alliepeduto's review against another edition
5.0
This was just all sorts of fantastic! I wish I had started reading this series sooner, but I’m glad I’ve discovered it now! Elizabeth Peters (aka Barbara Mertz) is my new idol. Not only was she a wonderful mystery writer, as evidenced by this delightful novel, she got a PhD in Egyptology back in the 1950s! She was a pioneer and a true feminist, and I can’t wait to read more of her work! This truly was everything I love in a novel: an amateur detective fighting off restrictive conventions (and clothing) in the late 1800s and fighting actual bad guys using a iron parasol. The dry wit sprinkled throughout the novel made me laugh out loud, and there was even some Pride and Prejudice inspired romance added to the mix. I loved it and I definitely want to continue reading of the adventures of Amelia Peabody, because she’s a total 19th century badass.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
2.0
2 STARS
Amelia Peabody is a feminist in the Victorian era, and finds herself with an inheritance and time on her hands. First stop is Egypt where she turns the Archeology world upside down and stops to solve a mystery or two.
I heard this one on audio and quite liked the way the narrator read the novel - ie her accent and tone. It was the plot that I found a bit lacking. I think if I had read this novel versus listening to it I would not have finished it. The story was a little to la di da to the point I was easily distracted and lost parts of the plot. I think I am done with Amelia Peabody and maybe with Elizabeth Peters. I would certainly give her another chance if someone I trusted insisted I read a particular title.
Amelia Peabody is a feminist in the Victorian era, and finds herself with an inheritance and time on her hands. First stop is Egypt where she turns the Archeology world upside down and stops to solve a mystery or two.
I heard this one on audio and quite liked the way the narrator read the novel - ie her accent and tone. It was the plot that I found a bit lacking. I think if I had read this novel versus listening to it I would not have finished it. The story was a little to la di da to the point I was easily distracted and lost parts of the plot. I think I am done with Amelia Peabody and maybe with Elizabeth Peters. I would certainly give her another chance if someone I trusted insisted I read a particular title.
andipants's review against another edition
3.0
This was an enjoyable adventure/mystery (with one fairly major caveat), and I definitely liked Amelia as a main character. I'm not sure why exactly she appealed to me, when other badass lady-types in historical novels so often don't - I think the appeal here is that it doesn't appear to be trying super hard to be historically believable, at least in terms of social issues. A lot of times, it seems like if you get hung up on that aspect of believability, you end up over-explaining everything, and the rest of the story suffers. Here, all issues of social class, of the propriety of a lady traveling alone, etc are just waved aside as being no match for Amelia's larger-than-life personality. And larger-than-life she is; she is absolutely over the top and I love it.
I also really liked the creepy mystery elements (even if it did veer a little Scooby-doo-esque, especially towards the end), and especially the setting. All the ancient Egyptian stuff was a fascinating backdrop. However, and here comes the caveat, this story was chock full of totally overt colonialist racism. And I mean, it's set in Victorian-era colonial Egypt; the ideas would probably have been sadly true-to-life at the time, but it's pretty de rigeur for modern treatments to point that out and interrogate it in some way, and this book absolutely does not. (To be fair, it was published over 40 years ago, so I wasn't shocked that it didn't, but still, it could have.)
So overall, this was a light, fun adventure romp with a delightfully irascible protagonist, and I'll probably look for more in the series, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it without that caveat.
I also really liked the creepy mystery elements (even if it did veer a little Scooby-doo-esque, especially towards the end), and especially the setting. All the ancient Egyptian stuff was a fascinating backdrop. However, and here comes the caveat, this story was chock full of totally overt colonialist racism. And I mean, it's set in Victorian-era colonial Egypt; the ideas would probably have been sadly true-to-life at the time, but it's pretty de rigeur for modern treatments to point that out and interrogate it in some way, and this book absolutely does not. (To be fair, it was published over 40 years ago, so I wasn't shocked that it didn't, but still, it could have.)
So overall, this was a light, fun adventure romp with a delightfully irascible protagonist, and I'll probably look for more in the series, but I definitely wouldn't recommend it without that caveat.
bianca_rodriguez's review against another edition
4.0
a hoot and a fucking half — for a book that’s almost 50 years old this holds so much humor and wit!!! proper enemies to lovers I might say!!
read_what_i_want's review against another edition
4.0
The main character pulled me in immediately. However, after 100 or so pages of her being obstinate, I decided to take a break from the series. I will pick it up again though.
krisleigh0630's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
veronicalovesjeff's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
Current rating: 3.5 stars
ETA: I won't retract my initial review, but I will adjust my rating. I was less impressed with this book upon rereading. I suspect my enjoyment of the main characters masked a realization of fairly thin plotting and a bit of redundancy in dialogue and detail. Still quite entertaining, of course, but it doesn't stand up as well under second scrutiny. (2014)
What a wonderful, wonderful gem of a book. I don't usually choose historical mysteries for myself, but this is much more than that. Prepare yourself to meet one of the most delightful characters in Amelia Peabody. Feisty, strong-willed, charitable of heart, and quick of tongue, she is one whom I would love to have as a best friend. As a bonus, she swings a mean parasol. Who couldn't love this adventuress? (2011)
re-read (audio): June 2014
audiobook note_1: After urging, I revisited parts of this book in audio, and narrator Susan O'Malley is wonderful as the indomitable Amelia. (2011)
audiobook note_2: Perhaps O'Malley's voicing of Amelia is better in small doses. I don't have any other explanation for why my second experience of this was markedly different from my first taste, but this time I found the reading not ideal, perhaps even off-putting. I'm very disappointed. (2014)
ETA: I won't retract my initial review, but I will adjust my rating. I was less impressed with this book upon rereading. I suspect my enjoyment of the main characters masked a realization of fairly thin plotting and a bit of redundancy in dialogue and detail. Still quite entertaining, of course, but it doesn't stand up as well under second scrutiny. (2014)
What a wonderful, wonderful gem of a book. I don't usually choose historical mysteries for myself, but this is much more than that. Prepare yourself to meet one of the most delightful characters in Amelia Peabody. Feisty, strong-willed, charitable of heart, and quick of tongue, she is one whom I would love to have as a best friend. As a bonus, she swings a mean parasol. Who couldn't love this adventuress? (2011)
re-read (audio): June 2014
audiobook note_1: After urging, I revisited parts of this book in audio, and narrator Susan O'Malley is wonderful as the indomitable Amelia. (2011)
audiobook note_2: Perhaps O'Malley's voicing of Amelia is better in small doses. I don't have any other explanation for why my second experience of this was markedly different from my first taste, but this time I found the reading not ideal, perhaps even off-putting. I'm very disappointed. (2014)
bahamamama's review against another edition
Graphic description of wound. Also, just couldn't get into this story.