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Description edit
First published in the United States in 1949 and widely condemned as obscene, The Egyptian outsold every other novel published that year, and remains a classic; readers worldwide have testified to its life-changing power. It is a full-bodied re-creation of a largely forgotten era in the... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
Sinuhe, a young doctor, flees Egypt when he feels he has dishonored his family, despite rising to prominence as a physician. He travels throughout the ancient world, from Egypt through Syria and then onto Babylon, Hatti (Turkey) and then to Crete. Along the way he discovers new cultures and... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Sinuhe: The Protagonist - an Egyptian doctor. Found as a babe in the reeds.
- Nefernefernefer: An manipulative, beautiful woman living in Thebes
- Horemheb: A famous Egyptian general, born in the peasant class
- Akenaten: Pharoah of Egypt, founder of the monotheistic cult of Aten
- Nefertiti: Consort of Akenaten, mother of six princesses
- Merit: Woman who works at the tavern "Crocodile's Tail"
- Thoth: A young boy in Thebes
- Minea: A young dancer from Crete.
- Minotauros: High priest of Knossos' bull cult
- Senmut: Adopted Father of Sinuhe, a doctor in Thebes
- Kipa: Adopted Mother of Sinuhe
- Kaptah: Sinuhe's loyal slave
- Aziru: Desert warlord and king of Amurru
- Ammon: Egyptian divinity, the local patron deity of Thebes, gained national importance when Thebes became the capital (as during the lifetime of Sinuhe).
- Baketamon: Egyptian princess.
- Muti: older slave woman to Sinuhe
- Ptahor: Doctor and physician, distinguished as Royal Skull Opener for Pharaoh.
- Keftiu: Once slave woman of Sinuhe's, and then wife of King Aziru
- Prince Shubattu: A Hittite Prince
- Mehunefer: An old and ugly lady of the court
- Metufer: Add a description of this character.
- Khabiri: A desert tribe, often raiding Syrian villages and cities
- Baketaton: Royal princess
- Ahmose
- Burnaburiash
- Akhetaton: City of Aton, City of Heaven, new court residence.
- Taia: Queen Mother, wife of Amenhotep III
- Tadukhipa: Princess, wife to Pharaoh Amenhotep
- Minos: King of Crete
- Sekhmet
- Shubbiluliuma
- Tutankhamon: Son in law of Pharoah, then Pharoah of Egypt
Quotes edit
-
“"There is no difference between one man and another, for all are born naked into the world. A man cannot be measured by the colour of his skin, or by his speech, or by his clothes and jewels, but only by his heart. A good man is better than a bad man, and justice is better than injustice--and that is all I know."”
Sinuhe -
“Everyone has seen water running from a water clock. So also does human life trickle away, though it is measured not by water but by events. This is a profound truth, to be grasped only in old age when a man's time runs away to nothing, in monotony. A single day in an eventful period leaves its mark upon him and can seem longer than a year or so of monotonous labor that leaves his heart unchanged. (ed. 2002, p. 301)”
Sinuhe -
“For the first time I reflected that human thought might indeed be imperfect and that beyond it there might exist such things as the eye could not see, nor the deaf hear, nor the hand grasp. Could it be that Pharaoh and his priests had found this ultimate truth and named it Aton?”
Sinuhe -
“Astern of us the island of Crete melted like a blue cloud - a shadow - a dream - and we were alone on the rolling expanse of the ocean.”
-
“I, Sinuhe, the son of Senmut and his wife Kipa, write this. I do not write it to the glory of the gods in the land of Kem, for I am weary of gods, nor to the glory of the Pharaohs, for I am weary of their deeds. I write neither from fear nor from any hope of the future but for myself alone. During my life I have seen, known, and lost too much to the prey of vain dread; and, as for the hope of immortality, I am as weary of that as I am of gods and kings.”
Sinuhe -
“For I, Sinuhe the Egyptian, am a human being. I have lived in everyone who existed before me and shall live in all who come after me. I shall live in human tears and laughter, in human sorrow and fear, in human goodness and wickedness, in justice and injustice, in weakness and strength. As a human being I shall live eternally in mankind. I desire no offerings at my tomb and no immortality for my name. This was written by Sinuhe, the Egyptian, who lived alone all the days of his life.”
Sinuhe
Setting & Locations edit
- Thebes, Egypt: The capital of the Egyptian empire
- Lower Egypt: Northern part of Egypt, nearer to the Delta
- Upper Egypt: Southern part of Egypt, nearer to Kush (Ethiopia)
- Kush: Country that corresponds to modern Ethiopia
- Syria: A province of the Egyptian empire on the eastern edge of the Mediterranean
- Hatti: The land of the Hittites, exists where Turkey is today
- Babylon: Rival empire along the shores of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers
- Knossos, Crete: The seat of the Minoan culture and its bull cult
- Megiddo: A city in Syria
- Smyrna: Major Syrian city
- Gaza: Region of Egypt of vital importance in the war with Syria
- Mitanni: Middle eastern country before Hittite invasion
- Memphis: Major Egyptian capital
- Amurru: Syrian province ruled by King Aziru
- Jerusalem: Small Syrian village, holy city
- Lower Kingdom: The upper half of Ancient Egypt
- Shardanas
- Sinai
- Sidon
- Marduk
- Hattushash
- Kadesh
- Byblos
- Joppa
- Kern
Organizations edit
- Khabiri: Hebrews living in the area of Syria
- Hittites: Powerful warriors living in the area of modern Turkey
- Ammon priests: A powerful land-owning group of religious leaders whose power threatened that of the pharoahs. (Some books say "Amon" or "Amun")
- Aten priests: Young idealistic group of priest who follow pharoah Akenaten's single god
First Sentence edit
I, SINUHE, the son of Senmut and of his wife Kipa, write this.
Table of Contents edit
1. The Reed Boat
2. The House of Life
3. Thebes Fever
4. Nefernefernefer
5. The Khabiri
6. The Day of the False King
7. Minea
8. The Dark House
9. The Crocodile's Tail
10. City of the Heavens
11. Merit
12. The Water Clock Measures Time
13. Aton's Kingdom on Earth
14. The Holy War
15. Horemheb
Themes & Symbolism edit
Series & Lists edit
This is book 5 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels in 1954. (authoritative list)
Preceded by The Royal Box, and followed by No Time For Sergeants.
This is book 1 of 10 in Publishers Weekly Bestselling Novels In 1949. (authoritative list)
Followed by The Big Fisherman.
First Edition edit
Original Language: Finnish
Publisher: WSOY
Country: Finland
Publication Date: 1945
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 779
Publisher: WSOY
Country: Finland
Publication Date: 1945
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 779
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 894'.54183
Subjects edit
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