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583 reviews for:

Pompeii

Robert Harris

3.66 AVERAGE


Poorly written, especially the characters. They were two dimensional and their emotional responses did not ring true at all. Did not connect with anybody on the page and thus was not gripped by the story at all. Extremely disappointing.

Robert Harris terkenal dengan buku-buku thrillernya tapi ternyata dia banyak menulis tentang novel-novel bertema sejarah. Dan Pompeii, dia berhasil menggambarkan kondisi dan detail kota itu dengan sangat akurat. Kondisinya sebelum kehancuran dan detik-detik kota itu dilahap letusan gunung berapi.

Beberapa istilah Romawi, jam, hari, tanggal agak memusingkan di awal membaca buku ini. Tapi setelah membaca 30 persen dari buku ini, jauh lebih mudah untuk mengikuti alurnya.

Hero kita disini adalah seorang insinyur muda idealis, seorang ahli perairan yang bertanggungjawab mengurus salah satu sistem perairan dan bendungan di Italia. Jangan bayangkan Attilius, sang Aquarius kita sebagai tukang pipa italia yang imut Mario Bross karena dia jauuuuuuuh lebih hebat. Membaca buku ini aku jadi mengagumi tehnologi negara tua seperti Roma. Di masa itu, mereka sudah punya sistem pengairan yang sangat rapi dan terstruktur yang bahkan lebih hebat dari tehnologi perairan di negara modern saat ini.

Di sepanjang buku kita akan disuguhi dengan pengetahuan tentang tehnik perairan dan ilmu tentang gunung berapi. Dengan gaya bahasa yang lugas, sistematis dan penuh istilah tehnik, buku ini seperti khusus ditulis untuk kaum pria yang diceritakan oleh pria lainnya.

Jangan mengharapkan roman mendayu-dayu karena walaupun Mr Harris sudah menebar sedikit bibit roman tapi tetap dibuat mengambang sampai akhir. Ending buku ini agak menggantung dan aku juga ingin tahu kondisi dan akibat ledakan itu terhadap Pompeii dan sang Aquarius kita.

Marcus Attilius, aquarius overseeing the Aqua Augusta, is sent to Pompeii after the previous aquarius disappears. Investigating a problem with the aqueduct, he uncovers political schenanigans and portentous geological signs. A definite page-turner, even though the reader knows what the final story is going to be. Harris works in a remarkable amount of science and engineering (which I thoroughly enjoyed).

This book made me want to run out and find more like it, or more by the author, and that doesn't happen all the time. Plus it's a subject matter I really didn't know much about, and a genre I don't normally read, and I still loved it. That takes talent.
informative fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

I like a well researched period potboiler, Harris ones in Rome never really disappoint. 

Great read. Very in depth look at the four days surrounding the Vesuvius eruption. Harris definitely knows his Roman history.
adventurous tense medium-paced
adventurous informative tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous tense fast-paced

There's a reason I delayed starting this book for so long: you know how it ends!

And indeed that did spil most of the surprise for me, and even though the protagonists are good enough, and the way their personal stories are interwoven with historical events is brilliant!, I just can't give this book more than 3/5 stars here.