What do you think?
Rate this book
Die Ägyptische Inschrift
A literary page-turner about one man's quest for an ancient mystery through the perilous streets of modern London Walter Rothschild has nothing but his work. Estranged from his wife and adult daughter, he spends his days and nights lost in translation -- constantly working and reworking the riddles inscribed on ancient funereal stones. A gifted American Egyptologist, he was hired by the British Museum in London to try to crack the code of one of the greatest remaining hieroglyphic mysteries -- the Stela of Paser. Stuck, with no new inspiration, he meets a seductive young woman who seems interested in him and his work. When Walter invites her back to the museum to get a closer look at his work, she secretly steals an antiquity and disappears. Thus begins Walter's frantic search to repair the damage he's caused. Threatened by villains real and imagined, Walter races against time to win back the antiquity and his reputation, without losing his life in the process. Utterly original and told in electric prose, this is a novel that beautifully weaves together exceptional insight into the inner yearnings of men with a fast-paced plot about ancient mystery and modern conspiracy. Ingenious, witty, and compelling, it is a novel to be savored and urged on all of your friends.
Paperback
First published April 6, 2005
16 people are currently reading
297 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 1, 2024
A gem that almost hides itself!
THE THIRD TRANSLATION is not an easy book to like!
Our hero, Walter Rothschild, an Egyptologist at the British Museum, is an ineffectual, pathetic obsessed man, driven only by a passion for his science. Boring and weak, ineffectual as a parent, spouse and lover, indecisive, introverted, fretful and naïve, Walter generates only a vague, disinterested feeling of sympathy in the reader. The plot, on the other hand, at least contains the elements of a story that one might expect should unfold as a thriller! With the help of a powerful cocktail of drugs, alcohol and uninhibited sex, Erin, a beautiful young goth, steals a papyrus from the museum that Walter thinks may contain a vital clue to the translation of the Stela of Paser, a centuries old funerary stone. A rather stumbling investigation leads Walter to the acquaintance of Penelope, a staffer from the British Library, who helps him track the thief into the lair of a modern day Egyptian cult.
Like the earnest, trendy young people who mill about London's arty Soho district where some of Bondurant's tale is based, THE THIRD TRANSLATION is much too ardent and takes itself entirely too seriously. Or, at least, that's what I thought at first! But, it was Walter's daughter, Zenobia, indulging in a mouthful of babbling double-speak that made me realize Bondurant was yanking on the chain of London's intelligentsia sub-culture. She spoke of her new business venture, a women's magazine:
"While I was doing my master's at Columbia, she said, I discovered that most women's studies and humanities departments were engaged in a form of hypocritical liberal fascism, victimization, and debilitating group-think strategies that eventually were swamped in a morass of ambiguity and academic jargon that prohibited the real ideas present to make a dent in anything beyond the theoretical models. This magazine is intended to change all that."
By this point in the novel, it was quite clear that Bondurant was far too skilled a writer to have constructed such meaningless drivel by mistake so, I concluded that he had set out to create it on purpose. Do not judge THE THIRD TRANSLATION by the standards of what you were expecting to read. Rather allow it to be what it wants to be. Once that "aha" light came on for me, the novel, like the endless crescendo in a Rossini overture, built in beauty and moved from one strength to another.
And what exactly IS THE THIRD TRANSLATION? An eloquent, dramatic description of the current understanding of translation of hieroglyphics from a purely scientific point of view; an even more eloquent philosophical statement about hieroglyphics as a reflection of ancient Egyptian culture; an unrelated series of poetic, artistic asides that use certain features of modern cosmological theories of the universe as metaphors for Egyptian writing; a masterful, darkly comic, literary criticism of London life; an emotional, deeply moving description of a few days in Walter's life as he comes to grips with his inadequacies and failings and attempts to establish a renewed relationship of sorts with his estranged daughter; and, finally, a modest mystery that, in large part, remains unsolved at the conclusion of the narrative. This lack of a real conclusion to the story is, paradoxically, still quite satisfying!
Like many other books, enjoyment of THE THIRD TRANSLATION does not come with the first page. But, patience and perseverance will be rewarded with a real treasure!
Paul Weiss
THE THIRD TRANSLATION is not an easy book to like!
