a rare book report

[lagilman]

Mostly these days I'm reading non-fiction of the historical and geologic sort, but I finally finished gods behaving badly, by Marie Pillips. It had been recommended to me, but despite a strong first chapter, I found it difficult slogging for the next 1/4 of the book -- I'm not a fan of comedies based on character awkwardness/humiliation, which is why I mostly don't watch sitcoms -- but I pushed through and in the end found it charming and quite well-written, straddling literary and genre ground without any apparent pretentiousness or apology.

Short version: Greek gods, living in London as their powers fade away, squabble and screw like the cast of Eastenders (and if you get that reference, you'll have no trouble with this book) until two mortals get tangled up in their games, and the world goes to hell... somewhat literally.

Not so much a beach read as a curl-up-in-a-sunbeam read, and highly recommended for commuters, as you can read a chapter at a time without problem.

Comments

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

That sounds good. Zeus and Hera in the Eastend. Apollo swinging in SoHo. Diana chilling out near Buckingham.

[lagilman]

Except Zeus is mad, Apollo is a failed tv prophet, and Diana is Artemis, and a professional dog-walker...

[wyvernfriend.livejournal.com]

It's coming up on my TBR pile! I'm looking forward to it

[libwitch.livejournal.com]

I thought that was an enjoyable book, but it took a bit to get going.

[lagilman]

yeah, there was something about the first quarter of the book that didn't quite kick in, but once past that it was fast reading.

[spiziks.livejournal.com]

Oh! By sheer coincidence, I just yesterday checked this out from the library on CD for commuting. Haven't started it yet. Good choice, I take it. :)

[mzipser.livejournal.com]

We have that on the TBR pile too. Good to know it's good.

Picked it up at one con or the other since Beth and I like that Thorne Smith kind of thing. Though my guess is that it doesn't have as much sex or (most defintiely) drinking as ol' Thorne wrote back in the old days.