The Egyptologist

By: Arthur Phillips

Narrated by: Gianfranco Negroponte, Simon Prebble, Gerard Doyle, Bianca Mato

Critically acclaimed author Arthur Phillips won the L.A. Times First Fiction Prize for his debut novel, Prague, which landed on top 10 lists across America and was a New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Chicago Tribune best seller. In The Egyptologist, Phillips displays his gift for brilliantly constructed, labyrinthine stories infused with imaginative wit.

Howard Carter has just made one of the great discoveries of all time, the unveiling of Tutankhamun's tomb. At the same time, Egyptologist Ralph Trilipush finds himself in a slightly less spectacular position. He has staked everything on a scrap of hieroglyphic pornography. Halfway around the world, an Australian detective sets off on a globetrotting quest to find a murderer. Or two. Or three. These events, seemingly unrelated, are about to collide in a spectacular yet utterly unpredictable fashion.

©2004 Arthur Phillips (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Witty." (The New Yorker
"Vastly entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)
"Phillips proves himself once again to be a wildly creative storyteller." (Booklist)

Not my favorite book

What would have made The Egyptologist better?

The plot is very slow and dry and with the different voices you get lost very quickly, I had to start over many times becauses I had no idea what was going on.

What was most disappointing about Arthur Phillips’s story?

The book is written in two major voices and this makes it hard to follow and you always feel you missed something as you move from one voice to the other.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Yes, the narrator was really detracting because there are many voices all reading different sections, the main reader is really boring.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment, I was wanting so much more from this book

Gee, I kinda liked it...

The other reviewers evidently had expectation far wide of what this book is about. It's neither a tradional mystery in the vein of Amelia Peabody, nor is it an attempt to educate the reader about ancient Egypt. It's an unconventional mystery, creatively told, amusingly narrated, and entertaining. I enjoyed the author's near-vicious depiction of early 20th-Century British classism and the pretensions of the main character (and the pretensions turn out to be as much pretending to himself as pretentious). None of the characters is very likeable, but they are interesting, and in the end I felt sympathy for them all. (Well, several of them, anyway.)

A good listening choice

This is the kind of book that translates really well to the spoken word. The reader has a great voice, the action level is just right (not so slow that it's boring, not so fast that the listener can't follow), and the story line is fascinating.

Dry as the desert ...

Despite the 'exotic' setting, this is not a high adventure novel, but rather a grim tale about desperately unhappy and self-delusional people. The writing is as dry as the desert and the action slow paced and methodical.

Part of the difficulty with this book is that it's hard to like either of the two main narrators. One is an unbelievably pompous amateur scholar who seems to be blissfully oblivious to everything and everyone around him; the other is a hard boiled detective attempting to relive his glory days by writing long self-promotional missives to an unseen acquaintance on the other side of the world. While annoying at first, it is the author's attention to too much detail that adds humor to the story. From Professor Trilipush's exaggerated autobiography and over-analyzed conversations with the likes of Howard Carter, to Farrell's impressions of potential clients and projected feelings for the wrong woman (not to give too much away), it becomes apparent that the reader should not be sympathizing with the characters so much as ridiculing them even as they narrative their own stories.

One thing is certain, however. Those expecting a quick, fun, adventurous read will be sorely disappointed. The humor - and there's a lot of it - is more in the style of Dorothy Parker than Elizabeth Peters. The book is challenging, but if you're up to it, you'll find it rewarding in the end.

Really annoying

I found the plot dragging, the writing mediocre and the narration boooooring. I just rated Brimstone 5. Use this one to put yourself to sleep.

An intricately carved plot

If you're looking for a cozy Egyptian mystery a la Elizabeth Peters, this is NOT the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a meticulously structured novel that begins with a mystery but peels away, layer by layer, to expose outrageous egos, debauched jazz-age society, delusions of grandeur and, yes, crime, then check this out. Phillips does an outstanding job of not just telling a story, but creating a world with minute detail and manifold connections. Note that there's a cast of readers, not just one, which can take some getting used to. And as other reviewers have pointed out, some patience and tolerance for seaminess is required. Recommended for those who enjoyed "Devil in the White City," which to me at least hits many of the same chords.

The others are right

I wish I had read all the reviews before the book! I still don't get it! What an enigmatic waste!

No bad, not great

Moved a slower than I would have liked. A little hard to follow.

Clever concept but too long

This is an interesting concept book but is much too long because you figure out what is happening very early in the book (at least I did). I thought this would be in thr vein of the Amelia Peabody books, but the only similarity was the era it was written in. If this had been half as long, I probably would have giveng it a 4. It was just too much of a struggle to get to the end of the book.

Plot Drags In A Few Spots

I listened raptly to the first of the two tapes. I enjoyed the interpose of the Australian detective with the other characters even if not in chronological order. The second tape was a different story. I learned more Egyptian history than I wanted. The story line about finding all of the Davies was never tied off.