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Les Mystères D’Osiris #4
The Great Secret
After 40 years spent studying the doctrines of Ancient Egypt, Christian Jacq closes the series by revealing the Great Secret of resurrection. This mystery was at the very centre of Egyptian thought and pharonic civilisation, and is the key to a modern understanding of Ancient Egyptian life.
174 pages, Paperback
First published December 5, 1998
8 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
About the author
Christian Jacq
222 books943 followersAlso writes under the names Célestin Valois, J.B. Livingstone, and Christopher Carter.
Christian Jacq is a French author and Egyptologist. He has written several novels about ancient Egypt, notably a five book suite about pharaoh Ramses II, a character whom Jacq admires greatly.
Jacq's interest in Egyptology began when he was thirteen, and read History of Ancient Egyptian Civilization by Jacques Pirenne. This inspired him to write his first novel. He first visited Egypt when he was seventeen, went on to study Egyptology and archaeology at the Sorbonne, and is now one of the world's leading Egyptologists.
By the time he was eighteen, he had written eight books. His first commercially successful book was Champollion the Egyptian, published in 1987. As of 2004 he has written over fifty books, including several non-fiction books on the subject of Egyptology.
He and his wife later founded the Ramses Institute, which is dedicated to creating a photographic description of Egypt for the preservation of endangered archaeological sites.
Between 1995-1997, he published his best selling five book suite Ramsès, which is today published in over twenty-five countries. Each volume encompasses one aspect of Ramesses' known historical life, woven into a fictional tapestry of the ancient world for an epic tale of love, life and deceit.
Jacq's series describes a vision of the life of the pharaoh: he has two vile power-hungry siblings, Shanaar, his decadent older brother, and Dolora, his corrupted older sister who married his teacher. In his marital life, he first has Isetnofret (Iset) as a mistress (second Great Wife), meets his true love Nefertari (first Great Wife) and after their death, gets married to Maetnefrure in his old age. Jacq gives Ramesses only three biological children: Kha'emweset, Meritamen (she being the only child of Nefertari, the two others being from Iset) and Merneptah. The other "children" are only young officials trained for government and who are nicknamed "sons of the pharaoh".
Christian Jacq is a French author and Egyptologist. He has written several novels about ancient Egypt, notably a five book suite about pharaoh Ramses II, a character whom Jacq admires greatly.
Jacq's interest in Egyptology began when he was thirteen, and read History of Ancient Egyptian Civilization by Jacques Pirenne. This inspired him to write his first novel. He first visited Egypt when he was seventeen, went on to study Egyptology and archaeology at the Sorbonne, and is now one of the world's leading Egyptologists.
By the time he was eighteen, he had written eight books. His first commercially successful book was Champollion the Egyptian, published in 1987. As of 2004 he has written over fifty books, including several non-fiction books on the subject of Egyptology.
He and his wife later founded the Ramses Institute, which is dedicated to creating a photographic description of Egypt for the preservation of endangered archaeological sites.
Between 1995-1997, he published his best selling five book suite Ramsès, which is today published in over twenty-five countries. Each volume encompasses one aspect of Ramesses' known historical life, woven into a fictional tapestry of the ancient world for an epic tale of love, life and deceit.
Jacq's series describes a vision of the life of the pharaoh: he has two vile power-hungry siblings, Shanaar, his decadent older brother, and Dolora, his corrupted older sister who married his teacher. In his marital life, he first has Isetnofret (Iset) as a mistress (second Great Wife), meets his true love Nefertari (first Great Wife) and after their death, gets married to Maetnefrure in his old age. Jacq gives Ramesses only three biological children: Kha'emweset, Meritamen (she being the only child of Nefertari, the two others being from Iset) and Merneptah. The other "children" are only young officials trained for government and who are nicknamed "sons of the pharaoh".
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 25, 2018
Finally.
This series will forever stay in my heart. Even if it took me time to finish them all, I enjoyed every tome. Christian Jacq can easily take you to the Egyptian world.
If you liked the previous books, please read this one too!
This series will forever stay in my heart. Even if it took me time to finish them all, I enjoyed every tome. Christian Jacq can easily take you to the Egyptian world.
If you liked the previous books, please read this one too!
November 30, 2012
The Judge of Egypt is still my favorite series, but the implications of the ending of this series are staggering. I would love to meet Mr. Jacq and ask him so many questions!!!
January 28, 2023
Il libro più lungo della saga. Forse il mese finale è un po’ prolisso, ma affascinante, soprattutto contando che ripercorre giorno per giorno il mito di Iside e Osiride e il rito ad esso collegato. Leggere dell'Antico Egitto mi fa venire sempre il magone, e come al solito, Jacq riesce a commuovere parlando di Storia e di amore con affascinante dolcezza, come fece in "Ramses" (che rimarrà il suo capolavoro).
June 19, 2019
This is the best of the 4-book series. Anything about ancient Egypt is fascinating, and this book weaves in many of their beliefs and ceremonies, especially those surrounding the resurrection of Osiris. However the writing is poor - short choppy sentences, some incomplete (bad writing or bad translation?) I have read a lot of Jacq's, and I'm over him now. No more of his books for me.
January 30, 2024
Un poco mejor que el tercero (sobre todo porque pone el foco en Isis y la magia y se aleja un poco de su protagonista de siempre), pero se hace igualmente cansino. La fórmula Jacq dejó de funcionar hace mucho tiempo.
