Rating: 
Summary: Thoroughly Enjoyable
Review: In spite of the sometimes insipid writing, I found this book difficult to put down. From the first few pages I was engrossed in the story, and even before the heroine is whisked off to ancient Carnuntum I was staying up past my bedtime.From a literary standpoint this can hardly be compared to "I, Claudius"; but then, Robert Graves was one of the foremost English stylists of all time, and comparing anyone to him is somewhat like comparing them to Shakespeare or Tolstoy. Turtledove and Tarr are nowhere near that territory, but they're not kidding you about that: stylistic shortcomings aside, the storytelling is solid, and this is one of the most believable, palpable reconstructions of ancient Rome that I've read. At the end I found myself missing the characters and wanting to know more about them (at least, those in ancient Carnuntum). I'd have to rank this as one of the best books to carry Turtledove's byline. Tarr's style blends well with Turtledove's vanilla prose and while this is still light reading, the writing is more solid than in the World War and Great War series. A very entertaining and thought-provoking historical fantasy.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty history
Review: I basically picked up this book because I read anything by Turtledove not set in the Civil War/WW2 era (which seems to be all he writes these days), and am deeply interested in the Roman era. Lots of others have summarized the plot, so I won't bother repeating them. I found the character rather hopeless; however I have no problem whatsoever believing in her: I've known people with far more extreme views and far less knowledge of history than she has. I'd agree with the criticism that the affected views of one or both of the authors come across very heavy-handedly as Nicole is taught her "lesson". This is a pity and somewhat mars the book. The picture of Rome drawn by the book is very gritty, and very realistic. Perhaps too gritty; if you'd believe Tarr and Turtledove, there was little fun in life back then other than sex and getting drunk. This is rubbish; even in the harshest of circumstances, people will usually find a way to lighten their lives. I find it a little bit dissappointing that - given the books obvious aim to show the daily life of a woman in the Roman Empire - Tarr and Turtledove do not have the skills or the interest to make the depiction a little more even-handed. You don't have to travel 1800 years back in time to experience a society like the one described in this book; just take a journey into the deepness of Africa is enough. All in all, though, I would still recommend this book warmly. Despite it one-sidedness, it is a remarkably detailed look at the day-to-day life at a Roman woman in a most remarkable time.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Light Reading!
Review: This work is not of the caliber of "I, Claudius", but it is a thoroughly enjoyable book, one that gives the reader a taste of life in the Roman Empire. The main character is a self-centered lawyer, Nicole, who is not at all likeable. The beginning of the book establishes her as the poster child for a woman having a bad day, after which she makes the mistake of wishing for "the good old days" of ancient Rome as she looks at a votive plaque on her nightstand. The god and goddess depicted thereon take it upon themselves to grant her that wish. Nicole wakes to find herself in the body of her distant ancestor, Umma. The descriptions of this world and the people who live in it are what drew me in so completely. This was a world where Family mattered, because it was likely that they were the only ones who could help you out in a crisis. Death was familiar; cleanliness unknown. I never did grow to like Nicole, even though she grew less self-absorbed toward the end of the book. Her character seemed somewhat detached throughout, as though she were looking at her own life as a case study. She showed no great emotion at the deaths of friends or family. Still, I found the lessons that she learned interesting. This is a great rainy weekend book. At 600+ pages, it isn't a short read, but it is quick and easy. In short, a fun and historically accurate book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent work for Tarr and Turtledove
Review: Normally I cringe when I see two people writing a book together. I've read some of Turtledove's work before and wasn't quite sure of what I could expect here. I didn't hear much of Turtledove's voice in the book, but his logic was definitely there. This book is a long read, but very worthwhile. The main character, Nicole, is given the chance to go "go back to an easier time" by praying to the god and goddes Liber and Libera. She learns how to live during the Roman era, no easy feat at all. Throughout what seems to be a highly accurate portrayal of what life would have been like with the sensibilities of a person from the 20th century, Nicole realizes just how much she takes for granted. The book is though provoking and not so gently directs the reader to observing what is truly important in life.
