Pompeii

Rating:
Summary: A good, mediocre read
Review: I liked Robert Harris' Pompeii. I read it in a few days, enjoyed it, and found the story to be well written. But - there is a but - it could be boring at times. It was definitely not the 5* nocel I had expected it to be. Anyway, I loved the ancient setting in the Roman city of Pompeii with all it's hustlers, decadent senators, prostitutes, slaves and gladiators. The main character is the young engineer Marcus, who has travelled from Rome to take over the job as water-engineer in the area around Pompeii. He soon discovers that something is wrong, and the story takes place on this the last days of Pompeii. Will Marcus get out of the city before the volcano erupts? Will he be able to save the girl he can't stop thinking about? Will he find out what happened to the missing water-engineer of Pompeii? The novel is full of interesting questions plus a good deal of 'lessons' about volcanoes, earthquakes and so on. A fairly good read, entertaing.

Rating:
Summary: Simple plot, simple book
Review: I cannot say I liked this book. It had its moments, but they were few and far between. Basically the plot is about an Aquarius(A guy who manges the aqueducts of Rome) and a Volcano with a little romance mixed in. Very boring indeed.

Premise: The entire story is about the aquarius and his quest to go to Pompeii to fix the aqueduct. Along the way he makes enemies, you don't really know why. He meets a girl, who he likes, but she comes and goes in passing. You meet one really bad guy, but he doesn't come across as really that bad. The main character instead comes off as a panzy woose.

There is poor writing and very poor characterization. Each character is briefly described if at all. The ending comes off very fast, and not properly dealt with. In the last 1/8 of the book the mountain explodes, a round about rescue is performed, the bad guys dies and the girl rescued, the end.

Avoid this book if possible.

Rating:
Summary: The People Of The Doomed City Live Again
Review: Robert Harris has managed to interweave a fine thriller and an entertaining history lesson in his latest novel, "Pompeii." The story unfolds over a three-day period, August 22-25, 79 AD....the days that spelled doom for Pompeii and its neighbor on the Bay of Naples, Herculaneum. A young engineer, Marcus Attilus Primus, has been sent from Rome to take charge of the Aqua Agusta, the great aqueduct bringing water to the communities on and near the bay. His predecessor as Aquarius, or chief engineer, has suddenly vanished. As the new chief takes charge, his path crosses that of Nuemrius Popidus Ampliatus, a former slave who has amassed a personal fortune and political influence; Ampliatus's independent, headstrong daughter Corelia; the great scholar Pliny, who is serving as admiral for the navy; and other vivid personages. Looming over them all is Mount Vesuvius, soon to rain death and destruction.

This is probably not an original observation about this book, but it's a worthwhile one--much like the story of the Titanic, we know the outcome from the beginning, but nevertheless are swept up by the drama and driving force of the narrative. The author's careful research is evident, as is his skill in interweaving these details so as to add life to the story. These are vividly-drawn, fully dimensional characters who almost leap to life off the page.

Harris' story reflects a world almost two millennia in the past. At the close of the book, I found myself thinking about how much progress humankind has made in that span...and how little. The last couple of centuries have brought great strides in manufacturing, transportation and communication, yet the Romans enjoyed a standard of achievement and civilization that was not to be surpassed for centuries. We can be proud of many of our advancements as a people, though some steps--such as the abolition of slavery--have come very recently in the context of our overall history.

The labors of generations of archeologists have unearthed the buried remains of this once-thriving seaport. The skill of Robert Harris has brought its people vividly back to life.--William C. Hall

Rating:
Summary: Highly enjoyable
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. At a time when Rome was at the height of its empire, during the Pax Romana, the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum lie peacefully undisturbed at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. The acqueducts were central to the lives of the ancient Romans: for drinking water, cooking food, and for bathing. There are many people who still remember the earthquake which shook Pompeii 17 years earlier.

The story follows an aquarius (engineer of the aqueducts), Marcus Attilius, as several cities near the volcano find themselves without water. Behind this story is that of Exominius, the Greek engineer who came before Attilius. Exominius' disappearance several weeks before the eruption is a mystery to all; and even more mysteriously, no one wants to talk about the departed aquarius. Yet no one seems to be aware of the tragedy which is about to occur. What i thought was ironic was that these people live in the most advanced civilization up to the period, and had the technology to detect volcanic eruptions; yet no one knew, or was able to figure out, that the eruption was iminent.

