This was an annoying book to read

books:

	• SPQR XI: Under Vesuvius (The SPQR Roman Mysteries) John Maddox Roberts St. Martin's Minotaur, 2007 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

This was an annoying book to read

Like the other reviewers, I am a fan of this series (as well as Steven Saylor's "Gordianus the Finder" books), and looked forward to reading this one very much. However, because of repeated or important errors by the author and the editors, I found myself becoming more annoyed the more I read.

First, the small stuff. When Decius goes to the townhouse of Jocasta, he "entered the courtyard". Roman townhouses did not have courtyards, per se. The first room entered was always the atrium. Only by going through the entire house could you access the garden, which was called a peristyle. The author also several times seems to confuse the atrium with the impluvium, which was a rectangular pool in the atrium, usually about 30 centimetres deep, for catching rainwater that fell through a hole in the roof called the compluvium. Here's an example, the first sentence of Chapter 8: "It didn't look like much of a weapon, lying on the table in the impluvium." I repeat, the impluvium was a pool for catching rainwater - no furniture was put in it.

Roberts also makes repeated references to "Coan" cloth as well as to silk. He makes it clear that he regards them as two different fabrics. In fact, Coan cloth, famous for its fineness and transparency, was itself probably silk.

But the biggest problem with this book is that the main characters repeatedly discuss volcanoes in general, and Mount Vesuvius as a volcano in particular. They seem very knowledgable about them in these discussions, and the main character makes more than one reference to volcanic eruptions. The fact is, however, that the Romans knew next to nothing about volcanoes. They had no word for "volcano" in their language. They had no direct experience with volcanic eruptions, which is why the Pompeiians were not particularly frightened at the beginning when Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D. Had the Pompeiians known about volcanic eruptions, they could have saved themselves by fleeing right away, but many of them looked at the erupting Vesuvius and said "Wow, never saw that before. Oh, well, it's just smoke. Let's go have lunch."

Those are my quibbles. I'm a history teacher and see little excuse for these sorts of errors, so take that into account when reading this review. The story is a good one, the characters are well developed, and the conclusion is way cool. But Roberts' editor should have caught the errors about the Roman houses and fabrics, and Roberts himself should have known about the Roman relationship to volcanoes.

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Excellent story

An excellent story just like the previous ones. My only complaint is that Roberts needs to write more, as in, bigger books and more of them ! His characters are not so deep that you feel buried in the persons minutia, yet they are extensive enough that they are not two dimensional. The gradual progression of the main characters career gives you an overall experience of what is was like to travel the 'cursus honorum', and live in Rome during the transition from Republic to Empire. I am looking forward to future books.

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Consistent Excellence

Once again John Maddox Roberts has fulfilled the expectation of his loyal readers. The SPQR mysteries may be the most consistent historical novels available as each one balances humor, historical accuracy and unexpected plot twists without banality or cliches.

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Interesting but not first rate

Lots of Roman history and cultural insights but the characters have worn thin in the series.

This is a great mystery series

I've read every book in the entire series and I highly recommend them. They are interesting, entertaining and often make me laugh. This book lives up to the rest. When the next one comes out, I'll be one of the first to order it. Check this series out. You won't be disappointed.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Things are going well for Decius Caecilius Metellus. He is Praetor Peregrinus, which means he has to judge a case or two, but those cases are outside of the City. His cases will be those dealing with foreigners, and all of Italy is his province. His first stop is Campania, ?Italy?s most popular resort district.? Decius and his wife, Julia, are happy for a change of scenery. But the good times end when, in a town near Vesuvius, a priest?s daughter is murdered. Decius must find her killer and keep the mob off a young boy who everyone blames but he believes to be innocent. Decius may have acquired more prestige, but he?s also acquired more trouble.

With his SPQR novels, John Maddox Roberts has written a satisfying and entertaining historical mystery series. The stakes just keep getting higher in this latest atmospheric puzzle.

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