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The Egyptologist Audiobook
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(3.00) - 2,241 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the bestselling author of Prague comes a witty, inventive, brilliantly constructed novel about an Egyptologist obsessed with finding the tomb of an apocryphal king. This darkly comic labyrinth of a story opens on the desert plains of Egypt in 1922, then winds its way from the slums of Australia to the ballrooms of Boston by way of Oxford, the battlefields of the First World War, and a royal court in turmoil. Just as Howard Carter unveils the tomb of Tutankhamun, making the most dazzling find in the history of archaeology, Oxford-educated Egyptologist Ralph Trilipush is digging himself into trouble, having staked his professional reputation and his fiancEe's fortune on a scrap of hieroglyphic pornography. Meanwhile, a relentless Australian detective sets off on the case of his career, spanning the globe in search of a murderer. And another murderer. And possibly another murderer. The confluence of these seemingly separate stories results in an explosive ending, at once inevitable and utterly unpredictable. Arthur Phillips leads this expedition to its unforgettable climax with all the wit and narrative bravado that made Prague one of the most critically acclaimed novels of 2002. Exploring issues of class, greed, ambition, and the very human hunger for eternal life, this staggering second novel gives us a glimpse of Phillips's range and maturity-and is sure to earn him further acclaim as one of the most exciting authors of his generation.
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"Epistolary novel in the voices of an ambitious self-made archeologist, attempting to find a tomb in Egypt and an Australian detective trying to solve an old murder. Neither character is particularly sympathetic, both are deluded and are attempting to delude. The book is interestingly plotted and focuses on themes of whether a text or narrator can be believed as well as on how a person makes his mark and on immortality. I found it engaging if perhaps a bit long. The "surprise" ending isn't the point - most readers will have figured out the basic plot by the middle of the book - more interesting is the theme of self-delusion evident in both narrators. Interesting historical glimpse into the what motivated archeology in the 30s and well-written."
— Cynthia (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An intricately built whodunit for the King Tut lover in all of us…When is the last time you encountered a contemporary writer with Philips’ far reaching intrests and easy facility with faraway places, faraway times.”
— Esquire -
“Witty.”
— New Yorker -
“A wonder, a work of imaginative prowess that more than fulfills the promise of Prague.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“Ambitious and funny and clever…Philips works beautifully with a theme he explored in Prague: the way people construct place.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“The audacity of [Philips’] creation [is] as great as that of his protagonist’s and the success of it even greater.”
— Chicago Sun-Times -
“A dense and witty novel, full of surprises and puzzles.”
— Providence Journal -
“Brilliantly done.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer -
“Vastly entertaining.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Phillips proves himself once again to be a wildly creative storyteller.”
— Booklist -
“Philips’ formidable research and witty prose make this on well worth your time.”
— Kirkus Reviews
The Egyptologist Listener Reviews
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" from kerri, san juan del sur, in exchange for castaneda's journey to ixtlan to ryan "
— Eana, 1/29/2014 -
" This one is really different. I enjoyed the twists, and trying to figure out just what happened, all the way to the end. "
— Barb, 1/25/2014 -
" The end of this book is good, but it was an ordeal to get there. It just went on and on, and there was little interesting for me to hold on to. I finished because I wanted to see how the author would wrap it up, but I only recommend this book if you really really love Egypt, or if you love books with unreliable narrators. "
— Laurie, 1/22/2014 -
" This book is better in theory. A story of self invention constructed from all fictional primary sources written by unreliable and ridiculous narrators. Reading it, however, it was tedious, slow, and mostly predictable. I credit Phillips for his immense imagination in tackling a subject about which he is not overly familar, but even the mystery didn't help this book along. "
— Colin, 1/21/2014 -
" I really worked to get into this book, but only made it to page 82. I don't like any of the characters, and have no reason to read further. "
— Magda, 1/18/2014 -
" I haven't read Pale Fire, but this seems like an admirable imitation. It's a bit too silly sometimes, but I don't think I've been more entertained by a novel in a long time. "
— Tim, 1/15/2014 -
" Good book showing the descent into madness. Well worth the read. "
— Itsbecka, 1/10/2014 -
" the cd is far superior to the book this time. it is a little warped-i warn you, as you travel through time and the mind of a person losing his heart and soul to the sands of Egypt.(less) "
— Noran, 12/31/2013 -
