Egyptian Dreams

Daniella · Priest Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 803 Location: Canada

Hey, the book I just finished reading last night is called "River God" by Wilbur Smith. It is an amazing book, I cried my eyes out when Tanus died. Well, anyways at end of the book the auhor wrote that this was based on actual events writen by the slave Taita in the 1700's B.C. Is this true?

anneke · Queen of Egypt Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 9305

No it is not based on real scrolls left by a slave Taita.

The story is set in the second intermediate period and the invasion of the Hyksos. There is some evidence that the Egyptian ruling houses may have moved south, but I don't think they ever went into exile in Ethiopia.
I think they may have moved to Thebes?

That period is not very well understood. It would be fantasic if we would find some scrolls describing some of the events of the time, but so far no such luck for as far as I know.
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anneke · Queen of Egypt Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 9305

Forgot to ask: Are you planning on reading the second and third part of the trilogy?

Smith also wrote "The Seventh Scroll" and "Warlock".

Part 2 is set in modern times but I really enjoyed that one.
Warlock (part 3) is back in ancient times but a bit too hocus pocus for my taste. Fun to read (don't get me wrong Smile

) but not anywhere near as good as the first book.

You made want to go read the book River God again Very Happy

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Daniella · Priest Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 803 Location: Canada

Threre is a used book store by my appartment where I got the first book, so I will check to see if the other books are there, I'm interested in reading them.

Quote:

'You made want to go read the book River God again'

Well, I'm glad to hear that, it's a good book isn't it? Very Happy

anneke · Queen of Egypt Joined: 23 Jan 2004 Posts: 9305

Yes I loved the book the first time around. I got a couple of my friends to read it, and eventually my relatives in Holland even read the whole trilogy in Dutch Smile

I have some memory that sticks out for me which includes a pretty detailed description of what the romms of Lostris look like. I will have to look it up. I think it included a descriptions of baths and running water...
Hope I'm not confusing it with another book, but I don't think so.
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Daniella · Priest Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 803 Location: Canada

No, you're right it was this book. Yeah, Taita made an ancient 'toilet' for his mistress, the stool had a hole in it and there was like a little canal running underneath it so when you did your business it would run right on out of your room. Lostris even happily demonstrated it to the Pharaoh Mamose. Laughing

kmt_sesh · Posted: Tue May 10, 2005 12:50 am Post subject:

Daniella · Priest Joined: 23 Mar 2005 Posts: 803 Location: Canada

kmt_sesh · Posted: Wed May 11, 2005 10:56 pm Post subject:

Osiris II · Vizier Joined: 28 Dec 2004 Posts: 1752

What did you think of Pompeii, kmt_sesh? I thought it was soooo cool! It really made you feel as if you were there during the eruption and the things leading up to it, of which mst people seemed to be unaware.

By all means, read Elizabeth Peters! The trials and tribulations of her characters, Amelia, her husband Radcliff, and their son, Rameses are wonderful! Be sure to read them in order, so you'll understand what's happening. If you order through Amazon, check out the recommendations--someone will have a list in order!

kmt_sesh · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 12:36 am Post subject:

I really enjoyed Pompeii and would recommend it to anyone. I'm not even very interested in classical Rome and bought the book thinking it was a history of the city of Pompeii and its destruction. We have a large Pompeii exhibit at the Field Museum coming up in October, so I thought I would start reading a bit about the history of the city. I read it anyway and was glad I did. You're right, you really get the feeling of the time and place. I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm sure I'll end up reading some of Peters's books, though I don't know if I'll read them all. There are a lot of them!
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Diorite · Posted: Thu May 12, 2005 3:09 am Post subject:

Pompeii, is this the recent book about the guy who maintained the aqueducts? The story was so-so. The best part was the geologic research the author had done.

Diorite, volcanophile, too

kmt_sesh · Posted: Fri May 13, 2005 1:46 am Post subject:

I recently purchased Ghosts of Vesuvius, by Charles Pellegrino. My coordinator at the museum recommended it and was interested in Pellegrino's geological details about the lead-up to the eruption. Neither he nor I care much for Rome, but he swears by this book. I look forward to reading it.
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akhenaten · Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2006 9:24 pm Post subject:

[quote="anneke"]No it is not based on real scrolls left by a slave Taita.
quote]

I'm not altogether sure about that? The author's note states that the tomb of Lostris did indeed contain scrolls written by Taita, he just updated them and put them inr eadable fashion for the River God novel. It's explained in Seventh Scroll, where they actually find the Pharaoh's tomb. I can't be absolutely sure, but I think it's a real account.
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Tehuti · Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 12:54 pm Post subject: River God

I first read Wilbur Smith's River God over a year ago, and have just re-read it. I now have the internet at home and decided to look a little bit up on the net only to come across many sites saying that the book is purely fictional and that Taita never existed...I'm heartbroken...is it true? Sad