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Summary: Loved this book!
Review: This was the second Mika Waltari book I have read-the first being the Wanderer. I found this book to be better than the Wanderer which I also loved.
The detail of this story is amazing. You actually beleive you are in Egypt!
A must read for anyone who loves a great, great book.
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Summary: An Excellent Book!
Review: I'm generally not a lover of historical novels but I loved this book. I could not put it down. I literally lost sleep reading this book because I just HAD to know what happened in the next chapter. This book can be enjoyed as either a historical novel or just as a great story. The book is visually descript and puts you there in a time long ago. It's worth the read and can be read again and again.
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Summary: Of Men and Gods
Review: Thebes, the Nile, the pyramids sitting in the background: the setting for this remarkable novel of ancient Egypt. Told through the eyes of the physician Sinuhe, this is a dramatic recounting of one of the most unsettled times of this nation, as Amenhotep IV, self styled as Akhenaton, attempts to throw out all the old gods (and their associated priesthoods) and install in their place his vision of a single god, Aton, a new version of the sun god Ra. Sinuhe is a finely drawn character. We follow him from childhood through his initiation into the priesthood and physician's school, and his first infatuation with a 'noble' lady - a lady who strips him of all his wealth, even down to selling his foster parents' home, a rude introduction to the adult world for Sinuhe. Beggared, with a price on his head, he is forced to travel to other countries, Syria, Babylon, Crete, in fact most of the 'known' world of that time. From this position, Waltari presents a comprehensive portrait of the lives of both the rich and poor, noble and slave, the various cultures and religions that held sway at that time. Throughout these travels, he maintains a very positive engagement with the maturing Sinuhe, showing how the events of his life drive him towards a philosophical viewpoint that is partially in accord with Akhenaton's vision of a brotherhood of all mankind, a man prone to a certain amount of romanticism, but more and more leavened with a sense of hard practicality. When he finally returns to Egypt and becomes enmeshed in the political swirl of events surrounding the Pharaoh, it is as a significant player, with a viewpoint that enlightens both the promise of the Pharaoh's dream and the actions that others, from Horemheb to Nefertiti, feel are necessary to save the kingdom. Waltari has adopted a style that consistently evokes the sense of living in that time, a little distanced from the directness of most modern novels, but where the sights, the scents, the people, the attitudes, the living style of that time leap out from the page. Along the way, he presents a tremendous amount of detail that, if presented in a standard history book, would be deadly dull - but here it is a very necessary part of the engrossing story. The level of medical arts displayed by Sinuhe may surprise some people, but just about every procedure described in this book is well documented as being in use at that time. Just as detailed are his descriptions of a society where social mobility was not just possible, but common - again defying the impression many have of an Egypt that was totally caste locked. Battle techniques and weapons, city architectures, sailing prowess, trading policies, clothing, even the Egyptian mummification procedures all are carefully presented, each piece both historically accurate and necessary to the story. A fine novel of character, a careful representation of the historical period, and a quietly underplayed depiction of one of the early battles between monotheism and polytheism which provides more than enough material for careful rumination. Not many historical novels approach this one in terms of readability, engagement, or accuracy - a book that literally makes its chosen time and place become alive. --- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
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Summary: A magical historical novel
Review: Mika Waltari's "The Egyptian" tells us the story of one physician of ancient Egypt, Sinuhe, set against the background of the reign of the fourth pharaoh Amenhotep, whose attempt to impose monotheism on his polytheistic country was one of the strangest and most fascinating experiments of early civilization. Sinuhe is a foundling, adopted by a lowly physician, and in the tradition of ancient times, trained to follow in his adopted father's footsteps, coming of age at the same time a decisive event is about to take place: the death of the reigning pharaoh, Amenhotep III, around 1380 BC, and the accession of his son, Amenhotep IV, who styled himself Akhenaton. Sinuhe is a loner and a wanderer, whose self-imposed exile from his native country takes him to Syria, the ancient Hittite kingdom of Hatti, and Crete, before finally returning to Egypt, at the same time that Akhenaton attempts to overthrow the reigning god Ammon and his priests, and install his own vision, Aton, the one and eternal god, in Ammon's place. As a political move, trimming Ammon's power in Egypt may have been a wise idea; the priests' power had grown so great that it was challenging that of pharaoh himself. But as a religious experiment it was a disaster, especially in a country as rigidly conservative as ancient Egypt where change of any kind was anathema. We see Akhenaton as a visionary out of touch with reality and with his people, a tragic figure doomed to failure. And we share Sinuhe's ambivalence about this enigmatic figure, intrigued by pharaoh's vision of one just god who brings equality to all mankind, but repelled by the spreading social chaos this vision brings with it, especially when it threatens his own security and the lives of those he loves. Waltari bring us some of the people that have only existed in the pages of history books -- Akhenaton himself, his incredibly beautiful wife Nefertiti, his scheming, conniving mother Queen Taia, the boy king Tut, and Horemheb, the military general who became pharaoh after Akhenaton's death plunged the country into near anarchy. But "The Egyptian" fortunately doesn't read like a history textbook; Waltari makes ancient Egypt and his characters come vibrantly alive. And Sinuhe himself is wholly believable; a man of his own time and all time, sometimes wise, sometimes foolish in the extreme, trying to find his own place in his world, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not. Waltari is not only a great novelist but a fine historian, and he kept the background scrupulously accurate. The book is true to its time and its location, and Naomi Walford's excellent translation into English keeps the reader moving along effortlessly from the first page to the last. "The Egyptian" is Waltari's masterpiece; it's one of the best historical novels ever written.
