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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
This was a fun, light read. The setting is contemporary London, where Greek gods are no longer in the ascendant. They live in one house, trying to find various ways to use their special gifts to make ends meet. There is also a pair of rather shy mortals. The author has a nice touch in bringing out various aspects of Greek mythology rather wittily, while making the character development interesting.
Clearly, I came of age in Canada, as I picked this up while browsing a Chapters store. I would probably never have looked at it twice given the American cover shown here.
Clearly, I came of age in Canada, as I picked this up while browsing a Chapters store. I would probably never have looked at it twice given the American cover shown here.
It's cute. Cheeky. Worth reading if you can have a sense of humor about the Greek goddesses and gods.
Although it is really crude in places this is actually a very funny book. The idea of Zeus being a Doctor Who fan ...
I really wasn't expecting this to do much for me, but you know what, it seemed worth a go for $1. What did I get for that $1? It was a romp. Hilarious! It was like "The Real World" were scripted and written by Homer. It's a light romp and an easy read. Give it a go!
I had fun with this. The gods are, indeed, alive and well (mostly), if not happy, and living in London. And, as usual, when gods and men collide, things go awry. Having a more than passing familiarity with Greek myths definitely makes this more enjoyable, but it's not necessary to have fun with this romp. Clever stuff.
After reading Gods Behaving Badly, I began asking my friends if they have a favorite Greek god or goddess. I was trying to determine my own level of geekiness. I suspect the average person today does not have a preference and may not even be able to name more than one or two of the gods. Fortunately for me, most of my friends can not only name several members of the Greek pantheon, but also were more than willing to enumerate the many reasons they prefer their favorite over all the others. Having a favorite may make me a geek, but at least I'm not too much geekier than most of my friends.
If you, too, cannot only name several of the Greek gods and goddesses but also have a personal favorite, you absolutely must read Gods Behaving Badly. If you don't have a favorite or can't name many of them, you should think about reading this book anyway. The plot is good, the characters are excellent, and the writing, especially the dialogue, is hilarious, frequently a bit crude in keeping with the old legends, and filled with fantastic one-liners. Gods Behaving Badly is never going to be a considered a classic work of literature, but it is a fun and enjoyable quick read.
Gods Behaving Badly is based on the premise that the Greek immortals were real and, as immortals, are still alive and well in the modern day. Or at least, they're mostly well. Their powers have been on the decline for centuries and they've also been stuck living together in a now decrepit house in London since around the 1600s. Since most people have long since forgotten the Greek pantheon, and those that remember don't believe the gods and goddesses are real, they've been forced to take odd jobs to provide for their own upkeep and have fallen far from their former glory. Artemis is a dog walker, Apollo is a TV psychic, Aphrodite is a phone sex operator, and Dionysius runs the hottest night club in London, just to name a few. Seemingly only Ares (god of war) and Hermes (god of money and responsible for conducting souls to the underworld, among other tasks) are kept busy with their actual divine duties. As with several of the old legends, the plot is set in motion by various sexual escapades of the gods, here mostly Apollo, that cause unforeseen mayhem. Immortals face-off against other immortals, pulling hapless mortals into their battles at whim, until ultimately minor differences must be set aside and efforts made to recreate the heroic feats of old to prevent the destruction of the world.
I highly recommend this novel for any fan of Greek mythology. Comparing Phillips' take on the gods in modern times and the fully-fleshed out personalities she has given them to how I might imagine them and watching how she riffed on the old stories added to my enjoyment of the novel. Those unfamiliar with the Greek stories might not get as much out of the novel but I think they can still enjoy it as a fun and well told story that might ignite a desire to read some of legends that served as inspiration.
Oh, for the record, my favorite of the gods has always been Hermes. He is a major B character in Gods Behaving Badly and I love what Phillips has done with him.
If you, too, cannot only name several of the Greek gods and goddesses but also have a personal favorite, you absolutely must read Gods Behaving Badly. If you don't have a favorite or can't name many of them, you should think about reading this book anyway. The plot is good, the characters are excellent, and the writing, especially the dialogue, is hilarious, frequently a bit crude in keeping with the old legends, and filled with fantastic one-liners. Gods Behaving Badly is never going to be a considered a classic work of literature, but it is a fun and enjoyable quick read.
Gods Behaving Badly is based on the premise that the Greek immortals were real and, as immortals, are still alive and well in the modern day. Or at least, they're mostly well. Their powers have been on the decline for centuries and they've also been stuck living together in a now decrepit house in London since around the 1600s. Since most people have long since forgotten the Greek pantheon, and those that remember don't believe the gods and goddesses are real, they've been forced to take odd jobs to provide for their own upkeep and have fallen far from their former glory. Artemis is a dog walker, Apollo is a TV psychic, Aphrodite is a phone sex operator, and Dionysius runs the hottest night club in London, just to name a few. Seemingly only Ares (god of war) and Hermes (god of money and responsible for conducting souls to the underworld, among other tasks) are kept busy with their actual divine duties. As with several of the old legends, the plot is set in motion by various sexual escapades of the gods, here mostly Apollo, that cause unforeseen mayhem. Immortals face-off against other immortals, pulling hapless mortals into their battles at whim, until ultimately minor differences must be set aside and efforts made to recreate the heroic feats of old to prevent the destruction of the world.
I highly recommend this novel for any fan of Greek mythology. Comparing Phillips' take on the gods in modern times and the fully-fleshed out personalities she has given them to how I might imagine them and watching how she riffed on the old stories added to my enjoyment of the novel. Those unfamiliar with the Greek stories might not get as much out of the novel but I think they can still enjoy it as a fun and well told story that might ignite a desire to read some of legends that served as inspiration.
Oh, for the record, my favorite of the gods has always been Hermes. He is a major B character in Gods Behaving Badly and I love what Phillips has done with him.
It's been a long time since I couldn't put a book down. Read this one in a day. Positively delightful read with some of the best characterization I've read. If a person reads closely, there is apt social commentary hidden beneath the humor.
Very odd tone. I tried the book and ran out of time so I listened to the audio. Meh.