The Last Days of Pompeii

This is a richly written early 19th century novel. While the setting is suitably dramatic as per the title, the actual events of the impending eruption of Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii are very much in the background, against the central plot of the rivalry between the Egyptian priest Arbaces and the Greek Glaucus over the same woman, Ione. Another priest Apaceides (who has converted to Christianity) is murdered by Arbaces and Glaucus is framed it. About to face a hungry lion in the arena, he is only saved by the apocalypse itself. This novel is very melodramatic and theatrical to the modern reader, but I enjoyed its richness, despite some occasional overlong digressions - though even these had their poignancy when compared to the show more ruins found in recent times. show less

In 79 CE (AD), Mt. Vesuvius erupted, consuming the Roman coastal towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, about 9 km east of Naples, killing more than 2000 people. It wasn’t until 1750 that diggers unearthed the skeletal remains of the people and historians were able to piece together the terrifying events that must have taken place during that fateful and horrifying event. Using evidence gathered through excavations, tales from survivors, and knowledge of the era, Sir Edward G. E. Bulwer-Lytton paints a captivating and realistic picture of life where public baths, elaborate dinners, and horrors in the amphitheater were commonplace and entertaining pastimes.

Telling the story through Glaucus, a young and handsome Greek, and his love affair show more with Ione, a charming young woman referred to as the Neapolitan having come from Naples, we have a romantic drama worthy of the most melodramatic Gothic novel complete with the evil Egyptian, Arbaces, the innocent blind slave, Nydia, and a witch that lives in the caves at the base of Mt. Vesuvius. The story is spellbinding, suspenseful, and full of historical notations that make the narrative ring true. The writing style is a little hard to get used to, but it gets easier after the first couple of chapters. This fascinating story will transport you to another time and place. I found it thoroughly entertaining and educational. show less

904 The Last Days of Pompeii, by Sir Edward G. E. Bulwer-Lytton (read 4 Jul 1967) When I finished this I said "though the description is so overdone, and the plot rather creaking, I was caught up by both: description and story. Glaucus, an Athenian in Pompeii, loves Ione, as does Arbaces, an Egyptian of evil. Nydia, a blind slave, also loves Glaucus. Arbaces kills Apaecides, brother of Ione, who has become a Christian, and then blames the killing on Glaucus who had been temporarily crazed by a supposed love potion given him by Nydia--after Nydia took it from Julia, who had gotten it from a witch at Arbaces' urging. Glaucus is to be devoured by a lion on the day Vesuvius erupts." To illustrate the fulsome style: "The eyes of the crowd show more followed the gesture of the Egyptian, and beheld, with ineffable dismay, a vast vapour shooting from the summit of Vesuvius, in the form of a gigantic pine-tree, the trunk, blackness,--the branches, fire!--and a fire that shifted and wavered in its hues with every moment, now fiercely luminous, now of a dull and dying red, that again blazed terrifically forth with intolerable glare!" I will not soon forget this awesome book! show less

Not a story so much about the Pompeii volcanic event, but a love story set in Pompeii in the months leading up to the eruption and eventual destruction of Pompeii.
Long rambling soliloquys concerning religions, personal feelings, descriptions of the busy life of the times in that city.
For a modern reader, can be very boring (I merely scanned much of these passages that often ran two or more pages). The love story itself in interesting and there is great flavor of the times.
Dialogue is Shakespearean... thee, thow, dost....
I recommend based on the historic interest of the. book.

Amazingly good, considering what a bad name poor Lytton has in modern times, what with the whole "dark and stormy night" thing. Very entertaining all around, very interesting perspectives on religion considering the times. This edition has excellent plate engravings which add a lot to the story.

This book is chuck-full of descriptions. Descriptions of Roman clothing, descriptions of Roman villas, descriptions of Roman houses, descriptions of Roman food, descriptions of Roman entertainment, descriptions of Roman life, you get the idea. If you are looking for a detailed novelization of a description of Pompeii, this is the book for you! But as a novel, this is not that good.

Este libro está lleno a reventar de descripciones sobre la vida romana en la extinta Pompeya: descripciones sobre la ropa, los adornos, la joyería, los muebles, las casas, las domus, las calles, los juegos de gladiadores, los gladiadores, los esclavos, las matronas, los ciudadanos romanos, etc., etc., etc. Pero una descripción no es una novela. Y como show more novela deja mucho que desear. show less

A romance with a classical setting, this is (sort of) the story of two expatriate Greeks who discover each other while living in Pompeii. It is also the story of how Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of the volcano, Vesuvius. Daily life of the residents is described-from banquets to baths-as well as some of the religious aspects of life in this time period (first century CE). Apparently the author based his book on the excavations of Pompeii, because he frequently mentions that you can see there the houses and other objects which appear in the story. It is a slow-moving tale, with many side trips, but some readers will forgive all when the bad guys get what they deserve and the good guys live happily ever after.