Reviews

This would fall just under a 4, but it wasn't necessarily a 3. The whole of it generally worked and seeing how six authors worked together to make standalone stories with characters and storylines that span the whole book was neat. It had funny moments but was generally just mildly depressing given the setting.

hello_sweetie11's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Well that was completely engaging! Love how all the stories were connected but completely different points of view, at different points during the eruption.

elentikvah's review against another edition

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emotional informative sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

This is the book of this type that I have never read - a collaboration of authors, each writing a short story when taken as a whole tells an overarching historic fictional account - in this case of Pompeii. Normally, I do not like short stories - as a rule - although in this case, the coordiantion of story lines into a cohesive whole kept the story in alignment. In addition, some of the contributing authors are my favorite current historical fiction authors today.

As is obvious from the title, this is a historic fictional re-reading of Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius. As usual for me, the authors' notes at the end are the most interesting, to see how they have chosen the archeological and historical facts from that time and place to craft a story of the people that died, or survived, that momentous event.

Rating 3/5 stars "liked it"
11 hrs and 19 mins (1.75x)
Audiobook

broccoffee's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful reflective tense slow-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? Yes

3.25

The six stories were beautifully interweaved with each other. It was an easy read and I can tell the authors were doing their research (historical events, etc). But overall the book lacked real depth IMHO. I liked the idea of the book more than I liked the actual book.

A lot of the characters seemed a bit fabricated: too nice, too thoughtful (thinking way too modern/ahead of their time), too understanding... Some were a mix of clichés about that time period, and very 21st century kind of thoughts and behaviour.

I didn't like that so many story lines culminated in a happy ending (either people were rescued or fled successfully, or they made peace with enemies/their past lives/their roles).

After reading half of the book, I got too good at predicting what would happen to the other characters.

The real story of Pompeii was devastating, but this feeling didn't come across while reading. Maybe it's just me, but if you're into a bit of darker stories, this book might also NOT be for you.

crtney's review against another edition

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3.75

Just under 4 stars. I enjoyed the glimpses into the lives of characters and into the life of Pompeii. Despite the short story approach to the novel, I felt like I did get to know the characters and their motivations well and it definitely kept me engaged with who would live and who wouldn’t. Definite themes of tragedy inducing moral development runs throughout—along with a strong focus on the sex and slave trades that were key to life in Pompeii.

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