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32nd out of 419 books
—
400 voters
The Hippopotamus Pool (Amelia Peabody #8)
The popular 19th century Egyptologist, Amelia Peabody romps through her eighth archaeological adventure. Amelia returns to Egypt for an exciting excavation. She finds herself faced with a surprising new villain who is every bit as clever and resourceful as the intrepid Amelia herself!
Mass Market Paperback, 430 pages
Published
June 1st 1997
by Grand Central Publishing
(first published 1996)
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It gets harder with each book in this series to find different ways to say how wonderful the story is. I never tire of the very humourous, extremely intelligent and quirkily wonderful Emerson family and their many adventures, and this book is no different!
Nefret is now an established member of the family, showing the same tendancy as Ramses for both archeological fervour and an intelligence and maturity well beyond her years, so she fits right in with the unusual Emerson family.
In this chapter,...more
Nefret is now an established member of the family, showing the same tendancy as Ramses for both archeological fervour and an intelligence and maturity well beyond her years, so she fits right in with the unusual Emerson family.
In this chapter,...more
In this episode, Ramses is 12, Nefret is 15, and Emerson is about to make the discovery of his life--the almost-undisturbed royal tomb of Queen Tetisheri. Of course there are many people who will stop at nothing to get in first, including kidnapping any or all of the children--who soon number three, with the addition of the Egyptian boy David, discovered working for a local forger, but proving to be Abdullah's grandson and a talented artist.
This is such a fun series, and it's nice to go back to...more
This is such a fun series, and it's nice to go back to...more
I've just finished listening to The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters. The Emersons are off on another archaeological trip in Egypt and this time they are excavating the tomb of Queen Tetisheri. All of the family is along for the ride including Nefret and Ramses. Later I was glad to see Evelyn and Walter back in Egypt although their marriage is going through some rough spots after going through a death of a child. The mystery itself is a little lackluster compared to previous books but the b...more
More adventures with the Emerson's in Egypt. A lot happens while on their latest dig: Emerson's brother Walter and his wife Evelyn are on the scene and not as the happy couple we are used to, Ramses gets kidnapped - as well as Nefret - and Amelia and Emerson take on the criminal class of Luxor. All told with the usual humor these books are known for. Amelia's narration by Barbara Rosenblat is fabulous as ever. Great fun though the actual plot is a bit murky and forgettable.
4/5
4/5
The Amelia Peabody books are a lot of fun, but they are more adventure novels, with a liberal sprinkling of humour, than traditional mystery novels.
As a story about a Victorian era woman archaeologist with thoroughly modern ideas, The Hippopotamus Pool is wonderful.
It begins with a stranger who offers to reveal the location of a hitherto unknown tomb and then mysteriously disappears. Amelia and her family locate the tomb and began excavating it, but are soon forced to fend off would-be thieves....more
As a story about a Victorian era woman archaeologist with thoroughly modern ideas, The Hippopotamus Pool is wonderful.
It begins with a stranger who offers to reveal the location of a hitherto unknown tomb and then mysteriously disappears. Amelia and her family locate the tomb and began excavating it, but are soon forced to fend off would-be thieves....more
I have enjoyed this series from the beginning. What makes it unusual for me is that it is one of the very few I listen to rather than read. The narrator Barbara Rosenblatt is phenomenal. She brings the character and the stories alive in a wonderful way. With her impersonations the listener is fortunate enough to sometimes believe that the actual character is speaking and from that alone comes a better understanding of each individual in the book. I can't wait to get in my car and go for an aimle...more
Another win for Elizabeth Peters and Amelia Peabody.
Amelia, her husband Emerson, her son Ramses and adopted daughter, Nefret, descend upon Egypt and Luxor with their typical archaeological fever. Through a series of typically mysterious events, the Emersons set off to find and excavate the tomb of Queen Tetishri. As usual, their explorations result in adventures, kidnappings, master criminals, parasol fights and ridiculous antics.
While Peters's Amelia Peabody tales are certainly formulaic by the...more
Amelia, her husband Emerson, her son Ramses and adopted daughter, Nefret, descend upon Egypt and Luxor with their typical archaeological fever. Through a series of typically mysterious events, the Emersons set off to find and excavate the tomb of Queen Tetishri. As usual, their explorations result in adventures, kidnappings, master criminals, parasol fights and ridiculous antics.
While Peters's Amelia Peabody tales are certainly formulaic by the...more
I think it's time to take a break from this series. I'm curious to see what happens with Ramses and Nefret, but I found myself skipping paragraph upon paragraph in this book. Rambling, rambling, rambling. I get tired of Elizabeth Peters talking about how handsome Emerson is and how well his muscular form is shown and how all the women fall at his feet... I get it. He's hot. ENOUGH ALREADY!
