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Помпей

Robert Harris (Goodreads Author)

3.82 · Rating details · 36,671 ratings · 2,500 reviews

Жарка седмица в края на август 79 г. Има ли по-чудесно място за отмора през последните летни дни от Неаполитанския залив? По цялото крайбрежие най-богатите граждани на Римската империя блаженстват в луксозните си вили. Най-големият военноморски флот на света е закотвен мирно в Мизенум. Курортите Бая, Херкулан и Помпей процъфтяват.

Само един човек е обзет от силна тревога. И Жарка седмица в края на август 79 г. Има ли по-чудесно място за отмора през последните летни дни от Неаполитанския залив? По цялото крайбрежие най-богатите граждани на Римската империя блаженстват в луксозните си вили. Най-големият военноморски флот на света е закотвен мирно в Мизенум. Курортите Бая, Херкулан и Помпей процъфтяват.

Само един човек е обзет от силна тревога. Инженерът Марк Атилий току-що е поел ръководството на огромния водопровод Аква Августа, който осигурява вода на двеста и петдесет хиляди души в девет града около залива. За пръв път от поколения насам изворите пресъхват. Стокилометровият акведукт е прекъснат северно от Помпей, по склоновете на Везувий.

Атилий – почтен, практичен, неподкупен – обещава на знаменития учен адмирал Плиний, който командва флота, че ще поправи Аква Августа, преди резервоарите да пресъхнат. Но той не подозира, че ще се сблъска със стихии, срещу които са безпомощни дори римските легиони. Пред такъв враг и Цезар не се е изправял.

С убедителни, но икономични подробности за периода и множество интриги, които да поддържат темпото, авторът довежда романа си до неговия вълнуващ финал.

Елегантно и интелигентно, Робърт Харис пресъздава един свят на ръба на катастрофата. ...more

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Paperback, 336 pages

Published 2003 by Обсидиан

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Sep 22, 2013 Jim Fonseca rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Attilius's occupation is an aquarius in the Roman Empire, a job description that nowadays would be "director of waterworks operations and maintenance for the southern district of Italy." As the earth beings to swell and shake in ominous warning in advance of the tragedy that is to come, the main aqueduct cracks and fails and Attilius is sent out to repair it. So this is a historical novel and we learn of life in the Roman Empire around AD 79 at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius. Here are mast ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Henry Avila rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Pompeii... demolished in the world's most famous volcanic eruption in A.D. 79 killing thousands at the apex of the Roman Empire, ironically the people never knew Mount Vesuvius was this a volcano; understandable since the previous significant one occurred 1,800 years before, no town existed, and the name unknown to them because the word hadn't been invented yet, but soon would... lets say by borrowing from the Roman god of fire... Vulcan... Our story unfolds when a young despondent man of 27, a Pompeii... demolished in the world's most famous volcanic eruption in A.D. 79 killing thousands at the apex of the Roman Empire, ironically the people never knew Mount Vesuvius was this a volcano; understandable since the previous significant one occurred 1,800 years before, no town existed, and the name unknown to them because the word hadn't been invented yet, but soon would... lets say by borrowing from the Roman god of fire... Vulcan... Our story unfolds when a young despondent man of 27, a recent widower Marcus Attilius Primus arrives in the prosperous resort city, the kind that if you have money they like you, he has an important job here, as an aquarius the chief engineer of Aqua Augusta a huge aqueduct which supplies 250,000 inhabitants with life giving water around the Bay of Naples. His predecessor Exomnius vanished, where is he ?...Wasn't he from the island of Sicily in the Mount Etna area? This
confounded mystery puzzles everyone, however life continues and Rome quickly sends a replacement because prominent officials have villas there, many powerful Senators, a bright honest individual causes Marcus numerous problems the era is shall we hint a little corrupt. Pompeii is ruled by a wealthy businessman Numerius Popidius Ampliatus a former slave, a man of immense courage he has to show the people his... preeminence.

