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Moon of Israel
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373 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 1918
42 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
H. Rider Haggard
1,582 books1,097 followersSir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 4, 2019
অতিরিক্ত সংক্ষিপ্ত করে ফেলেছে। অনেক দ্রুত অনেক কিছু হয়ে যাচ্ছে যার কিছুই এত দ্রুত হবার কথা না। লেখনীও খুব একটা ভালো লাগেনি। আমার বইটা যেখানে শেষ করেছে তার পরের কাহিনী জানতে বেশি ইচ্ছা করছে!
অ্যানা একজন পুরুষের নাম!
অ্যানা একজন পুরুষের নাম!
June 25, 2025
The best way to describe this book is that it's like The Ten Commandments if it had been made in Nazi Germany.
The plot is, essentially, a retelling of the Exodus, focused on the romance between an Egyptian prince, based on Seti II, and a Hebrew slave named Merapi, whose name means "Moon of Israel." I'm 99% sure that it doesn't actually mean that (most of the Google results I get for that name show me a volcano in Indonesia), but we are told this about ten thousand times during the story, so who am I to question it?
I'm going to post an excerpt. This is what happens after Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") tells a Jewish priest that she doesn't want to marry the murderous villain whom her father betrothed her to. Which, fun fact! According to ACTUAL Jewish law she is totally allowed to do.
And that basically is how all the Hebrews are depicted throughout this novel. I think it's telling that the Egyptians, including ones who want to commit genocide like Meneptah and Userti, actually do get to have nuanced moments and sympathetic characterization, while the Hebrews are, to a man, raving lunatics like the above or otherwise evil. The closest we get to an exception is Merapi's uncle Jabez, who is *checks notes*...a greedy merchant who cheats people for money in practically every one of his scenes. That's not a great look, is it? Occasionally we're told no, not ALL Hebrews are like this. Just every single one whom we see. Including whenever they're in a group, which is inevitable a screaming mob.
Of course, Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is the one exception. But then, it's also explained that her mother was Syrian, not Hebrew, in order to explain why she's pale and thus attractive, unlike the others, who are dark-skinned and ugly. Later, when the whole "Hebrews don't marry outsiders" thing becomes a plot point, it's explained that her non-Hebrew mother was also Hebrew. If that doesn't make sense to you, congratulations! You're thinking about this more than the author did.
At first, I wanted to believe that the rabid anti-Semitism was a result of seeing this from the Egyptians' POV, but...no. This book is just anti-Semitic AF. And I'm willing to overlook a little un-PCness in older books, but there's a lot of it here, and more to the point? It's a retelling of the Exodus. A story which is kind of predicated on seeing the Hebrews as the good guys and the Egyptians as the villains. Because of Haggard's biases, this story makes for increasingly incoherent themes. The Hebrews are oppressed victims and also ingrates who are robbing the Egyptians by going free. The protagonists sympathize with them, even though they're evil barbarians. They're Strawman Fundamentalists, but also everything they say about God turns out to be right. Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is just a normal person, but also has inexplicable spiritual powers. The Egyptian gods are false, but sometimes real. Also, at some points Haggard tries to claim that the Egyptians are monotheists, and the Hebrews are stupid for thinking that worshiping idols and sacred cows means otherwise? (An Edgar Allan Poe story I read last year claims the same thing. Was this something that people used to believe?)
Aside from all that, the Exodus parts are a mixed bag. The Nile turning to blood is actually quite well done; in movies, it often just seems like the water turned red, but Haggard does a good job describing just how visceral and horrifying this would actually be. Other parts are disappointing, because see, Seti is so super-special-awesome that God protects him from the plagues, meaning that most of them are just happening off-screen. Likewise, the first confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is summarized in like, a paragraph. The general impression one gets is that Haggard doesn't want to write about that boring stuff, as he'd rather focus on his characters. So how are they?
