Mirage: A Novel [Hardcover]

Pauline Gedge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1991

A tale of magic, power and unnatural lust set in Ancient Egypt. Prince Khwaemwaset seeks the mysterious Scroll of Thoth, which will give its possessor the power to raise the dead and thus attain immortality, but he encounters dark forces which he should never have awakened.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The destruction of a noble ancient Egyptian family, precipitated by violation of an ancient taboo, is traced with vibrant detail in this novel (published abroad as Scroll of Saqqara ) from the author of Child of the Morning . Khaemwaset, a son of the Pharaoh, is a physician-scholar and head of a leading Memphis clan. Pursuing his quest for enlightenment, he enters a tomb and steals the scroll of Thoth, believed to have the "power to bend the dead and living to its will," thereby setting in motion the disaster that will overtake his family. Returning from the tomb, Khaemwaset catches sight of a beautiful woman, Tbubui, with whom he becomes obsessed, eventually bringing her into his household as his second wife. Among the mysteries surrounding Tbubui is a pervasive, slightly fetid perfume which does not affect Khaemwaset's lust. His passion continues unabated even when he must accept the grisly evidence that the odor is that of the charnel house. Gedge vividly renders the exotic, sensuous world of ancient Memphis, the domestic rituals of bathing and dressing, the social ambience of superstitions and spells. These details generally compensate for labored dialogue and the jarring use of contemporary expressions.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 460 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (January 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060165413
• ISBN-13: 978-0060165413
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mirage (aka The Scroll of Saqqara) by Pauline Gedge, July 27, 2000

By 

Marlene at Thoth Books & Curiosities "Marlene... (Tropical South Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirage: A Novel (Hardcover)

The central protaganist in this story is Prince Khaemwaset, an egyptian prince of royal blood, son of Ramses II, physician, sem-priest and magician. Although he is in line for the royal throne, he has no political ambitions, and even though he is his father's favourite, the overriding desire in his life is to locate the Scroll of Thoth, which is said to grant immortal life. With the help of his son, Hori, he excavates ancient Egyptian tombs, but is always dissappointed until the day he finds an unlooted, but mysterious tomb. Unintentionally he unleashes the dark magic residing in this tomb, and sets in motion forces that will haunt him and his family, and show him how high is the price of arrogance, pride and the pursuit of all knowledge. As always, Pauline Gedge, brings to life the daily life of ancient Egypt, from lowliest servant, to scribe to royal princes. This story is no exception, however I found that the story sagged midway, and the climatic ending was anti-climatic, and could have been reached sooner. The story could have used a little more twists in the middle.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Published as "Scroll of Saqqara" in Canada, July 7, 2000

By 

Standing In Motion - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mirage: A Novel (Hardcover)

Though not as strong as most of her novels, Mirage is nonetheless interesting and a good read. This novel parallels very closely the ancient Egyptian story of Setna Khamuas. The main character in Mirage is prince Khaemwaset, who is historically a son of Ramses II and was regarded by the Egyptians as a great practitioner of magic. He is considered by modern scholars to be perhaps the first archaeologist and restorer of ancient antiquities. In the course of his restoration projects, Khaemwaset discovers an ancient unmarked tomb. Upon breaking the seals and entering, he discovers that this tomb is unlike any that he has ever before seen. Something dark resides here. Although the evidence confirms that this tomb has never before been opened, the lids of the two sarcophagi are askew and reveal the occupants... an ancient prince and his wife are entombed here. Sewn to the hand of the prince is a scroll. Khaemwaset removes the scroll with the intent to copy it for posterity, return it to the owner, and reseal the tomb. This is an ancient scroll which contains a magical spell. Not realizing the contents, Khaemwaset reads the scroll and sets in motion a magic of the darkest kind. This is a tale of greed, lust, and the consequences they entail. It is an ancient story which Ms. Gedge details in vivid prose. The fruits of darkness can be sweet indeed, but their aftertaste is acidic and deadly.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haunting tale of 19th Dynasty Egypt, June 12, 2001

By 

Katherine Mann (Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mirage: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read this book years ago, and was recently reminded of it when I came upon a transcription of the original Ancient Egyptian story on which it was based. (See Standing in Motion's reference above.)

Gedge is able to evoke an easily believable Egypt - one can almost feel the sun on your face, and smell the Great River. All of her novels are meticulously researched and the reader is drawn into authentic history through the medium of story.

I sincerely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction based in Ancient Egypt, or in fact, to anyone who is looking for something absorbing and out of the ordinary. You don't need to know anything about Ancient Egypt to feel completely at home.