After an earthquake of almost two decades ago flattens the city Ampliatus flourishes, maybe unethically done nonetheless the houses were rebuilt...bribes the local magistrates into doing his bidding all for the good of Pompeii's future he implies. This is not a dull novel so complications occur, a water break in the aqueduct must be found swiftly, and repaired, the engineer falls in love... surprise surprise with Corelia the daughter of the cruel Ampliatus who hates him, you can't trust a man who will not accept a kickback..And we haven't yet mentioned the great Pliny the Elder, writer, soldier , philosopher, naturalist, adviser to Roman Emperors Vespasian and successor Titus his tough son, the new Caesar of a few months, the latter a former comrade in the Germanic campaign and now the obese old man in poor health is admiral of the fleet , a honor bestowed primarily for his loyalty to the ruling family in actuality has very little nautical experience, luckily the Roman naval port is Misenum close to the disaster. Moreover Pliny a very curious man indeed prides himself in knowing all, his countless books testifies to this fact. Besides his talented nephew of 18, Pliny the Younger can help him observe the catastrophe, anyway a closer look would be better...However the book comes alive when the dead fall under the avalanche that buries Pompeii under rocks and ash, toxic clouds of gas arise over 20 miles in height, noon becomes midnight, darkness engulfs the stunned citizens, walking blindly in the deluge nearby Herculaneum too, the grim sounds travel to Rome 150 miles away as the excruciating heat flows down from the mountain frying the victims just six miles distant. Pompeii a
celebrated town of 20,000 disappears and is forgotten for seventeen centuries...A marvelous, exciting book the only fault is it's 200 pages too short I wanted to learn more about the doomed city and the people...a lost civilization well worth knowing. ...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Lance Greenfield rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the story of a latter day Super Mario, an Italian plumber who overcomes very difficult challenges to fix the water supply to Napoli and surrounding areas before the local volcano erupts to ruin everything for everybody.

OK, I admit that I am grossly trivialising a tremendous story, which is really about Marcus Attilius Primus, the aquarius, or chief water engineer, who is sent to the Bay of Naples to manage the water supply to all of the towns in the area. The main artery of the supply i ...more

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Oct 03, 2019 Adina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, italy

I started to read this novel after I visited Pompeii. I was impressed by the ruins of the city and its tragic history and I am a bit of a Volcanos enthusiast so I thought reading this will both help me find out more about life in that period and about the eruption. Reading a fast paced novel as I travelled was a plus. It did delivered on all aspects but it was nothing extraordinary. What made me give the novel less than 4 stars was the inappropriate language and behaviour compared to the period. ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Sara rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-library, historical-fiction

I have been a bit fascinated with the idea of Pompeii since I was a girl and the National Geographic ran photos of the people frozen in mid-flight trying to escape the horrors of the eruption of Vesuvius. Robert Harris has visited Pompeii through the story of Attilius, the engineer in charge of the aqueduct that served the area. Before the eruption, before the horror, there is a problem with the flow of the water. Attilius seeks to repair the breach in the aqueduct and this leads him to be in Po ...more

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May 27, 2008 Neil Pierson rated it it was ok · review of another edition

It should be a Two-For-One: A suspense novel to take to the beach; and some insight into life in the Roman Empire and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. (And maybe a small tutorial in primitive plumbing.) Unfortunately, it turns into an 0-For-One.

The plot is serviceable. Marcus Attilius Primus is an engineer newly in charge of the section of aqueduct that services Pompeii. He investigates the mysterious failure of the water supply and along the way, discovers that his predecessor was corrupt. He fall ...more

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Feb 15, 2020 Joy D rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, disasters, mystery, nature, reviewed, europe, survival, zck, thriller, ancient-history

Historical fiction about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, covering a period of four days in 79 A.D. Attilius is an Aquarius, an engineer in charge of ensuring the water supply, of the Bay of Naples region. Attilius has been sent by Rome to replace the previous Aquarius, who has disappeared. The plot revolves around the Aqua Augusta, which has been damaged by natural phenomena.

