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Summary: Destined For Greatness: Ramses and Christian Jacq
Review: I was skeptical about this book when I first read the title because the story of Ramses is one that has been told before and my first thought was what more can be sucked out of this name; but I was pleasantly surprised. This version of Ramses' life is extremely different from the stories that most kids hear in history classes. The rulers of Egypt in this book are much more humane and warm-hearted than true history reveals and the characters take on a spiritual sense that is usually spotted in the heroes of Christianity. Although I read this story through the eyes of a Christian, I was still able to take the story for what it was worth: entertainment. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I am in suspense to see what our protagonist will have to overcome or not overcome in the following sequels. Christian Jacq has outdone himself with an imaginative and adventurous recreation of the story of the boy who was destined to be pharoah and ruler of Egypt.
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Summary: Cartoonish
Review: I would agree with the other 1-star reviewers when I say that this book is utter rubbish. Apart from the thin plot, poor writing style and erroneous historical facts, my biggest gripe is with the characterisation. The characters are so simplistic as to be cartoonish. Each is either a "goodie" or a "baddie" and as such it is impossible to become engaged with them. I thought it pertitent that Ramses should have a friendly, amicable lion as a pet, as at the time I had been comparing the novel to the Lion King and other great Disney cartoons!
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Summary: A Wizard of Earthsea
Review: If you like fantasy, A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin, is an enjoyable read. Le Guin creates a mystical world of wizards, dragons, heroes and villains, where a young boy, Duny, grows into a man and a wizard. After saving his village from mauraders, Duny is given his true name, Ged, and leaves with the Mage Ogion to gain the knowledge to fulfill his destiny. When Ged's pride leads him to unleash the evil shadow, he must face himself and his fears to restore the balance he has upset. A Wizard of Earthsea is fun for those who enjoy entering a world where anything is possible, however, the story is predictable and at times tedious. Le Guin inundates the reader with the names of the various islands, mountains and seas in which the story takes place. It becomes rather like a Geography lesson as one follows Ged on his journeys. Le Guin is exhaustive in her descriptions and histories of the people and places that comprise Earthsea.
Because A Wizard of Earthsea is at times a tedious read, I would not recommend it to readers who do not enjoy fantasy. For those who do, A Wizard of Earthsea, and the remaining books in the series, will be a pleasurable excursion into a world of wizards and magic.
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Summary: A Popular European Best Seller
Review: Known as a popular European bestseller, especially in France where author and Egyptologist Christian Jacq heads the Ramses Institute for the preservation of endangered archaeological sites, Ramses: The Son of Light begins a five-volume fictional biography of the great, long-lived pharaoh. Court intrigue, Egyptian religion, and mysticism form a backdrop to the interactions between real and plausible characters from throughout time and space in the ancient world.
Most of ancient history is viewed through a Greco-Roman type of eye. In Ramses: the Son of Light, Helen of Troy visits Egypt where she laments that she lacks the courage to kill herself. Jacq's Helen has hated her husband since the beginning. Now that the Greeks have destroyed Troy, she fears over the treatment she'll suffer in Sparta at Menelaus' hands. But eventually she realizes that she, too, can enjoy the comparatively privileged status of Egyptian women. While Helen's visit may be recorded in legend, Homer's presence in Egypt alongside Helen and Menelaus goes against current dating of the writing of The Iliad and The Odyssey. Homer isn't even blind initially, but capable of seeing the Egyptian beauties around him while he smokes a sage pipe, drinks aromatic, spiced wine, and writes his epics.
Moses and Ramses, taught together by the scribal teacher and Ramses' brother-in-law, Sari, are great friends. The remaining members of their scribal cohort and central characters in the series, are the snake-charmer, Setau, Ramses' devoted sandal-bearer, Ahmeni, and the diplomat, Ahsha. Future pharaoh Ramses' family consists of the current pharaoh, Seti, his Great Wife, Tuya, Ramses' elder brother, an overweight, conniver named Shanaar who believes he should be the next pharaoh, and Ramses' older sister, Dolora, the wife of the scribes' teacher, Sari.
