Egypt4u

[face=Comic Sans MS]Which work of fiction best conjures up images of Egypt for you?

One of the best for me is Barbara Erskine's Whispers In The Sand which I read shortly before taking my first visit to Luxor and doing a Nile cruise.[/face]

Whispers In The Sand
Recently divorced, Anna Coburn decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey her great-grandmother, Louisa, a renowned artist, made in the mid-nineteenth century – a Nile cruise from Luxor to the Valley of the Kings. Anna carries with her two of Louisa's possessions – an ancient Egyptian scent bottle, and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has lain unread for a hundred years.

As she follows in Louisa's footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful love story from the Victorian past, and the chilling, more distant secret of the little glass bottle. Meanwhile, two men from the tour party are showing a disturbing interest in these mementos, and developing an unfriendly rivalry for Anna's attention. And, most frightening of all, Anna finds herself the victim of a haunting, a spectral presence that grows in strength and threat as the dramatic stories from three different eras intertwine in a terrifying climax...

I quite liked that one too Hepzi.

But my all time favourite has to be "River God" by Wilbur Smith, I just love the book and the story line and no matter how hard I try I always have to stifle a bit of a sob at the end!

River God
Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed... Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished crown.

City of Thebes. The Festival of Osiris. Loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader, but Taita – a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave – sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom's fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud young army officer, whose father was betrayed by Lord Intef, Chief Vizier of Egypt whose power is second in wealth only to the Pharaoh.

Tanus and Lostris are deeply in love, but unbeknown to them, their union is an impossibility. Taita is the slave of Lord Intef. It was Intef who had Taita gelded as a young boy after he found that he had slept with a young slave girl. Together Taita, Lostris and Tanus share a dream – to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.

Through the voice of the incomparable Taita, Wilbur Smith draws the reader irresistibly into the daily lives of his characters: their hopes, their fears, their passions.

A glorious civilisation. An epic journey. A heroic battle. An enduring love. Here is a magnificent, richly imagined saga that explodes with all the drama, mystery and rage of a bygone time ...

I like all of Wilbur Smith's Taito series. And for an idea of Egyptian life, the Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz can hardly be beaten. The last Egyptian novel I've read is The Yacoubian Building, which was also extremely enjoyable.

I am with Stan on this one I really enjoy reading the Wilbur Smith trilogy about Taita an Egyptian eunuch priest. He very skillfully weaves actual events such as the Hittite invasion into his story lines. The books are: River God, The Seventh Scroll & Warlock.

Must agree with Hepzi on this one. Fantastic book couldn't put it down. She also did a short stories book it was okay but not a patch on "Whispers in the Sand". It not only told you a little bit about modern day Egypt but took you right back in time when Egypt was in its prime. It just seemed to talk to you and when Anna is reading her ancestor's book on Louisa you could just picture yourself in her place

Just wish I was there at the moment

Horus wrote:I am with Stan on this one I really enjoy reading the Wilbur Smith trilogy about Taita an Egyptian eunuch priest. He very skillfully weaves actual events such as the Hittite invasion into his story lines. The books are: River God, The Seventh Scroll & Warlock.

You forgot one Horus - the final one came out last year and was called The Quest.

LivinginLuxor wrote:I like all of Wilbur Smith's Taito series. And for an idea of Egyptian life, the Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Mahfouz can hardly be beaten. The last Egyptian novel I've read is The Yacoubian Building, which was also extremely enjoyable.

[face=Comic Sans MS]I haven't read any Wilbur Smith for many years so maybe it's time I put that right. Other people have recommended Naguib Mahfouz to me and also The Yacoubian Building - looks like a big order going into Amazon this week.[/face]

You would enjoy Wilbur Smith Hepzi, I can read his 'Egyptian' books over and over. I also enjoyed your choice of 'Whispers in the sand' The rest of the books on Egypt that I've read are all factual so if there are any more to recommend, let us know

Goddess wrote:

Horus wrote:I am with Stan on this one I really enjoy reading the Wilbur Smith trilogy about Taita an Egyptian eunuch priest. He very skillfully weaves actual events such as the Hittite invasion into his story lines. The books are: River God, The Seventh Scroll & Warlock.

You forgot one Horus - the final one came out last year and was called The Quest.

You are absolutely right there Goddess, as I was typing that post I said to Mrs H, an avid book reader "didn't we see another one in that series at the airport?" and she said no! I have just pointed this out to her and she said "Oh yes, now I remember, I have two copies" I would say something but she is reading this over my shoulder

Way to go Mrs H!
When will you gents learn - a laydee is never wrong!

