A review by wasted
Pompeii, by Robert Harris
2.0
Discipline. Leadership. These are common traits associated with the empire that led the Mediterranean world for 1,000 years.
However, these are not the traits of this novel's Roman protagonist, Attilius. An engineer in command of an important portion of the Aqua Augusta (the most complex aqueduct in Rome), he is a leader that continually fails to exercise his command. For example, consider this interaction with the should-have-been-executed antagonist, Corax:
"And if, by any remote chance, we can't make the repairs in twelve hours," said Corax sarcastically "what then?"
. . .
It occurred to Atillius that the overseer, in his bitterness, might even try to sabotage the entire mission. . . He [Atillius] smiled. "So don't try to screw me around."
Is this annoyance supposed to be comic relief? When a leader becomes concerned about a disobedient subordinate, action is necessary; especially if the mission's success is in jeopardy! Alas, the exquisite descriptions of the aqueduct engineering is indeed overshadowed by such egregiousness.
However, these are not the traits of this novel's Roman protagonist, Attilius. An engineer in command of an important portion of the Aqua Augusta (the most complex aqueduct in Rome), he is a leader that continually fails to exercise his command. For example, consider this interaction with the should-have-been-executed antagonist, Corax:
"And if, by any remote chance, we can't make the repairs in twelve hours," said Corax sarcastically "what then?"
. . .
It occurred to Atillius that the overseer, in his bitterness, might even try to sabotage the entire mission. . . He [Atillius] smiled. "So don't try to screw me around."
Is this annoyance supposed to be comic relief? When a leader becomes concerned about a disobedient subordinate, action is necessary; especially if the mission's success is in jeopardy! Alas, the exquisite descriptions of the aqueduct engineering is indeed overshadowed by such egregiousness.