Gutes Buch: Mir hat dieses Buch recht gut gefallen, da die Lebensumstände der damaligen Bevölkerung gut wiedergegeben werden, außerdem ist die Story interessant und wird aus dem Blickwinkel eines Wasserbauers geschrieben. Auch das hat für mich den Reiz ausgemacht.
Zumdem wird natürlich in allen Einzelheiten der Ausbruch des Vesuvs beschrieben. Und irgendwie kitschig oder verschnulzt wird es zum Glück nicht.

Everyone in western civilization knows how the book is going to end but anyway it's a great story. The novel is too contrived to be called brilliant, the occasional sudden change of point of view is a little jarring and one scene is quite shocking. But overall this is very professional, well-researched and enjoyable historical fiction. Using the idea of water supply and the matrix of aqueducts as the framework for the story worked really well too. ( )

I liked this a lot. Maybe a good book for engineers to read - the aqueducts are described in loving detail, and the mechanics of the eruption are explained carefully via the use of selected quotes at the beginning of each chapter. The plot probably was a lot better mapped out on paper than it was in the actual book, as some of the characters seem neatly fleshed out and others less so. It's problematic that the whole thing ends in the eruption, because apparently the author felt that to let too many of the characters survive wouldn't make sense, but when all the characters vanish in one fell swoop at the end, you feel a bit cheated. Still, getting there is a lot of fun. Targeted at males. ( )

I'm not usually much for historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It is the well-known story of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, but told from a slightly different perspective: the engineer of the aqueduct, dealing with a drought, a pipe blockage, and strange smells of sulfur in the water. In addition to the science (which I found fascinating - Roman technology was amazing), there is plenty of personal and political intrigue to keep the plot rolling along. This fun little book made me want to learn more about Pompeii and the Roman Empire, which says a lot, considering I'd never given them much thought outside the occasional History Channel documentary. Definitely recommended if you're in the mood for some good historical fiction. ( )

historical fiction, Vesuvius, Pompeii

To set a novel at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius is a great idea. The main protaganist is an aquarius - responsible for the upkeep of an aquaduct supplying water to most of the bay of Naples. Weaving in the mysterious disappearance of the previous aquarius, the interuption of the flow of water, some local authority corruption in Pompeii and the approaching eruption, it is an exciting account.It's also not short on historical accuracy (though I'm not a historian).
The eruption itself is very well described, you do get a strong picture of what it and the panic people would have felt would have been like.
Good stuff. ( )

Per certi versi interessante sotto il profilo storico. La storia tuttavia non è molto coinvolgente. ( )

Harris gives us a rather innovative re-telling of the last days of Pompeii and the explosion of Vesuvius by centering hi story on the aquarius -- a hydrological engineer -- in charge of the Aqua August and newly arrived from Rome after the disappearance of the previous aquarius.

This is the second time I've read this novel; it generally holds up to re-reading as long as the interval between readings is not too short, partly because it's not a deep book and partly because it's something of an action/adventure story -- and stories of this type require a little bit of suspense. ( )

Although this ancient Roman thriller definitely gets better as it goes along, I thought it was a bit too short to get much development out of the characters. It did seem to be very well-researched, though. ( )

This novel about the ancient Roman city and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius strikes me as a conventional adventure/love story. Lots of good detail on ancient Rome and its aqueduct system, but otherwise pretty bland. ( )

A straight forward historical fiction about the end of Pompeii from the point of view of Marcus Attilius, a young aquarius in charge of the aquaducts. When water fails in the aquaduct which supplies vital water to multiple cities, Attilius investigates and begins to suspect that Vesuvius will erupt. There are not really any cliff hangers here, but it's a nice, easy read. ( )

Un peu décevant même si la description des évènements est intéressante. ( )

This book is brilliant! Robert Harris is a real master at creating an atmospheric setting, and as you read this you can really feel the heat, and the stench, and the tension in the air as his characters play off against each other with the ominously brooding Mount Vesuvius in the background. ( )

This book was a lot of fun to read, as we just recently went to Pompeii! ( )

Mildly diverting historical novel about the events leading up to the eruption of Vesuvias ( )

The catastrophe of Pompeii being buried by Vesuvius, seen from the point of view of the water engineer who is one of the first to realize that Vesuvius is going to blow. Also Pliny the Elder is an eye witnes.
Well written and exciting ( )

Excellent read. Tells the story of the famous Vesuvius eruption from the point of view of an engineer who has to investigate strange problems with the aqueduct. A nice mix of science and intrigue. Brings history to life. ( )

Robert Harris' Pompeii is one of the best works of historical fiction that I have read in a long time. Often, I find little anachronisms or historical errors that cause me to completely lose faith in the author and the narrative. It's unfortunate, but really, if you're going to write historical fiction you should take the time to get it right. In my opinion, historical novels are so much better when they're carefully and thoughtfully researched.

