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sherwoodreads's review against another edition
I took this and another biography of a historical person for reading on a cross-country journey, which is perfect for this sort of leisurely reading.
Though I am ignorant of Egyptian history, even I am familiar with Nefertiti, copies of whose graceful head bust were popular when I was a kid, and also with Akhenaten, whose strange depictions sometimes put him out there as a slouching dweeb--even as a woman--as well as the usual extravagantly male carvings we usually see.
I found myself impressed by the breadth of knowledge on display here, as the Darnells slowly develop their theory about why Akhenaten did what he did--resulting in his being erased from history, along with his gorgeous wife and family, for nearly three thousand years.
The key is a total revamping of Egypt's religious expression, which appears after the king's death to have disturbed his successors enough for that erasure: Akhenaten seems to have transformed the pantheon of gods into worship of a single sun god, embodied in the king himself.
The proof is what makes the story come alive, rather than the little bits of fiction that precede each chapter. I applaud the authors' attempt to try to breathe life into these remote figures, but they succeed only in proving that scholars are not necessarily novelists--compare these awkward bits to the children's historical novel Mara Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvid McGraw, who was not an Egyptologist, but whose tale utterly absorbed me when I was in grade school.
These bits of scene offered here are less convincing than the precise descriptions of art, tombs, hieroglyphics, and other evidence from the period. But those bits are the real meat of the book, full of rich imagery, and fascinating tidbits like how rock was quarried and brought to the enormous monuments to the eternity of the gods, how human figures in that easily recognizable style were measured, etc. Equally fascinating are the authors' explications for why kings and queens were sometimes depicted with gender transformation--everything was symbolism.
What emerges is a sense of a long-lived culture in which the sacred lived and breathed through every aspect of everyday life. So of course a magnificent effort must be made to express that sense of awe, gratitude, caution, and reverence in art.
I really enjoyed the sheer nerddom here, and the picture it builds.
Though I am ignorant of Egyptian history, even I am familiar with Nefertiti, copies of whose graceful head bust were popular when I was a kid, and also with Akhenaten, whose strange depictions sometimes put him out there as a slouching dweeb--even as a woman--as well as the usual extravagantly male carvings we usually see.
I found myself impressed by the breadth of knowledge on display here, as the Darnells slowly develop their theory about why Akhenaten did what he did--resulting in his being erased from history, along with his gorgeous wife and family, for nearly three thousand years.
The key is a total revamping of Egypt's religious expression, which appears after the king's death to have disturbed his successors enough for that erasure: Akhenaten seems to have transformed the pantheon of gods into worship of a single sun god, embodied in the king himself.
The proof is what makes the story come alive, rather than the little bits of fiction that precede each chapter. I applaud the authors' attempt to try to breathe life into these remote figures, but they succeed only in proving that scholars are not necessarily novelists--compare these awkward bits to the children's historical novel Mara Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvid McGraw, who was not an Egyptologist, but whose tale utterly absorbed me when I was in grade school.
These bits of scene offered here are less convincing than the precise descriptions of art, tombs, hieroglyphics, and other evidence from the period. But those bits are the real meat of the book, full of rich imagery, and fascinating tidbits like how rock was quarried and brought to the enormous monuments to the eternity of the gods, how human figures in that easily recognizable style were measured, etc. Equally fascinating are the authors' explications for why kings and queens were sometimes depicted with gender transformation--everything was symbolism.
What emerges is a sense of a long-lived culture in which the sacred lived and breathed through every aspect of everyday life. So of course a magnificent effort must be made to express that sense of awe, gratitude, caution, and reverence in art.
I really enjoyed the sheer nerddom here, and the picture it builds.
annacate11's review against another edition
4.0
honestly, a 3.5 rounded up. this would've been a lot better without the weird historical fiction interludes. but what do i know!
redhairedashreads's review against another edition
3.0
This was a well researched look at the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. While I found aspects of this book to be fascinating and engaging, other parts of this book felt a bit dense and some of the created scenes felt a bit unnecessary since there is no evidence to back them up.