King-making, the basic plot, ties together all the characters with Egyptian culture, magic, and religion. Ramses must undergo a series of tests, including surviving a divine, all-encompassing flame without knowing what he will win if he passes. Meanwhile Shanaar does everything he can to line up the leading families on his side for the inevitable showdown between him and his younger brother.
Black and white, good and evil, the plots and characters are entertaining. Jacq provides glimpses of life for various craftsmen in ancient Egypt as well as a sense of the respect and power of pharaoh; a divine incarnation. Like the first showing of a mini-series, Ramses: The Son of Light leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next.
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Summary: Oh, well...
Review: My first review was vaporized by internet demons, but here is a less elegant reconstruction...
I wish Mr. Jacq had decided to write for the intelligent worldly reader and not dumbed down his stories for the average person. There is little historical accuracy in the storyline, although Mr. Jacq reveals his familiarity with the history with enticingly accurate tidbits such as place names, person names, and ancient religious rites. Why, if he is so well educated in the field, was Mr. Jacq not simply not accurate? For example, Nefertari had more than one child, and Rameses was quite, shall we say, prolific, in the field of fathering. And what is the Moses story doing here? Where is the proof?!?!
I DID read all 5 books. The stories were quite compelling in the same manner that a daytime soap opera might be (middle-school level reading and lots of romance and intrigue). Interestingly, I am also now quite diverted from my usual Anglophilic historical fiction. I eagerly anticipate the new Tutankamen Exibition coming to my area this spring.
On another note, if one reads the 5 books with today's world political status in mind, one finds interesting parallels in 2004 A.D. (or is that C.E.?)
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Summary: Great for students, especially High School
Review: Ramsees: The son of light(vol 1) is a terrific book for adults and teenagers alike, but it is especially good for teenagers because they are on the verge of adulthood. The author takes alot of time in describing characters, in physical appearance and personality. This lets the reader incorporate themselves in the novel and pick up on their character traits as well as the character traits of others, as compared to Ramsees and his friends. The book also explores spiritualness without making the characters superhuman or unbelieveable as other books about ancient Egypt do. This book is good for anyone on the verge of maturing to adulthood, as well as those who are already adults and need to mature a little more. It shows that everyone starts out as a child, but we all grow up and mature eventually, whether it be in family relationships, friendships, or educational experiences.
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Summary: Ramses Son of Light Reading
Review: Ramses is the fictionalized life of one of Egypt's great pharaohs. The characters in this story are vivid and unique. Jacq does a good job brining the world of ancient Egypt to life. The reader is transported to another time through the travels of young Ramses as he begins to learn what being a pharaoh and an Egyptian means. The author introduces you to a group of young people going through the struggle of learning their place in the world that is not unlike the toil that today's young adult's encounter.
I enjoyed reading this book. It is not terribly taxing on the brain yet you feel like you haven't wasted an entire afternoon that you will never regain. Through Ramses' discussions with his father Seti, the reigning pharaoh, I gained an interesting view of another culture. Egyptian life is not as primitive as I first imagined. This book made me take a look at my own assumptions of ancient Egyptian culture.
The book was also interesting from the perspective of our Judeo-Christian bias. One of the characters in the book is a famous biblical figure. I have read the bible story many times but reading it from the side of the Egyptians was enlightening.
Ramses Son of Light: Volume I is the first in a series, as its name implies, so at the end of this you feel like there are problems yet to solve. I just didn't expect the book to end so abruptly. I was worried about this being a translated book. Jacq is French. I did not, however, have that disjointed feeling while reading that you sometimes have reading translations. This is a good book to take on vacation for some light, enjoyable reading.
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Summary: Ramses
Review: Ramses: The Son of Light is an interesting work of historical fiction, especially for anyone who may be the slightest bit intrigued by ancient Egypt. Christian Jacq does a wonderful job of narrating ancient Egypt to his readers.
