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A review by bookishblond
Akhenaten: Dweller in Truth a Novel by Naguib Mahfouz
3.0
Akhenaten has been called the first individual in human history. He was an innovator in a culture that spurned new ways; he distanced himself from the canons of his culture and imagined the universe in different forms from previous pharaohs and the powerful priestly class. A sympathizer has called his reign "the most exciting epoch in Egyptian history," adding that "Akhenaten himself cannot be omitted from any intellectual history of humankind."
That being said, I did not find that this little book did Akhenaten justice. This novella is structured in a very interesting way: every chapter is essentially the same story of Akhenaten as told by different characters. I understand the pros of using such a structure: every narrative serves to show a different facet of Akhenaten. He was a hugely controversial figure in his own time and the different points of view in this novella demonstrate this. Still, I crave something more. This book was hugely unsatisfying.
That being said, I did not find that this little book did Akhenaten justice. This novella is structured in a very interesting way: every chapter is essentially the same story of Akhenaten as told by different characters. I understand the pros of using such a structure: every narrative serves to show a different facet of Akhenaten. He was a hugely controversial figure in his own time and the different points of view in this novella demonstrate this. Still, I crave something more. This book was hugely unsatisfying.