I'm also tired of being referred to as the "ignorant reader" or "less-intelligent reader". I'm not an arche...more
I'm also tired of being referred to as the "ignorant reader" or "less-intelligent reader". I'm not an arche...more
I have already said how much I like this series. I like the things that stay the same; pretty predictable plot, mystery and romance between the unrivaled Amelia and her soul mate, the ever-manly Emerson. I also like the things that change; Ramses and Nefret growing up, the addition of new characters (David). As I have also said, I prefer to listen to these as narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt. I know the words were not written by her and credit should be given where credit is due, but Rosenblatt br...more
Amelia Peabody is changing. She's aging, she's more opinionated than ever, and Elizabeth Peters isn't afraid of highlighting Amelia's occasional hypocrisy. The changes were a little surprising but were welcomed as further dimensions to a character real enough to mature. I loved this book as I love all of them, but I particularly appreciated the addition of David and the budding personalities of the trio of friends. Evelyn and Walter's developing relationship was a thoughtful minor element as wel...more
Although I love a great plot and compelling descriptions, it's really character development that holds me. The Emerson family of archaeologists are once again spending "the season" in Egypt, and this time it appears they may actually make a brilliant discovery of an undisturbed tomb. This is fraught with danger, as the riches of the tomb are desired by more than one gang of criminals, and Amelia and her impetuous and profane husband, Radcliffe (the "Father of Curses" -- but no words more offensi...more
Peters is a master storyteller, and this volume is as good as ever! Full of slapstick, wit, romance and mystery this is a great read for any time of year.
Amelia is back and as entertaining as ever! This time around the Emersons encounter a strange cult, some tomb robbers, and a young highly talented antiquities forger, all the while trying to deal with two precocious teenagers and excavate a previously unknown royal tomb! As 1900 begins Amelia certainly has a lot already on her plate. But as Ev...more
Amelia is back and as entertaining as ever! This time around the Emersons encounter a strange cult, some tomb robbers, and a young highly talented antiquities forger, all the while trying to deal with two precocious teenagers and excavate a previously unknown royal tomb! As 1900 begins Amelia certainly has a lot already on her plate. But as Ev...more
This is another great mystery starring the every unflappable Amelia Peabody and her curmudgeonly husband, Radcliff Emerson. They have found a tomb that appears to have the burial chamber unmolested by grave robbers. But nothing is ever smooth. The discovery of the tomb brings out all the villains in the antiquities trade.
There are several threads in this mystery and a new character, an engaging Egyptian boy named David. I like this new character and hope she will continue with him. Ramses and Ne...more
There are several threads in this mystery and a new character, an engaging Egyptian boy named David. I like this new character and hope she will continue with him. Ramses and Ne...more
Amelia and Emerson finally find a royal tomb which brings at least two gangs of antiquities thieves out to steal their treasure. Loved the familiar characters, particularly the growing, Nefret and Ramses and the loyal American friend Cyrus Vandergelt. Glad Emerson's brother Walter and his wife Evelyn finally get back to Egypt. New character David is welcome as a friend for Ramses. This plot I found a little confusing and hard to follow. But the point of these books are to be with familiar friend...more
Written in an engaging style reminiscent of the 1800s and 1900s, Peabody and Emerson set forth on an archaeological dig. Thwarted by antiquities thieves and kidnappers, they make their way through of dangerous world where archaeology and tomb robbers intersect.
Themes, that run through the book are feminism, the power of the intellecct and kindheartedness, are explored by Barbara Mertz, an Egyptologist, under her pen name, Elizabeth Peters.
This is a throughly, beautifully crafted story full of ri...more
Themes, that run through the book are feminism, the power of the intellecct and kindheartedness, are explored by Barbara Mertz, an Egyptologist, under her pen name, Elizabeth Peters.
This is a throughly, beautifully crafted story full of ri...more
I don't know what else I can write about this novel that I haven't praised in all the others, but I will see what I can do. Once again Amelia and Emerson along with Ramses and Nefret having to keep themselves and their excavation safe from robbers, criminal masterminds, and other parties. However, the one thing that I really liked about this novel was that Evelyn and Walter, Emerson's brother and sister-in-law that we met in the very first novel, are back as major characters. Along with Kevin O'...more
As with most of the Amelia Peabody mysteries I've read, I really had no idea what exactly the mystery was. That said, I loved all of the characters who came back in this one (especially the very poorly written Cyrus Vandergelt--an AMERICAN!), and it was really very suspenseful.
That said, I do wish I had read all of the books in sequence (unfortunately I went by what's in the inside cover, which is alphabetical, not chronological...I think I'm only missing one or two, though), because the solutio...more
That said, I do wish I had read all of the books in sequence (unfortunately I went by what's in the inside cover, which is alphabetical, not chronological...I think I'm only missing one or two, though), because the solutio...more
Truth be told, it'd been so long since I'd read The Hippopotamus Pool, book 8 of the Amelia Peabodies, that I'd totally forgotten what it was about--and in particular, that it introduced the critical character of David Todros, grandson of Abdullah, the Emerson family's reis. After recently re-reading it, I didn't came away with much more than that either.
