Unlike the previous book this is a work of fiction. Mahfouz his picked is way through the available evidence to produce a coherent whole. No matter that some of his choices are questionable, here for example Akhenaten really looked like the official images; this book works excellently. At a time when we are becoming more and more familiar with official enquires, when bureaucrat after bureaucrat gives their own subtle gross on events, and the truth remains hidden somewhere between the lines, it is interesting to read Mahfouz's own take on events.
Set just after the death of Akhenaten, this book takes the form of a series of interviews with the surviving protagonists of the Amarna Heresy. Each describe their experiences of the events that brought Egypt to the brink of civil war and so discredited Akhenaten that generations to come would simply refer to him as 'The Heretic'. Some remember Akhenaten with affection, even love; others with contempt; others still as a path to power and influence. In each account the events remain essentially the same, only the colouring is different. Finally, the author interviews Nefertiti herself, living in isolated splendour amid the decaying ruins of her late husband’s dream city Akhetaten.
Was Akhenaten a visionary or a madman, a saint or a sinner? Each interview gives its own view; it is left to us to decide.
Highly recommended; a book to return to.
Anchor Books, 168 pages
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