- Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Warner Books (Nov 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0446673560
- ISBN-13: 978-0446673563
- Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 2.2 x 20.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 3,198,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
This title is the first in a series of five novels chronicling the life of Egypt's greatest pharoah, Ramses II. The story opens with Ramses aged 14 years. His father, Sethi, has created a powerful empire and favours Ramses as his successor, rather than Ramses' scheming older brother, Chenar.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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The wild bull froze, staring at young Ramses. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
The wild bull froze, staring at young Ramses. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've resisted reading Christian Jacq's books for several years now - put off by the single line "reviews" printed on the cover. According to Graham Hancock (better known for his TV series and book concerning lost civilizations drowned at the end of the last Ice Age) writing for the "Daily Mail" this book is "funny and exciting, full of drama, romance and intrigue and extremely hard to put down." No it isn't. But the most misleading line is taken from the "Literary Review" which tells us that "Historical fact combines potently with a vivid imagination." So let's dispose of the "historical fact" first. While co-regent some time before 1279 BC Ramses and Egypt are visited by Menelaus fresh from the Trojan War with Helen in tow. Unfortunately the Trojan War is now placed at sometime between 1210 and 1190 BC. "Well," you might say, "give the author a break - this is a work if fiction after all." OK - lets give him that one. But what is completely unforgivable is that Menelaus is also accompanied by Homer who wasn't born until around 800 BC. Worse still is a conversation between Ramses and Homer in which the blind bard admits "....I can't stand sailors. The howling wind and the waves don't inspire me either." This from the man who would write "The Odyssey!"
Which brings us to how the author handles his characters in the book. The short answer is that he doesn't. All the characters are cardboard cut outs, while the dialogue reads as is it is written by a badly educated fourteen-year old. Seti, the Pharoah of Egypt and father of Ramses, is a mystical figure with a nice side line in water-dowsing and the ability to forge "psychic links" with other people. Why authors like Jacq and Wilbur Smith think that the ancient Egyptians were inherently mystical is beyond me - too much time spent watching Hollywood rubbish one must assume. Ramses is a brave young man who values loyalty above all else and is wise beyond his years. Moses (oh yes, I forgot to mention that the great biblical patriach also lurks about in the book as well)is a driven individual searching for some great truth.
To sum up - a mismash of half-baked garbage peddled by new age "mystics", with a "plot-driven" format pushing cardboard cut out characters through an historical landscape that never existed. The "Daily Mail" on the front cover urges us to "Go out and buy this book" - don't, you'll save yourself a great deal of needless irritation.
Which brings us to how the author handles his characters in the book. The short answer is that he doesn't. All the characters are cardboard cut outs, while the dialogue reads as is it is written by a badly educated fourteen-year old. Seti, the Pharoah of Egypt and father of Ramses, is a mystical figure with a nice side line in water-dowsing and the ability to forge "psychic links" with other people. Why authors like Jacq and Wilbur Smith think that the ancient Egyptians were inherently mystical is beyond me - too much time spent watching Hollywood rubbish one must assume. Ramses is a brave young man who values loyalty above all else and is wise beyond his years. Moses (oh yes, I forgot to mention that the great biblical patriach also lurks about in the book as well)is a driven individual searching for some great truth.
To sum up - a mismash of half-baked garbage peddled by new age "mystics", with a "plot-driven" format pushing cardboard cut out characters through an historical landscape that never existed. The "Daily Mail" on the front cover urges us to "Go out and buy this book" - don't, you'll save yourself a great deal of needless irritation.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I love the Ramses series. It's true though that this book alone is a bit bland. I have read 4 of the 5 books in the series and I couldn't stop. Some might be disappointed with this book and ignore the rest, which is a shame because the next book is far, far better.
Format:Paperback
Have meant to read this series for ages and am now doing so - just as good as I expected!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
great!
great reading! bought the book over a year ago and didnt start reading it until a week ago. i wish i had read the book much much earlier. i didnt want to put the book down! Read more
Published 19 months ago by Goddess110
Really bad historical novel series; poorly written & researched
When I picked this series up and read Mr Jacq's credentials I really expected a lot. Instead these are the worst BY FAR ancient Egyptian historical novels I've ever read, and I've... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2008 by gilly8
Disappointing
So much for the hype - the book is ultimately very lightweight. Characterisation is paper-thin, and events come and go with little description and reader involvement. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 1998
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