Of course, now someone is probably going to find something wrong with something I've written here and feel the same way towards me that I have felt towards those authors. Natch.

That being said, I find Pompeii to be very well researched. This account of the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius is very well done. Not only does he get the facts right, but he describes them in such a way that you almost feel like you’re there in Pompeii or Herculaneum, dodging ash and rock. In addition, the portrait Harris paints of Roman life at the time is wonderful. The characters are very well-drawn--three dimensional and very accurate, historically. They don’t feel like pawns that the author put in the way of the mountain just to make things interesting. Another great thing about this book are the very helpful quotes at the beginning of each chapter that Harris took from various geology and volcanology texts. In addition to explaining what is happing under and in Vesuvius before and during the eruption, but they also help to add to the tension of the novel.

One problem I do have with the book is the plot. It’s not that the plot is bad. It’s actually quite good. The plot of the novel centers on a lot of missing money and a damaged aqueduct. In any other setting, this plot would do quite well. It’s just that we, the readers, know that Mount Vesuvius is going to erupt and wipe out the whole area. For those who know their history, this is more than enough tension. At times, the plot feels like something Harris gives the characters to do while we’re waiting for the volcano to erupt. So, while the main character, Marcus Attilius, is trying to find out why the aqueduct that runs across Vesuvius isn’t working, you kind of feel like shouting at the characters, “Run for it, idiots!”

On the whole, I enjoyed Pompeii. It was a well-researched, well-written historical novel that makes for fascinating reading. One of my favorite fun features were the cameos by historical figures like Pliny the Elder and his nephew, Pliny the Younger. Plus, the way that Harris writes the ending is just brilliant.

Another fine yarn, about the Aquarius of the aqueduct around Pompeii. Has it all: Forbidden love, political intrigue, volcanoes. ( )

'Pompeii' is a highly readable historical mystery set in Roman Pompeii in 79 C.E. just before the 'you know what' happens. Robert Harris has an eye for historical detail and can spin a good yarn. The reader of Pompeii learns a bit about Roman aqueducts, the Roman empire and, of course, volcanoes.

The protagonist, Marcus Attilius Primus, is the new 'aquarius' sent out from Rome to take over the care and maintenance of the Aqua Augusta, the immense aqueduct that served the Bay of Naples area. Figure out just what did happen to the former aquarius, why the water has dried up, and how did a former slave become the (apparently) richest, most powerful man in Pompeii. Meet Pliny the Elder along the way.

A fun read. Highly recommended for lovers of water, volcanoes, and the Roman Empire. ( )

How many books can boast a water engineer (aquarius) as the protagonist??

What fascinated me about this book was that you KNEW what was going to happen, nevertheless it was so suspenseful! A wonderful story, and interesting to think about how the locals dealt with the scientific changes around them. ( )

Here is one of the many stories of Pompeii, this one told from the point of view of the Aquarian Attilius, whose first inkling that something is wrong is when the one wealthy citizen's fish are killed by the mysterious appearance of sulfur in the water.

Good things about this book: We get to meet Plini. We learn something of the marvel of the aqueducts. We learn a bit about volcanoes.

Other than that , it's not so good. It's completely predictable - and I don't mean that in the sense that we all know how it ends. There were no surprises here - the good guys and bad guys are all caricatures and behave in exactly the way we expect them to. I didn't care even a little bit who bought it in the end and who didn't -- I was just thankful that the volcano finally blew. ( )

For those that like history but can't stomach non-fiction, this is one of several books here that I have flagged ( )

A fascinating and exciting story of the experiences of a Roman aqueduct engineer just before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Great historical facts and interesting story. Ending was a bit contrived. ( )