The pace is somewhat slow in the beginning but picks up pace as it proceeds. The author introduces a number of characters ...more

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Mar 13, 2013 Terri rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, europe-fiction, roman-empire-nfic-and-fic

Geology meets Volcanology meets All Round Mr Nice Guy.
Having read Imperium by Robert Harris few short months ago I found that I quite enjoyed his uncomplicated writing style. I in no way mean unsophisticated or simplistic, for he is an author who can comfortably shoulder the mantle of an old fashioned storyteller.
Many authors try to be story tellers, but they over write or have not the skill and under write, or get caught up in too many tangents, thinking that everything they do has to be with Geology meets Volcanology meets All Round Mr Nice Guy.
Having read Imperium by Robert Harris few short months ago I found that I quite enjoyed his uncomplicated writing style. I in no way mean unsophisticated or simplistic, for he is an author who can comfortably shoulder the mantle of an old fashioned storyteller.
Many authors try to be story tellers, but they over write or have not the skill and under write, or get caught up in too many tangents, thinking that everything they do has to be with the single intent of delivering the next great International Epic Bestseller.
Pompeii certainly became an International Bestseller, but it was not really an epic. It was a story of a man - an Aquarius - and was melded with a intriguing blend of geology, volcanology and precise Roman history. Very well done, in my opinion, but no epic.

I do not know if the geological and volcanological elements would put others off, whether others may prefer a story about people only, but I happened to find them extraordinarily fascinating.
I have a feeling the book was not what some may expect. Where you may have expected a Wilbur Smith type epic - multiple characters and their lives in the lead up to the Mt Vesuvius explosion - that is not what you got.

Robert Harris gave you instead, Attilius (the all round Mr Nice Guy), an Aquarius who came to the Bay of Naples as a result of the mysterious disappearance of the former Aquarius, Exomnius, and took over the running of the Aqueducts. And for the most part, this is Attilius' story as he finds the water supply in disarray and bit by bit, clue by clue, he starts to unravel the causes. Will it be in time though? Obviously, since everyone knows what happened to Pompeii and Herculaneum, everyone will realise he cannot be in time to do anything about those disasters, but can he be in time to avert others?

I found the final third of the book to be the most compelling. The eruption and the various stages of the eruption and how it might be experienced from different places in the surrounding area. In the towns, at the base of the volcano, on the water, in the Bay. I was mesmerised by it all.
There was a moment where I thought the book perhaps could have finished and yet it went on. And there was a scene or two that seemed inserted to make the book longer as those scenes kind of tripped up the urgent momentum of the book during the eruption.
But I had to give the book 5 stars. It deserved it in my opinion. For despite its flaws, it had me at ave.

*nb: ave is a Roman hello.

...more

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Jan 04, 2021 HBalikov rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Volcanoes.
What child isn’t intrigued with their power and scared by their force?
We don’t build major population centers around them for good reason. But in ancient times, a dormant volcano was not well understood and the resorts/trade centers of Pompeii and Herculaneum became rich and populous in the shadow of Vesuvius, and Harris writes about the consequences.

This is a novel but it has much of the science of volcanic eruption that I found in Simon Winchester’s Krakatoa https://www.goodreads.com Volcanoes.
What child isn’t intrigued with their power and scared by their force?
We don’t build major population centers around them for good reason. But in ancient times, a dormant volcano was not well understood and the resorts/trade centers of Pompeii and Herculaneum became rich and populous in the shadow of Vesuvius, and Harris writes about the consequences.

This is a novel but it has much of the science of volcanic eruption that I found in Simon Winchester’s Krakatoa https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But, more credit to Harris, he weaves it into a plot involving a new “aquarius,” a chief engineer responsible for one of the Roman Empire’s aqueducts. The Aqua Augusta’s previous engineer has gone missing and Marcus Attilus Primus, from a long line of water engineers is persuaded to fill the gap. What he doesn’t know is that Vesuvius is about to erupt and that its early stages are responsible for the problems with the aqueduct.

We know a great deal about the lifestyles of this period of Roman history because they have been perfectly captured in the ash, etc. by the eruption. Harris creates a story of vanity, corruption, duty, honor, family and politics that brings it all into focus. 4.5*

I want to add a few quotes:

“Baths were not a luxury. Baths were the foundation of civilization. Baths were what raised even the meanest citizen of Rome above the level of the wealthiest hairy-assed barbarian. Baths instilled the triple disciplines of cleanliness, heathfulness, and strict routine. Was it not to feed the baths that the aqueducts had been invented in the first place? Had not the baths spread the Roman ethos across, Europe, Africa and Asia as effectively as the legions, so that in whatever town in this far-flung empire a man might find himself, he could at least be sure of finding this one precious piece of home?”

“While rocks are extremely strong in compression, they are weak in tension…Thus, the strength of the rocks capping a cooling and vesiculating magma body is easily exceeded long before the magma is sold. Once this happens, an explosive eruption occurs.”

