpg|2408] was very likely heart attack, not related to pyroclastic flow.
Good easy read. Narrator is an engineer, which appeals to me.
Marius Primus has just taken charge of the enormous aqueduct which supplies water to the residents living on the Bay of Naples. But there's a problem, the previous head engineer has gone missing and the water supply is being affected.
This is a fictional account of the lead up and the events of Vesuvius blowing its top. It's well written and compelling. Robert Harris is at his best, I feel, when writing historical fiction. If you like Roman based books this is good - best are the Cicero novels.
This is a fictional account of the lead up and the events of Vesuvius blowing its top. It's well written and compelling. Robert Harris is at his best, I feel, when writing historical fiction. If you like Roman based books this is good - best are the Cicero novels.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No