The Darnell’s did a great job at presenting Akhenaten’s story through descriptions taken from art, tombs, and other physical evidence from his time. These parts of the book I really enjoyed and provided an interesting look at this ruler, but still a lot we don’t know. I will say that the direct translation of some of the hieroglyphics was a bit weird in audio format because of the missing characters, brackets, and question marks within.
The created scenes that are in every chapter were ok but hard to believe that is how it happened because there is no daily text that back up these created scenes. I know they are taking scenes from reliefs and statuary to make these scenes but it took me away from the actual facts most of the time.
Overall, this was interesting but not exactly what I was expecting from this book. I think it's a good look at Akhenaten and Nefertiti’s rule but also could provide false misconceptions with these “scenes”.
xzannahx's review against another edition
4.0
A huge thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth describes the life of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, how their beliefs altered ancient Egyptian religion and politics, and the impact they had on society at the time.
I really had to take my time reading this, as there is just so much information. I really enjoy the format of dramatization (truly placing you back in time) then transitioning into the explanation and background information for each chapter. However, for roughly the first 30% of the book, I had trouble absorbing the immense amount of information (and names!) that I found it to be slow going. I have always been interested in ancient Egypt and have enjoyed watching several documentaries where John and Colleen Darnell feature, so it was a little discouraging at first.
My favorite parts are the detail on the ancient artifacts and architecture that have been found and studied, but I also enjoyed seeing how Akhenaten and Nefertiti nearly forced a monotheistic religion while proclaiming themselves gods on earth.
This descriptive study into the life of Akhenaten and Nefertiti was incredibly informative- it's amazing that Egyptologists can determine and deduce so much about this period in ancient Egypt, and the authors stick to giving facts while including multiple theories where something isn't proven. Overall, I found this to be a low 4 stars- with the cons being the beginning was slow and over-informative while difficult for me to adjust to. The pros being that I really enjoyed the information provided, the transparency where the Darnell's do not have solid facts, and the enjoyable experience that reading about this topic gave me. I will definitely be picking up a copy.
Egypt's Golden Couple: When Akhenaten and Nefertiti Were Gods on Earth describes the life of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, how their beliefs altered ancient Egyptian religion and politics, and the impact they had on society at the time.
I really had to take my time reading this, as there is just so much information. I really enjoy the format of dramatization (truly placing you back in time) then transitioning into the explanation and background information for each chapter. However, for roughly the first 30% of the book, I had trouble absorbing the immense amount of information (and names!) that I found it to be slow going. I have always been interested in ancient Egypt and have enjoyed watching several documentaries where John and Colleen Darnell feature, so it was a little discouraging at first.
My favorite parts are the detail on the ancient artifacts and architecture that have been found and studied, but I also enjoyed seeing how Akhenaten and Nefertiti nearly forced a monotheistic religion while proclaiming themselves gods on earth.
This descriptive study into the life of Akhenaten and Nefertiti was incredibly informative- it's amazing that Egyptologists can determine and deduce so much about this period in ancient Egypt, and the authors stick to giving facts while including multiple theories where something isn't proven. Overall, I found this to be a low 4 stars- with the cons being the beginning was slow and over-informative while difficult for me to adjust to. The pros being that I really enjoyed the information provided, the transparency where the Darnell's do not have solid facts, and the enjoyable experience that reading about this topic gave me. I will definitely be picking up a copy.
saltygalreads's review against another edition
4.0
Egypt's Golden Couple is an exploration of the lives of Akhenaten and Nefertiti, who ruled Egypt from 1352-1336 BCE during the Eighteenth Dynasty. Most people would recognize the iconic bust of Nerfertiti, with her tall conical hat, full lips and beautiful lined eyes. They are also known as the parents of the famous boy-king of Egypt, Tutankhamun. This heavily researched book outlines the ways in which Akhenaten relegated the many ancient gods of Egypt to the background, and elevated Aten, the sun god, to prominence as the one and only god of Egypt at the time. Through a myriad of ceremonies, spectacles, writings and rituals, Akhenaten and Nefertiti also elevated themselves as the representation of Aten on earth - essentially gods themselves through which their subjects could connect and communicate with their god.
