Nefertiti
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Review
Compulsively readable! - Diana Gabaldon
Ki Longfellow, author of The Secret Magdalene
"A provocative portrait of limitless power in an ancient land of
limitless fascination." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
limitless fascination." --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
59 of 64 people found the following review helpful
An Iconic Queen forever fascinating - a powerful novel of one of the most dramatic times of ancient Egypt
2 April 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having recently seen the famous bust of Nefertiti, part of the Ägyptisches Museum Berlin collection and currently on display in the Altes Museum my interest in the most famous Queen re-emerged. I could not resist buying this novel. And what a powerful novel that is.
Once you start reading it is very hard to put this book down. It is well written, rich with details and not only Nefertiti but a whole area of Egyptian history becomes alive, an area of a religious revolution. Palace intrigues, struggles for power and happiness, religious fights and domination capture the reader instantly. The story is told by Mutnodjmet, the younger half-sister of Nefertiti. Yes, it is a bit like "The Other Boleyn Sister" in this respect, but otherwise both books are only comparable as they intrigue readers from page one.
While in reality much is unknown about the descent and life of Nefertiti, Michelle Moran places Nefertiti and her family in a plausible way. I like especially that she does not creates Nefertiti and Akhenaton as the great romantic couple, but shows the Queen as a beautiful, but power-hungry, manipulative woman and arrogantly blind to the troubles arising. This is the arrogance of the powerful which ever so often is the cause for their downfall . Nefertiti is not the one you like, but still one finds her fascinating. Pharaoh himself shows all the signs of a religious fanatic, dangerous then as today.
All in all this is a book you should not miss. I enjoyed every page of
Once you start reading it is very hard to put this book down. It is well written, rich with details and not only Nefertiti but a whole area of Egyptian history becomes alive, an area of a religious revolution. Palace intrigues, struggles for power and happiness, religious fights and domination capture the reader instantly. The story is told by Mutnodjmet, the younger half-sister of Nefertiti. Yes, it is a bit like "The Other Boleyn Sister" in this respect, but otherwise both books are only comparable as they intrigue readers from page one.
While in reality much is unknown about the descent and life of Nefertiti, Michelle Moran places Nefertiti and her family in a plausible way. I like especially that she does not creates Nefertiti and Akhenaton as the great romantic couple, but shows the Queen as a beautiful, but power-hungry, manipulative woman and arrogantly blind to the troubles arising. This is the arrogance of the powerful which ever so often is the cause for their downfall . Nefertiti is not the one you like, but still one finds her fascinating. Pharaoh himself shows all the signs of a religious fanatic, dangerous then as today.
All in all this is a book you should not miss. I enjoyed every page of
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a great historical novel inspired by Nefertiti's life and reign. The story is narrated by Nefertiti's younger half sister, Mutnedjmet and it starts from the time Nefertiti married prince Akhenaten and ends with the beginning of Tutankhamun's reign, after her death. The narration is captivating as it unfolds all the ambitions and struggle for power within the royal household. The characterization of both sisters is excellent and in depth, although more emphasis is given to Mutnedjmet. The youngest sister is presented as a quiet personality, with complete lack of ambition and a desire for a happy life away from the palace. Whereas Nefertiti, is seen as an ambitious and spoiled queen with an unsatisfied need to be adored and remembered for all eternity, but also as a very insecure woman, a protective mother and a loving sister.
Apart from the fascinating characters, the author has captured the atmosphere of ancient Egypt; the images of all the places and the art are fantastic and the descriptions of everyday life are very well researched and vivid. However what I loved most about the book were the descriptions of all the herbs Mutnedjmet used, and the way the significance of herbal medicine in ancient Egyptian society is presented.
Although not a professional Egyptologist, I have an interest in ancient Egyptian history, so I suppose I can see why some people might be annoyed by the many inaccuracies of this novel. And indeed there are a lot of inaccuracies, the most obvious is the fact that Mutnedjmet, wife of Pharaoh Horemheb is unlikely to be the same person as Mutbenret who is believed to be Nefertiti's sister, also little evidence supports the theory that Nefertiti changed her name and ruled on her own after Akhenaten's death. In addition, as new evidence constantly emerge, some theories that were considered correct at the time the novel was written, are now proved to be incorrect, such as Tutankhamun's parentage. However, this is neither the biography of Nefertiti, nor a historical research on her reign; it is fiction, and as such it is wonderfully written and highly enjoyable. My only objection is the use of the modern name Amarna for Akhenaten's city, instead of the original Akhetaten; without the original name, his intention to build a new city for the glory of Aten is not clear, and that is a little confusing.
Nefertiti is probably the most famous ancient Egyptian queen, and this lovely book took me to a time gone by and gave me a glimpse of Nefertiti's life, however inaccurate it may be. Highly recommended!
Apart from the fascinating characters, the author has captured the atmosphere of ancient Egypt; the images of all the places and the art are fantastic and the descriptions of everyday life are very well researched and vivid. However what I loved most about the book were the descriptions of all the herbs Mutnedjmet used, and the way the significance of herbal medicine in ancient Egyptian society is presented.