Our hero, Walter Rothschild, an Egyptologist at the British Museum, is an ineffectual, pathetic obsessed man, driven only by a passion for his science. Boring and weak, ineffectual as a parent, spouse and lover, indecisive, introverted, fretful and naïve, Walter generates only a vague, disinterested feeling of sympathy in the reader. The plot, on the other hand, at least contains the elements of a story that one might expect should unfold as a thriller! With the help of a powerful cocktail of drugs, alcohol and uninhibited sex, Erin, a beautiful young goth, steals a papyrus from the museum that Walter thinks may contain a vital clue to the translation of the Stela of Paser, a centuries old funerary stone. A rather stumbling investigation leads Walter to the acquaintance of Penelope, a staffer from the British Library, who helps him track the thief into the lair of a modern day Egyptian cult.
Like the earnest, trendy young people who mill about London's arty Soho district where some of Bondurant's tale is based, THE THIRD TRANSLATION is much too ardent and takes itself entirely too seriously. Or, at least, that's what I thought at first! But, it was Walter's daughter, Zenobia, indulging in a mouthful of babbling double-speak that made me realize Bondurant was yanking on the chain of London's intelligentsia sub-culture. She spoke of her new business venture, a women's magazine:
"While I was doing my master's at Columbia, she said, I discovered that most women's studies and humanities departments were engaged in a form of hypocritical liberal fascism, victimization, and debilitating group-think strategies that eventually were swamped in a morass of ambiguity and academic jargon that prohibited the real ideas present to make a dent in anything beyond the theoretical models. This magazine is intended to change all that."
By this point in the novel, it was quite clear that Bondurant was far too skilled a writer to have constructed such meaningless drivel by mistake so, I concluded that he had set out to create it on purpose. Do not judge THE THIRD TRANSLATION by the standards of what you were expecting to read. Rather allow it to be what it wants to be. Once that "aha" light came on for me, the novel, like the endless crescendo in a Rossini overture, built in beauty and moved from one strength to another.
And what exactly IS THE THIRD TRANSLATION? An eloquent, dramatic description of the current understanding of translation of hieroglyphics from a purely scientific point of view; an even more eloquent philosophical statement about hieroglyphics as a reflection of ancient Egyptian culture; an unrelated series of poetic, artistic asides that use certain features of modern cosmological theories of the universe as metaphors for Egyptian writing; a masterful, darkly comic, literary criticism of London life; an emotional, deeply moving description of a few days in Walter's life as he comes to grips with his inadequacies and failings and attempts to establish a renewed relationship of sorts with his estranged daughter; and, finally, a modest mystery that, in large part, remains unsolved at the conclusion of the narrative. This lack of a real conclusion to the story is, paradoxically, still quite satisfying!
Like many other books, enjoyment of THE THIRD TRANSLATION does not come with the first page. But, patience and perseverance will be rewarded with a real treasure!
Paul Weiss
April 12, 2023
Earnestly, I should have given not more than three stars to this peculiar story about an egyptologyst tasked with discerning the hidden meaning behind the text of an ancient Egyptian stela, but when have I been objective in my goodreads reviews? They reflect my subjective impression, not an impassionate judgement. And for this reason a fictional book that is stuffed with relatively well-researched details about ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs is bound to get at least four stars, especially if it made me dream about rereading How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself and even fantasize about ever resuming the interrupted reading of Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs.
I loved the setting: London, Cambridge, the depths of British Museum... On the other hand, the plot impressed me as a rather unconvincing much ado about something in the first person narration by a not especially likeable protagonist who continuously annoyed me with his bouts of male self-pity, crocodile tears and chronic egoism. I ended up not feeling sorry for him at the finishing stages of his battle with a bunch of weirdos preoccupied with hidden meanings of Ancient Egyptian texts.
Still, if you have any interest in ancient languages in general and Egyptian hieroglyphs in particular, you might enjoy "The Third Translation".
I loved the setting: London, Cambridge, the depths of British Museum... On the other hand, the plot impressed me as a rather unconvincing much ado about something in the first person narration by a not especially likeable protagonist who continuously annoyed me with his bouts of male self-pity, crocodile tears and chronic egoism. I ended up not feeling sorry for him at the finishing stages of his battle with a bunch of weirdos preoccupied with hidden meanings of Ancient Egyptian texts.
