Gods Behaving Badly

In Gods Behaving Badly we find out that the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece are living among humans in a crumbling London house. Their powers aren't what they used to be and they are generally bored with their current existence. We are also introduced to Alice, a mortal cleaning woman, and her friend Neil...also a mortal. They become entangled in the lives of the immortal ones and a classic Greek tale ensues.

This book has been on my "to read" list for while. I've been interested in the Greek gods for years now, pretty much since I saw Disney's Hercules in 8th grade. That is probably why I was a little disappointed in the book overall. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. I guess that is just a hazard of building up expectation based on nothing but my own ideas of how things should be.

It took me awhile to get into the book, which always makes me impatient. I generally want books to grab me right off the bat. The first half is interesting enough, but didn't completely catch my attention. I think I just wanted more from the gods and goddesses. They are all pretty one-dimensional since they aree basically the embodiments of what they have power over. For example, Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty) isn't much more than a sex-obsessed pretty face.

I also found Alice and Neil to be boring in the beginning, probably because they are both the quiet, mousy types. However, once they are dragged into the business of the gods they start to show a little more personality. Once all the drama and action kicked in, I did find myself reluctant to put the book down, so maybe I did enjoy it more than I think I did. Anway, I guess I'd recommend it for a fun and fluffy read, just don't expect much substance.

3.5/5 Stars