Last Days of Pompeii
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
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Last Days of Pompeii is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. Once a very widely read book and now relatively neglected, it culminates in the cataclysmic destruction of the city of Pompeii by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The novel uses its characters to contrast the decadent culture of first-century Rome with both older cultures and coming trends. The protagonist, Glaucus, represents the Greeks who have been subordinated by Rome, and his nemesis Arbaces the still older culture of Egypt. Olinthus is the chief representative of the nascent Christian religion, which is presented favorably but not uncritically. (Summary from Wikipedia) (16 hr 44 min)
Chapters
Book 1, Chapter I | 6:31 | Read by Ric F |
Book 1, Chapter II | 26:06 | Read by Ric F |
Book 1, Chapter III | 40:31 | Read by Ric F |
Book 1, Chapter IV | 21:33 | Read by Ric F |
Book 1, Chapter V | 16:36 | Read by Becky Cook |
Book 1, Chapter VI | 27:34 | Read by Becky Cook |
Book 1, Chapter VII | 20:43 | Read by Becky Cook |
Book 1, Chapter VIII | 30:55 | Read by Becky Cook |
Book 2, Chapter I | 20:15 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter II | 11:33 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter III | 14:01 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter IV | 30:11 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter V | 14:04 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter VI | 14:09 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter VII | 11:32 | Read by Ric F |
Book 2, Chapter VIII | 29:19 | Read by Rachel Triska |
Book 2, Chapter IX | 28:29 | Read by Rachel Triska |
Book 3, Chapter I | 13:08 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter II | 19:56 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter III | 20:08 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter IV | 24:43 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter V | 14:05 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter VI | 15:55 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter VII | 14:06 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter VIII | 14:10 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter IX | 24:26 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter X | 18:28 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 3, Chapter XI | 16:55 | Read by Ann Boulais |
Book 4, Chapter I | 6:09 | Read by Christine Blachford |
Book 4, Chapter II | 21:04 | Read by Christine Blachford |
Book 4, Chapter III | 30:05 | Read by Christine Blachford |
Book 4, Chapter IV | 13:10 | Read by Ruth Golding |
Book 4, Chapter V | 14:57 | Read by Ruth Golding |
Book 4, Chapter VI | 26:52 | Read by TriciaG |
Book 4, Chapter VII | 24:51 | Read by TriciaG |
Book 4, Chapter VIII | 16:25 | Read by TriciaG |
Book 4, Chapter IX | 5:48 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter X | 11:55 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter XI | 9:51 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter XII | 10:20 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter XIII | 16:06 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter XIV | 5:35 | Read by BenW |
Book 4, Chapter XV | 16:50 | Read by Amy Benton |
Book 4, Chapter XVI | 16:15 | Read by Amy Benton |
Book 4, Chapter XVII | 34:48 | Read by TriciaG |
Book 5, Chapter I | 25:42 | Read by Iskander Shafikov |
Book 5, Chapter II | 38:11 | Read by TriciaG |
Book 5, Chapter III | 5:05 | Read by Kristine Bekere |
Book 5, Chapter IV | 21:57 | Read by Ric F |
Book 5, Chapter V | 9:28 | Read by Ric F |
Book 5, Chapter VI | 11:02 | Read by Ric F |
Book 5, Chapter VII | 12:17 | Read by Philippa |
Book 5, Chapter VIII | 8:54 | Read by Kristine Bekere |
Book 5, Chapter IX | 11:24 | Read by Kristine Bekere |
Book 5, Chapter X | 6:25 | Read by Philippa |
Book 5, Chapter The Last | 13:08 | Read by Kristine Bekere |
Reviews
Engrossing Story
TriciaG
I found the story very engrossing - Book 5 was hard to "put down"! Well written, compelling story. The readers were acceptable (it's a group project), with no one too difficult to understand. I didn't really appreciate the special effects (echo voices) in the dream scene of book 5 chapter 1, but others might like it.
Vanessa W
good thing that the the story was so enthralling and captivating since some of the readers were absolutely pitiful, to say the least
needs editing
Nick D
it could be an exciting story, but it has too much padding. a modern editor would cut a quarter of it out. but the main problem is the different readers who pronounce the place names and the names of the characters differently. I struggled at times to understand who was being talked about because all the readers pronounce the names as they see fit. Why not agree in advance a common pronunciation for the characters and places?
Great book
Julie
This book turned out to be much more interesting than anticipated! The readers weren't terrible, for the most part. The special effects in Book 5, chapter 1 added interest. This book is definitely worth listening to, especially if you're a history lover like me. :)