- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: New Directions (Oct 29 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0811215199
- ISBN-13: 978-0811215190
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 16 x 2.6 cm
- Shipping Weight: 445 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #2,301,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
West (A Fifth of November) examines the legacy of the Egyptian leader who built the great pyramids in his latest historical novel, a vividly imagined but flawed book that begins with the once-powerful Cheops fighting a series of grave illnesses. Decadent palace intrigue ensues as various relatives and factions try to capitalize on his impending death. The proceedings are wryly narrated by Osiris, the god of the underworld, who provides observations and commentary on the imminent downfall of the great leader. West also offers some other perspectives on the action, including that of Cheops's mother-in-law, Merytyetes, and his poetically inclined daughter, Princess Heduanna. Cheops's troubles come to a head when his late wife's body is stolen from her tomb, and the abduction is followed by two murders. The first involves a key palace figure, while the second strikes down Cheops's son, Ka-Wab. The novel turns hallucinatory and downright bizarre in the final section, as West imagines a link between the music of 19th-century English composer Frederic Delius and the burial plans of Cheops. The historical detail is impeccable, and Osiris proves to be a capable guide through Cheops's final days, despite some ponderous prose and a few decidedly modern interpretations of the leader's dilemma. But while West deserves credit for his formidable imagination, the final section of the novel is so erratic that it overshadows and dilutes the power of the earlier material.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
The rest of us will despair of ever being able to write prose so immaculate as that of Paul West. -- Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Osiris loves to have an amaryllis by his greasy plate, even when, as now, he does not eat. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Osiris loves to have an amaryllis by his greasy plate, even when, as now, he does not eat. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Is there a point?,
By A Customer
This review is from: Cheops (Hardcover)
I have read Mr. West's qualifications and indeed, he is a very qualified and very literate author. However, this is a bizarrely awful book. Maybe something happens in it and maybe there's a plot somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It reminded me of one of those stream of consciousness books (a style I detest)crossed with some strange form of science fiction. It just didn't make any sense. I couldn't finish it-just read about 50 pages in the beginning & skimmed a few in the middle and at the end. This was a library copy, so I had no fiscal outlay and am very glad of that. I gave it two stars because of Mr West's knowledge of the period and obvious literacy (otherwise, a negative if there was one), but don't waste your time.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
2.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 3 of 10 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars
Is there a point?,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Cheops (Hardcover)
I have read Mr. West's qualifications and indeed, he is a very qualified and very literate author. However, this is a bizarrely awful book. Maybe something happens in it and maybe there's a plot somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It reminded me of one of those stream of consciousness books (a style I detest)crossed with some strange form of science fiction. It just didn't make any sense. I couldn't finish it-just read about 50 pages in the beginning & skimmed a few in the middle and at the end. This was a library copy, so I had no fiscal outlay and am very glad of that. I gave it two stars because of Mr West's knowledge of the period and obvious literacy (otherwise, a negative if there was one), but don't waste your time.
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