Still, if you have any interest in ancient languages in general and Egyptian hieroglyphs in particular, you might enjoy "The Third Translation".
December 10, 2007
This book took me forever to read. It was well written, but the plot NEVER goes anywhere! The whole time, you are waiting for something to happen and it doesn't. It's called "The Third Translation", but nothing is ever really translated. There's this entire side story with the main character and his daughter that really could have been left out because it adds absolutely nothing to what tiny bit of a story there actually is. I'm surprised I actually finished this at all. I guess I just kept hoping something would happen and it never did. And the book just kind of . . . ends. Pointless and stupid waste of time.
March 10, 2018
I picked this book to listen to on our recent road trip. Just because it's suppose to be about Egypt, doesn't make it very interesting. The main character is an Egyptologist that works for the British Museum whose job is winding down. On a night out with friends, he gets pulled into a mystery when a young women in the group steals a papyrus from the museum. This journey brings him into to contact to an ancient Egyptian sect, where no one is who them seem.
I understand this Bondurant's first novel. He could have used a good editor's help with this book. His story telling is all over the place. He introduces characters that he never fully explains why they are there. I don't know if he ever got all of the museum's property back to them. The book just jumped ahead and never really pulled the story together for a coherent conclusion.
I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone to read.
I understand this Bondurant's first novel. He could have used a good editor's help with this book. His story telling is all over the place. He introduces characters that he never fully explains why they are there. I don't know if he ever got all of the museum's property back to them. The book just jumped ahead and never really pulled the story together for a coherent conclusion.
I wouldn't recommend this book for anyone to read.
July 27, 2012
I wanted to like this book. I really did. Any thriller having to do with translating ancient hieroglyphs, the British Museum, etc. sounded good to me, and I was intrigued. Sounded like something I'd enjoy. However, the arrangement and style of the text left something to be desired.
I like flashbacks normally. I feel they can add to the story. In this book, the main character kept flashing back amidst a scene into other periods of his life, and I found it didn't contribute to the plot. It just was fluff. It might have revealed tiny fragments of the CHARACTER qualities of the main character, who really wasn't a very nice guy. But those little slips didn't aid in telling the story. So I found myself disappointed and skimming what I termed "nonsense" to get to the heart of the story.
The plot was all right. The characters were OK. And yes, I stayed with it and finished the book, but I certainly didn't love it.
I like flashbacks normally. I feel they can add to the story. In this book, the main character kept flashing back amidst a scene into other periods of his life, and I found it didn't contribute to the plot. It just was fluff. It might have revealed tiny fragments of the CHARACTER qualities of the main character, who really wasn't a very nice guy. But those little slips didn't aid in telling the story. So I found myself disappointed and skimming what I termed "nonsense" to get to the heart of the story.
The plot was all right. The characters were OK. And yes, I stayed with it and finished the book, but I certainly didn't love it.
February 21, 2017
First, I listened to the audiobook and this is the first time I've ever said that I think it might be better to read the actual book. I know I didn't appreciate it as much as I could have because my attention when listening to audiobooks is divided (I'm usually driving). I might try listening to it a second time.
I just glanced through some reviews and see many negative ones, which surprised me at first, because I think this is a truly excellent book, but another reviewer hit the core problem: this is a literary novel, character-driven rather than plot-driven. It has been very incorrectly billed as a common mystery/thriller. If you are looking for easy entertainment and escapism, this isn't for you.
This is a thoughtful, complex novel with some excellent writing, worth reading if you are up for something a little heavier. It is not perfect, but it is well constructed. An already strong interest in Egyptian mythology definitely helps, too.
I just glanced through some reviews and see many negative ones, which surprised me at first, because I think this is a truly excellent book, but another reviewer hit the core problem: this is a literary novel, character-driven rather than plot-driven. It has been very incorrectly billed as a common mystery/thriller. If you are looking for easy entertainment and escapism, this isn't for you.
This is a thoughtful, complex novel with some excellent writing, worth reading if you are up for something a little heavier. It is not perfect, but it is well constructed. An already strong interest in Egyptian mythology definitely helps, too.
