The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems, 1940-1640 BC (Oxford World's Classics) (Paperback)

~ R. B. Parkinson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Parkinson's volume is to be commended, and one looks forward to more of this kind of work in the future."-- Journal of Near Eastern Studies

Product Description

Drawing on recent advances in Egyptology, R. B. Parkinson's new translations bring to life for the modern reader the golden age of Egyptian fictional literature, the Middle Kingdom (c. 1940-1640 BC). The book features The Tale of Sinuhe, acclaimed as the masterpiece of Egyptian poetry, which tells of a courtier's adventures after he flees Egypt. Other works include stories of fantastic wonders from the court of the builder of the Great Pyramid, a lyrical dialogue between a man and his soul on the nature of death and the problem of suffering, and teachings about the nature of virtue and wisdom, one of which is bitterly spoken from the grave by the assassinated king Amenemhat I, founder of the Twelfth Dynasty.

A general introduction discusses the historical context of the poetry, the nature of poetry, and the role of literature in ancient Egyptian culture., while a full set of notes explicates allusions, details of mythology, place-names, and the like. Parkinson's book provides, for the first time, a literary reading to enable these poems to entertain and instruct the modern reader, as they did their original audiences three-and-a-half thousand years ago.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 16, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192839667
• ISBN-13: 978-0192839664
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #859,486 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best available translations, August 15, 2001

By A Customer

This excellent collection of translations of the key Middle Kingdom (the classical era of ancient Egyptian literature) literary texts supersedes the now dated translations of Lichtheim and Simpson. Those were great translations at the time they were made (26 and 15 years ago, respectively). However, Parkinson's have the benefit of up to date understanding of the ancient Egyptian language, are much more readable (he uses clear, modern English rather than the rather awkward, over-wordy and old fashioned English used by other translators) and have superb commentaries which clearly explain the meaning of each text. The commentaries will be very helpful to students of Egyptology, but are as valuable for the general reader as they provide background information, much of which is unlikely to be known to non-Egyptologists and which is essential to making sense of these ancient texts which can appear simple but are surprisingly complex. This book also comes out on top on price.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent coverage of Ancient Egyptian literature, July 15, 2000

By	Francesca Jourdan (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book offers an English translation of the major literary works from the Middle Kingdom (ca 1940-1640 BC), golden age of Egyptian fictional literature. It includes the masterpiece The Tale of Sinuhe, The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant, The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, The Teaching of Merikare, The Teaching of Ptahhotep and The Dialogue of a Man and his Soul. An introduction to each work is provided, followed by its translation. The glossary and bibliographic references are useful. Accessible to the general reader, this is an excellent introductory book for those interested in Ancient Egyptian literature.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A splendid presentation, January 19, 2001

By	"momteacher" (USA) - See all my reviews

This text is not dry or dull at all, but incredibly readable. It is also accurate - a priority with me. The selection is varied and should present something of interest for almost everyone. I highly recommend it.

Also good is "The Literature of Ancient Egypt : An Anthology of Stories, Instructions and Poetry" by R.O. Faulkner and William K. Simpson. However, I believe that this Oxford World Classics book is better presented and perhaps more enjoyable. It will provide many hours of good reading.