Gods Behaving Badly

By: Marie Phillips

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Being immortal is not all it once was. Yes, the 12 Greek gods of Olympus are alive and well in the 21st century, but they are crammed together in a London town house - and are none too happy about it. Even more disturbing, their powers are waning. For Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator), and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic), there’s no way out - until a meek cleaner, Alice, and her would-be boyfriend, Neil, turn their world literally upside down.

When what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills, Alice and Neil are caught in the cross fire, and they must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed - but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

Gods Behaving Badly is that rare thing: a charming, funny, utterly original first novel that satisfies the head and the heart.

©2007 Marie Phillips (P)2008 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

"Fanciful, humorous and charming, this satire is as sweet as nectar." (Publishers Weekly)

Fun Classical Immersion

Great use of the Greek gods in a fun, fun story. Neil and Alice are well-drawn characters with a great sense of love and friendship. Narrator is excellent, voicing each of the gods with their unique personality and delivering a real sense of restraint and decorum to Alice and Neil. Loved it.

One of the funniest books I've read in a LONG time

One of the funniest books I've read in a LONG time! Take Christopher Moore and Jasper Fforde and D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths, shake well with 21st century London, add a dash of Adam & Eve Hot Chat and voila! Brilliant! Mere mortals Neil and Alice find themselves caught up in The Pantheon sorting out their own relevance in the modern era and off we go!

What a hilariously naughty romping great read!

Would you listen to Gods Behaving Badly again? Why?

The story is a superb cant on the daily activities Roman Gods and their effect on the human populous. I have listened to this story about five times since I bought it and still immensely enjoy it every time.

What did you like best about this story?

Marie Phillips puts together a superb story of bitter Gods who have fallen on hard times, and how the arrival of a simple housekeeper creates a butterfly effect that literally encompasses Heaven to Hell. To top off the mayhem, the housekeepers newly found boyfriend uncovers some disturbing information about these Gods and steps up to try and help rectify all.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

Rosalyn Landor performs a myriad of distinct voices that brings the characters' persona from black and white into technicolor. Super job.

Hilarious bash at the Greek Gods in modern times!

What made the experience of listening to Gods Behaving Badly the most enjoyable?

Writing and narration were equally commendable. Marie Phillips has a great sense of comedy and Rosalyn Landor knows just how to deliver it, with a bit of class and subtlety.

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

There were many great characters and she performed each of them distinctly and to full effect. Apollo may have been my favorite, but her renditions of Aphrodite and Alice were both very effective as well.

If you could rename Gods Behaving Badly, what would you call it?

Its title is a perfect summation already. Why change it?

Any additional comments?

I'll definitely look for more books by both the author and narrator.

Enjoyable!

Loved the concept, and execution of the story. Quirky and sweet, the main characters are a bit overstated, but in a comedic way. The narrator wasn't my favorite at first, but adds a goofy value when you get used to her.
I definitely recommend it!

Meh

There are worse ways to spend a few hours. It beats watching TV at least.

Delightful fantasy

My first thought when I started to listen to this book was that the author deserved at least 3 stars for coming up with the idea of the old Greek Gods alive and living, if not well, in London. The reader does an excellent job and I thought it was one of the more delightful books I have listened to in a while. Perhaps not as good as "A Dirty Job" but the first half was funny enough to have me laughing out loud as I listened.

The second half was more serious, but a change was probably needed to get the characters out of the situations they were in after the first half.

All in all I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to listen to something light and who is willing to suspend belief enough to consider a world where one Greek god has become a Christian and where others act as a collection of spolied children. I thought it was great.

slow to start with a strong finish

Slow start, but it really picks about about half way through and is great from there.
Perfect for people who loved mythology growing up or even for those Percy Jackson fans who have grown up a bit.

Very amusing!

It's a new twist on an old story! Reminded me a little of wicked. The narrator was very entertaining. I especially liked that the gods didn't act very god-like. All of their gifts and talents had turned into burdens!

Wonderful wonderful book!

This book is so well-written, so clever & witty, I can't believe I just stumbled across it. The author has since published another - Audible, please add it, using the same narrator!
Excellent fit between narrator & material.
Loved it, want more!