“But it was not jus Pompeii’s buildings he knew. It was its people, and the mysterious working of its soul, especially at elections: five neighborhood wards – Forenses, Campanienses, Salinienses, Urbulanenses, Pagani – in each of which he had an agent: and all the craft guilds – the laundrymen, the bakers, the fishermen, the perfume makers, the goldsmiths, and the rest – again, he had them covered.”

Discoveries about Pompeii are still being made. In 2020, A fast-food eatery at Pompeii has been excavated, helping to reveal dishes that were popular for the citizens of the ancient Roman city who were partial to eating out.
“Pompeii Archaeological Park’s longtime chief, Massimo Osanna said Saturday that while some 80 such fast-foods have been found at Pompeii, it is the first time such a hot-food-drink eatery — known as a thermopolium — was completely unearthed.”

https://apnews.com/article/animals-c0... ...more

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Sep 25, 2020 Leila rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-challenge-books, historical

A most interesting take on the well known tale. Robert Harris is a favourite author.

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Jul 24, 2011 Sam Quixote rated it liked it · review of another edition

The waters have stopped flowing from the aquedect - who you gonna call? Dambusters! The water engineer heads out amid widespread corruption in Pompeii, thwarts a murder plot, finds out what happened to his predecessor, falls in love, and investigates the ominous rumbling from the nearby Vesuvius.

Sounds good no? Harris is good at building up the air of menace in the days preceding the eruption. Every action can be looked at as minor compared to the devastation coming and he really does a great j The waters have stopped flowing from the aquedect - who you gonna call? Dambusters! The water engineer heads out amid widespread corruption in Pompeii, thwarts a murder plot, finds out what happened to his predecessor, falls in love, and investigates the ominous rumbling from the nearby Vesuvius.

Sounds good no? Harris is good at building up the air of menace in the days preceding the eruption. Every action can be looked at as minor compared to the devastation coming and he really does a great job of creating an atmosphere of anticipation in the reader. He's also done a great job at recreating the feel of living in Roman times, as well as supplying a lot of information on Roman aqueducts giving you a sense of awe and genius for the Roman Empire.

Where he falls down though is in the characterisation. Attilius, the engineer, is the hero. He's a stoic, good looking gent who sends his pay home to his mother and sister in Rome. He doesn't take bribes, he's hardworking, and is disliked for his strict attention to detail (all for the good of Rome naturally). He's so perfect in fact that he's boring. But he's not alone. A equally dreary love interest is introduced who meets the engineer no more than 3 times briefly but over the course of those 3 encounters the reader is supposed to buy that they have fallen madly in love and would die for each other. The whole reason for the engineer to rush back to Pompeii after escaping it is because of this love interest and as such everything feels very contrived.

It's this lack of convincing that stops the reader in their tracks because there's no real reason, once the eruptions start, to care what the engineer's motivations are. He's a paper thin cardboard cut out and so is his love interest. So what?

The third act also falls down. Harris does a great job of setting the scene but once Vesuvius erupts he somehow manages to make it boring. For a thriller to fail in the third act is not a good sign and I could quite easily put the book down and do anything else.

It's not a bad novel by any means it just seems trite at times which spoils the overall effect. Harris has obviously done his research, it's just a shame the same effort didn't go into making an interesting enough scenario to take place during this immense natural disaster or characters worth caring about. ...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Nicky rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction-alternatehistory, greek-roman

After a day in Pompeii -- my mother claims I walked through every single house: not true, some are inaccessible -- I heard people on the platform of the Circumvesuviana local train talking about this book. I was being fussy about everything else I was reading, so I grabbed this on the Kindle store and kicked back with it (once we eventually got back to Rome, anyway; I read The Map of Time on the Eurostar).

It's a quick read, and reasonably accurate to the interpretations of what happened in Pompe ...more

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Mar 11, 2017 Donna rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This book was just okay for me. I liked the historical side of this. I have always found this story kind of 'sadly fascinating'. I just didn't find 'that' in this book. This wasn't particularly character driven. There was a problem with the water plaguing the area and it focused mainly on that without giving depth to the characters. There was a lot time and detail that went into this problem, but I needed that same attention to detail regarding the people. The historical part felt well done; the ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 Cherie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: published-since-2000

Explosive!!!