January 14, 2013
I very very rarely say this... I couldn't finish this book. It was that bad, i couldn't even resort to my usual technique of using the audio copy and listening to the book while i drive around, its just that bad of a book. The writing is jumpy and quite honestly tries much too hard.
I'm aware that Mr. Bondurant was trying to write a parody/commentary novel about noir novels of the time, but he failed miserably. The main character is incredibly unlikable, and I'm not even sure where he fit into the plot of the book. I tried, i really really tried to read finish this book, but it the end it was a lost cause and my brain couldn't take it any more. There's always the possibility that the 2nd half of the novel is amazing and fantastic, but based off the first half of the book, I highly doubt that. Spare yourself the hassle and pick another book to read.
I'm aware that Mr. Bondurant was trying to write a parody/commentary novel about noir novels of the time, but he failed miserably. The main character is incredibly unlikable, and I'm not even sure where he fit into the plot of the book. I tried, i really really tried to read finish this book, but it the end it was a lost cause and my brain couldn't take it any more. There's always the possibility that the 2nd half of the novel is amazing and fantastic, but based off the first half of the book, I highly doubt that. Spare yourself the hassle and pick another book to read.
November 26, 2012
Finally found the book hard to put down around page 300. The subject matter should have been more interesting. It was hard to care about the main character, who is kind of a naive loser. I was also turned off by too many graphic references to bodily functions and odors... sometimes necessary to a story but not as often as shared here. I also felt there were a couple unneccessary storylines, and once introduced, were not satisfactorily resolved. Not a total waste of time but had the potential to be a lot better.
July 8, 2010
This is a multi-layered, complex book and my principal question is whether that added to it, or detracted from it. I really enjoy the idea of a book centered around an academic puzzle but Bondurant chose to include so much historical, ethnographic information that the casual reader could easily be put off.
I was curious enough about the book to plow through it, but overall it was an uneasy read. One of the key elements of the book is the under-developed social skill of the principal character. His quest (for whatever . . .) is the center of the book but his character quirks or weakness also became a flaw in the book for me. He might be excused by some as a "colorful character" but he didn't ring true to me. It was just too fanciful but, along with the book's evil-doers, he would be a suitable character in a B-movie.
I was curious enough about the book to plow through it, but overall it was an uneasy read. One of the key elements of the book is the under-developed social skill of the principal character. His quest (for whatever . . .) is the center of the book but his character quirks or weakness also became a flaw in the book for me. He might be excused by some as a "colorful character" but he didn't ring true to me. It was just too fanciful but, along with the book's evil-doers, he would be a suitable character in a B-movie.
July 13, 2010
This was promoted along the lines of Dan Brown & it is--but more intelligent. Brown mixes fact & fiction at leisure w/the undiscerning not recognizing which is which. Bondurant uses indepth fact/research to build his storyline but remains true to fact as we know it at the moment. I find it so interesting that this is an adult companion to the new Rick Riordan Red Pyramid with many of the same characters. If you're reading along with your child, you'll enjoy reading this one in 'me time.' Strong, intelligent book that keeps you intrigued. Good local (now at UTDallas) author.
May 11, 2020
This was basically a 360-page flex on how much the author knows about Egyptian hieroglyphic translations. The plot was super convoluted and, frankly, unbelievable, which is actually an accomplishment seeing as the book is based on an actual artifact. The ending was terrible, and it was boring the whole way through. Didn't care about any of the characters at all. I had to skip a few pages here and there because it was sooo boring and long-winded and just... not good at all.
November 26, 2012
So far, I have not been able to bring myself to finish this book. Maybe one of these days I'll get past the monotonous dragging on and on of the author but not today... It's going back on the shelf for a rainy day when I'm bored out of my mind and have read all the other good books three or four times over.
January 7, 2010
I cannot recommend this book as I felt it rambled and by the close of the book the issues facing the main character were not addressed. I will probably never read another one of Matt Bondurant’s books.
July 28, 2019
Plot didn't seem to go anywhere. Lots of drugs and drinking. And continuity errors--how does someone break their glasses when elbowed below the nose, but no mention of glasses when he is pounded in the face or faceplates in the mud?
August 9, 2023
Toto bolo viac-menej utrpenie.
