Customer Reviews

Household Gods

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Harry Turtledove and Judith Tarr team up to write a historical novel with an overlay of time-travel atop it. Late 20th century Los Angeles lawyer Nicole Gunther-Perrin is stressed, stressed, stressed. She's a divorced mom of young children, her ex traded her in for a younger model, her babysitter quits with no notice, and she's been passed over for partnership in her law firm while a male colleague gets credit for her work. The firm's senior partner hits on her, then tells her she won't succeed if she's uncooperative. In short, she is having the Day From Hell.

She's also a very unsympathetic character. She shows little concern with her own children. She's indifferent to why her sitter quit (sitter's mother in Mexico is sick). She's resentful toward those who succeed, and fails to see how her attitude and reactions affect how those around her will treat her. She's a bigot, generalizing about whole classes of people based on the actions of a few.

After the Day from Hell, Nicole makes a plea to a plaque of two Roman "Household Gods" (smaller deities who helped with more trivial matters). Liber and Libera haven't been worshipped in more than a thousand years, so they honor her request to send her "to a simpler time." And then Turtledove and Tarr toss her into 2nd century Carnuntum, frontier Roman Empire. This city is near the Danube river (near present day Vienna), but far from Imperial Rome's center. Her attitudes run smack into her new reality. Won't drink? Surprise: you own a tavern! And a slave to run it! Oh, and she's a part-time prostitute, and you get to keep the money! And your kids ignore your requests unless you spank them!

Any chance of returning home? No way. Everyone's petitioning the gods here, the line is always busy. Nicole is stuck here as Umma, widowed tavern-keeper. Life is difficult, painful, and monotonous. No electricity, little hygiene, no butter, no coffee, no antibiotics, no anasthaesia, no Tampax. And did Nicole think men were sexist pigs? Now she's stuck where women are second-class citizens by LAW. Bad enough? Okay, the barbarians are invading. That comes either before or after the plague.

The details of day to day life are terrific, from attending Roman-style public baths to dealing with head lice. The story stays compelling despite Nicole's limitations. And in the end, while she has become a stronger person, she still isn't someone many of us would care to sit with for a spell. No matter. She doesn't end up anywhere as obnoxious as she started, so that's an improvement.

While Nicole does learn from her experiences, her intial unpleasantness is hard to get over. Her ignorance of history and science don't serve her well when she arrives in Carnuntum, either. Perhaps this is why so many reviewers detest Nicole; the obvious audience for this book are SF fans, and they don't think much of scientific illiterates. How long does it take Nicole to figure out she ought to boil her water if there isn't any sanitation? Well, the typical SF reader would be doing so within 15 seconds of smelling the chamber pots dropped into the street. It takes Nicole about eight months. But not everyone thinks like an SF reader; there are lots of people like Nicole who manage to earn a law degree without remembering any history or science. She isn't unrealistic at all, just unlikeable. That shouldn't be a reason to downgrade the book; the story succeeds despite her.

This is basically a coming-of-age novel, even though its main character is already of adult years. But despite her age, she's basically a spoiled child: self-centered, judgmental, irresponsible, and largely ignorant of the world. This has one major flaw: she's so damned unlikeable that I found it hared to really get into the book for the first couple of hundred pages. Perhaps the authors were a bit heavy handed in their portrayal, though I've certainly known women lawyers like this character. At any rate, as she begins to learn from her experiences, and as new characters are introduced, the story gets steadily better. I enjoyed it, and was sorry when it was over.

Nicole is an attorney in modern-day LA who suffers a meltdown on a Day from Hell, wishes herself in a simpler time... and wakes up in the body of Umma, a 2nd-century innkeeper in the Roman colony of Carnuntum, near present-day Vienna.

But of course, a woman's life on the Roman frontier makes her Day from Hell seem pretty darn decadent... _Household Gods_ is a meticulously researched, gritty, compelling book.

Talk about pulling no punches-- the 2nd-century comes alive with stenches, lice, prejudice, plague, war, and some vividly imagined characters. I shudder to think about how much research went into the painstaking depiction of everyday life in the second century AD. Definitely not a fluffy read, but one of the best books I've read so far this year.

Like some of the other reviewers, I would have liked a bit more closure on Umma's fate, and perhaps have Nicole not *quite* as ignorant of the past as she was (though I know plenty of people who don't know much about history and don't care).

But whenever I was forced to put the book down, I found myself eager to pick it up again and find out what happened next, which is something that I can't say for most of the books I read.

As an avid reader of historical fiction, who possesses a compelling interest in the Ancient Romans, I found the book a quick and satisfying read. The authors use details to make the story much more than the classic "fish out of water" plot. For example, the descriptions of the implements and interior of Umma's tavern are similar to the ruins of one I saw in Pompeii. The authors describe Roman religion, the roles of men and women, and the society's higher tolerance for aggressive behavior to communicate an authentic flavor of just how foreign life under the Caesars would be.

