Customer Reviews

The Sleeper In The Sands

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was drawn to this book by the cover, which features a representation of a statue of Akhenaten, perhaps the most intriguing and mysterious of the Egyptian pharoahs. Anyone who has ever read anything about Akhenaten will understand what I mean. His unusual life and ambiguous demise have been the basis of several novels (The Watch Gods by Barbara Woods, Pillar of Fire by Judith Tarr, and others I can't remember the names of just now). For anyone with a passing interest in this fascinating period of Ancient Egyptian history, 'The Sleeper in the Sands' is a intruiging read, if only to get this rather unusual dimension of the mystery.

'The Sleeper in the Sands' has been described as "combining the Curse of the Pharoahs, with Indana Jones, a good measure of the Arabian Nights, a touch of Rider Haggard and a hint of late Burroughs" and I cannot argue with that description. Like Indiana Jones and Rider Haggard's works, it is a 'ripping yarn'. Like the Arabian Nights, it contains a story within a story within a story.

Without giving too much away, it starts with Howard Carter's story of his 30 year quest for the tomb of Tutankhamen and reveals the document that spurred him on. We then follow that writer's story, and so on, back and forth through various eras of Egyptian history - medieval, Arab-ruled Cairo, ancient Thebes - until the culmination we all know (it's no secret the tomb was opened!)

Like other well written historically based fiction, you find yourself believing this is what really happened. Some of it may have. Even if it didn't, perhaps it could have. The well researched and beautifully written journey through time on which Tom Holland leads us is certainly rewarding. This is the first book I've read by Tom Holland, and it won't be the last.

I borrowed this book from a friend and couldn't put it down. I will be purchasing it to read it again. Needless to say, I feel this is one of the best books I have read in a long time. As one reads this it feels like one is peeling an onion, removing layer after layer until you finally hit the core. The use of different voices enhances this feeling and takes one through different times times periods in history until you almost feel like you're reliving a real story. I recommend this to anyone with any interest in ancient history.

Tom Holland takes us on a fascinating ride through ancient Egypt and weaves together a magical, and often horrific, tale of those who ruled the golden land and the great treasures that existed within the walls of palaces and within the walls of tombs. It is his own theoretical account based on what is known about the Egyptian Pharaohs today and what is speculated.

The story starts off with Dr. Howard Carter about to discover the tomb of the legendary Tut-Ankh-Amen and he knows this because of what was found buried just beneath the sands. A writhing corpse with its throat slashed. He writes to his financier, Lord Carnarvon, to let him know what he is about to uncover and why he believes it to be the burial place of "King Tut." As Carter relates this to him, the story unravels. It is a tale within a tale within a tale. It might sound confusing but Holland flows from one time in history to the next flawlessly.

This is the first novel of Mr. Holland's I have read and it won't be my last. I highly recommend `Sleeper in the Sands.'

I did not find The Sleeper in the Sands as compelling as Holland's earlier novels, Lord of the Dead and Slave of My Thirst, but it was still a fairly engrossing adventure story with something of interest for admirers of his previous works (some character origins, for one).

Holland paints on a very broad canvas: this story is partly a sweeping Arabian Nights fable, partly an imaginative depiction of Howard Carter's search for the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen and his parallel attempt to unravel the mysteries of the heretic Pharaoh, Akh-en-Aten. Still, the novel managed to evoke the human dimension of these larger-than-life characters, making me care about them and the outcome of their stories.

My one complaint is that the technique of switching between several narrators which Holland used successfully in Slave of My Thirst is a bit off-putting in the first part of this book. At first, the revolving storytellers made it hard to hold onto the characters and relate to them. The novel picks up speed and personality as it goes on, however, and winds up being Holland's usual blend of intelligence and entertainment--and a very satisfying read overall.

For me ,Tom Holland is one of those authors I read because he comes up with interesting ideas and situations, which are usually enough to see me through any problems a book might have, and the quality of his writing is generally high. In the case of this book, I was doing fine until I got into the section set in ancient Egypt, and then it gradually became a slog. The sections set in the mediaeval middle east are excellent, very reminiscent of nineteenth century Gothic and the Arabian Nights, and the main narrator is an interesting character. The ancient Egypt section bogs down because: it's too long,the characters aren't as interesting and have confusingly similar names, and an air of something significant about to happen hangs over it but nothing really seems to.
The understated denouement should provoke a feeling of unease but by this time the reader is too tired, and it just comes across as flat. I suspect that there will be a sequel, expanding on the horror implied in the last paragraph. If so, I'll still give it a try.
If you're a fan of Holland,well, there's enough here to make it worth your while but be prepared to be a bit disappointed. If you haven't read any of his stuff yet,start with something else,preferably The Vampire (which has another title in the States which at present I don't remember!).

This is one of my all-time favorite horror novels. The reason is simple: Holland uses a tumultous period in ancient Egypt's history, weaves it together with the Bible's Genesis and Howard Carter's discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, and comes up with a totally plausible explanation for the mystery of the Heretic Pharaoh. For those not familiar with ancient Egyptian history, Akhenaten (1353 BCE to 1335 BCE), a pharaoh of the New Kingdom, abandoned the worship of Egypt's old gods in favor of just one - the Aten, the sun-god as represented by the sun-disk with its rays bestowing life on the earth. Akhenaten ("Aten is content") forbade the worship of any other god besides the Aten, making him history's first official monotheist. What led him to make such a radical and revolutionary change to ancient Egyptian life has never been fully explained by historians, although theories abound about the need to rein in the powerful old priesthood of Egypt's chief god, Amun ("the hidden one"), by instituting a new religion with Akhenaten himself as head priest. Akhenaten's name, together with that of his queen, Nefertiti ("a beautiful woman has arrived"), and his heir and successor, Tutankhamun, were erased from all buildings, monuments and records after their deaths as ancient Egypt reverted back to the worship of their old gods. Akhenaten was referred to simply as the Heretic Pharaoh, to be better forgotten by the ancient Egyptian masses. It was as if they had never existed, until archeologists such as the famous Howard Carter re-discovered them. Fans of ancient Egyptian culture will have a rollicking good ride with this book of stories within stories. Of all Holland's books, this one is his absolute best.

I really enjoy historical novels and have always had an interest in Egypt. This novel is well researched but it's a slow read! The layering upon layering just became tedious after a time. I've read other novels by Holland and enjoyed them, but I found The Sleeper - to be just that!

It wasn't as great as I thought it would be...I guess I expected too much. =0) The first couple chapters are slow, but I admit, it does get better towards the middle. Overall, it was a good read.

The first was another book by this so-called "author". Why would someone read two appalling books by the same author? I was stuck for something to read and picked up the two of them in a charity shop - I should've known better.

I didn't finish this one. It was so bad that on the 3rd morning of trying to read it I tore it up and threw it into the bin. Then I settled down to something far more interesting - the phone directory for Bumville, Arizona.

The Sleeper in the Sands is a totally overrated book. When you're on page 189, you've gone through about the same amount of people with 'eyes popping out of their skulls of fear' or suffering from 'a chill running down their spine they never felt before'. But you still have no clue why they're all so terrified, so you kinda lose interest. C'mon Tom, you know better than giving your audience just a shivering bunch of people and no clue to entertain us.