Our actual protagonist is Seti. He is a Gary Stu. Everybody loves him, and Haggard works so hard to make him wise and likeable that it actually flips over into making him look like a douche most of the time. His philosophical musings come off as pretentious and sanctimonious (I loved the times when Userti mocked him for that, whether or not we're supposed to agree with her), and he's carefully been scrubbed from any setting-appropriate traits that would make him unpalatable to the modern reader. He's against polygamy, even though it's expected of an Egyptian prince (and despite the fact that historically, Seti II had at LEAST two wives), he doesn't want to marry within the family (seemingly none of the Egyptian royals do, you'd think this would be normal to them), he's nice to the Hebrews...but y'know, in a condescending way, since as noted, they're a bunch of raving idiots. There's a scene when he, the son of the dictator who enslaved them and recently doubled their workload, interrupts their religious service and defiles their holiest temple. Then, when they're upset, he's looking at them "with contempt," unable to understand why they're so ~sensitive~ about this.
I also want to point out that Seti could have solved everything if he either a.) lied to his dad about planning to free the Hebrews, or b.) overthrown Amenmeses in order to do so. It seems like these ideas should have at least been raised. (The latter was, but in the context of "so that you can become Pharaoh," not "to save hundreds of thousands of lives.")
In terms of personality, I actually kind of like Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"); she's your standard Perfect Flawless Love Interest, but her struggle between her religious beliefs on the one hand, and her circumstances + love for Seti on the other, makes for one of the book's actually humanizing subplots. But as the story goes on, her Mary Sueness eclipses Seti's like the Great Pyramid over a sandcastle. There's the Sympathetic Sue angle, where the story keeps piling shit on her just so that we feel bad, but more to the point, everyone is just OBSESSED with her.
About halfway through the novel, a miracle happens for Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"). She calls on God, He does what she asks. But since the priest of Amon's own "miracles" are done with sorcery, decides that she must be a sorceress too. Fine. And then everyone in the universe decides that she's a sorceress, and also that all the plagues are clearly her doing. After all, who needs God when someone as beautiful and wise and perfect as Merapi exists?
I should point out that Moses and Aaron do appear in this novel, though only briefly and never named. But offscreen, out of focus, they're striking the Nile with their staff and confronting Pharaoh and all that, but everyone keeps insisting that no, Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is doing this, and she keeps insisting that she isn't, and they insist that she is, and she insists that she isn't, and it gets to the point where EVERY scene, every single page, is just this same conversation over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. Just the same infuriatingly repetitive argument.
Everybody assumes that Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is using her evil magic to mentally enslave Seti. But everybody loves Seti, so this never causes them to question his judgement, even at the very end when he becomes Pharaoh. Like...nobody's concerned about having an enslaved puppet-king? The same people who wanted to lynch Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") ten seconds ago are gonna stop because her supposedly brainwashed husband says to?
It's the main thing about Mary Sues, isn't it? The whole story has to revolve around them, even in a story like this, where Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") and Seti aren't actually that important. Characters can love them, characters can hate them, but everyone is OBSESSED with them, because the author is and can't imagine anyone who isn't.
Ana is the actual POV character, and you could honestly cut him out and just make this third person. His main traits are being devoted to Seti and, for a while, in love with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"), but since EVERYONE is devoted to Seti and in love (or hate) with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"), that doesn't say much. The few times when he actually contributes to the narrative feel like they come out of nowhere, like when an aspect of his backstory suddenly becomes important for about two pages. It says something when the supposed protagonist feels like a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.
All this aside, there are good parts of the book. I like Userti, who along with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") feels the most like a real character, and a more complex one than her. I actually picked out several nice quotes, and things were alright near the beginning, before the Exodus stuff came into focus. And you know what? Since Haggard clearly just wanted to write an exotic historical romance about ancient Egypt, he should have stuck with that. Seti is a prince who wants to marry a slave—could still be a foreign one, if you want to play that angle, but not Hebrew, and no Exodus retelling. He wants Merapi (whose name, in this version, would mean "Moon of Syria" or something) to be his only wife, Meneptah and Userti object and disinherit him, political drama ensues. There. Same basic setup, but without shitting on a founding myth of multiple world religions and making a mess of this story in the process.