I was a bit surprised at the protagonist's unpleasantness. She appeared incredibly ignorant and close-minded, but this is an opinion from someone who loves to learn and travel. My interest in continuing to read about her increased when I began to imagine how they were transforming her. She began a spoiled, take-everything-for-granted, gratify-yourself-immediately type of person. By the end, the protagonist had learned some humility about her opinions and a bit about accepting the behavior of others. More so, she had learned to appreciate just how fortunate she was to live in our times; a place with amazing medical advances, general literacy, and a desire to treat everyone equally (even if it tries more than it succeeds).

Other reviewers have commented on the protagonist's man-hating worldview and her use of the rhetoric of political correctness. This language tapers off throughout the book. I believe the authors wrote her this way for two reasons. First, it makes it easier for us to note her transformation from close-minded prig into a more accepting individual. Second, it shows how the protagonist uses her education to rationalize her feelings, rather than to understand the world. As the experiences transform her, she begins to try and understand people around her rather than draw upon cliche phrases, which she had used without true understanding in the beginning.

On the whole, I recommend this book primarily to anyone with an interest in everyday life in the ancient world. It would also be interesting to anyone who imagined what it might be like to be cast into the distant past.

That's the main question that arises from my reading of Household Gods. Somehow, we are to believe that Nicole Gunther-Perrin, our main character, managed to get all the way through law school and presumably pass the bar without having once been exposed to a class in world history. Are we, then, to blame her ignorance on the woeful inadequacy of the Indiana University Law School's graduation requirements?

Maybe, maybe not, either way, our protagonist feels that life in ancient Rome would be an improvement over present day Los Angeles because of it's gender equality, it's social egalitarianism and it's old fashioned HUMANE VALUES! Go figure.

The first part of the book is basically a catalogue of the humiliations and crises that, occurring in rapid succession, lead our chubby, embittered little heroine to send a desperate prayer to two bored ancient gods who, in response, plop her in a 2nd century Roman outpost called Carnuntum.

The descriptions of life in this malodorous and lice ridden city are terrific and since I have nothing to judge them by I can only assume that they are somewhat accurate. Throughout the authors do a wonderful job of making the ancient Roman characters likeable and familiar without giving in to the temptation to make them more "modern" in outlook. For instance, Umma's "boyfriend" Titus, while clearly a nice guy retains his unfortunate penchant for beast matches, gladiatorial games and stale urine. The only problem with this portion of the book was that darned Nicole/Umma character.

Arrogant, self righteous, and relentlessly judgmental, Nicole reacts and OVER reacts to everything in Carnuntum that isn't up to the strictest standards of the surgeon general BUT, and this is a big but, she doesn't do a darned thing about it! It takes her two thirds of the way into the book to take the darned initiative to BOIL the water that she and her Roman family drinks. Indeed, throughout the book she utterly fails to use what little specialized knowledge she has constructively, and it is made plain that her main interest in caring for her Roman children stems from the fact that one of them will be her ancestor.

The fact that the main character is a heartless cow, however, should not be allowed to detract from the book's many good points. Household Gods IS a fascinating and imaginative book and definitely worth a look.

If you are a fan of the late, great Roman Empire, if you loved Gladiator but knew that they got the history and details wrong, then you might enjoy this book. If, however, you like good fiction, even if you are a Latin buff, you might think twice about buying this book.

I'm in both groups - I have a lifelong love of all things Roman as well as a deep appreciation of good fiction. This book has plenty for the former and precious little for the latter.

First, the good: In establishing the central character as a 2nd Century tavern keeper in the mid-size town of Carnuntum, Tarr and Turtledove do an excellent job of exploring the alien world of the ancient Roman culture. Nicole/Umma is situated such that she can plausibly (but only just) interact with a wide variety of Roman citizens and denizens. The variety and detail are everything I could've asked for.

But now the bad: The writing stinks worse than the slops of an overripe chamberpot. The central character isn't merely provincial but downright unlikable and stupid. To make matters worse, someone - whether Tarr or Turtledove or both - seems to have a right-wing ax to grind, setting the protagonist up as a straw man argument for topics as varied as racism, sexual morality and childrearing. Just what I can do without - a dose of Rush Limbaugh as a none-too-subtle lesson in 'right thinking.' No thanks.

All in all, a forewarned reader who is aware of the facts - that the fiction is thin, the rhetoric is skewed and the history is detailed - should be able to hold their noses at the periodic cesspool of ideology while enjoying the lavish descriptions of the ancient Empire.

A very entertaining (more historical than science fiction) yarn -- excellent for escaping the reality of long, dull, delayed flights, or for a relaxing day in the backyard hammock.

The period detail is wonderful and well researched. The contrasting of the "locals'" (Romans) attitudes about their life and its messiness with the attitudes, amazement, and often horror of a 20th-century career woman is very well done. This contrast makes the novel more engaging and "believable" than some historical novels where the supposedly born-and-bred in their time characters come across as over-modern.

