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Summary: Arguably the greatest work of Scandinavian literature
Review: If one reads no other novel by a Finn, one must read Waltari's "The Egyptian." It is arguably the greatest work of Finnish literature in much the same way that Dvorak's New World Symphony is arguably the greatest work of Czech music. Each brings a national influence to what has essentially been an international masterpiece from its very inception. An American bestseller for a period after its first publication in English, The Egyptian has remained stubbornly popular throughout Europe with every new generation of literate readers.Mika Waltari was a prolific and versatile writer whose historical fiction, of which The Egyptian is the premiere and defining opus, treats the great turning points of world history with a voice and perspective that bring to mind the sweep of a James Michener, the gently ironic familiarity of a Mark Twain, and the authorial presence of a William Faulkner. The Egyptian ostensibly relates the autobiography of Sinuhe, a baby boy found in a basket among bullrushes who rises to become a doctor and advisor to pharaohs, during the coming of age and regency of the pharaoh Ekhnaton, who attempted to overturn established religions and replace them with a new one worshiping a new god. (Waltari contrives to make this element of the plot vaguely suggestive of the birth of Christianity more than a millennium later.) Through his travails and his travels, Sinuhe meets people of all stations of life in many areas of Egypt and its neighboring countries, informing us on many details both grand and minute of ancient Egyptian life and history. But the true genius of The Egyptian is that it is really not about Egypt or ancient times at all. Rather it is about every nation and every civilization, every people in every time in every place of the world. It is about each of us readers, the joys and sorrows of our own lives, and about the social and governmental institutions to which we find ourselves subject. He records with dispassionate clarity the entire spectrum of human and social behavior, from the most exalted of aspirations, emotions, and deeds to the most debased, in himself as unflinchingly as in others. Whoever we are, wherever and whenever we live, we cannot help but recognize ourselves and our own times. Most endearing of all is the voice in which Sinuhe addresses us. By turns grave and common, earnest and witty, naïve and sly, it cannot be captured in a brief review. However, this personal translation from Finnish of the opening paragraph may provide a taste: "I, Sinuhe, son of Senmut and his wife Kipa, am the author of this work. I write not to glorify the gods, for I am weary of gods. I write not to glorify pharaohs, for I am weary of pharaohs' deeds. Rather for my own sake do I write this. Not to flatter gods, nor to flatter kings, nor out of fear, nor out of hope for the future. For I have experienced and lost much in the years of my life, and am untroubled by trivial fears; and I am weary of the hope of immortality, as I am weary of gods and kings. Only for my own sake do I write this, and in that respect I believe that I am different from all other writers past and future." [Paragraph excerpted and translated under fair usage provision of international copyright law for the purpose of literary review.] If I could carry with me through life only a single novel as an enduring source of inspiration and sound perspective, I would mourn the loss of many others - but I would choose The Egyptian.
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Summary: David P.Toth Bratislava,Slovak Rep.
Review: I dont know what to say but the book vas just amazing my brother told me to read this book about 11 years ago i remember it vas just great i couldn't just stop once i get into this book i remember my momm calling me David the lunch is getting cold close the book. but it vas long time ago The EGYPTIAN & all the other books from Waltari i read in foreign language but i vill love to read them again in english .Sorry maybe i made lots of gram mistake but i thing books of Waltari were and are still great in any age &you are still learning from the old times even in the 19century anyvay i love egyptian history and all abaut it
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Summary: it should be read at schools ,everybody should read it once
Review: As I already said:this is a masterwork that should be read at least once(and be sure you'll read it several times.Sinuhe has all the steps achieves and mistakes that a human being might have in its life.Is a book to review or tu acude to again in many circumstnaces of life:if you don't re-read it, BE SURE YOU'LL REMIND SOME SINUHE'S PART....AN ETERNAL BOOK INDEED...
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Summary: ¿Puede haber algo mejor?
Review: Nos encontramos con uno de los mejores libros jamás escritos, que manera de narrar una historia tan maravillosa como lo es Sinuhe, aquel que no la haya leído todavía no puede considerarse un lector con criterio. Sinuhe ha sido el parte aguas, después de este egipcio, la novela histórica y todo aquel que la leyó cambió para siempre.
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Summary: one of my favorite books of my whole life
Review: Mika Waltari is, so far, the only Finn whose books I've read. Besides Sinuhe, the Egyptian, I've also read Turms, der Unsterbliche (Turms, the Immortal), Johannes Angelos, and Kuka Murhasi Rouva Skrofin (who murdered Mrs. Skrof). My favorites are Sinuhe and Johannes Angelos, but the others were good, too. I'm now reading Komisario Palmun Erehdys (Inspector Palmu's Mistake), which is a sequel to Kuka Murhasi Rouva Skrofin. Sinuhe, the Egyptian, is really typical, I think, of Waltari's historical novels. It's really neat how he provides an interesting history of Egypt, but still writes a really good novel at the same time. I like Waltari's heroes because they always learn the hard way about women and honesty. I think he's just as cynical as I am, maybe more so from his longer lifetime experience which he had. I have the impression that most people only care about his historical portrayal of Egypt, but I think it's the story and the sad irony which makes it one of my favorites.
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Summary: This is my favourite book
Review: I liked the wisdom and experiments of life about Mika Waltari. I also like the history, so it is my favourite book. I' ve also read Johanes Angelos and The secret of the country (VALTAKUNNAN SALAISUUS) and two other short stories. They are very good!
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Summary: What A Blast!!!!!
Review: And poor me always thought that historic novels were dry and boring.... Mika Waltari's excellent adventure "The Egyptian" changed my mind forever. The reader gets a vivid picture of ancient Egypt, life like characters, historic details, and a good adventure, too! To make this short, I recommend "The Egyptian" for all those, who are even modestly interested in history.
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Summary: A classic!
Review: Simply delicious! What a pleasure to read something so entertaining and educational. If you are interested in ancient Egypt, but have never thought about the other contemporary civilizations, you'll love this. Mr. Waltari does a beautiful job of describing everyday life in ancient Egypt, but then takes you far beyond it's boundaries. And a thoroughly entertaining story, to boot!
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Summary: Well written book of fiction on ancient egypt.
Review: Micha Waltari has taken historical fiction to a point of genuine art. The characters he describes could fit in any period of time, but
he folds them into the culture of ancient egypt
as delicately as the papyrus that Sinua, the physican wrote the story of his life. Every aspect of our nature is depicted in this work of
art: love, hate, fear, passion, war, incests, nothing is left untouched. Written so tastefully
that its almost hard to believe its fiction
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Summary: The Most Accurate Overview of Late 18th Dynasty History
Review: As a young adult, I read this book and was instantly transported, launching a lifetime interest in ancient Egyptian history. I have re-read it through the years (the original copy to tatters!) and have ever been entranced and enthralled each and every time. As an armchair Egyptologist, I found this book to be amazingly accurate and fascinating. Mr. Waltari's research on the subject was flawless, and even 50 years later reflects current thought on the 18th Dynasty's religeon, politics and day to day life. A must read for anyone interested in ancient times, in Egyptian history, in a man's incredible life.
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