In a little over seven hours, one thousand, nine hundred and thirty-six years ago Mt. Vesuvius will have finished the eruption that created the tourist attractions that we know today as Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Having experienced the eruption of Mt. St. Hellen in 1980, and know first hand what the ash fall was like, as a resident in Portland, Oregon, the time sequence and statistics of the volcanic events were fascinating!

The story of the Aquarius, Attilius and the Roman water syste ...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Nancy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, ancient-world, historical-fiction

I recently read classicist Mary Beard's fascinating non-fiction book on Pompeii. This novel by Robert Harris is in many ways a nice complement to that, especially since it is narrated by a Roman engineer responsible for the aqueduct that supplied water to the coastal towns on the Bay of Naples, Pompeii among them. We think of the Romans as conquerors, of building a civilization based upon conquest. But Roman engineering was as much, if not more, of a driving force, and the Romans' ability to har ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 Lilisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, italy, around-the-world-2015, favorites, historical-fiction, ylto

One knows the end…then you start to read the beginning…. It’s rather challenging to craft a gripping novel based on a catastrophic historical and geological event – the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., – but amazingly Robert Harris does just that. Attilius is the aquarius – the water engineer, as his father and grandfather had been before him, for the region surrounding the Bay of Naples, including the thriving city of Pompeii. A straight-up, earnest young man, his moral compass is steadfast ...more

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Aug 26, 2008 Bruce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Think you have pressure at work? Consider Marcus Attilius Primus. He just received an important promotion from Rome. The young engineer is now the Aquarius, in charge of the immense aqueduct serving the entire bay of Naples. His predecessor has mysteriously disappeared. His workers are surly. The water supply is interrupted. And then he gets on the wrong side of one of the richest men around, a cruel former slave, the behind-the-scenes political boss of Pompeii. Of course, he does have a very be ...more

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Apr 05, 2018 Bev Walkling rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: disaster, epic, ethical-dilemma, fiction-inspired-by-fact, history, relationship-issues, survival-story, dysfunctional-family, action, domestic-abuse

I decided to read this book because my husband and I will be visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum later this year and it seemed like a good idea in preparation for the trip. I was not disappointed. The reader knows going into the story that things will not turn out well for Pompeii and yet despite that I was drawn in and hoped for survival for at least some of the characters. I really wanted to keep reading until I was done. Although this was a novel, it was very well researched including quotes fro ...more

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Jan 01, 2008 Rosianna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Rosianna by: Mr Lapish

Absolutely fantastic, and entirely unputdownable. At first you're unsure what kind of route Harris is going to take on Vesuvius' eruption as it opens with talk of aqueducts and engineers, but in the space of a few hundred pages, he recreates the bay of Naples vividly and realistically, so you really do feel get an idea of the timescale and the emotions, all built in to this great read. ...more

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Oct 22, 2020 Lady Clementina ffinch-ffarowmore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romans, mystery, historical-fiction, history, robert-harris, volcano

This is a piece of historical fiction with a mix of mostly fictional but also some real historical figures set in the backdrop of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Marcus Attilius Primus is a young engineer sent to take charge of the Aqua Augusta, one of the largest and most complex aqueduct systems in ancient Rome that supplied water to nine cities. The previous aquarius, Exominius has vanished without a trace, and there are problems creeping up with the water supply, from the sulphurous This is a piece of historical fiction with a mix of mostly fictional but also some real historical figures set in the backdrop of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Marcus Attilius Primus is a young engineer sent to take charge of the Aqua Augusta, one of the largest and most complex aqueduct systems in ancient Rome that supplied water to nine cities. The previous aquarius, Exominius has vanished without a trace, and there are problems creeping up with the water supply, from the sulphurous smells in the water to the supply literally drying up in some cities. Marcus, who comes from a family of engineers, is keen to restore the aqueduct to normal, and traces the source of the problem to Vesuvius. Corelia a slave-turned-millionaire’s daughter meanwhile seeks Marcus’ help when the water in their home kills her father’s prized fish and a slave is unfairly blamed. Alongside we have the historical Pliny the elder, serving as admiral but also a naturalist and philosopher interested in all manner of natural phenomena, who Marcus turns to for aid when he realises he must reach Pompeii without delay. In this quest become woven the stories of Corelia, her father Ampliatus and his (so-called) friends, and also Pliny. Pompeii is decadent and corrupt, and Marcus’ seemingly straightforward mission soon becomes surrounded with intrigue and conspiracies, putting his life in danger. Meanwhile in the background Vesuvius is preparing to erupt—our story begins two days before the eruption and continues through the eruption and its immediate aftermath.

