The Twelfth Transforming [Paperback]

Pauline Gedge (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Canada, Limited (2003)
• ISBN-10: 0143014307
• ISBN-13: 978-0143014300
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,949,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gedge pulls out all the stops in this book!, September 21, 2002

By 

Jill Myles "Jill Myles" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Twelfth Transforming (Hardcover)

And she certainly doesn't talk down to the reader!

The Twelfth Transforming is a rather ambitious telling -- that of Akhenaten's reign told from the eyes of his mother, Queen Tiye. Tiye is a strong, aggressive heroine, and almost always not someone to admire. Still, she carries the story forward forcefully, and you follow her footsteps from Amunhotep's ending days to Akhenaten's height of power and his eventual downfall.

A warning to those not familiar with the storyline out there -- Akhenaten's rule over Egypt was filled with incest. If this sort of thing will turn you away from the story, then I advise you not to read this. The author does NOT pull punches in this, and every act is detailed in full depth -- even the ones you think are almost too bad to print. It creates a dreamlike, ... air over the book, which is exactly what it's supposed to do. After all, you're not supposed to feel sorry for Akhenaten; you're supposed to hate him. It's nonetheless compelling.

Those of you that are fans of historical Egypt should pick this up. Gedge fans should not HESITATE to pick this up. I will warn the casual reader though -- if you are looking for light summer reading, I would advise against this book. The tale is deep, dark and monstrous, but Gedge carries it off to a tee.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gedge's best novel!, January 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Twelfth Transforming (Paperback)

Pauline Gedge has written many excellent books on the subject of ancient Egypt. This, in my opinion, is her finest. In the Twelfth Transforming she brings to life the remarkable political events of the last years of the reign of Amenhotep III through to the end of the dynasty. The period is particularly interesting because we have so much information and yet, the actual facts are shrouded in mystery. Relying heavily on the interpretation of Christianne Desroches-Noblecourt, Gedge has produced a logical and believable tale set in a period that fascinates Egyptologists, particularly since the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamon. If you enjoy historical fiction set in ancient Egypt, this is a must-read.

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed recreation of Ancient Egypt, November 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Twelfth Transforming (Paperback)

This is a densely written, historically detailed account of a mysterious and romantic era of ancient Egyptian history. I have been fascinated with this period since I was a little girl, and I could hardly put the book down the first time I read it.

Pauline Gedge knows Egyptian daily life very well, and her strength is in recreating it. As far as the historical events and personalities go, sometimes I agreed with her interpretation, sometimes not.

The idea that Tiye married Akhenaton is not historically verified, though it does weave together some facts in an intriguing way. I first discovered that interpretation in a book called Oedipus and Akhenaten, which theorized that Akhenaten was the historical Oedipus, and Gedge has certainly gone with this interpretation. It is intriguing for the novel, and she makes a good case, especially in details like the role of the seer, Amenhotep son of Hapu. I have to say, though, I don't really believe that it happened this way. I also disagreed with her view of Akhenaten as a weak dreamer. He was many things, possibly mad, but anyone looking at sculptures of him can see that, whatever he was, he wasn't weak.

I have the same feeling about Nefertiti and her "viper heartedness." To suit certain interpretations of the facts, Nefertiti had to be made vain and power hungry. I'm sure she wasn't perfect, but I just couldn't see her as the hollow, shallow character she was made to be.

Other interpretations were spot on, or at least interesting. I liked the relationship of Mutnodgeme and Horemheb, and the tragic love story that weaves delicately through the major part of the novel. Ankhesenamun and Tutankhamun's brief, sad story felt real to me, as well Horemheb's eventual motive for murder.

One thing this book did leave me wanting: The story of Amunhotep and Tiye in their youth.