Household Gods [Mass Market Paperback]

 

 

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I'm LOVING this book! True, it is not 'heavy reading' and at times the editing is on the rough side (with misspelled words here and there!)

The main character, Umma/Nicole, is in some ways a charicature of a young upwardly mobile professional, and recently single, mother of two. She is frazzled and self-righteous. It is easy to see that her misery in the opening section of the novel is of her own making. She is, in a word, insufferable (and as a result, she thinks she is suffering!)

This book is refreshing to me! It points out "pointedly" the fallacies of so many of our politically 'correct' and oh-so-gaggingly 'modern' attidues and ideas.. and does so without being so sensitive as to not point fingers! Turtledove and Tarr take on gender roles, ethnocentrism, the question of whether all our modern conveniences have helped us or harmed us as a so-called social species... and reminds us to remember that the good old days were not necessarily all the good!

Fortunately, Nicole is far more resourceful than our initial glimpses of her would indicate. She manages to find her place in ancient Rome even though she is in another woman's body.

I bought the book for the title, and for entertainment. Since I'm feeling extremely well-entertained by the story, I feel i truly got my money's worth on this one!

As every other reviewer has noted, Nicole, the protagonist in "Household Gods," is a selfish, bitchy, judgmental bore who threatens to suck the life out of the book. That she doesn't is testament to the strength of the story and the ability of the authors to recreate a vivid and enthralling snapshot of life in 180 A.D. Austria. As it is, she's an annoying distraction best dealt with by ignoring her as much as possible.
The story is at its best when it reports, rather than editorializes. Nicole, a 21st-century single mom and lawyer, is whisked back to the days of the Roman Empire after an ill-thought out wish for a "simpler time". Once there, she finds herself on speaking terms with all four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, as Plague is quickly followed by War and then inevitably Famine, with Death practically doing a jig on the sidelines in anticipation. Inhabiting the body of a widowed tavern keeper, Nicole is appallingly ignorant about certain facts of life yet adjusts quickly to others: she has no idea that women had no rights in 180 A.D. or that slavery was common, yet has no problem making change with unfamiliar currency or navigating the marketplace. About the fifth time she admitted that she had no idea who Marcus Aurelias was or when the Roman Empire actually fell (she's half-convinced that every disaster is going to be The End), I started wondering exactly where she went to college.
Fortunately, once you tune out her judgmental rants (Allow me to summarize: "Men suck! Slavery is horrible! These people are all alcoholics! How dare these heathen pagans be mean to Christians! Spanking is child abuse! This place is sexist/filthy/smelly/just plain weird!") the story is actually pretty enjoyable, if somewhat overlong. There's no real climax, it's more a series of events that keep compounding on one another until Nicole finally accepts her life in Carnuntum - at which point she is whisked back to the 21st century and all her problems are solved. In between, we meet a series of likable secondary characters, each with their own foibles and endearing traits, none of whom are immune to the tragedies and dangers of everyday life in the second century. The small pleasures of life that balance the miseries are sprinkled throughout, relieving the dark tone that never quite overwhelms the story.
I doubt anyone who is not already interested in Roman history is going to slog through the whole thing, but for those who are this book offers a slice of life as it existed on the outskirts of the Empire - an slightly unusual, and thus refreshing, story.

I am a time travel fan, so I picked up this book based on that aspect of it alone. And maybe that's why I really enjoyed it! Some reviewers rate Nicole, the main character, as a whiny uncaring person. Okay, maybe she is, but she is a well developed and well written character. You can easily slip into how she's feeling and reacting to all the situations. In the course of the book, she gets sucked back to ancient Rome. The authors have done a fabulous job of bringing ancient Rome to life! Sure, the gal may have thrown her brain out the window, not remembering history and being not too cautious with local food, but SHE WAS JUST SUCKED BACK INTO TIME! I think that gives her a little reasoning to not be reacting completely logically or level headed.

So, in other words, if you like time travel, more specifically enjoy reading about time culture shock, this is a fantastic book to read. If you like well developed characters, read this book, I knew I was going to like it before she went back to Rome by the character development alone.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, dont let the reviewers that whine about the main character ruin it for you. I was able to get lost in the story until I checked to see what people had to see about it.

A fantastic collaboration and a nice addition to the historical time travel fiction!

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3.0 out of 5 stars Good if you can done with the first half
I have finally met something I thought I would never see in the writtings of Harry Turtledove, a character I thoroughly despise. Read more

Published on Mar 12 2004 by General Pete

4.0 out of 5 stars The ONLY Turtledove book I ever enjoyed
I have tried many times to get through the downright awful alternative histories of Harry Turtledove. Read more

Published on Jan 13 2004 by Avid Reader

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing story, annoying protagonist
Harry Turtledove and Judith Tarr team up to write a historical novel with an overlay of time-travel atop it. Read more

Published on Dec 12 2003 by Maddi Hausmann Sojourner

2.0 out of 5 stars Great premise. Lousy execution.
I like Turtledove's books. I like Tarr's. I love historical fiction, especially when it's well researched. Read more

Published on Dec 8 2003 by Esther Schindler

5.0 out of 5 stars A different twist on time travel fantasy
I greatly enjoyed this novel, both for the intensity of you-are-there realism in its depiction of the ancient world, as well as the self-discovery of the protagonist. Read more

Published on Sep 21 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
I thought Household Gods was an interesting and unique book. If you're considering reading it for a book report, I would suggest to just read it for kicks. Read more

Published on May 26 2003 by Laura

2.0 out of 5 stars The whole is less than the sum of its authors
Sometimes a collaboration works very well, in the way of a painter mixing two colors to create a vivid new tint. Alas, this is not the case with HOUSEHOLD GODS. Read more

Published on May 2 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Increadable fiction, irritating Character
This is one of the finest works from Turtledove and a fine first exposure to Tarr that I have read. However, I must say, the main character absolutely drove me insane while... Read more

Published on Mar 5 2003 by Michael D. Willis

5.0 out of 5 stars I adored this book- even with a stupid main character!
This book was a total pleasure to read. In fact, I read the last 300 pages in one (very long) night. I was most eager to finish it. Read more

Published on Feb 8 2003 by A. C. Longtin

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
Two of the best historically minded SF writers team up to write a compelling read. I found it difficult to put down once I began. Read more

Published on Jan 26 2003 by Debra Fran Baker

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