Which is not to say that things don't happen in The Hippopotamus Pool, because they do. There is quite the upheaval in the underworld of Cairo...more
Which is not to say that things don't happen in The Hippopotamus Pool, because they do. There is quite the upheaval in the underworld of Cairo...more
Another exciting adventure from the lives of Amelia and Radcliffe Emerson. I can't say this one is my favorite, but there were some definite high points. After the sad beginning, I'm so glad that Walter and Evelyn were tricked into joining them in Egypt - they deserved and needed some adventure in their lives, to remind them of how they fell in love, and how much they still love each other. David is an intriging boy, and it will be interesting to see how his character develops, and how he might...more
While the plot in this installment in the Amelia Peabody series wasn't as compelling as in some of the other books, it did have its moments. I liked that Ramses is finally growing up and Nefret was a much more interesting character than in the previous book. I really enjoyed that the characters of Walter and Evelyn were a bigger part of the story--I have wanted to see more of them.
I listened to this as an audiobook read by Barbara Rosenblatt who once again does an incredible job with all the di...more
I listened to this as an audiobook read by Barbara Rosenblatt who once again does an incredible job with all the di...more
For some reason I don't laugh a whole lot at Amelia... I like her; I find her adventures romantic and exciting and silly too, but I don't do much more than chuckle, snicker or snort occasionally. It's fun to read the earlier books like this one after reading some of the later ones. This book is definitely a little rough around the edges. It could have used editing. I like it a lot, though.
As I re-read or in this case re-listen my way through this series I love reconnecting with old characters and events. In this installment David Todros is introduced, who becomes yet another permanent fixture in these books. I really enjoyed rereading it. It also is one of the more interesting books from an archeological perspective as they find a new tomb in this one.
The Emersons finally make a significant archeological find, Ramses & Nefret spar & squabble, they "adopt" another stray, meet a new charming rogue who is sure to show up later, and encounter Theosophists.
Favorite quote:
Favorite quote:
Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments.
Another good book and I'm already for the next one. The story progressed and whenever there was action, just kind of suddenly happened. Amelia always drops a hint that something is about to happen right before it does, but until you get to that point, you're just reading day to day activities.
I like how each story has new characters and it's not like TV series where the guest stars are always the bad guys. Some of the new characters are good guys-to an extent.
It does get a little confusing when...more
I like how each story has new characters and it's not like TV series where the guest stars are always the bad guys. Some of the new characters are good guys-to an extent.
It does get a little confusing when...more
A particularly enjoyable Amelia Peabody book. Ramses is growing into a great character (and possibly developing a sense of humor?) and I like the new additions to the family - Nefret and now David. It was also nice to see Walter and Evelyn Emerson back in Egypt.
I'm not so much interested in the actual mysteries in these books, but the archaeological bits are nice, Amelia is an amusing narrator, and I greatly enjoy the verbal sparring between her and Emerson, and the fact that they're constantly...more
I'm not so much interested in the actual mysteries in these books, but the archaeological bits are nice, Amelia is an amusing narrator, and I greatly enjoy the verbal sparring between her and Emerson, and the fact that they're constantly...more
Amelia Peabody and her husband, Emerson, are once again in Egypt. this time they are trying to find the tomb of Tetisheri. She is the goddess of childbirth, frequently displayed as a hippo. Their son is abducted, their ward also, the governess disappears, but all comes out well in the end. An enjoyable read.
One thing I really enjoy about these books is how new characters are added and woven into the story as time progresses. As you read each book, you have no idea when a character might reappear from a previous one or what importance a current character might play in later books.
I absolutely love this series. These would make great films. Amelia is a heroine for all times, and the archeological setting is delightful. Mummies, sarcophogus, curses, male/female role posturing....Mystery, humor, romance, these books have it all!
The characters in Elizabeth Peters books are just wonderful. Each character has a tenacious and colorful personality which adds true vigor & vitality to each & every story by this author. LOVE THEM. If you like Indiana Jones, you will LOVE these books.
Left me a bit disappointed. I did like the voice the author used. She speaks in first person through Amelia Peabody, a progressive female adventurer, slueth, & Egyptologist. Her husband got on my nerves and didn't seem to have much depth as a character.
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Elizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also writes as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lives in a historic farmhouse in Fred...more
More about Elizabeth Peters...
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“Is is difficult to be angry with a gentleman who pays you compliments, even impertinent compliments. Especially impertinent compliments. ”
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35 people liked it
“I have learned that particularly clever ideas do not always stand up under close scrutiny.”
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31 people liked it
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Oct 11, 2012 07:23pm