Scan barcode
A review by carlacbarroso
Pompeia by Robert Harris
5.0
I probably should start this review by saying that I have always been fascinated by the city of Pompeii. I have never visited it but I believe it is the only city where you can actually travel through time, and it fueled my passion for Archaeology (which, after all, now I do not practice). Also, I always liked Geology, with its volcanoes, tectonic plates and several types of rocks. So, this book combines the two, and I couldn't be indifferent to it.
The author guides us through 4 days (two prior to the disaster, the day of the eruption and the next day), letting us know the Roman's way of life at that time, while presenting also excerpts of books that examine the volcanic phenomenon in general and this episode in particular. I found it to be a book rich in details, mentioning how small things could have helped to predict the disaster, if the knowledge at that time had been other and more widespread and it should be noted the reference to the Etna, which erupted nearly two centuries before Vesuvius and have been documented.
Adding to this, we have a very rich cast of characters and interesting to follow. They are the ones who let us know the day-to-day life of a Roman city, the citizens' concerns, the political games behind the scenes, the corruption of public officials. It makes us also know the importance of the aqueducts, one of the greatest inventions of the Romans, in roman's life and in maintaining peace in the cities.
This review doesn't do justice to the book but I liked it and recommend it, especially to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of thriller and natural disasters in the mix.
The author guides us through 4 days (two prior to the disaster, the day of the eruption and the next day), letting us know the Roman's way of life at that time, while presenting also excerpts of books that examine the volcanic phenomenon in general and this episode in particular. I found it to be a book rich in details, mentioning how small things could have helped to predict the disaster, if the knowledge at that time had been other and more widespread and it should be noted the reference to the Etna, which erupted nearly two centuries before Vesuvius and have been documented.
Adding to this, we have a very rich cast of characters and interesting to follow. They are the ones who let us know the day-to-day life of a Roman city, the citizens' concerns, the political games behind the scenes, the corruption of public officials. It makes us also know the importance of the aqueducts, one of the greatest inventions of the Romans, in roman's life and in maintaining peace in the cities.
This review doesn't do justice to the book but I liked it and recommend it, especially to those who enjoy historical fiction with a bit of thriller and natural disasters in the mix.