This is an exciting tale that pretty much has it all—mystery, adventure, danger (from people and nature), a touch of romance, and also manages to give the reader a picture of life in the time period, and the disaster that nature is about to unleash. Throughout the book, while Marcus is tracing the source of the aqueduct’s problems and alongside looking into his predecessor’s mysterious disappearance (and battling his newly acquired enemies), one finds one is constantly thinking of the much bigger disaster looming in the background, which makes these ‘smaller’ events seem almost insignificant—the author certainly manages to get us to be constantly aware of the real reason behind some of the things that are happening which our characters don’t realise until the explosion. Each chapter begins with quotes from volcanology texts which add to this feeling. I enjoyed the entire historical context, how the author wove Pliny’s real-life story in with the stories of our characters, and the picture of the decadent and corrupt city which Pompeii would have been when these events played out. Also the description of the eruption itself—how it would have been experienced by those who were there—people being pelted with pumice endlessly and the scorching (far worse) winds that followed, more deadly than the eruption itself. The stories of the fictional characters too I enjoyed following though as other reviewers have also noted, the characters themselves were perhaps too black and white. Still, this made for an enjoyable read overall.
...more

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Sep 22, 2007 Lisa Vegan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, readbooks-male-author-or-illust, novel, 1-also-at-librarything, goodreads-author, z2014, historical-fiction, reviewed, zz-4star

3 ½ stars

I have wanted to read this book for a decade

I’ve loved science, and particularly geology, from a very early age, and chose a science class in 5th grade that focused on volcanoes, so my interest is long standing.

I think a non-fiction book about this eruption, if it contained all the known information and conjectures, might have been an even better choice for me.

I got used the fictional story and it did provide a fairly good backdrop for the setting and happenings in that time and place. 3 ½ stars

I have wanted to read this book for a decade

I’ve loved science, and particularly geology, from a very early age, and chose a science class in 5th grade that focused on volcanoes, so my interest is long standing.

I think a non-fiction book about this eruption, if it contained all the known information and conjectures, might have been an even better choice for me.

I got used the fictional story and it did provide a fairly good backdrop for the setting and happenings in that time and place. There is a very long build up though. At times the story had me rolling my eyes and laughing in places where I’m sure it wasn’t meant for the reader to laugh, which surprised me given the author. It read very much like a cheesy soap opera at times. Particularly at the end there were things I both loved and hated in the historical fiction story. I was left conflicted about whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. I suspect that I might be upping it a star because I’m so fascinated with the events, and perhaps it should be the other way around and I should downgrade it. I did like the characters and events that seemed to be based on history, and was touched a few parts at the end, but overall the whole narrative seemed like something I had to get through to find out exactly what happened at Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. I’d already read some accounts so I had an idea of what to expect. For me the story did drag at times, and that shouldn’t happen with this subject matter! For all my complaints, the fictional story was a good vehicle to tell the geological story and its toll on the area and its inhabitants.

I was impressed by the Romans’ accomplishments, and learned quite a bit about their culture.

Of course, I loved the map (I frequently referred to it) and the description/names of time keeping and calendar in that era Rome, and really appreciated the informative quotes from non-fiction books that are at the beginning of every chapter.

I was dismayed that in the last few pages the author’s words/musings has me suspecting that he might be a denier of human caused climate change.

I am still eager to read his book Fatherland. ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Audrey rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, 2020-books, drama-romance-contemporary

This just fell flat. I’m trying to figure out why.

First of all, the characters were one-dimensional. They were either all good or all bad, and not one had a personality. The writing was not great, though not horrible. I think it was all telling, no showing. There was no creativity in the writing, no clear voice. There’s sort of a romance thrown in at the end, but there is no reason for it; it is not believable.

The historical facts are rather interesting, and the timeline of the eruption is accur ...more

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Dec 19, 2015 Fiona rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

4.5 stars. Not 5 because there were one or two frankly cheesy bits!