That may be but I have just had a look in Mrs H's book collection and look at this! two bloody copies of each one I dare not ask her where the Seventh Scroll is, in case she goes out tomorrow and buys the hardback

Ahhhh! But cunningly look how they're all different! Obviosly there's one to read and one to keep for best!

I must confess that there's something similar going on in my cupboard! I blame my mum for that though.

Hopefully Mrs H is on Amazon now remedying the 7th scroll situation (I was none to keen on that one anyway - just felt like a bit of a time filler for Taita)

I can't say I liked the 4th Taita book. How do you say that - is it Tayta or Taeeta?? - If its the first one, that's another word for testicle where I come from! Makes you think every time you read the name eh? Oh the irony!!

Sorry, back to the point. I thought it had flown off into the realms of the absurd. I know there was a lot of pseudo-mysticism in the others and I liked all of those but "straw and camel's back" just came to mind with that one.

I also love Naguib Mahfouz books and I have a most beautifully bound omnibus edition of "The Cairo Trilogy", complete with tissue pre-frontispiece page and place-keeping ribbon. I love the actual book itself.

Another book I love is "Apricots on the Nile" by Colette Rossant. Its a memoir with recipes and the stories and recipes are both very evocative.

KJB wrote:. Another book I love is "Apricots on the Nile" by Colette Rossant. Its a memoir with recipes and the stories and recipes are both very evocative.

[face=Comic Sans MS]I'd forgotten about this book until you menioned it so I suppose it didn't have too much of a lasting impression on me. I recall enjoying it while I was reading it though and made a copy of many of the recipes. [/face]

KJB wrote:I can't say I liked the 4th Taita book. How do you say that - is it Tayta or Taeeta?? - If its the first one, that's another word for testicle where I come from! Makes you think every time you read the name eh? Oh the irony!!

Sorry, back to the point. I thought it had flown off into the realms of the absurd. I know there was a lot of pseudo-mysticism in the others and I liked all of those but "straw and camel's back" just came to mind with that one.

never thought of it being a tayter before! I always thought it was Tie ee ta.

Of the 4 books I only really like River God and Warlock, Didn't like the other two as much and only hang onto them in my cupboard just to complete my Wilbur Smith collection. Think he should have stopped at two in that series, but hey ho!

Another book that got passed around everyone up here was A woman of Cairo - can't remember if I liked it or not, and can't remember what it was about either!

Goddess wrote:Another book that got passed around everyone up here was A woman of Cairo - can't remember if I liked it or not, and can't remember what it was about either!

[face=Comic Sans MS]That's another book I'd forgotten I'd read, and although I remember bits of it I can't say it has made much of an imprint on my brain. I'd say it comes into my categeroy of 'good for holiday reading'.[/face]

A Women of Cairo by Noel BarberProduct Description - from Amazon
In Egypt in the turbulent years culminating in World War II, Mark Holt and Serena Sirry discover a love for each other that time, war and even the wrath of kings cannot destroy. Both trapped in loveless marriages, they are forced apart, but only Mark can save Serena when she is charged with murder.

I agree the Wilbur Smith egyptian books were great and I could read them over and over. Barbara Erskine Whispers in the sand was also brilliant ~ I dont think I have enjoyed any other stories as these 5 about egypt. The latest one I read was Nefertitti by Nick Drake. The book I really want to get a hold of is Abydos ~ Holy city of acient egypt but so far I can only find on Amazon and it is in the 3figures range!

HEPZIBAH wrote:

Goddess wrote:Another book that got passed around everyone up here was A woman of Cairo - can't remember if I liked it or not, and can't remember what it was about either!

[face=Comic Sans MS]That's another book I'd forgotten I'd read, and although I remember bits of it I can't say it has made much of an imprint on my brain. I'd say it comes into my categeroy of 'good for holiday reading'.[/face]

A Women of Cairo by Noel BarberProduct Description - from Amazon
In Egypt in the turbulent years culminating in World War II, Mark Holt and Serena Sirry discover a love for each other that time, war and even the wrath of kings cannot destroy. Both trapped in loveless marriages, they are forced apart, but only Mark can save Serena when she is charged with murder.

I read Woman of Cairo fairly recently and parts of it bored me beyond belief, I almost gave up on it! I found it to be too long, in fact the same story could have come across in half the number of pages.

Lisak wrote:I read Woman of Cairo fairly recently ......! I found it to be too long, in fact the same story could have come across in half the number of pages.

I think you may well be right there Lisak.

[face=Comic Sans MS]Probably why I think if it in the 'holiday read' section - my definition being that it wouldn't worry me if I left it by the pool and didn't find it again.[/face]

Thanks for that Lisak - think it's starting to come back to me now! It sounds like the one where I read a page, flipped a page, read a page, flipped a page!