" Disappointing. I read this based on a review in Publishers Weekly. The buildup was better than the payoff. The novel combines letters and recollections from different characters. "
— LB, 12/19/2013 -
" I tried reading this last year but was too distracted. I think if focused, I might like it a bit more. It was humorous "
— Marie, 12/13/2013 -
" such a cool book. you can't believe any of the narrators, and yet, you know exactly what's going on. a really fun read. a mystery. historical. "
— Nijole, 11/29/2013 -
" tedious after a while but good atmosphere "
— Rosemarie, 11/25/2013 -
" a very strange book - could someone explain the ending to me? "
— Amy, 5/5/2013 -
" Weird, funny in its own way. I liked how in the end, the crazy walled himself in...nice tie up. "
— Nstob, 2/15/2013 -
" This was ok, but ultimately I was disappointed. The premise was clever, but it took way too long to sort things out. Life is too short for me to have to work so hard to enjoy a book. "
— Glynis, 5/27/2012 -
" I realized I had already read it...............didn't really care for it. "
— Spednic, 9/2/2011 -
" A good read with a twist at the end. You just see everything go wrong from the beginning, but you still want to know how wrong.... "
— Sophiene, 8/8/2011 -
" I'm done with the whole unreliable narrator, at least for a while. Well written and plotted, I thought, but it was a slog to get through because of that device. I read it through but probably have put it down after the first fifty pages. "
— J, 6/11/2011 -
" The Egyptologist is probably the funniest book I have ever read. But that humor is not evident until you reach nearly the last page of the book, at which point everything is clear. "
— Anne, 5/2/2011 -
" Brutto, brutto, brutto. Talmente noioso che l'ho abbandonato dopo 100 pagine. <br/> <br/> "
— Manuela, 4/6/2011 -
" What a weird book...I had it on my to-read list because I love Egypt and Egyptian artifacts, but I must say I was unprepared for the randomness of this novel. I kinds/sorta liked it, but not enough to recommend to anyone else. "
— Susie, 3/21/2011 -
" Loved the book. Cleverly constructed, very well-written, imaginative, sardonic exploration of one man's obsessions with immortality and greatness - most impressively, the author delivers an awesome ending and wraps up the book without many loose ends. "
— Rashmi, 3/10/2011 -
" This book had it's moments, but it also seemed to drag a bit. I liked parts of it, but overall was just okay. It had some aspects of an Indiana Jones adventure, but was too slow for me and didn't keep my attention. "
— Shaun, 2/10/2011 -
" I HATED this book. I hated the "protagonist." I quit 2/3 through because I was sick of reading this drivel. "
— Facook, 2/4/2011 -
" I am actually have a difficult time getting through this book. I think it is the way there are two stories being told at the same time. I'm finding it tiresome to get to the point. As of right now I'm actually putting it aside maybe to return to later. But for now I'm moving on. "
— Liz, 1/25/2011 -
" I don't even know where to begin to know what to think about this one. Crafted by an artisan - no doubt. Did I love the story...meh. The audiobook was well done. "
— Andrea, 1/8/2011 -
" extremely interesting narrative, especially seeing the two views of both Trilipush and the Australian detective. and then, the twist at the end! very surprising and thought-provoking. makes me want to read the book again now that i know the ending... "
— Katie, 1/6/2011 -
" This was ok, but ultimately I was disappointed. The premise was clever, but it took way too long to sort things out. Life is too short for me to have to work so hard to enjoy a book. "
— Glynis, 12/21/2010
About Arthur Phillips
Arthur Phillips is the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Song is You, Prague, The Egyptologist, and others. Prague was named a New York Times Notable Book and received the Los Angeles Times/Art Seidenbaum Award for best first novel. His books Angelica and The Song Is You were both optioned for film, the former by Mitchell Lichtenstein and the latter by Focus Features. Phillips received his BA in history from Harvard University, and he had several occupations before becoming a novelist, including a speechwriter, a jazz musician, and a child actor; he is also a five-time Jeopardy! champion. He lives in New York with his wife and two sons.
About the Narrators
Gerard Doyle, a seasoned audio narrator, he has been awarded dozens of AudioFile Earphones Awards, was named a Best Voice in Young Adult Fiction in 2008, and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He was born of Irish parents and raised and educated in England. In Great Britain he has enjoyed an extensive career in both television and repertory theater and toured nationally and internationally with the English Shakespeare Company. He has appeared in London’s West End in the gritty musical The Hired Man. In America he has appeared on Broadway in The Weir and on television in New York Undercover and Law & Order. He has taught drama at Ross School for the several years.
Bianca Amato, winner of numerous Earphones Awards and the Audie Award for best narration, is an actress born and raised in South Africa. Trained at the University of Cape Town’s Drama school, she went on to work in theater and television in South Africa before moving to New York in 2002.