River God by Wilbur Smith

River God by Wilbur Smith is an epic novel that centers on the lives of three people who live in ancient Egypt – Taita, Lady Lostris, and Tanus. The story is written from the perspective of Taita, a slave who is owned by an Egyptian noble and eventually given to Lady Lostris.

Here is a summary of the book from the author’s website:

Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed… Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished crown.

City of Thebes. The Festival of Osiris. Loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader, but Taita – a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave – sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom’s fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud young army officer, whose father was betrayed by Lord Intef, Chief Vizier of Egypt whose power is second in wealth only to the Pharaoh.

Tanus and Lostris are deeply in love, but unbeknown to them, their union is an impossibility. Taita is the slave of Lord Intef. It was Intef who had Taita gelded as a young boy after he found that he had slept with a young slave girl. Together Taita, Lostris and Tanus share a dream – to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.

Smith does an excellent job of transporting you back in time. You understand the immense importance of the Nile in the life of Egypt- the river served as the major transportation route for the country and literally the food source. In addition, Smith describes in rich detail the culture of ancient Egypt- everything from how the tombs of the pharaohs were made to their medicinal practices.

Continue reading →

River God by Wilbur Smith

River God by Wilbur Smith is an epic novel that centers on the lives of three people who live in ancient Egypt – Taita, Lady Lostris, and Tanus. The story is written from the perspective of Taita, a slave who is owned by an Egyptian noble and eventually given to Lady Lostris.

Here is a summary of the book from the author’s website:

Ancient Egypt. Land of the Pharaohs. A kingdom built on gold. A legend shattered by greed… Now the Valley of the Kings lies ravaged by war, drained of its lifeblood, as weak men inherit the cherished crown.

City of Thebes. The Festival of Osiris. Loyal subjects of the Pharaoh gather to pay homage to their leader, but Taita – a wise and formidably gifted eunuch slave – sees him only as a symbol of a kingdom’s fading glory. Beside Taita stand his protégés: Lostris, daughter of Lord Intef, beautiful beyond her fourteen years; and Tanus, proud young army officer, whose father was betrayed by Lord Intef, Chief Vizier of Egypt whose power is second in wealth only to the Pharaoh.

Tanus and Lostris are deeply in love, but unbeknown to them, their union is an impossibility. Taita is the slave of Lord Intef. It was Intef who had Taita gelded as a young boy after he found that he had slept with a young slave girl. Together Taita, Lostris and Tanus share a dream – to restore the majesty of the Pharaoh of Pharaohs on the glittering banks of the Nile.

Smith does an excellent job of transporting you back in time. You understand the immense importance of the Nile in the life of Egypt- the river served as the major transportation route for the country and literally the food source. In addition, Smith describes in rich detail the culture of ancient Egypt- everything from how the tombs of the pharaohs were made to their medicinal practices.

Continue reading →

Saving Erasmus by Steven Cleaver

saving%20erasmus.jpgAs long time readers of this site know, I am a sucker for short, quirky books about faith. So when I stumbled upon Saving Erasmus it seemed right up my alley. Slim volume, with intriguing cover, interesting story hook, quality publisher – what’s not too like?

Publishers Weekly captured the flavor of this book perfectly:

Cross the prophet Job with It’s a Wonderful Life and you get this award-winning poet’s first-person debut novel, rife with strangeness and humor. When the angel of death climbs out of a broken washing machine and announces that the town of Erasmus is about to be destroyed, Andrew Benoit, a pastor fresh out of seminary, only has a week to save it. Erasmus turns out to be a “Potterville” where a Mrs. Primrose Davenport owns almost everything and money is God. A small band of mystics named for movie stars gather at the mystical hot spot The Instant Coffee Cup (run by the wryly named John Luther Zwingli) and hold out hope. But, as Cleaver puns, Erasmus is interested in “profit,” not a “prophet.” What follows is a down-the-rabbit-hole mishmash of images; the Velveteen Rabbit, Homer Simpson, Mae West, and a Knight Templar all contribute their own bits of wisdom for Andrew. There are plenty of nods to Christian history, both overt and subtle, including a scene with several saints who urge Benoit to find “the truth within” and give it a voice. But is it the town that really needs saving? Or is it something-or someone-else? This bizarre, whimsical novel will charm and delight some readers and perplex others.