The plot is, essentially, a retelling of the Exodus, focused on the romance between an Egyptian prince, based on Seti II, and a Hebrew slave named Merapi, whose name means "Moon of Israel." I'm 99% sure that it doesn't actually mean that (most of the Google results I get for that name show me a volcano in Indonesia), but we are told this about ten thousand times during the story, so who am I to question it?
I'm going to post an excerpt. This is what happens after Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") tells a Jewish priest that she doesn't want to marry the murderous villain whom her father betrothed her to. Which, fun fact! According to ACTUAL Jewish law she is totally allowed to do.
Then that priest became terrible. Waving his arms and rolling his wild eyes, he poured out some hideous curse upon the head of this poor maid, much of which as it was spoken rapidly in an ancient form of Hebrew, we did not understand. He cursed her living, dying, and after death. He cursed her in her love and hate, wedded or alone. He cursed her in child-bearing or in barrenness, and he cursed her children after her to all generations. Lastly, he declared her cut off from and rejected by the god she worshipped, and sentenced her to death at the hands of any who could slay her. So horrible was that curse that she shrank away from him, while Jabez crouched upon the ground hiding his eyes with his hands, and even I felt my blood turn cold.
At length he paused, foaming at the lips. Then, suddenly shouting, "After judgment, doom!" he drew a knife from his robe and sprang at her.
And that basically is how all the Hebrews are depicted throughout this novel. I think it's telling that the Egyptians, including ones who want to commit genocide like Meneptah and Userti, actually do get to have nuanced moments and sympathetic characterization, while the Hebrews are, to a man, raving lunatics like the above or otherwise evil. The closest we get to an exception is Merapi's uncle Jabez, who is *checks notes*...a greedy merchant who cheats people for money in practically every one of his scenes. That's not a great look, is it? Occasionally we're told no, not ALL Hebrews are like this. Just every single one whom we see. Including whenever they're in a group, which is inevitable a screaming mob.
Of course, Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is the one exception. But then, it's also explained that her mother was Syrian, not Hebrew, in order to explain why she's pale and thus attractive, unlike the others, who are dark-skinned and ugly. Later, when the whole "Hebrews don't marry outsiders" thing becomes a plot point, it's explained that her non-Hebrew mother was also Hebrew. If that doesn't make sense to you, congratulations! You're thinking about this more than the author did.
At first, I wanted to believe that the rabid anti-Semitism was a result of seeing this from the Egyptians' POV, but...no. This book is just anti-Semitic AF. And I'm willing to overlook a little un-PCness in older books, but there's a lot of it here, and more to the point? It's a retelling of the Exodus. A story which is kind of predicated on seeing the Hebrews as the good guys and the Egyptians as the villains. Because of Haggard's biases, this story makes for increasingly incoherent themes. The Hebrews are oppressed victims and also ingrates who are robbing the Egyptians by going free. The protagonists sympathize with them, even though they're evil barbarians. They're Strawman Fundamentalists, but also everything they say about God turns out to be right. Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is just a normal person, but also has inexplicable spiritual powers. The Egyptian gods are false, but sometimes real. Also, at some points Haggard tries to claim that the Egyptians are monotheists, and the Hebrews are stupid for thinking that worshiping idols and sacred cows means otherwise? (An Edgar Allan Poe story I read last year claims the same thing. Was this something that people used to believe?)
Aside from all that, the Exodus parts are a mixed bag. The Nile turning to blood is actually quite well done; in movies, it often just seems like the water turned red, but Haggard does a good job describing just how visceral and horrifying this would actually be. Other parts are disappointing, because see, Seti is so super-special-awesome that God protects him from the plagues, meaning that most of them are just happening off-screen. Likewise, the first confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is summarized in like, a paragraph. The general impression one gets is that Haggard doesn't want to write about that boring stuff, as he'd rather focus on his characters. So how are they?