Robert Harris brings the eruption of Vesuvius to life in this account which starts 3 days beforehand when the signs were there for anyone with sufficient knowledge to recognise. Sadly, few were in that position but thanks to Pliny's eye witness account, the knowledge was made available to future generations. This is a fascinating account of the build up to the eruption, with each chapter headed by a quote from a scientific journa ...more

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Dec 03, 2018 Anna rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Anna by: mymediamall

Shelves: the-euro-continental

In many ways this is such a subtly wonderful story.

"Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. The earth is becoming warmer - it must be our fault! The mountain is destroying us - we have not propitiated the gods! It rains too much, it rains too little - a comfort to think that these things are somehow connected to our behavior, that if only we lived a little better, a little more frugally, our vi ...more

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Sep 29, 2017 Syndi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Nope. Not for me. I almost DNF this book. When I willed myself to read it, I just skimming it without understanding the story.

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Apr 19, 2018 Gumble's Yard rated it liked it · review of another edition

His fourth thriller after “Fatherland”, “Enigma” and “Archangel”.

It tells the story of Pompeii via character of am Aquarius (water engineer maintaining the incredibly advanced roman aqueducts” – Attilius.

He is concerned that water is failing (and contaminated with sulphur) also his predecessor has mysteriously disappeared – all of it seems to lead to Pompeii and a ruthless ex-slave who made his dishonest fortune rebuilding the town after an earthquake (and who seems to have diverted water with ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An excellent read! This seasoned author displayed excellent writing mechanics The read was smooth and clear. I was most surprised that I could understand the water duct system which Attilius, the engineer, repaired even as Vesuvius was showing signs of volcanic activity. The volcano seemed to catch the citizens of Pompeii and other bay cities unaware., which is hard for me to understand. In every account I have read about the 79 A.D. eruption, the extreme heat has been noted. Whether that extrem ...more

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Aug 25, 2017 Labijose rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Before he wrote “Imperium” and “Lustrum”, his two magnificent novels of the Cicero trilogy (Now available “Dictator”, the third one, which I’m eager to read), Robert Harris wrote “Pompeii”, a novel based on the historical volcano eruption during the roman era. Having visited the place a few years ago I wanted to not miss this one.
Not to the great standard as the Cicero ones, “Pompeii” is nevertheless a great read, full of realistic moments about the inferno that took place on 24 August 79 AD, th ...more

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Jan 30, 2015 Catherine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Harris has given us a wonderful version of what it would have been like to go through the eruption of Vesuvius. His main character is an engineer, a water engineer. The engineer is an unassuming character dedicated to his work. We experience the eruption through the eyes of this engineer and because of this point of view, the story takes on more meaning and immediacy.

It is this point of view that really makes the story for me. It's obvious that Harris has done his research. As I read the novel I ...more

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May 18, 2017 Suzanne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: geocaching-challenge-2016, historical-fiction, 2017-survey-says-annual-challenge

I was curious how Robert Harris would write a novel about the day Mt. Vesuvius erupted and buried the city of Pompeii. Could he make it interesting? How would he go about it?

I'm a sucker for apocalyptic movies. I discovered within the first few pages that Harris used a couple of tried a true methods that are used in those movies. First, we all know what's going to happen, so he starts with a countdown, beginning two days before the eruption. Next, each chapter is prefaced with an interesting fac ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: Pompeii by Robert Harris - Starting April 18th 2020	10	12	Apr 14, 2020 11:32PM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] Pompeii by Robert Harris - 4 stars	1	12	Feb 15, 2020 07:15PM
Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot) Pompeii - Robert Harris - 4 stars	12	21	Feb 08, 2020 05:43AM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] Pompeii by Robert Harris, 4 stars	3	18	Jan 18, 2020 09:18PM
Play Book Tag: Pompeii by Robert Harris- 3 stars	2	17	Apr 23, 2019 09:23AM
Reading Through T...: August Read: Pompeii	6	14	Sep 08, 2015 11:03AM
You'll love this ...: August 2015 - Pompeii	76	53	Sep 01, 2015 06:35PM

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About Robert Harris

Robert Harris

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ROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his ...more

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Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome (Cicero, #1)

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“To be brave, by definition, one has first to be afraid.” — 114 likes

“What is leadership, after all, but the blind choice of one route over another and the confident pretense that the decision was based on reason” — 27 likes

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