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Title: Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth by Naguib Mahfouz, Tagreid Abu-Hassabo ISBN: 0-385-49909-4 Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday Pub. Date: 04 April, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.83 (24 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A fresh view of an old story.
Comment: In naming his novel Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth, Nobel Prize-winning author Naguib Mahfouz signals his belief that Akhenaten's views of religion, the same views that led Akhenaten to be called the "heretic pharoah," show him to be more a man of our times than a man of his own times. Akhenaten, formerly Amenhotep IV, changed his name to reflect his belief that Aten, the sun god, was more powerful than Amen (Amun), the traditional god of the Egyptians, the god served by a huge and powerful class of priests and recognized as the Most High by the large Egyptian population. Following a mystical revelation, however, he also came to believe that there was a god even higher than Aten--One God, the Sole Creator, who was a god of love, forgiveness, and peace. In this respect, Akhenaten became a pharoah whose beliefs made him seem almost "like one of us."
When Akhenaten eventually prohibited the worship of any god other than the One God, he showed himself to be a zealot more interested in promoting his religious views than in ruling his large and diverse country, more a priest than a pharoah. Whether he was right or not became less important historically than the chaos his views created--the people became fragmented, the priests became infuriated at their sudden loss of political and social power, the enemies of the country saw their opportunity to attack, and the foundation of law and order crumbled in the ensuing cataclysm.
Mahfouz examines Akhenaten's life from the points of view of more than a dozen of his contemporaries, including the High Priest of the new religion, the High Priest of the old religion, Akhenaten's wife Nefertiti, his teacher and counselor, his chief of security, and his doctor, among others. Each gives a fresh view of who Akhenaten was, what he believed, and what his legacy might have been. Mahfouz offers a fascinating, cautionary story of what happens when the ruler of a large and diverse country uses his position of power to impose new religious thought on a highly developed and traditional culture.
Rating: 2
Summary: Not worthy of Mahfouz
Comment: When I first learned that Mahfouz had written, at long last, about the ancient times of his beloved Egypt, I could not wait to get my hands on the book. With great anticipation, I began reading "Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth." The recreation of the city of Akhetaten is outstanding, the writing as you would expect from this author, is both insightful and lyrical, however, the book itself is not worthy of the great Naguib Mahfouz.
The format though is interesting. Set after the death of the "heretic" Pharoah Akhenaten, who banned traditional Egyptian religion to institute the worship of the one god - the Aten, Mahfouz chronicles the interviews of the heretic's friends and foes conducted by a young nobleman who visits each one persoanlly in an attempt to learn what "truly" occurred during this time in Egypt's history. While most interviews provide the reader with court intrigue, family issues and theological dilemmas, the weakest interview in the book, in my opinion, seems to be with Nefertiti. The entire book leads up to this interview...and, upon completing his interview, our interviewer sums it up in three sentences! What a let down...
Perhaps I am asking to much, but I really don't think so. I have had the pleasure of reading such Mahfouz masterpieces as the Cairo triology and "The Fountain and the Tomb" ....
Rating: 4
Summary: Truth, monotheism, and politics in ancient Egypt
Comment: Although Mahfouz is best known in the West for his novels of modern Cairene life, he also has written a number of novels based on ancient Egyptian history. "Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth" is one such work. Technically a novel, this book is more a meditation on historical truth and the multiple perspectives of different individuals on the same event. The frame story of a young nobleman investigating the truth about the notorious heretic pharoah provides a vehicle for those close to Akhenaten tell their versions of what happened. They each have their own axes to grind, their own secrets to hide, and their own versions of reality. Politics, power, ambition, idealism, mysticism and pure pragmatism all play their parts. The only constant in each narrative is Akhenaten's devotion to his one god, though some view it as heresy and some as revelation. But the Pharoah is convinced that his god and his god's way of peace and love will triumph in the end. Of course, Akhenaten and all he worked for were destroyed, but it is for the reader to decide if he won in the end.
This is not a book to read for plot development and sweeping action. But, if you are interested in a book that takes a more character-driven and philosophical stance, then "Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth" is a rewarding read.
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Title: The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street by Sabry Hafez, Naguib Mahfouz ISBN: 0375413316 Publisher: Everyman's Library Pub. Date: 01 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Arabian Nights and Days by Naguib Mahfouz, Denys Johnson-Davies ISBN: 0385469012 Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday Pub. Date: 01 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: The Journey of Ibn Fattouma by Naguib Mahfouz, Denys Johnson-Davies ISBN: 0385423349 Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday Pub. Date: 01 November, 1993 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: The Day the Leader Was Killed by Naguib Mahfouz, Malak Hashem ISBN: 0385499221 Publisher: Anchor Books/Doubleday Pub. Date: 06 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Akhenaten and the Religion of Light by Erik Hornung, David Lorton ISBN: 0801487250 Publisher: Cornell University Press Pub. Date: 01 January, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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