I was pleasantly surprised by this book. My friend had a hard time getting through it, so I wasn't sure if I'd like it. But, since it was set in Capri I decided to give it a try. Maybe it's because I read this book while vacationing in Santorini, I loved it!! There are a few parts where the writing is pretty terrible and relatively pointless; you should really brush up on you Greek mythology to stay on point. I liked the character development and I loved the setting. I had a good time trying to picture the villa, grotto, and tunnels. It's a very romantic setting with a bit of mystery surrounding the missing scrolls. I thought this book would fly by as have other books I've read by Goodman. Maybe it was because I read it during my wedding weekend and often at night after I'd had champagne or wine, but I just couldn't get into it. I kept having to go back and re-read parts of it. I didn't really feel invested in the discoveries at Herculaneum. Why did I care about a 17-year-old slave who probably died in 79 AD? Why did I care about Ely or Elgin? Or Simon, for that matter. The characters were pretty weak and many story points seemed unnecessary (like the baby plotline added nothing to the narrator's back story or the nuns comments about Agnes, which was probably meant to be a clue to her upbringing but seemed a weird element to highlight). A big thing with me was the translations.... They certainly read like they were written in current-day vernacular. Even if translated by someone in the present-day, I would have expected a little more old-style language.The ending was good, it was just a long time coming and I was more relieved to come to the final pages because it was over.Note: I originally gave this 3 stars but in thinking it over, I gave it 2. I have higher expectations of Goodman, although I do have to say that I enjoyed a book of hers that wasn't set in upstate New York or revolved around a lake and swimming.
What do You think about The Night Villa (2008)?
May have sparked the Classical Archaeologist in me: ancient villas, rituals, and mystery.
—ravon12
I really enjoyed the book as a whole, the history, archeology, mystery.
—fadedstar27