Rating: 
Summary: Palatable history
Review: If you are a fan of the late, great Roman Empire, if you loved Gladiator but knew that they got the history and details wrong, then you might enjoy this book. If, however, you like good fiction, even if you are a Latin buff, you might think twice about buying this book. I'm in both groups - I have a lifelong love of all things Roman as well as a deep appreciation of good fiction. This book has plenty for the former and precious little for the latter. First, the good: In establishing the central character as a 2nd Century tavern keeper in the mid-size town of Carnuntum, Tarr and Turtledove do an excellent job of exploring the alien world of the ancient Roman culture. Nicole/Umma is situated such that she can plausibly (but only just) interact with a wide variety of Roman citizens and denizens. The variety and detail are everything I could've asked for. But now the bad: The writing stinks worse than the slops of an overripe chamberpot. The central character isn't merely provincial but downright unlikable and stupid. To make matters worse, someone - whether Tarr or Turtledove or both - seems to have a right-wing ax to grind, setting the protagonist up as a straw man argument for topics as varied as racism, sexual morality and childrearing. Just what I can do without - a dose of Rush Limbaugh as a none-too-subtle lesson in 'right thinking.' No thanks. All in all, a forewarned reader who is aware of the facts - that the fiction is thin, the rhetoric is skewed and the history is detailed - should be able to hold their noses at the periodic cesspool of ideology while enjoying the lavish descriptions of the ancient Empire.
Rating:
Summary: re reviewer tertius3: Geographical Correction!
Review: While I find tertius3'literary review informative and helpful I would like to strongly point out that Carnuntum, the civilian town constructed to service the military town of Vindobona, i.e. present day Vienna, is located 25km from Vienna and is situated well within Austrian borders. For all those who missed European geography classes at school: Austria is not part of the Balkans - get your facts straight "tertius3"!
Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable book, exacerbating heroine
Review: I've wanted to check out something by Turtledove (the model for the Ian Arnstein character in Stirling's excellent Nantucket-out-of-time series) for some time now, but I haven't really felt up to reading any more in the alternate US history genre just yet (Too much Draka will do that to you). I bought Household Gods, but was skeptical about how much I'd enjoy it as a fan of Roman history. No worries: I opened the book on a Tuesday morning and then spent virtually every free minute I had reading the 664-pager, until I finished it on the commute to work that Thursday a.m. I very much enjoyed this work. I agree with many of the other reviewers that Nicole Gunther-Perrin, the protagonist, is initially annoying as all get-out. Very real, too: competent but whiney, with a touch of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. I've certainly run into folks just like her in the legal profession. (And somebody wrote Nicole's Hoosier cultural history very well!) The writers do a fine job, allowing the reader to be annoyed with the main character but enthralled by the story and the historical setting. And, lo and behold, the protagonist evolves! The result is a denouement most enjoyable. This isn't much of a review, but there are so many others that I mostly just wanted to voice my approval. I will certainly read more Turtledove, and - here's the surprise for me - more Tarr as well.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Enjoyable!
Review: Although I've read quite a lot about the Roman Empire, I learned so much about the daily life of a common Roman from reading this book. Even more, HOUSEHOLD GODS contains gut-wrenchingly funny irony and a very excellent stick-in-the-mud heroine who finally learns how to relax. I couldn't stop reading this book--nor could I stop recommending this book to all my friends and family. I hadn't read a novel I'd enjoyed more for a long time. I bought the book because it was on sale, but I would pay full price for it any time to give it to friends. This book was absolutely terffic!
Rating:
Summary: If this wasn't the Roman civilization it's a good simulation
Review: None of us knows what life in the Roman empire was like, but from what little I know, this is a very good approximation. And it also raises a very good question: If we went to the past, what could we do with our modern knowledge? Not a lot, it seems. The means by which our heroine goes to the past is fantasy, but it just as well could have been hard SF since the method of time travel is just the bookend to the story. So, you're a modern, Politically Correct woman who suddenly wakes up in the Roman era. What do you do? Obviously, you prevent your kids from drinking diluted wine (forgetting that water was one of the most poisonous substances of the past). Perhaps you could free your slave (but does she really want to be free?) Well, maybe you could pre-invent the Lister theory (but would anyone listen if you were merely the owner of a bistro?) This is perhaps the most accurate time-travel story I've read. That's not necessarily because the history is so accurate, but because it highlights the difficulty of bringing modern civilization to the past. Sir Arthur Clarke said that advanced science is indistinguishible from magic. And how would we 21st century citizens describe and verify 18th century science? The germ theory - build a microscope? How? Get the Rid (but what's Rid, and what does it contain? Theories of economics? Fugeddaboutit! No, most of us would be totally powerless in the past. And that's what the novel shows. If you ever thought about changing history, read this book. If you ever wanted a gentle introduction to life two thousand years ago, read this book. If you just want to spend a few pleasurable hours with a novel, read this book. Are there any questions about my thoughts about "Household Gods?" Read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A PAGE TURNER
Review: I read this book in only two days... It is truly engrossing. The protagonist needs a good smacking, like most of us. She has never paused to examine her own values as the souce of her own discontent, but has rather wandered through life with a "grass is always greener somewhere else" sort of feeling, the feeling that this next acomplishment will give you nirvana. She finds that life, health and the company of others are instead the true path to happiness.
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