This is a research-heavy book, which delves into the rituals of these rulers and their ancient writings, as well as their life with their seven children. It provides fascinating insight into the methods that the rulers used to create mystery, reverence and spectacle around themselves, so that they might convince their subjects to revere the god of Akhenaten's choosing and regard the royal family as deserving of worship and loyalty. Given that some 1345 years later in basically the same region of the world, a Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the living representative of God on earth and the only path to heaven, creating spectacles and miracles to convince people to follow him; it does cause one to think deeply about the ways in which humans can be convinced to believe and pursue faith and worship.
This is a well-researched and fascinating book. It is not for the casual reader or someone with only a passing interest in Egyptology, however if you are a non-fiction reader with an interest in ancient religion and ritual, or in Egyptian dynasties, then you will most certainly enjoy it. Many thanks St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.
This is a research-heavy book, which delves into the rituals of these rulers and their ancient writings, as well as their life with their seven children. It provides fascinating insight into the methods that the rulers used to create mystery, reverence and spectacle around themselves, so that they might convince their subjects to revere the god of Akhenaten's choosing and regard the royal family as deserving of worship and loyalty. Given that some 1345 years later in basically the same region of the world, a Jesus of Nazareth claimed to be the living representative of God on earth and the only path to heaven, creating spectacles and miracles to convince people to follow him; it does cause one to think deeply about the ways in which humans can be convinced to believe and pursue faith and worship.
This is a well-researched and fascinating book. It is not for the casual reader or someone with only a passing interest in Egyptology, however if you are a non-fiction reader with an interest in ancient religion and ritual, or in Egyptian dynasties, then you will most certainly enjoy it. Many thanks St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy.
marieintheraw's review against another edition
4.0
This is the right amount of background of Egypt necessary for me to enjoy it. The authors do a good job of not talking down to their readers, while also being clearly enthusiastic about the subject material. It can be a bit confusing at times; however, it is worth the payoff.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
duchessofreadin's review against another edition
Akhenaten and Nefertiti are two names that are synonymous with Egyptian history. While Tutankhamen and his treasures have eclipsed the couple, the heretical pharaoh and his wife have remained, in large, untouched for years. What we know, or thought we knew, is challenged in part through this book.
John and Colleen Darnell dive into the lives of the couple, from before Akhenaten changed his name and moved his capital city, to their treatment of the major gods and goddesses of Egyptian religion. The fundamental shift that occurred during his reign was massive. For decades, it has been the common assumption that Akhenaten did nothing with his military, letting Egypt crumble as he focused on his religious shift. But evidence presented in this book shows otherwise.
The Darnell's take us through Akhenaten's father briefly, and the lineage of Nefertiti (although still somewhat uncertain), and through their reign, into that of their daughter, and eventually that of Tutankhamen.
This was a really interesting read, and I enjoyed it. While I don't agree with all of the theories put forward in this book, I found that the majority of them do make sense, and deserve some deeper dives into study and research. As someone who has loved Egyptian history for many, many years, this book brought some interesting new information forward, changing the way we think about the reign of Akhenaten, and the eventual demise of the religion of Aten itself.
John and Colleen Darnell dive into the lives of the couple, from before Akhenaten changed his name and moved his capital city, to their treatment of the major gods and goddesses of Egyptian religion. The fundamental shift that occurred during his reign was massive. For decades, it has been the common assumption that Akhenaten did nothing with his military, letting Egypt crumble as he focused on his religious shift. But evidence presented in this book shows otherwise.
The Darnell's take us through Akhenaten's father briefly, and the lineage of Nefertiti (although still somewhat uncertain), and through their reign, into that of their daughter, and eventually that of Tutankhamen.
This was a really interesting read, and I enjoyed it. While I don't agree with all of the theories put forward in this book, I found that the majority of them do make sense, and deserve some deeper dives into study and research. As someone who has loved Egyptian history for many, many years, this book brought some interesting new information forward, changing the way we think about the reign of Akhenaten, and the eventual demise of the religion of Aten itself.
kleonard's review against another edition
1.0
I love reading about archaeology and what it tells us about the lives of the past, but this was written in such an incredibly dull way I could hardly drag myself to the end. It needed much more editor intervention and polishing, particularly evening out poor transitions, tone, and exposition.
mollyxmiller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.75