Although the protagonist initially doesn't come across as very sympathetic (and certainly as extremely ignorant about history in general, let alone the Roman Empire of 170 A.D., where she ends up) she grew on me. One thing though, even as a career woman, wouldn't she have thought about her kids who were left behind a more? But all's well that ends... (you'll find out how when you read it).

I wish a slightly longer part of the novel had been set in the 20th century, to show the development of the heroine's ways of coping and growth, but the Roman section of the book is very good. There are a number of well fleshed-out characters, and the cameo appearance by emperor Marcus Aurelius is cleverly done and fun. Okay, so even if some of the political attitudes that are described seem excessively pragmatic, this is a fun, worthwhile book.

This book is one of the best reading experiences I ever had! If you have read the other reviews, you already know that this story revolves around a modern day woman, who is transported back in time to a town that exsited in the time of ancient Rome. She finds herself living in the body of a roman woman, probably a genetic ancestor. From that point on, Nicole has to learn how to live in an ancient world, when everything she knows is of the modern world. This book pulls no punches, it describes illness, lack of sanitation, starvation, violence, brutality, slavery, war and all manner of things our ancestors lived with daily. Besides being a very engrosing story, it is eye opening in a way I had not expected. Nicole, the story's heroine, is considered by many reviewers to be a stupid woman, but she is not. She is the typical upper class woman of America. A whole lot of "educatated" americans only know what they need to do their jobs---and not a lot more. How much worth would experience as an office worker be in ancient Rome? There are a great many average americans who do not know that there is a very good reason why we put clorine in our water and pasturize milk. Nicole has to find out the hard way. Just like Nicole, the average person knows that antibiotics kill infection---but how many of us know how they work or how to make one? You use toilets every day--but do you know how the plumbing works? Could you build a toilet or a shower? Do you know how a gun works---could you make one? We all know how to drive a car---but could we build one? Do you know how to safely butcher meat? How to make bread from raw grain? I certainly don't! The truth is that most of us could not survive without the advanced creations of modern society. One of the things that most stood out in my mind was when an unnamed epidemic sweeps the roman town. No hospitals here, no EMTs, no visting nurses, no social welfare, no nothing. Even if you survive the illness, if you have no one to take care of you while you are ill and recovering, you will almost certainly die. And that means that you need family or friends willing to risk their own lives to take care of you. Assuming any of your friends or family were still alive and able to help. This brought, to me, to a very fine point, just how much we Americans depend upon modern conveniences that we, like Nicole, take for granted. Nicole is educated to survive in the modern world, and suddenly finds herself in a world as alien as any that ever existed in any science fiction movie. And she learns how to survive, and in the process becomes a much better person. The authors bring this ancient world utterly to life, and lets you experience it along with Nicole. While reading this book, the reader discovers, along with the heroine, just how useless her modern day knowledge is, how much she does not know, and how so many of her modern society approved notions are wrong. Nicole is an enjoyable, captivating character, and the authors make the reader care what happens to her. Her roman neighbors are fully real characters, you can see and hear them, and what becomes of them is important. At the end of the story, Nicole returns to her own body, and her own world, a vastly changed person. And reading this book was not only a throughly enjoyable experience, but actually made me begin to think about all the things in my own life that I take for granted, and realize that I ought to appreciate them more. This book has an excellent plot with terrific characters, and really gives you the feeling of what it might have been like living in an ancient world.

Yes, Nicole is a neurotic, hateful, selfish, woman who takes everything personally and assumes the worst. And did I say self-righteous, too? That's the point of it. It contributes to the story. I couldn't stand her either! But when she wants to get away, part of the reason she gets sent to Roman times by Liber and Libera is so she WAKES UP and grows some awareness that the world doesn't revolve around her.

Bit by bit, simply because of the circumstances and the people, she becomes more cognizant of her shortcomings in the way she has always thought and made assumptions. And her transformation is very realistic and commendable as the novel progresses.

Because ironically enough, you start to wonder if YOU could hack that stuff she's going through. Of course she didn't have a lot of choice, unless she wanted to simply commit suicide, but compared to other go-back-in history stories (medieval england couldn't have been half so difficult as ancient rome!), she faced some pretty nasty things.

Suddenly, between your appreciation for what she's dealing with, and the contemplation of those circumstances and comparisons that contribute to her becoming a different person, you come to appreciate her and admire her for her stamina, the events that give her cause to consider a different behavioral response, and what she notices as a result of it.

She comes to see herself as we see her in the beginning. After a while in ancient Roman times, she gets it. And she takes it back with her. And her life is very different.

I recommend the book. Understand there's a reason why she's been created as she is and keep reading. Try not to condemn her for the way she's been written - after all, why exemplify the very charachteristics that you don't like in the protagonist?

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.