Our actual protagonist is Seti. He is a Gary Stu. Everybody loves him, and Haggard works so hard to make him wise and likeable that it actually flips over into making him look like a douche most of the time. His philosophical musings come off as pretentious and sanctimonious (I loved the times when Userti mocked him for that, whether or not we're supposed to agree with her), and he's carefully been scrubbed from any setting-appropriate traits that would make him unpalatable to the modern reader. He's against polygamy, even though it's expected of an Egyptian prince (and despite the fact that historically, Seti II had at LEAST two wives), he doesn't want to marry within the family (seemingly none of the Egyptian royals do, you'd think this would be normal to them), he's nice to the Hebrews...but y'know, in a condescending way, since as noted, they're a bunch of raving idiots. There's a scene when he, the son of the dictator who enslaved them and recently doubled their workload, interrupts their religious service and defiles their holiest temple. Then, when they're upset, he's looking at them "with contempt," unable to understand why they're so ~sensitive~ about this.
I also want to point out that Seti could have solved everything if he either a.) lied to his dad about planning to free the Hebrews, or b.) overthrown Amenmeses in order to do so. It seems like these ideas should have at least been raised. (The latter was, but in the context of "so that you can become Pharaoh," not "to save hundreds of thousands of lives.")
In terms of personality, I actually kind of like Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"); she's your standard Perfect Flawless Love Interest, but her struggle between her religious beliefs on the one hand, and her circumstances + love for Seti on the other, makes for one of the book's actually humanizing subplots. But as the story goes on, her Mary Sueness eclipses Seti's like the Great Pyramid over a sandcastle. There's the Sympathetic Sue angle, where the story keeps piling shit on her just so that we feel bad, but more to the point, everyone is just OBSESSED with her.
About halfway through the novel, a miracle happens for Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"). She calls on God, He does what she asks. But since the priest of Amon's own "miracles" are done with sorcery, decides that she must be a sorceress too. Fine. And then everyone in the universe decides that she's a sorceress, and also that all the plagues are clearly her doing. After all, who needs God when someone as beautiful and wise and perfect as Merapi exists?
I should point out that Moses and Aaron do appear in this novel, though only briefly and never named. But offscreen, out of focus, they're striking the Nile with their staff and confronting Pharaoh and all that, but everyone keeps insisting that no, Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is doing this, and she keeps insisting that she isn't, and they insist that she is, and she insists that she isn't, and it gets to the point where EVERY scene, every single page, is just this same conversation over and over and over and over AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER again. Just the same infuriatingly repetitive argument.
Everybody assumes that Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") is using her evil magic to mentally enslave Seti. But everybody loves Seti, so this never causes them to question his judgement, even at the very end when he becomes Pharaoh. Like...nobody's concerned about having an enslaved puppet-king? The same people who wanted to lynch Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") ten seconds ago are gonna stop because her supposedly brainwashed husband says to?
It's the main thing about Mary Sues, isn't it? The whole story has to revolve around them, even in a story like this, where Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") and Seti aren't actually that important. Characters can love them, characters can hate them, but everyone is OBSESSED with them, because the author is and can't imagine anyone who isn't.
Ana is the actual POV character, and you could honestly cut him out and just make this third person. His main traits are being devoted to Seti and, for a while, in love with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"), but since EVERYONE is devoted to Seti and in love (or hate) with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel"), that doesn't say much. The few times when he actually contributes to the narrative feel like they come out of nowhere, like when an aspect of his backstory suddenly becomes important for about two pages. It says something when the supposed protagonist feels like a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment.
All this aside, there are good parts of the book. I like Userti, who along with Merapi (whose name means "Moon of Israel") feels the most like a real character, and a more complex one than her. I actually picked out several nice quotes, and things were alright near the beginning, before the Exodus stuff came into focus. And you know what? Since Haggard clearly just wanted to write an exotic historical romance about ancient Egypt, he should have stuck with that. Seti is a prince who wants to marry a slave—could still be a foreign one, if you want to play that angle, but not Hebrew, and no Exodus retelling. He wants Merapi (whose name, in this version, would mean "Moon of Syria" or something) to be his only wife, Meneptah and Userti object and disinherit him, political drama ensues. There. Same basic setup, but without shitting on a founding myth of multiple world religions and making a mess of this story in the process.