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Summary: This Book Doesn't Grab Your Attention, It Kidnaps It!
Review: I first encountered this enchanting masterpiece at my local library when I was in ninth grade. But as is often the case with the most beautiful treasures we find on the road of life, I didn't realize this novel's true value when I first clapped eyes on it. Already, I was a teen in love with Ancient Egypt, and when I saw the title on the spine, that instantly caught my interest.But when I skimmed it over, I was confused. The prose was so unlike anything I'd read before and seemed to have a lot of "dead spots" which bored and alienated me. Plus, when I looked at the author's name, I thought it was Japanese, not Finnish, which made me assume "Great, I bet this book was written by some dude halfway around the globe who's never set foot in a major museum or even picked up a good, solid, book on Ancient Egypt."So I decided that I could go find a better book that wasn't some impossible puzzle to figure out. Well, to paraphrase a quote by Lord Meren, The Eyes And Ears Of Pharaoh,(and the star of a brilliant mystery series himself,)"Nathan, you have the wits of an oryx."I'm a freshman in college now, and I've had the great luck to once again, find this novel in our vast library by chance. Now, I'm much wiser. Now, I appreciate the lyrical style of the archaic writing. Now, I see how epic this book truly is.I adore didactic novels, ones that both teach as well as entertain, and are so rich with detail that you feel you're in that person's head. Many of the ones I've read however, as much as I enjoy them, have just one slim barrier between you and the full experience. It can be difficult after all, to get a reader emotionally involved.But Waltari did that and more. There were times as I read, that I felt so sorry for Sinuhe that I got teary-eyed. I consider myself a manly man, but the last fifteen pages or so dealing with the love of his life, Minea, and the cruel end she met didn't just break my heart, it shattered it.And there were occasions when I got so furious at some totally moronic thing he did, especially when I felt certain that he'd know better this time, that I wanted to shout out "You blew it again, you dumb dodo bird!" and just throw the book across my dorm room.I marveledatHoremheb'sstrength,determination,levelheadedness, and cunning. I was also dismayed at his ruthlessness, bloodlust, and sometimes cold nature.I laughed at the hilarity displayed by Sinuhe's one-eyed slave Kaptah, was amazed at how sly and wily he was, and was moved by his gentleness and loyalty.I fell madly in love with the incomparably beautiful Nefernefernefer, and still can't get the image I have of her out of my head. I'd definitely call her "my sister" and start dating right away. But beware, 'cause her body burns worse than fire, as our protaganist found out the really hard way. In fact, it would be a very good idea to listen to the song Poison by Bell Biv Devoe a few times if you want to know what Nefernefernefer's real nature is like. If I were you I'd take precautions...... As I read this book, I was right there to see the heretic king Akhenaton cultivate his religion of the Aton, and usurp the priesthood of Amun along with myriad other deities to form what he honestly thought would be the beginning of a brand new day of peace, solidarity, bliss, and advancement for Egypt. And it made me wonder if perhaps, just perhaps, the king I dismissed as a screwloose iconoclast obsessed with his batty religion wasn't such a screwloose after all.Finally, as I finished this book, I felt that I'd learned a lot, and not just about Ancient Egypt. No, it was that exsistence itself can throw us for a real loop, and we can't be certain of where our path will take us, but we must just keep trudging on.To read this novel shows that then as now, we are all human, and it's an inescapable fact that we each have powerful strengths as well as dismal weaknesses that DO affect the people around us in a very real way. At the end of our lives, some of us will have fallen by the wayside, while others will have soared as high as any eagle. But you know what? If you can look back on your life like Sinuhe and realize that you've lived your life for just the mere simple sake of it, then that's all that matters.I can't travel around like Sinuhe did, but I do know where I'm going to go after interim ends. To get my very copy of The Egyptian!!!