That last sentence is quite accurate I think. Saving Erasmus is full of quirky allusions and puns and a dry sense of humor. It also has a surreal feel to it. You are not quite sure what is real and what is in Andrew’s mind. If you are looking for traditional spiritual humor or storytelling you are likely to be disappointed. The storyline has a bizarre almost stream of consciousness quality to it that can be perplexing and off-putting.

I found that the whimsy and charm noted by PW, however, makes the slim light novel worth reading. It has the feel of a short story. Andrew’s rather difficult, and yet in many ways touching, childhood is probably the strongest story thread. But the quirky humor keeps the mood light and plot moving.

Saving Erasmus is Cleaver’s first novel and in some ways it shows. The change of heart experienced by Benoit’s main antagonist, Mrs. Davenport, seem almost an afterthought and too often the quirky style undermines the story’s rhythm. But Cleaver also shows some promise with an interesting style and a light touch when tackling serious issues. And at 182 pages, it can be read it one sitting. It will be interesting to see if Cleaver further hones his craft while retaining his unique perspective.

So if you are looking for a quirky modern take on Jonah, check out Saving Erasmus.

Saving Erasmus by Steven Cleaver

saving%20erasmus.jpgAs long time readers of this site know, I am a sucker for short, quirky books about faith. So when I stumbled upon Saving Erasmus it seemed right up my alley. Slim volume, with intriguing cover, interesting story hook, quality publisher – what’s not too like?

Publishers Weekly captured the flavor of this book perfectly:

Cross the prophet Job with It’s a Wonderful Life and you get this award-winning poet’s first-person debut novel, rife with strangeness and humor. When the angel of death climbs out of a broken washing machine and announces that the town of Erasmus is about to be destroyed, Andrew Benoit, a pastor fresh out of seminary, only has a week to save it. Erasmus turns out to be a “Potterville” where a Mrs. Primrose Davenport owns almost everything and money is God. A small band of mystics named for movie stars gather at the mystical hot spot The Instant Coffee Cup (run by the wryly named John Luther Zwingli) and hold out hope. But, as Cleaver puns, Erasmus is interested in “profit,” not a “prophet.” What follows is a down-the-rabbit-hole mishmash of images; the Velveteen Rabbit, Homer Simpson, Mae West, and a Knight Templar all contribute their own bits of wisdom for Andrew. There are plenty of nods to Christian history, both overt and subtle, including a scene with several saints who urge Benoit to find “the truth within” and give it a voice. But is it the town that really needs saving? Or is it something-or someone-else? This bizarre, whimsical novel will charm and delight some readers and perplex others.

That last sentence is quite accurate I think. Saving Erasmus is full of quirky allusions and puns and a dry sense of humor. It also has a surreal feel to it. You are not quite sure what is real and what is in Andrew’s mind. If you are looking for traditional spiritual humor or storytelling you are likely to be disappointed. The storyline has a bizarre almost stream of consciousness quality to it that can be perplexing and off-putting.

I found that the whimsy and charm noted by PW, however, makes the slim light novel worth reading. It has the feel of a short story. Andrew’s rather difficult, and yet in many ways touching, childhood is probably the strongest story thread. But the quirky humor keeps the mood light and plot moving.

Saving Erasmus is Cleaver’s first novel and in some ways it shows. The change of heart experienced by Benoit’s main antagonist, Mrs. Davenport, seem almost an afterthought and too often the quirky style undermines the story’s rhythm. But Cleaver also shows some promise with an interesting style and a light touch when tackling serious issues. And at 182 pages, it can be read it one sitting. It will be interesting to see if Cleaver further hones his craft while retaining his unique perspective.