February 27, 2019
На этот раз Хаггард решил рассказать читателю об Исходе. Случилось то во времена библейские, когда отяготило народ иудейский накинутое на них ярмо египетское. И пожелали они покинуть земли фараоновы, по воле Бога так поступая, ибо отделил Бог зёрна от плевел, не видя роста детям своим в землях языческих, где поклонялись божествам, чья сущность созидалась на жизни, клонящейся к закату, дабы получить после смерти право на возрождение в прежнем облике. И случилось ожидаемое, появилась среди иудеев красавица, Луной Израиля прозываемая, пленившая волю сына фараонова, что едва не забыл тот о божествах народа своего собственного. Осталось Райдеру совместить предания ветхозаветные с художественным вымыслом, тем породив произведение на тему так полюбившегося ему Древнего Египта.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
June 5, 2021
This is proof that you have no business writing a book when you have no knowledge of the subject matter. The novel takes place during the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, and yet time and time again, the author makes demonstrable errors that border on being straight up racist as he makes sure the facts never get in the way of telling a horrible story. I was so happy to reach the end of this book so I could put this trash away and read something better and worthy my time.
January 9, 2022
আমার প্রিয় লেখকদের মধ্যে স্যার হেনরী রাইডার হ্যাগার্ড অন্যতম। তাঁর বেশ কিছু উপন্যাস পূর্বে পড়া হয়েছে। তাঁর প্রায় সবগুলো উপন্যাসই পড়ার সময় মনে হয়েছে ঐতিহাসিক কোন ঘটনার আলোকে লেখা হয়েছে। 'মুন অব ইজরায়েল'-ও এর ব্যতিক্রম নয়। এই উপন্যাসটি মূসা (আঃ)-এর নির্দেশে ইহুদিদের মিশর ত্যাগের (যা এক্সোডাস নামে পরিচিত) প্রেক্ষাপটে লেখা।
উপন্যাসের শুরুতে দেখা যায় অ্যানা নামীয় মিশরের মেম্ফিস শহরের এক লেখক ভাগ্যের সন্ধানে মিশরের যুবরাজ শেঠির সাথে দেখা করতে এসে তার সুনজরে পড়ে যায়। এরপর অ্যানার বর্ণনায় ইসরাইলি তথা ইহুদিদের সাথে মিশরীয় জনগণের স্বার্থের সংঘাত, 'মুন অব ইসরায়েল' খ্যাত মেরাপির সাথে যুবরাজের পরিচয়, ইহুদিদের অভিশাপে মিশরে দুর্ভিক্ষ নেমে আসা, শেঠির বদলে তার বৈমাত্রেয় ভাই আমেনমেসিসের সিংহাসনে আরোহণ ইত্যাদি ঘটনাবলি উঠে আসে।
উপন্যাসটি শেষ করার পর মনে হয়েছে মিশরীয়দের সাথে ইহুদিদের দ্বন্দ্ব সম্পর্কে কিছুটা হলেও ধারণা পেয়েছি। আভিজাত্য বজায় রাখার জন্য মিশরীয়দের মধ্যে ভাই-বোনের বিয়ের প্রথা সম্পর্কে জেনে অবাক লেগেছে। তবে উপন্যাসের শেষের দিকে এসে মনে হয়েছে লেখক তড়িঘড়ি করে উপন্যাসটি শেষ করেছেন। শেষ পর্যন্ত মিশরের ভাগ্যে কী ঘটেছিলো তা লেখক পাঠকের উপর ছেড়ে দিয়েছেন। এখানে লেখক চাইলে আরেকটু বিস্তারিত লিখতে পারতেন৷ খুব বেশি আশা নিয়ে উপন্যাসটি পড়তে বসলে কিছুটা হতাশ হতে পারেন৷
উপন্যাসের শুরুতে দেখা যায় অ্যানা নামীয় মিশরের মেম্ফিস শহরের এক লেখক ভাগ্যের সন্ধানে মিশরের যুবরাজ শেঠির সাথে দেখা করতে এসে তার সুনজরে পড়ে যায়। এরপর অ্যানার বর্ণনায় ইসরাইলি তথা ইহুদিদের সাথে মিশরীয় জনগণের স্বার্থের সংঘাত, 'মুন অব ইসরায়েল' খ্যাত মেরাপির সাথে যুবরাজের পরিচয়, ইহুদিদের অভিশাপে মিশরে দুর্ভিক্ষ নেমে আসা, শেঠির বদলে তার বৈমাত্রেয় ভাই আমেনমেসিসের সিংহাসনে আরোহণ ইত্যাদি ঘটনাবলি উঠে আসে।
উপন্যাসটি শেষ করার পর মনে হয়েছে মিশরীয়দের সাথে ইহুদিদের দ্বন্দ্ব সম্পর্কে কিছুটা হলেও ধারণা পেয়েছি। আভিজাত্য বজায় রাখার জন্য মিশরীয়দের মধ্যে ভাই-বোনের বিয়ের প্রথা সম্পর্কে জেনে অবাক লেগেছে। তবে উপন্যাসের শেষের দিকে এসে মনে হয়েছে লেখক তড়িঘড়ি করে উপন্যাসটি শেষ করেছেন। শেষ পর্যন্ত মিশরের ভাগ্যে কী ঘটেছিলো তা লেখক পাঠকের উপর ছেড়ে দিয়েছেন। এখানে লেখক চাইলে আরেকটু বিস্তারিত লিখতে পারতেন৷ খুব বেশি আশা নিয়ে উপন্যাসটি পড়তে বসলে কিছুটা হতাশ হতে পারেন৷
June 4, 2017
A retelling of the Biblical story of the Exodus as told by Ana, an Egyptian scribe and ong time friend and companion to Prince Seti heir apparent to the pharoah. The story includes historical information, action, adventure romance, and internal struggles with in the Egyptians and Hebrews and between Hebrews and Egyptians. The primary story revolves around Prince Seti who is disinherited because he doesn't follow his fathers' idea of slaughtering the Jews. It is also a love story transcending two colliding cultures between Seti and Merapi, “Moon of Israel,” a Hebrew. Both of whom who are somewhat out of step with their requirements and demands of their cultures.
As is the case with Rider romance story, the lovers’ story follows a hard and difficult road that is more bitter than sweet.
As is the case with Rider romance story, the lovers’ story follows a hard and difficult road that is more bitter than sweet.
September 30, 2025
গল্পের মূল চরিত্র অ্যানা, মেম্ফিস শহরের এক লেখক, যিনি যুবরাজ শেঠির অনুকম্পা অর্জন করেন। অ্যানার বর্ণনার মধ্য দিয়ে ইহুদি-মিশরীয় দ্বন্দ্ব, যুবরাজ ও মেরাপির সম্পর্ক, দুর্ভিক্ষ, এবং আমেনমেসিসের সিংহাসনে আরোহণের ঘটনাগুলো ফুটে ওঠে।
উপন্যাসটি পড়ে মিশরীয় ও ইহুদিদের দ্বন্দ্ব সম্পর্কে ধারণা মিললেও, মিশরের ভাগ্য নিয়ে তিনি পাঠককে অনিশ্চয়তার মধ্যে রেখে দেন।
January 29, 2015
Moon of Israel is an amazing retelling of the Biblical story of the Exodus from the view point of Ana, the Egyptian scribe. Ana provides a down to earth naration of the ancient egyptian times during the reign of Pharoah's Meneptah, Amenmeses, and Seti. It is the story told from a different viewpoint that includes historical information, action, adventure romance, and internal struggles that are still seen in today's times. The main story follows the direction with Prince Seti who is heir to the thrown and who is forced to marry his half sister Userti. The comical events leading to that can be admired by everyone. However, Prince Seti is disinherited because he doesn't follow his fathers', Pharoah Meneptah, idea of slaughtering the Jews. Thus, Amenmeses takes his place as heir. But when the plagues of Egypt occur and the eventual release of the Jews, Amenmeses decides on revenge and finds his life at stake. Throughout it all Prince Seti discovers more of who he is and what it means to rule a nation that is in the turmultuous state it is left to him in. The love story of two cultures colliding together and the struggles the couple faces in the quest to be together is very moving.
I really like reading this story. The fluidity of the plot and how it was written and described was amazing.
I really like reading this story. The fluidity of the plot and how it was written and described was amazing.
February 28, 2019
টিপিক্যাল হ্যাগার্ডীয় লেখা! ঐতিহাসিক কোন ঘটনার সমান্তরালে আরেকটা পিছনের গল্প ঢুকিয়ে দেওয়া।এখানকার গল্পটা মুসা পয়গম্বরের নির্দেশে ইহুদির মিশর ছাড়ার প্রেক্ষাপটে লেখা। একজন অভিজাত মিশরীয়ের দৃষ্টিতে কেমন ছিল এই এক্সোডাস অর্থাৎ ইজরায়েলিদের প্রস্থান; তারই চমৎকার এক বর্ণনা।
গল্পের শুরুটা অসাধারণ। ভাগ্যের সহায় খোজা এক উঠতি লেখকের মিশর যুবরাজের সুনজরে পড়া আর সেই লেখকের বর্ণনায় নানান কাহিনী। ইহুদিদের সাথে যুবরাজের সম্পর্কের নানান দিক, সুন্দরী ইহুদি কন্যার প্রেমে পড়া, তৎকালীন মিশরের ধর্মীয় আর রাজনৈতিক প্রেক্ষাপটই উপন্যাসটির উপজীব্য।
তবে আমার মনে হয়েছে, উপন্যাসের মাঝামাঝি এসে লেখক গল্পের বুনুনিতে গোজামিল করেছেন খানিক।এছাড়া দ্রুত পরিসমাপ্তি টানতে গিয়ে ,উপন্যাসের সৌন্দর্য্য অনেকখানি নষ্ট হয়েছে। শেষটায় সুন্দরমতো গুছিয়ে লিখবার আরো জায়গা ছিল।
আমার দৃষ্টিতে উপন্যাসটার মান গড়পরতার। কাহিনী পরিধী ছোট হওয়ায় আর বর্ণনাতে তাড়াহুড়ো একটা ভাব থাকায় হ্যাগার্ডের অন্যান্য উপন্যাসের মতো জমে উঠে নি। ব্যক্তিগত রেটিংঃ ৩।
গল্পের শুরুটা অসাধারণ। ভাগ্যের সহায় খোজা এক উঠতি লেখকের মিশর যুবরাজের সুনজরে পড়া আর সেই লেখকের বর্ণনায় নানান কাহিনী। ইহুদিদের সাথে যুবরাজের সম্পর্কের নানান দিক, সুন্দরী ইহুদি কন্যার প্রেমে পড়া, তৎকালীন মিশরের ধর্মীয় আর রাজনৈতিক প্রেক্ষাপটই উপন্যাসটির উপজীব্য।
তবে আমার মনে হয়েছে, উপন্যাসের মাঝামাঝি এসে লেখক গল্পের বুনুনিতে গোজামিল করেছেন খানিক।এছাড়া দ্রুত পরিসমাপ্তি টানতে গিয়ে ,উপন্যাসের সৌন্দর্য্য অনেকখানি নষ্ট হয়েছে। শেষটায় সুন্দরমতো গুছিয়ে লিখবার আরো জায়গা ছিল।
আমার দৃষ্টিতে উপন্যাসটার মান গড়পরতার। কাহিনী পরিধী ছোট হওয়ায় আর বর্ণনাতে তাড়াহুড়ো একটা ভাব থাকায় হ্যাগার্ডের অন্যান্য উপন্যাসের মতো জমে উঠে নি। ব্যক্তিগত রেটিংঃ ৩।
January 23, 2017
By the author of King Solomons Mines, a story of Egypt and the Biblical Exodus. A good enough story but at times seemed to drag a bit. I would have preferred more about the Exodus and less about scribe Ana and Seti .
August 10, 2012
I'm not sure why I read this other than the fact that it was a free kindle download. It's the story of Israel's great Egyptian exodus told from the viewpoint of an old Egyptian Scribe.
December 29, 2012
An interesting version of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt, seen through the viewpoint of the Egyptians.
November 23, 2016
শেষ পর্যন্ত মিশরের ভাগ্যে কি হলো তা জানতে পারলাম না। তেমন ভালো লাগেনি।
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