Also included in the story: a wealthy, ruthless former slave who has plans to build a magnificent bath house in Pompeii; his daughter, Corelia, who has a special bond with Attilius; and the real-life Pliny, who dies as the result of the eruption.

The reason why I give this book four stars is because I felt the ending was a bit of a cop-out. But otherwise, this book is a remarkable piece of historical fiction.

Rating:
Summary: Fun mystery story
Review: This is a mystery story set in AD 79, just days before Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in a volcanic eruption. The new Aquarius (water engineer) of the area must find out what happened to his predecessor, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Meanwhile, he is vexed by a strange interruption to the water flow in the aquaduct, and a mystery of poisoned fish. Very fast paced, suspenseful, with good historical detail. It is like the movie "Titanic" in that you know the coming disaster, but not whether the characters will survive.



Rating:
Summary: Roman water works boss turns volcanologist/sleuth
Review: This 3.5 star story is set in the region around Pompeii just a couple of days before the volcano Vesuvius buries it (if this is a spoiler then you REALLY need to read more history). Harris does a good job of describing the lives of people from various stations of life in the Empire, especially the 'lower' positions. He portreys things that are different - technology, food, views of the worth of the individual - and the things that remain the same - greed, snobbery, government bureaucracy, violence and powermongering. (yawn)

I found it more interesting for the picture of ancient Rome that it paints than the plot, but found it interesting all the same.



Rating:
Summary: Not much of a plot
Review: Pretty average ancient Rome novel. Not much of a plot to be honest. Not even much of a villain. Story of an aqueduct engineer and his attempts to fix the waterworks on the most famous volcano of all time the day before the eruption.

Story has the typical clichés you find on stories on ancient Rome: cruel masters, ex-gladiators, harlots, megalomaniacs, homosexuals, corruption and slaves. About the only cliché we weren't subjected to thankfully enough was that of the poor suffering Christian tortured by the big bad Romans.

Also, the historical name-dropping seemed forced. For example, some characters were talking about the Emperor Augustus and his buddy Agrippa et al like it was yesterday, but by 79 AD, Augustus was dead for 65 years, Agrippa 91 years before. It would be like businessmen today talking wistfully about Teddy Roosevelt. Most unlikely.

Some good points: a story from a Roman engineer's point of view for once, instead of that of a soldier or politician. Also, nice tidbit on Pliny the elder's famous and foolhardy jaunt across the bay of Naples on that fateful day.


On the whole, something ok to read on the subway, but if you want to read about the famous destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum, there is a lot better non-fiction out there to do so.

Rating:
Summary: Loved the history, good story.....
Review: As a fan of historical fiction, this was good, educational and entertaining. I wanted the story to go further, but it sort of just ended.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning account
Review: I was very impressed with Harris account of the last days of Pompeii. The details described, not only of the volcanic eruption, but of way of life in that period of the Roman empire were great.

I have read a number of books regarding the Roman empire and all though I am not an expert, thought that part of the story was well researched and written.

However, I had more issues regarding the romantic interests of our hero. I didn't think this really added much to the story. I was intrigued by the disappearance and mystery surrounding the old aquarius. Unfortunately, the story lines regarding the new aquarius's wife and the romantic portions were not to my liking. This got to be a little tiresome and in my opinion not neccessary.

I did ienjoy the Pliny the Elder's character. This chracter comes more into play towards the end of the book. After finishing the story, I was left wanting more about Pliny.

All in all this book was still enjoyable to read, and I would recommend it to the fans of history, as well as those looking for some adventure around a volcanoe.

Rating:
Summary: What a page-turner!
Review: I could barely put this book down; now, having just finished it, it is definitely going on my "best reads" list for 2005. A thriller, yes, but just as captivating are the details and research (meticulous, indeed) that brings the geography and those few days in 79 A.D. to life again. Anyone even remotely familiar with or interested in Pompeii's history will relish this fictionalized account. Robert Harris has done a superb job!