Rating: Summary: A new rendering of the Mummy Review: The Mummy. We all watched it growing up. The book begins in Egypt in the 1920's with an archeologist on a dig south of Cario where they come across a great tomb and written upon it in three different languages dating thousands of years apart is a warning/curse that to disturb this tomb will wake it's occupents whose wrath cannot be contained. This is the resting places of "Ramses the Damned". We learn that Ramses ingested an immortality elixir which he took from the Hittites. Having grown tired, he sleeps for 1000 years when Cleopatra awakes him. He, of course, is in love with her, as were all the great men of the time. He offers her immortality, but instead she opts for sucide instead of being taken as a prisoner to Rome. He awakes in London almost 2000 years later. Ramses exhibits human natures and qualities and falls in love. Though he is enjoying his lofe, Ramses feels that he must avenge the death of the man that found his tomb and he must say to Egypt before he can start a new life. But while in Egypt he finds the body of his one true love. Read the book to find out what happens. This book is not your normal mummy story. I would have rated it 5 stars; but the ending is a bit open, suggesting a sequel.
Rating: Summary: Surprising Review: Having read all of Rice's Vampire Chronicles and New Tales of the Vampires, I decided to read this, one of her most famous books. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I got.The premise of the book is that Ramses the Great, a pharoah of Ancient Egypt, receives an elixir from a Hittite priestess that renders him immortal. He spends several centuries acting as an advisor to the Pharoahs, until he tires of his existence and goes into "hibernation" in a sealed tomb. He is woken a thousand years later by a young Cleopatra, whom he falls deeply in love with. However, she spurns his affection for Antony, and refuses his offer of the elixir, preferring instead to kill herself when her lover dies. A heartbroken Ramses seals himself into a tomb, never again wanting to see the light of day. (It is the sun which enables the elixir to work.) Skip forward 2,000 years to the Edwardian era, when the tomb is excavated by a British archaeologist, Lawrence Stratford. Ramses's mummy is removed to England, where it is displayed in the Stratford's sun-soaked living room. The action begins in earnest when Julie, the daughter of Lawrence, is almost poisoned by her dastardly cousin Henry. Ramses, who has already witnessed Henry murder Lawrence in his own tomb, staggers out of his sarcophagus to save her. So begins a sequence of events that leads the party back to Egypt, where Ramses encounters the unidentified corpse of his beloved Cleopatra in the Cairo museum, and finds himself compelled to commit an unspeakable act... The most surprising aspect of this novel is Ramses innate humanity. There is nothing even remotely evil about him. In fact, you'd be hard pushed to find a more likable fellow. This is why we find it so hard to reconcile the terrible folly he commits with his personality. The one fault of this book is the fact that nothing is actually closed off at the end of the book, we are left wondering what happens. However, this is explained by Rice herself in the Vampire Companion, when she tells us that there has always been a sequel meant for the book. I'll be waiting for it with bated breath.
Rating: Summary: Not her typical supernatural tale Review: I get a little annoyed with her vampire tales (though the first 2 books were good)..but finally she writes a tale where the characters can actually give in to the sexual tension. Sexless vampires - ick. But mega hot mummies.. a different story. This is worth reading more than once.
Rating: Summary: A GORGEOUS HERO.... FROM THE PAST Review: Ok, the book started off a little slow. But boy it sure quickened pase once Ramses came to life, thasts when the action started. The story was very well written, though I must say, I sure wanted alot more romance... I had to wait half way through the book for that....I do give it 5 stars, because the writer did a fabulous job. Not many wirters could have accoplished this fiet of egypt, mummy comes to life, falls in love, and is the hero!!!
Rating: Summary: A great Egyptian myth takes life and steals my heart! Review: Anne Rice does a GREAT job at bringing Ramses to life! She makes him so real, and so emotional, and I can feel his power and stature, almost see the way he holds himself with the grace of a king at her words. The story is interwoven with love and defintite heartbreak, all of which captured my heart. I read this book in the span of a few hours, I was up until about 4 in the morning reading it! I couldn't put it down! I definetly recommend it! I haven't been able to get into any of Anne Rice's books, but with this kind of talent I think I may go back and try a little harder...:) Enjoy!
Rating: Summary: A Feast for all Readers Review: "The Mummy" or "Ramses the Damed" is a text that never loses its ability to hold your attention-with every read your imagination becomes sharper and the story becomes your own. "The Mummy" easily transports the reader from the heat and superstition of Egypt to England (a land rich in its own customs and beliefs). It is one of the few books that I have read at least ten time that still manages to exicte me. It is a book that I doubt will ever come off my reading list. Within its compact pages one finds intrigue, murder,history and passion; all the necessary ingredients that make a book sumptouse. To anyone who is an avid reader of historically based text this book is a definite treat, and for anyone who just likes a good book 'bon apetite'!
Rating: Summary: A Classic Page-Turner Review: My roommates practically demanded that I read this book, though I was quite reluctant to do so because I had previously read another book of hers which I did not like at all. I was completely blown away by this book...the plot, the characters, the setting. All the characters were well written and well developed. I felt myself become overcome with a need to continue reading and finished the book within the week. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you are not an Anne Rice fan. I will certainly try out some of her other novels after this one and hope that a sequel to tell the story of Cleopatra will follow.
Rating: Summary: Anne's Best Book Ever Review: I absolutely loved this book. It is by far her best book ever. Vivid and imaginative! Engrossing from the first chapter. A great book for a first time Rice reader.
Rating: Summary: Not her best, but still rather good Review: While this book was entertaining to read, it felt more like a bedtime story. I guess I was mislead when it was classified as a "horror" novel. I expected more horrific material, but instead I got a novel where Anne Rice spent a very good portion of the book developing the characters, and leaving the good stuff till the last 3-4 chapters of the book. I felt the book was a bit slow up until the end. The whole time while reading the book I wanted to rush and hurry through to the end in hope that things would get more exciting. However, the book was rather sensual in a dark way, very typical Anne Rice. By the end, I wished that I was Julie. There is definitely a romantic twist in it, which adds a nice touch, but not very fitting for a "horror" novel. All in all, I'd say it was a good novel that's worth reading, but she can and has done better. It's more of a borrow-it-from-a-library rather than buy-it-to-own-it-book (unless it's the cheaper small paperback version).
Rating: Summary: They call it horror... Review: Anne Rice has an incredible knack for making her reader both fear and desire her deliciously wicked heroes. While Ramses is not of the same dark vein as her more popular Vampire Chronicles, it most definately has its own flair. Ramses the Damned is a bit easier to read than some of Rice's other non-sequential tales, and it is easier to get into the plot. The details are richly textured, with attention the historical accuracy. Few authors can use our own morals and instincts against us as Rice does. She makes us identify with the hero, as any good author should, but she also confuses our moral code by making our hero a less than saintly being. Persons who are easily confused about their ethics may find Rice's work too disturbing, but it is their loss for being unable to open their minds. This book is remarkable.
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