So if you are looking for a quirky modern take on Jonah, check out Saving Erasmus.

Thursday Links

Here are some links for your browsing perusal:

– Interesting Christianity Today article by Ted Olsen: (A Bit Less) Positive About Potter:

“Harry Potter books and films have been attacked in the past by evangelicals for allegedly glamorizing the occult,” say the papers. But Christians “are now eschewing condemnation for praise, embracing Ms. Rowling’s tales as powerful religious fables for our time.”

It’s a narrative as fictional as the Potter books themselves. In late 1999, I noted that, contrary to media reports, no major Christian leader had spoken against the Harry Potter series, and several had actually supported the books. Some readers were upset with my summary, but the most prominent critic they could come up with at that time was Texas pastor John Hagee. Four books and five films later, it’s time for an update to that piece.

– As part of a new marketing strategy author Brad Thor will be using BlogTalkRadio for a book tour:

Breaking the paradigm for the traditional, in-store author book tour, on July 26, 9:00 pm EST, Brad will log onto BlogTalkRadio, and open the phone lines for discussion of The First Commandment. Fans around the world can listen online via Brad’s page or on their phones by calling: (646) 478-5945. Fans can also interact with Brad by using BTR’s, “click to talk” feature online or using the same phone line they’re using to tune in. The entire program is live via Internet stream and will be archived on BlogTalkRadio and made available as a subscribable podcast. As a special bonus for BlogTalkRadio listeners, Brad will also be signing books for a select group of fans who tune in to be distributed after the show.

Bold Type has a new issue out:

This month we go a little bit country with a bevy of books that will transport you far from the concrete jungle. There’s a surprisingly gripping account of the world’s biggest trees and the people who love them, as well as a new history tome that exhumes a neglected chapter of the Civil Rights movement, and a memoir by a pair of Canadian writers who decided to mini-size their diet by only eating locally. In the fiction department, Sherman Alexie charts cycles of violence in his new novel, while Norwegian writer Per Petterson plumbs the dark echoes of a pastoral past, and novelist Matthew Sharpe won’t let history be, imagining a post-apocalyptic Jamestown. Equally marvelous is a monograph of stunning landscapes and interiors by Swedish painter Mamma Andersson. We conclude with an interview with Shannon Ravenel of Algonquin Books, who edited and published the last, unfinished novel by the late Southern fiction titan Larry Brown.

– If you are part of a Book Club or want to join one, check out Simon and Schuster’s Book Club Resources. They have launched on online book club themselves. The pick for July was The Last Days of Dogtown By Anita Diamant. Visit the Book Club Reader Discussion Board to post your opinion of the book, hear what others think, and converse with author, Anita Diamant herself. The August pick is America’s Report Card By John McNally

Another great series comes to an end

As the Harry Potter media frenzy begins to fade I want to focus on another great series that is coming to a close this year. Olen Steinhauer’s Eastern European Series will soon be complete with the release of Victory Square in August.

Given my fascination with the Cold War, my love of espionage fiction, and my enjoyment of what might be called literary thrillers, it is no surprise that Olen is one of my favorite writers. I have to admit that the expectations are high for this one as his last book, Liberation Movements, was one of, if not THE, book of the year for me last year. But so far, Olen has never let me down.

When I got the Victory Square ARC recently I was inspired to treat this series the same as the Potter series and re-read the previous books in anticipation of the final book. Luckily, Steinhauer writes crisp tight prose and none of the books run to 800 pages! So I am diving back into the world of post-war Communist Eastern Europe and looking forward to the climatic conclusion of this great series.

If you want to join me in this quest click over to your preferred online book seller or run to the local library and get started. If you want to see what the fuss is all about here are my reviews of the series so far:
Bridge of Sighs
The Confession
36 Yalta Boulevard
Liberation Movements