c2pizza's review against another edition
3.0
It was interesting to compare the Egyptian religious ideas to those of the Greeks, Persians, and Jews who would later borrow extensively from them. Much like the Zend Avesta, the Bible, and the Koran it bogs down in repetition at points right before striding on with raised thighs in glorious burst a vivid imagery which uplifts one's soul (by that I mean pleasure centers in the brain). Their appreciation for the sun and its many blessings for humanity put it a step above most other holy books in terms of practicality and -coupled with its greater endurance of time - I think that earns it an extra star than usual for a metaphysical grapeshot of fiction masquerading as non-fiction (withstanding the oppressive ban on masturbating in public sanctuaries than it proscribes).
jessh12's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
3.5
Great introduction, but I found the translation itself to be pretty outdated
jselliot's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
5.0
Read this more than once, starting with my childhood obsession with Ancient Egypt. Should probably reread it again, since I have an epic fantasy with an extensive focus on a death-centric culture. That and the other books in this series.
zbutterf's review against another edition
4.0
I read the Penguin Classics Budge translation alongside the Faulkner translation of the Papyrus of Ani, and both have their pros and cons. Overall, I rated Faulkner five stars and Budge four stars. I'm not an expert in Egyptology so take this review with a grain of salt.
The Faulkner edition has a more up-to-date translation alongside complete reproductions of the papyri. It's a gorgeous book and, because it follows the structure of the Papyrus of Ani, the organization differs significantly from the Lepsius numbering system . (The order and selection of specific chapters for any individual Book of the Dead seems to be pretty much up in the air.) It does contain most of the Book of the Dead chapters not included in the Papyrus of Ani in an appendix however. My only complaints are that the translation has minimal footnotes and that the descriptions of the vignettes are also included in an appendix rather than on the same pages as the papyri plates (there can be a lot of flipping back and forth at times).
The Budge translation is definitely a bit out of date, but it includes translations and images from more than just the Papyrus of Ani, providing a more comprehensive view of the Book of the Dead. The translation is usually better annotated and also includes differing versions of some chapters. Translations of later Books of Breathing are also included in the appendix. The comprehensiveness of the Penguin Classics version still makes it a valuable resource but the Faulkner translations wins out by most other metrics.
The Faulkner edition has a more up-to-date translation alongside complete reproductions of the papyri. It's a gorgeous book and, because it follows the structure of the Papyrus of Ani, the organization differs significantly from the Lepsius numbering system . (The order and selection of specific chapters for any individual Book of the Dead seems to be pretty much up in the air.) It does contain most of the Book of the Dead chapters not included in the Papyrus of Ani in an appendix however. My only complaints are that the translation has minimal footnotes and that the descriptions of the vignettes are also included in an appendix rather than on the same pages as the papyri plates (there can be a lot of flipping back and forth at times).
The Budge translation is definitely a bit out of date, but it includes translations and images from more than just the Papyrus of Ani, providing a more comprehensive view of the Book of the Dead. The translation is usually better annotated and also includes differing versions of some chapters. Translations of later Books of Breathing are also included in the appendix. The comprehensiveness of the Penguin Classics version still makes it a valuable resource but the Faulkner translations wins out by most other metrics.
lucasrene's review against another edition
I picked this up years ago when I was studying Ancient Egypt at uni. I finally found the time to read it and it was fine. Despite the book being almost 1000 pages, you can get through it quicker if you skip all the footnotes. A background knowledge of the religion of Ancient Egypt during this time would be really helpful, otherwise you will be looking up all the names of the deities as you read along. This book has inspired me to get a bennu bird tattoo in addition to my ankh and beetle ones.
liab's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great book to know a bit more on Egyptian older culture and their hymns
italo_carlvino's review against another edition
3.0
I like the prose and imagery. It is a fascinating look into Egyptian religion and philosophy, but to understand it requires a lot of notes and context, otherwise it is all very opaque. Though even with all of the notes there is always something opaque about The Book of the Dead because it is a collection of spells and prayers for Ani in the Underworld, it is literally a book whose meaning he took to his grave. Maybe I'd like the prose of the Budge translation more? (Faulkner's is very clean and accessible just to be clear, but I have also read good things about Budge's prose).
mayhap's review against another edition
This book is utterly useless as a translation. Every aspect of the texts is filtered through the author's bizarre crackpot neo-Egyptian religious beliefs. Naturally, there are no citations for anything, except the illustrations, which are quite nice.
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