Doktor Walter Rothschild pracuje v Britskom múzeu na rozlúštení tajomného nápisu na Paserovej stéle, kde je spomínaná bohyňa Mut a 3 spôsoby akým text čítať - sprava doľava, zhora dole a ??? Rothschild sa snaží prísť na ten tretí spôsob. Čo to je môže byť? (Spoiler: Hoci na záver na to náš hlavný hrdina príde, čitateľovi to neprezradí alebo ak to aj prezradil, tak som to absolútne nepochopila).
Walter, jeho kamoš Alan Henry, spolupracovník Mick, Hanif, ktorý sa zjavil len na začiatku na 2 stranách a na konci v jednej vete, takže je absolútne nepodstatný, a čúza Erin.
Naša skupinka unlikely friends je večer vonku, podrogujú a trochu im poprepína. Erin presvedčí Waltra, aby ju zobral do Britského múzea, kde si to rozdajú na zemi, a čúza ukradne papyrus, ktorý možno snáď asi bohvie súvisí s Paserovou stélou.
Walter má problém, musí papyrus nájsť. Takže najbližších asi 170 strán sa absolútne nič nedeje. Potom sa veci troška pohnú a celkové vyústenie je na posledných 3 stranách.
No... neviem, na koľko sa autor venoval dejinám starovekého Egypta. Niektoré veci mal správne, čo sa týka citátov, to ohodnotiť neviem, nikde nie je uvedený zdroj. Takže či si to autor parafrázoval, vymyslel, alebo je toto skutočný preklad, vie len on. Ďalej... keďže sa rozhodol uviesť bohyňu Mut ako ústrednú bohyňu svojho príbehu, mohol si zistiť, že ona rozhodne nebola bohyňou mesiaca. Jediné, čo mala s mesiacom spoločné, bol jej syn Chonsu, ktorý BOL bohom mesiaca. Taktiež absolútne pochybujem, že by náš main villain Oldcastle mal nejaké stélu/zobrazenie/sošku/alebo-čo-to-bolo Amona zo Starej ríše. Vtedy o ňom veľmi ani nechyrovalo.
Čo ma ešte sralo, bolo: po prvé: 3000 rokov starý papyrus by rozhodne neprežil také zaobchádzanie, aké sa mu dostalo v knihe (ukradnutie, presunutie, vytrhávanie z rúk, zastrčenie za opasok...), po druhé: 3000 rokov staré šaty by stopercentne neprežili, keby si ich niekto obliekol a rozhodol si to rozdať s Rothschildom - rozpadli by sa v momente, akoby ich niekto vytiahol z vitríny.
Takže dejovo sa to veľmi neposúvalo, Waltrove náhodné spomienky pripodobňujúce sa k dejinám Egypte sú rušivé, jeho dejová linka s dcérou je absolútne zbytočná.
Na druhej strane, aby som len nepindala, niektoré pasáže boli dobre napísané - keď sa už konečne začalo niečo diať. A to je asi tak všetko...
Doktor Walter Rothschild pracuje v Britskom múzeu na rozlúštení tajomného nápisu na Paserovej stéle, kde je spomínaná bohyňa Mut a 3 spôsoby akým text čítať - sprava doľava, zhora dole a ??? Rothschild sa snaží prísť na ten tretí spôsob. Čo to je môže byť? (Spoiler: Hoci na záver na to náš hlavný hrdina príde, čitateľovi to neprezradí alebo ak to aj prezradil, tak som to absolútne nepochopila).
Walter, jeho kamoš Alan Henry, spolupracovník Mick, Hanif, ktorý sa zjavil len na začiatku na 2 stranách a na konci v jednej vete, takže je absolútne nepodstatný, a čúza Erin.
Naša skupinka unlikely friends je večer vonku, podrogujú a trochu im poprepína. Erin presvedčí Waltra, aby ju zobral do Britského múzea, kde si to rozdajú na zemi, a čúza ukradne papyrus, ktorý možno snáď asi bohvie súvisí s Paserovou stélou.
Walter má problém, musí papyrus nájsť. Takže najbližších asi 170 strán sa absolútne nič nedeje. Potom sa veci troška pohnú a celkové vyústenie je na posledných 3 stranách.
