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Cheops : a cupboard for the sun

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan How do I pick up this item and when will it be ready?	Text	Request in advance	PS3573.E8247 C48 2002	Off-site

Description

261 pages : illustrations; 22 cm

Summary

"Paul West, in his new novel Cheops: A Cupboard for the Sun, turns his attention to the 4th Dynasty (approx. 2680 BC) of ancient Egypt. Here, we find the pharaoh Cheops, building the great pyramids at Giza, surrounded by workers and solar boats.
According to the Greek historian Herodotus, "a hundred thousand men were made to toil constantly for him," and, as Herodotus claimed, Egypt was "plunged into all manner of wickedness." In Cheops, West delightfully has Herodotus transported back in time, to meet the great pharaoh, face to face. Nearing death, getting ready for his final "transportation to the stars," the blind Cheops is obsessed with preparing for his end. All the while, the intrigues of his daughters, sons, wives, and courtiers are revealed, uncovering murder, incest, and rebellion. Perhaps most intriguing is the overarching narration by Osiris, god of the Nile.
While managing to "pipe" the music of English composer Frederick Delius into the dying Cheops's ears, he comments on this swarm of events with hilarious and humane authority."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects

Genre/Form

ISBN

0811215199 (alk. paper)

LCCN

2002010474

OCLC

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries