Read like an Egyptian...

[sammy]

Any of you who've read Sinuhe the Egyptian by Mika Waltari? In any language of your choice, that is.

What are your thoughts on it? I just finished re-reading it - the last time was such a long time ago I had forgotten many twists in the plot so it was quite fascinating.

[enk]

I've read it in Finnish and wasn't impressed with it. It sounds so
like a bad example of the texts I had to translate for my thesis
in the States that I kept falling asleep

I've been meaning to reread it to see if it's better now that
there are more years between my thesis and me reading it

-enk

[sammy]

I've read it in Finnish and wasn't impressed with it. It sounds so
like a bad example of the texts I had to translate for my thesis
in the States that I kept falling asleep

Care to elaborate on that one...? Was it because of the "semi-biblical" style, or something else?

[enk]

Care to elaborate on that one...? Was it because of the "semi-biblical" style, or something else?

That exactly. I fall asleep reading the lineages of people in the Bible, too

-enk

[sammy]

Care to elaborate on that one...? Was it because of the "semi-biblical" style, or something else?

That exactly. I fall asleep reading the lineages of people in the Bible, too

-enk

Hmmm... there's a whole lot of "vanity and vexation of spirit" and rending of clothes in Sinuhe as well, come to think of it... but once you accept to digest the style (I believe it must have been a conscious stylistic choice of the author, to lend an air of antiquity to the novel) there's some quite entertaining bits as well... among all the carnage, Aton-worshipping and what have you. That Kaptah character's a 'geezer' if ever there was someone worthy of that accolade

[Hank W.]

I've read lately Bengtsson's "Röda Orm"... it has a similar.. hrm, maybe "naivistic" style. "How was it for the shorn-heads in the time of King Harald Bluetooth"

I got Sinuhe in Finnish and English. The Finnish one "flows" better. But then again I dismiss the 1938 translation as too modern and have read even the pitiful Nahum so when it comes to biblical texts... I just take the fedora and whip

Sinuhe I do like - if I can have the choice I'd like my tombstone to read the end passage...
Sillä minä olen ihminen ja ihmisenä olen elänyt jokaisessa ihmisessä, joka on ollut ennen minua ja ihmisenä elän jokaisessa ihmisessä joka tulee jälkeeni. Elän ihmisen itkussa ja ilossa, hänen surussaan ja pelossaan elän, hyvyydessään ja pahuudessaan, oikeudessa ja vääryydessä, heikkoudessa ja väkevyydessä. Ihmisenä olen elävä ihmisessä ikuisesti enkä sen tähden kaipaa uhreja hautaani ja kuolemattomuutta nimelleni. Tämän kirjoitti hän, joka eli yksinäisenä kaikki elämänsä päivät.

[rinso]

I liked it.
But then again, I've read Herodotus too and I liked it.

[sammy]

I liked it.
But then again, I've read Herodotus too and I liked it.

Hmm.. what's wrong with liking Herodotos...? I don't think I've actually read his histories, but can well understand why they are interesting. I have no real knowledge of Greek or Latin, but have greatly enjoyed reading works by ancient Greek/Roman authors... in English and in Finnish... Virgil's Georgica and Ovid's Metamorphoses being my favs. Seneca and Marcus Aurelius are quite interesting too. Their stoic views aren't that far removed by those of Sinuhe (the character) so Hank you might enjoy them quite a bit.

I got Sinuhe in Finnish and English. The Finnish one "flows" better. But then again I dismiss the 1938 translation as too modern and have read even the pitiful Nahum so when it comes to biblical texts... I just take the fedora and whip

I've got your favourite book on my shelves then

[sammy]

Oh - is this a case of synchronism or what, but I did not realise until now that 2008 is the Mika Waltari 100th anniversary year

http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/24h/id81349.html