Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth [NOOK Book]

This is a great little book. A little different, and maybe not q

This is a great little book. A little different, and maybe not quite as profound as Mahfouz' more modern stuff, but a very worthwhile read nonetheless. The themes of religious impact, the relative nature of truth, and the complexity of human motivation are all the more powerfully portrayed by the fact that these characters are supposed to have lived some 3500 years ago. Some things never change. This slim volume can be read in one, or at most two, sittings, so do yourself a favor and pick up this book.

Enjoyed it

A quick but enjoyable read

Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth

Akhenaten is the story of the "heretic" pharaoh, who nearly brought Egypt to civil war with his belief in a single god, and his wife, the beautiful Nefertiti. The story is told through various interviews as a young man seeks to learn the whole truth behind Akhenaten's brief reign.
Mahfouz's prose is crisp and beautiful. For a subject that could potentially become rather dry, he expertly infuses the right amount of zest into his words to keep the story moving at a good pace. This is perhaps one of the best character driven novels ever. Each interviewee injects their own personal bias in telling the story. Thus giving the reader a clear picture of who these people were, but more importantly, tying the theme (that there are many versions of any story and truth can be found in all of them) together.
Some readers may be put off by the subject matter (a story of religious persecution and political ambition, less any elements that would truly make this a 'thriller' type novel) but for the openminded reader who has an appreciation for excellent writing and a fascinating story, I can't recommend Akhenaten enough.

Enjoyable, but not a favorite

Because there is scant data on the facts of this time period, the books I've read all offer different perspectives on the motivation and details of Akhenaten and those around him. It is enjoyable to read various books and imagine which author has painted the most accurate picture, but we will never know for sure. This book doesn't flow like one story. It is written from a type of interviewer's perspective, with each person being a new section. I enjoyed reading it and appreciated the perspectives given, but I found the other books I've read from this time period more interesting.

Ho-Hum History

Mahfouz takes plenty of liberties with the scant historical evidence regarding his subject, Pharaoh Akhenaten. He employs the tactic of a traveling (ancient) reporter gathering data from eyewitnesses. Each tells essentially the same story, albeit with different shadings and spins. This device is clever if properly used, but here it is not.

We are given virtually no character development for the reporter or his interviewees. Separator paragraphs inserted in each interview are almost identical, and tedious. Mahfouz writing style is wooden; one might just as well be reading an engineering manual.

The book has no beginning, no middle, and no ending ... it just rambles. I finished it because it is mercifully short. Actually, it is too short to be a true novel, and is more of a lengthy short story, but at a full novel price. The real mystery is not Akhenaten, but how Mahfouz got a Nobel prize!

Hard to put down!

This is one of the best historical fiction reads I've come across. No one knows what really happened with Akhenaten, but this author has some interesting views that come across in a vivid story. It's hard to remember that this is fiction when reading it! A lot of the views represented differ from archeological "evidence", but it was terrific nonetheless - a great read. If you can find a copy of this - READ IT!!

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No text was provided for this review.