October 28, 2024
Al final acabé la tetralogía. No es lo que más me ha gustado del autor, pero tiene unos cuantos temas interesantes: religión, fanatismo, amor, aventura... Creo (no soy muy docto en estos temas) que es una reinterpretación del mito de Osiris y Neftis.
October 9, 2017
Why does an expert on Egyptian history write a book with so much nonense? I am left behind wondering if I have learned anything about a ancient Egypt.
March 29, 2011
Bellino ma mi aspettavo decisamente di più.
Come al solito il mega cattivone di turno crede di essere onnipotente e alla fine perde tutto.
Interessanti i riti e la religiosità dell'antico Egitto, così come la trama.
Purtroppo i cattivi, sopravvivono indisturbati per 4 volumi e negli ultimi capitoli di questo libro vengono liquidati in pochissime righe.
Per non parlare dello scontro finale che si conclude in un misero capitoletto, con il pazzo fanatico incenerito dopo un breve "duello" magico.
Da notare anche il ruolo assolutamente marginale del protagonista principale, Iker.
In conclusione una bella saga, ma con molti punti a sfavore:
I buoni vincono troppo facilmente
Il pazzo fanatico ovviamente perde con una figura di m**** pazzesca
Risulta poi incredibile come circa 7-8 persone siano riuscite a piegare uno stato come l'Egitto...
Come al solito il mega cattivone di turno crede di essere onnipotente e alla fine perde tutto.
Interessanti i riti e la religiosità dell'antico Egitto, così come la trama.
Purtroppo i cattivi, sopravvivono indisturbati per 4 volumi e negli ultimi capitoli di questo libro vengono liquidati in pochissime righe.
Per non parlare dello scontro finale che si conclude in un misero capitoletto, con il pazzo fanatico incenerito dopo un breve "duello" magico.
Da notare anche il ruolo assolutamente marginale del protagonista principale, Iker.
In conclusione una bella saga, ma con molti punti a sfavore:
I buoni vincono troppo facilmente
Il pazzo fanatico ovviamente perde con una figura di m**** pazzesca
Risulta poi incredibile come circa 7-8 persone siano riuscite a piegare uno stato come l'Egitto...
February 13, 2014
I read the whole series and loved it. CJ is very descriptive in his writing and an expert on Egyptian history and culture. However I felt he could have elaborated or extended himself a bit more on certain parts of the book. He builds on the suspense and when suddenly you reach a really expected part, for example... a great battle, where the outcome of the characters lives are of extreme importance, he'll spend about a page and a half on that battle... beginning to end and you are left thinking... how can he have been so short in this part of the story. In the end he makes the novel sound more like a documentary.
Also, the fourth book is short compared to the amount of detail involved in the rebirth of Iker. What ever happens to Iker after he is brought back to life. The way the author left it, seems like there will be a fifth book.
Also, the fourth book is short compared to the amount of detail involved in the rebirth of Iker. What ever happens to Iker after he is brought back to life. The way the author left it, seems like there will be a fifth book.
September 9, 2025
damn trochę nie dowierzałam, że kiedyś skończę tą serie.
Czy skończenie tych 4 książek zajęło mi rok? możliwe...
Miałam bardzo duży problem z przyzwyczajeniem się do sposobu pisania autora, który jest dosyć specyficzny, (dosyć mocno...), ale po +/- 2 książkach przestał mi jakoś szczególnie przeszkadzać co pozwoliło mi docenić ciekawą i rozbudowaną fabułę. Idealna, dosyć lekka książka, bardzo miałam ochotę ostatnio przeczytać coś takiego i się nie zawiodłam :)
Czy skończenie tych 4 książek zajęło mi rok? możliwe...
Miałam bardzo duży problem z przyzwyczajeniem się do sposobu pisania autora, który jest dosyć specyficzny, (dosyć mocno...), ale po +/- 2 książkach przestał mi jakoś szczególnie przeszkadzać co pozwoliło mi docenić ciekawą i rozbudowaną fabułę. Idealna, dosyć lekka książka, bardzo miałam ochotę ostatnio przeczytać coś takiego i się nie zawiodłam :)
January 25, 2011
RATING: 3.5 stars.
Another typical Jacq with his very moral and heroic characters opposing their very immoral and evil enemies. Still loving his deciption of ancient Egypt, though.
The final of this book was a bit rushed but I liked it overall, as always even if the author recycles a lot of the ideas and plots of his older books, not to mention characters.
Another typical Jacq with his very moral and heroic characters opposing their very immoral and evil enemies. Still loving his deciption of ancient Egypt, though.
The final of this book was a bit rushed but I liked it overall, as always even if the author recycles a lot of the ideas and plots of his older books, not to mention characters.
July 19, 2014
Les quatre tomes étaient vraiment bien. On suit l'histoire d'Iker, du pharaon Sésostris et de leur combat contre l'Annonciateur, serviteur de Seth. Le lecteur est plongé dans la mythologie égyptienne, Christian Jacq en donne tous les détails grâce aux textes retrouvés.
July 28, 2011
I loved this series as I have loved all of Christian Jacq. I find his books interesting. I love the Egyptian stories and his are grat.
October 4, 2012
Good...too elabrote....
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews