Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16757 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-02
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

Spectator
'very funny'

The Bookseller
`A sheer delight from the very start...an impressive debut'

The Daily Telegraph
'What makes the novel stand out - and it really does stand out -
is its originality and lightness of touch.'

Customer Reviews

Gods behaving pettily
The basic premise of the story is simple: imagine if the Greek Gods were still living, or existing, in a decrepit house in Islington. They are the same squabbling, bickering, incestuous family that myths were made of, but their powers are waning and they are entirely disregarded by the mortals that they consider so unimportant. Their powers and responsibilities remain true to history, but Phillips has given them appropriate, modern jobs; gorgeous Aphrodite is a phone sex worker while her attention-seeking nephew and lover Apollo plans to make his debut as a TV psychic. Due to various revenge plots, a mythic quest ensues after a mortal cleaner with a would-be boyfriend is employed to restore some kind of order.

After Artemis meets a surprising tree, the narration initially follows various characters to establish their role. Phillips acutely conveys the boredom the gods are enduring by showing the mundane nature of even supposedly exciting moments and suggesting that one character's revenge on another might be `swift and no doubt deadly, but at least it would pass the time.' The introduction of the human characters seems dull in comparison; this may be intentional, to suggest that their humdrum lives need livening up. Indeed, although they like each other, they seem barely able to admit this to themselves, let alone each other. Their circumspection is almost irritating and it is through their later involvement with the gods that theirs becomes an epic love story.

Drawing on events and roles from mythology, Phillips drops hints and updates the details of the gods' lives throughout the novel. Her style is easy to read and follow, until poor Athena, who is the goddess of wisdom but fails to communicate her brilliant ideas to the others since, as Artemis notes, `wisdom and clarity are not quite the same thing'. Many turns of phrase are amusing but ultimately the humour of the novel is drawn from the twists and turns that result from character interactions and conversations: Alice's response to Apollo's elaborate description of life in ancient Greece; a guard's puzzled response to Neil; the way Artemis announces her presence and role to the same guard.

Although this is a very humorous and often enjoyable tale, it is not a particularly meaningful or exciting one and seems unlikely to stick in the mind. The ending itself, without giving away any details, removes all possibility of real tragedy and seems undeveloped. A good beach read, but there is nothing here to really challenge the mind.

it's the end of the world as we know it
With Dawkins, Hitchens and Gray et al getting stuck into religion of late it's thankful that fiction writers have the opportunity to lighten the tone somewhat. Remember those Greek Gods for example, whatever happened to them? In Marie Phillips comic debut novel they're alive and well. Well, not so well actually; and not so much alive as immortal, but certainly living in London and struggling to find a place in a world that doesn't believe in them anymore.

Apollo is a TV mystic, Aphrodite a telephone sex worker and Artemis a professional dog-walker (hunting and chastity having taken a bit of pummeling in the 21st century). The family now live in a dilapidated house in north London and the simple fact of the matter is that their once great powers are waning. Apollo's insatiable appetites will set in motion a series of events that will put the very future of life on earth at risk as he causes conflict amongst his fellow deities. As Aphrodite says 'All gods do revenge' and just as in the past it is us humans who are left counting the cost as collateral damage whilst the gods spar. Mild mannered Neil and the object of his affection Alice, a cleaner hired by Artemis, will become a modern day Orpheus and Eurydice, journeying to the underworld (via Angel tube station) and back again in their efforts to be together and save the world into the bargain.

Phillips has a lot of fun placing the classics in a modern world. Some work better than others and this is a fairly light comedy rather than a biting satire of modern life. Ben Stiller's production company have reportedly snapped up the rights for a TV adaptation. It's been quite a journey for Phillips herself who was working in a bookshop not so long ago but is now travelling the world promoting this novel. One might almost suspect divine intervention.

Another refugee problem
Alice Mulholland, although armed with a linguistics degree, is a cleaner. She likes things neat and tidy - she's almost obsessive about it. Sacked from a job, she's convinced by her friend Neil to go freelance. Her seeking work brings her to a dilapidated house in an otherwise suitable neighbourhood. Greeted - and hired immediately - by an austere woman named Artemis, she enters a new life. The house in Islington is inhabited by refugees from Mount Olympus, where Artemis once hunted, Zeus ruled and the world seemed a happier place. Now, in this run-down place, they eke out something of an existence while staying mostly out of sight of the mortal world.

In this hilarious account of how the gods interact and what that might mean for us, Marie Phillips depicts their lives in stark detail. Artemis the huntress now walks dogs for busy clients. Aphrodite, that stunningly beautiful personification of lust, is a telephone sex worker. Zeus and Hera haven't been seen for twenty years. Apollo, ever restless, wants to restore his power, but is prevented from some of his more exotic actions by an oath to harm no more humans. Good thing, since he punishes those who reject him. That's almost lucky for Alice with whom he falls madly in love - with a little prompting. Alice, however, is a "nice" girl and wants nothing to do with him. She has Neil - in a manner of speaking - and wants to remain loyal to their tenuous relationship.

Phillips has crafted an engaging story of sibling rivalry, thwarted and waning powers and a touching love story. We have been led away from the idea of our gods being human-like, she reminds us. Perhaps we need something to restore that affiliation and return to what we have lost. First, of course, we must re-ignite that belief. What kind of events might lead us to do that? In Phillips' hands, the answer is vividly clear. We need to be confronted with what we had and find reason to return to it. Her prompt for that reason is innovative, to say the least. Apollo, never receptive to being thwarted, is bent on satisfaction - if not one kind, then another.

One of the gods, Eros, is straying from the fold. He thinks there might be something in Christianity. He's in the process of "converting", although the Olympian Family has serious doubts Jesus ever actually existed. He's learned about "guilt" - without which Christianity couldn't exist - and forgiveness, although he's still in the dark about how it works. He has a chance to try out his new-found skills when a problem arises - mostly over Alice, but much of the Olympian Family's internal rivalries are also involved. The issue becomes critical when the fading powers of the deities are put to the test. Those who know their mythology will recognise much of the solution, but even the knowing will be surprised by how Phillips brings about the resolution. This book almost cries out for a sequel. Read it and find out why. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]