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Summary: Grand Entertainment
Review: About 1300 years before the birth of Christ, in what was then the greatest civilization in history, the new Pharaoh, Akhnaton, decreed that all gods were false, except for one, Aton. Aton was a god of peace, he said. He was a god who believed all men were created equal, even servants, and slaves, and people with black skin. He was a god who cherished even the lowly-born. Naturally, there was a great deal of resistance to Akhnaton's new decree, and the resulting chaos brought about his downfall, and almost spelled the doom of mighty Egypt. That fascinating bit of ancient history is the centerpiece of this great novel by Mika Waltari, but the novel is also much, much, more than this, and in fact gives us a dazzling, up-close view of the entire ancient world as it existed thirty-three centuries ago. The story is narrated by Sinuhe, a doctor, trained in the temple of Ammon, the predominant Egyptian god of his youth. His skill and luck bring him into contact with the most powerful men of Egypt, one of whom asks him to travel through the nations of the known world, in order to determine their strengths and weaknesses. With him we visit bizarre Syria, opulent and decadent Babylon, austere and fierce Hatti, the land of the Hittites, and finally artistic Crete, with its own share of barbaric, cruel customs. All of these places are fascinating, and the author gives us loads of detail. It is then back to Egypt, where he shares with us the Akhnaton adventure, and the political intrigue that surrounded his reign. We get to meet Horemheb, the general who succeeded him, and also, surprisingly, King Tut, who was pharaoh for only a short period of time, and who died at the age of eighteen. Sinuhe plays an integral part in the proceedings. But his own story is quite interesting as well. His first love leads to the ruination of his family. His greatest, life-long love was a Cretan girl whom he met in Babylon. (She was the victim of a shipwreck.) And then there is the beautiful, mature saloon-owner whom he comes to love in his later life. All come to a tragic end. The author really brings ancient Egypt to life, more so than any other novel I've read. There is the taste of the beer and wine, his description of the "black earth" of the river valley, the grandiose monuments, horrific desert chariot battles, religious rites, gods and goddesses, barbarism, unusual sexual customs, Akhnaton's new city, and the House of the Dead. It is marvelously rich. It is also very wise. Akhnaton, for example, when told that the Hittites are massing at Egypt's northern border, suggests that Egypt disarm to show the Hittites that the they are a peace-loving people! What a fool! And how interesting that the author predicted Jimmy Carter thirty years before he came to office! (Of course, there have always been and there always will be political naifs.) Here is Sinuhe, sadly reflecting on Akhnaton's altruistic desire for equality and brotherhood among men: "Even were the time to come when there would be neither poor nor rich, yet there will always be wise and stupid, sly and simple, for so there have ever been and ever will be." Inevitably, the peace Akhnaton seeks to achieve leads to war, and the brotherhood he seeks to impose leads to civil strife. This is a terrific, fast-moving, wise and well-written novel, loaded with interesting historical tidbits. It very much reminds me of another great novel having to do with a vanished civilization: Aztec, by Gary Jennings, which was quite popular a few years ago. Both are great, and deserve wide audiences.
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Summary: There's no book like this one
Review: I always thought I was the only one who had read thi sbook, no one I know knew of this book, till I met my literature teacher who loved it so I kindly lend her my book and never returned it, I was crushed 'cos I couldn't find another one, till I came here, and remember how I flet about the book. I was 12 the first time I read it for my english class, and let me tell you that I loved it, I was amazed about Sinuhe's life, I'd never read a book before, and this one caught my eye, now I can't stop reading it, it's a part of my life now, you just can't put it down, no matter how many times I read it i just can't stop, and I always find new things, and well, you just have to read it to know. But Mika Waltari did an amazing job.
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Summary: The best book I have ever read!
Review: I first read this book when I was a girl junior in high school. That was in 1967, which was 22 years after it was written. I just finished reading it again and love it even more. I am 53 now and have read many novels but none compare to my favorite book, The Egyptian. And now that I am older I have come to appreciate the complexity of the characters, their sorrows, their joys, their virtues and vices even more. The writting style is rythmic and lyrical with ancient language like the Songs of Solomon. Yet the plot is easy to follow and the story is enthralling because it is based on historical events and people. I fell in love with Sinhue as a teenager and have yet to find a more strangely attractive male character in any other book. Sinhue is not a man of action, but a thinking man who loves deeply and is loyal and compassionate. Yet he is also flawed in a way that makes him all the more mysterious and vulnerable. His wiley slave Keptah, the love of his life, Minea, who dances before the bulls in her homeland of Crete, the Pharoah Anknaton, the princess Baketamon and many more characters both fictional and factual are skillfully created and come alive in the beautifully described setting of the ancient world. I was very gratified to read the other reviews. It seems I am not alone in my life long love of this magical novel. Read it because if you don't you will be missing something in life. But I warn you, no other book you read afterward will ever quite measure up to it.
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Summary: The Best Historical Novel Ever Written!!!
Review: I read this book many years ago.. Today it remains one of my all time favorites, and I love reading!!
This novel was the number one bestseller of 1949 and a movie was made of it.. My love of historical fiction comes from this book, it's PURE joy!!!!
Buy it now, buy it soon, but BUY IT and READ IT!! It does not get any better than this!
Sinuhe "The Egyptian" is Mika Waltari's best novel and possibly one of the best novels ever written! It has everything!
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Summary: This book is a treasure
Review: The first time I read The Egyptian I was nine years old. I read it, than turned back to the first page, and read it again. I must have read it over forty times. It was the first thing I read in the morning and the last thing I read at night; and in between, it followed me to every meal and trip to the bathroom. Sinuhe was my first crush, and Egypt was my first love. I just read it again, fifteen years later, and it was like no time had passed at all. I was worried that the book would have lost some of its luster and spell-binding charm, but all the feelings I experienced in childhood came flooding back, and new ones emerged.
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