Although not a professional Egyptologist, I have an interest in ancient Egyptian history, so I suppose I can see why some people might be annoyed by the many inaccuracies of this novel. And indeed there are a lot of inaccuracies, the most obvious is the fact that Mutnedjmet, wife of Pharaoh Horemheb is unlikely to be the same person as Mutbenret who is believed to be Nefertiti's sister, also little evidence supports the theory that Nefertiti changed her name and ruled on her own after Akhenaten's death. In addition, as new evidence constantly emerge, some theories that were considered correct at the time the novel was written, are now proved to be incorrect, such as Tutankhamun's parentage. However, this is neither the biography of Nefertiti, nor a historical research on her reign; it is fiction, and as such it is wonderfully written and highly enjoyable. My only objection is the use of the modern name Amarna for Akhenaten's city, instead of the original Akhetaten; without the original name, his intention to build a new city for the glory of Aten is not clear, and that is a little confusing.
Nefertiti is probably the most famous ancient Egyptian queen, and this lovely book took me to a time gone by and gave me a glimpse of Nefertiti's life, however inaccurate it may be. Highly recommended!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am undecided about this novel. The story is set in an interesting period which in itself makes this an enjoyable read but there were quite a few fundamental flaws with this book. I won't go into what the story is about as other reviewers have already done that.
The characters were very bland. Nefertiti was quite clearly the 'bad' character with very few redeeming characteristics. Mutnodjmet was the 'good' character who never lies and always helps other people. There was very little character development and this made the story feel repetitive - Nefertiti does something horrible, Mutnodjmet gets angry but doesn't do anything about it and then eventually forgives Nefertiti without every telling her off. This became quite frustrating as Mutnodjmet keep saying how manipulative Nefertiti was and then kept letting herself be manipulated. There was no complexity which was an issue because they were the only two characters that ever did anything. Also, Nefertiti was meant to be this amazing woman in Egypt yet in the book she just appears to be a selfish, childish girl whose only real talent was seducing men.
The style of writing is very simplistic, it's almost childish. I think this could easily be a young adult read as opposed to an adult book. There is only one story line and no real attempt at sub-plots so the story is very linear.
The history in the book was not overly accurate but personally I don't mind about this. I appreciate all historical novelists take liberties here and there and Moran explains this in the back although I know that some people prefer history to be followed more closely. I feel that the changes made the story flow faster and made the read more enjoyable overall.
Despite these flaws I still found the book enjoyable. It covers a fascinating period in history and doesn't get bogged down in too much historical fact. The characters are likeable enough and there is enough going on to make you want to find out what happens next. It's an easy read and perfect for the morning commute or a rainy day in but it's not going to change your life.
The characters were very bland. Nefertiti was quite clearly the 'bad' character with very few redeeming characteristics. Mutnodjmet was the 'good' character who never lies and always helps other people. There was very little character development and this made the story feel repetitive - Nefertiti does something horrible, Mutnodjmet gets angry but doesn't do anything about it and then eventually forgives Nefertiti without every telling her off. This became quite frustrating as Mutnodjmet keep saying how manipulative Nefertiti was and then kept letting herself be manipulated. There was no complexity which was an issue because they were the only two characters that ever did anything. Also, Nefertiti was meant to be this amazing woman in Egypt yet in the book she just appears to be a selfish, childish girl whose only real talent was seducing men.
The style of writing is very simplistic, it's almost childish. I think this could easily be a young adult read as opposed to an adult book. There is only one story line and no real attempt at sub-plots so the story is very linear.
The history in the book was not overly accurate but personally I don't mind about this. I appreciate all historical novelists take liberties here and there and Moran explains this in the back although I know that some people prefer history to be followed more closely. I feel that the changes made the story flow faster and made the read more enjoyable overall.
Despite these flaws I still found the book enjoyable. It covers a fascinating period in history and doesn't get bogged down in too much historical fact. The characters are likeable enough and there is enough going on to make you want to find out what happens next. It's an easy read and perfect for the morning commute or a rainy day in but it's not going to change your life.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Great book
I have just finished reading this book and I would definitely recommend it and I cannot wait to start on her 2nd novel. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Toby
Nefertiti
This is a gift for Christmas and as I have not read it I cannot say anything about it.
The service was good though and I received the book very quickly.
The service was good though and I received the book very quickly.
Published 6 months ago by Ab
An excellent book and author
Nefertiti is a real page turner, full of intrigue and with lots of twists and turns and with the historical content it makes for an excellent book - One of the best I've ever read. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Picasso
Entertaining
Writing historical fiction set in the Eighteenth Dynasty, ancient Egypt, is a challenging endeavour and difficult to deliver. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Toni Osborne
Beautiful book about a beautiful queen
Michelle Moran's novel tells the story of Queen Nefertiti, the wife of the controversial ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Akhenaton, who attempted to impose his own religion onto his... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Claire Lewis
A Must For Every Ancient Egypt fanatic
Well I must say I throughly enjoyed this book especailly as it's the first novel I've read of this sort, and the first one I've read from beginning to end in a while. Read more
Published 11 months ago by IheartEdwardCullen&chocolate
top rate book
Great read, i did not want to put it down. This book has made me want to find out more about Nefertiti.
Published 11 months ago by Mrs. W. M. Marlborough
A must for all ancient Egyptians
I love anything to do with ancient Egypt and this novel about the most beautiful woman in the world is a must
Published 12 months ago by Leon's Nanna
Dreary Egypt
For me, a good book is like soup: there are certain ingredients required for it to be a success. These include a well constructed plot, three dimensional characters, narrative pace... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Sentinel
Hypnotic and Historically Charming
This book is beautifully crafted, with a strong and heroic main character, painting vividly what the Royal Egyptian family succumbs to in the heretic reign of Nefertiti and... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Anon
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