Pros: Good handling of different time periods, interesting facts
Cons: Misclassification as a "nonfiction thriller (some intrigue, but not gripping), feeling that something is missing
The Bottom Line: Story detailing the points leading to the conclusion that King Tut was murdered is interesting, not exciting. A parallel plot about the discoverer of his tomb often holds more interest.
donnamr's Full Review: James Patterson and Martin Dugard - The Murder of ...
The fascination with King Tut never seems to diminish. Why? Here was a pharaoh who barely lived to the age of 18, performed no great historical deeds, was buried in a surprisingly obscure place not generally befitting a king of Egypt, and whose death has been attributed to a number of things, including an infection from a broken leg. Perhaps it is the very ambiguity of the young king's life that makes him such a riveting subject of interest.
Author James Patterson is the latest to be attracted to the investigations into what actually killed Tut many centuries ago. In his recent novel, The Murder of King Tut, Patterson, along with co-author Martin Dugard, presents a "nonfiction thriller" that outlines a successful plot to assassinate the pharaoh.
Three Intertwining Plots Patterson's story weaves three plots from three different time periods. In the first, he chronicles the events leading up to the death of King Tut. The second deals with scenes from the life of Howard Carter, who discovered the young pharaoh's tomb in 1922. The final story is told in only three or four short chapters in which Patterson describes his interest and progress in forming ideas about the king's death.
The chapters dealing with Carter's slow progress toward discovering finds of significance, and his struggles to fund his projects are as interesting as the scenes dealing with the ancient Egyptians. Carter was evidently a "bull in the china shop" kind of guy, but not above acting a part when he needed money. His devotion to and love of Egyptology is evident in the narration. In a way, the book is more about the intrigue in his efforts, failures, and successes, than it is about the intrigue surrounding Tut's death.
The juxtaposition of the time periods is handled well throughout most of the book. There is only one spot where I initially (and incorrectly) believed the timing to be off. Two conspirators have already laid out their assassination intentions. Patterson jumps to present time, in which he describes how he has found information that leads him to believe he has discovered who plotted and carried out the killing. He doesn't tell the reader, and it's obvious he's trying to create suspense by not identifying them. Problem is, the reader already knows...or at least I thought I did. As it turns out, there is a bit of a surprise at the end. Patterson got me on that one!
Style As is Patterson's style, the narration is delivered in a simple, straightforward way. Short chapters make this 325-pager a very quick read. Even at that, he manages to infuse details that make the characters believable. He explores the motivations of the characters, showing vividly how jealously, ambition and greed led to the demise of more than one character of importance.
This book is not a scholarly telling of the plot to kill Tut. I understand that it was not meant to be such; however, one of the drawbacks for me was that I kept wondering, "Is this really true? If so, where did the authors find the information?" There is no bibliography, yet the book is labeled "nonfiction." The authors quote dates and events. There is dialogue, even in the scenes of ancient Egypt. The reader is privy to the thoughts of the characters. It's clear that much is understandably made up. At best, I would classify this book as an historical fiction novel, grounded in current theory and scientific findings.
I found the information to be sketchy in points. Large chunks of time pass with little mention. To be fair, I'm sure Patterson and Dugard had to make some hard decisions about what NOT to include so that the novel wouldn't blossom to 1000 pages! Though they do a relatively good job of including only pertinent information, I still couldn't help thinking something was missing. Because of that, overall the book had a choppy flow for me, though I quickly adjusted to it.
Finally, I did not find this to live up to the "thriller" tag prominently figured on the book's cover. Yes, it was interesting, but it wasn't exactly edge-of-the seat reading.
In the End?
The assassination theory has come to be widely accepted in Tut lore. I remember reading about the scientific and historical studies as well as seeing a public TV special addressing the issue about a year ago.
I enjoyed The Murder of King Tut as a light entertainment. The story is interesting, and the authors build a decent case for the conclusions drawn. The book sheds light on what and who might have caused the demise of King Tut. It also presents some interesting views of well-known historical figures, such as Howard Carter and Queen Nefertiti (Tut's step-mother.) If you are looking for a well-documented book with cited research, however, look elsewhere.
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