Ramses: The Son of Light begins the ancient tale of Ramses by giving a fictionalized but believable account of Ramses' growth from childhood to manhood. This volume introduces Ramses, his stolid and enigmatic father, Seti, and even Moses, the Hebrew hero. Ramses evolution is conveyed as he learns to be pharaoh from his father's sage instruction and mysterious tests, evades the duplicity and attacks on his life orchestrated by his older brother, the heir apparent, Shanaar, and explores love with the beautiful Iset the Fair and the feminine Nefertari. The story, though long and extensive, is fairly fast-paced and dramatic, capturing and retaining the reader's interest for the duration of the tale.
Jacq possesses a free-flowing, simplistic diction that aids the progression, with a style more fluid than a comparable writer who is more verbose and circuitous. His language is relatively laconic, which, ironically adds to the story since the characters are generally more inclined to reticence. The setting changes relatively rapidly, each sub-chapter seeming surprisingly succinct despite the plethora of unspoken information conveyed within each.
Ramses is an enjoyable read, especially for anyone interested in either historical fiction or in ancient Egypt. As a historian, Jacq is qualified and skillful in capturing and translating the lost civilization in a way that is accessible to contemporary readers.
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Summary: I was disappointed by the entire series
Review: the series promises much more than it can deliver. there is very little plot development and character development. Ramses is the pharoah-to-be, a morally upright if brash person, and all the people who are against him are evil, the ones for him are the good guys, who have their personal flaws. i agree with the author of the review "Just Missed the Mark", that somehow, without good reasons given, Ramses always seems to come out on top no matter what happens and despite of all the plotting of his enemies. he's THE only one invincible, morally-upright, just, caring guy with the gods-given authority to lead. no one else gets to win, just Ramses. this series disappointed me. an encyclopedia could have been more exciting.
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Summary: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh Comes to Life
Review: The young Ramses stared the bull in the face. He was afraid. The bull was so fierce. The young prince turned to his father, Seti I, for help. "You're sending me to my death", cried the young boy. The pharaoh responded "You must become the light of your people, shining like the sun. You were hidden in my hand like a star; today I am setting you free. To shine-or to vanish!" Thus would begin the long and vibrant career of Egypt's greatest pharaoh. The first of a five-volume set, Christian Jacq's novel of the life of Ramses the Great begins with the king's early life in Egypt. The supremely confident prince thought he was certain to succeed his father to the Horus Throne, but he was the only one who did. His brother, Shanaar, was the designated heir and he was jealous of his younger brother. His teacher said his name isn't even mentioned in court circles. He was told to leave town. Yet the prince was driven toward power and would never settle for anything less. He had a friend who felt the same way. A fire inside him driving him toward something great. That man was Moses. Even at a young age he began questioning the gods and was troubled by dreams he couldn't understand. Life would not be easy for the young prince. He would face many obstacles that would put his life in danger. His father was an enigma to him-leaving him to believe he was testing him for greatness and then abandoning him. If he was the Son of Light he would have to battle the forces of darkness and they would come from people very close to him. In ancient Egyptian culture the pharaoh was the protector of ma'at, the protector of order. To prove he was worthy of the honor he would have to prove it in the great battleground of Egypt. It would be order against chaos; light against darkness; and those storm clouds would gather threatening to consume the light before it had a chance to shine. Christian Jacq weaves together an exciting tale, based on the life of Ramses II of Egypt. This was the time of Moses and we're introduced to him as a young teenage friend of the Prince. It was also the time of the battle of Troy and in Greek mythology Menelaus and Helen were forced by a great storm to the shores of Egypt. Jacq even has Homer conversing with the Crown Prince sharing his stories and philosophy with him. Finally, there is the living pharaoh, Seti I, who is seen as the gentle and wise ruler imparting his wisdom to his son. It is an exciting beginning to what promises to be one the ancient world's most gloriest of times.
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