Displaced Beachbums

I won the book, gods behaving badly written by Marie Phillips, in a giveaway by Books on the Brain. What a treat. It arrived while I was reading the Twilight series so it got put to the side until I finished with those books.

Summary of the book: 12 Greek gods, with waning powers, living in modern day London, all cramped into a dilapidated house they’ve lived in since 1665. The gods are bored, cranky and petty. Add in 2 mortals in a race to save humankind and you’ve got a very interesting read. Not only did I get a good chuckle, but it sparked an interest in re-learning my Greek mythology. I recognized the well known gods i.e. Apollo, Aphrodite, Artemis, Ares, etc. But there were a few I had to look up. Click here if you want a refresher of  The Olympians.  My favorite is Artemis (goddess of hunting) with Dionysus (god of wine), who owns a sleazy bar called Bacchanalia, being a close second.

Each god has a job that coincides with their talents. Artemis is a dog walker and is always on the look-out for a dog with some feistiness left in him/her. She’s thrilled when she finally gets to tangle with Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades (god of the underworld).  Here’s a passage about Artemis’ search for a “real” dog:

There were dogs all around, on leashes, and Artemis tried to catch their eyes, hoping to detect some wolfish spark, some indication that they knew their heritage, but they were all the same – fat, lazy, dull. There was no point. No true dog would allow itself to be tethered to a human anyway.

Apollo (god of the sun and a gift of prophecy) has a TV psychic show, Aphrodite (goddess of Love and Beauty) is a sex phone operator.  And so it goes.  The power of belief  is a main theme of the book, but be warned, there are several unsettling comments “against” Jesus and God which comes from the point of view of the gods.  In the end, the book is a light farce and a romantic comedy.

After reading the vampire series (4 books) and about the Greek gods, I’m in serious need of a more realistic novel. Any suggestions for a “feel good” story based in reality?