No... neviem, na koľko sa autor venoval dejinám starovekého Egypta. Niektoré veci mal správne, čo sa týka citátov, to ohodnotiť neviem, nikde nie je uvedený zdroj. Takže či si to autor parafrázoval, vymyslel, alebo je toto skutočný preklad, vie len on. Ďalej... keďže sa rozhodol uviesť bohyňu Mut ako ústrednú bohyňu svojho príbehu, mohol si zistiť, že ona rozhodne nebola bohyňou mesiaca. Jediné, čo mala s mesiacom spoločné, bol jej syn Chonsu, ktorý BOL bohom mesiaca. Taktiež absolútne pochybujem, že by náš main villain Oldcastle mal nejaké stélu/zobrazenie/sošku/alebo-čo-to-bolo Amona zo Starej ríše. Vtedy o ňom veľmi ani nechyrovalo.
Čo ma ešte sralo, bolo: po prvé: 3000 rokov starý papyrus by rozhodne neprežil také zaobchádzanie, aké sa mu dostalo v knihe (ukradnutie, presunutie, vytrhávanie z rúk, zastrčenie za opasok...), po druhé: 3000 rokov staré šaty by stopercentne neprežili, keby si ich niekto obliekol a rozhodol si to rozdať s Rothschildom - rozpadli by sa v momente, akoby ich niekto vytiahol z vitríny.
Takže dejovo sa to veľmi neposúvalo, Waltrove náhodné spomienky pripodobňujúce sa k dejinám Egypte sú rušivé, jeho dejová linka s dcérou je absolútne zbytočná.
Na druhej strane, aby som len nepindala, niektoré pasáže boli dobre napísané - keď sa už konečne začalo niečo diať. A to je asi tak všetko...
June 26, 2019
Based on the description (and the map of Egypt on the endpapers), I thought this book would be more of a conspiracy thriller a la The DaVinci Code, full of international intrigue. Our main character is middle-aged, unassuming Egyptologist Dr. Walter Rothschild, and the farthest he ventures from London is Cambridge. He’s attempting to decode mysterious hieroglyphics on an ancient Egyptian tablet, the Stela of Paser, but when a woman steals an apparently related papyrus from under his nose at the British Museum, he must recover it or he risks losing all progress he’s made on his translation.
The narrative style is somewhat unusual. It’s not quite stream-of-conscious, but Walter’s first person narrative is often clouded. I loved that he’s up for anything (pills, liquor, even a little hash), but this doesn’t always make for stellar judgement. After all, it’s a drunken one-night-stand that got Walter into this mess in the first place. Another challenge was that there weren’t any quotation marks, and the intermittent dialogue is occasionally hard to keep track of.
I liked the basis of the story, but I felt it was lacking a certain dynamic. It wasn’t fast-paced and it had a surreal quality that meandered but didn’t always progress. And after everything Walter goes through, he never figures out the actual motive of the thieves or the “secret society,” nor does he learn the actual third translation. Walter was flawed and funny, introspective and intelligent, so his character was the main redeeming factor.
The narrative style is somewhat unusual. It’s not quite stream-of-conscious, but Walter’s first person narrative is often clouded. I loved that he’s up for anything (pills, liquor, even a little hash), but this doesn’t always make for stellar judgement. After all, it’s a drunken one-night-stand that got Walter into this mess in the first place. Another challenge was that there weren’t any quotation marks, and the intermittent dialogue is occasionally hard to keep track of.
I liked the basis of the story, but I felt it was lacking a certain dynamic. It wasn’t fast-paced and it had a surreal quality that meandered but didn’t always progress. And after everything Walter goes through, he never figures out the actual motive of the thieves or the “secret society,” nor does he learn the actual third translation. Walter was flawed and funny, introspective and intelligent, so his character was the main redeeming factor.
February 7, 2020
Unfortunately this book was very disjointed. I had a really tough time following the story. I think one of the worse parts was that the author, who had a lot of conversations within the story, didn't use any quotation marks. How does that happen? I didn't know if I was reading the author's comments, the character's thoughts or part of an actual conversation. I can't believe the publisher or the editor would allow that to happen. The book was focused on the technical aspects of the translating ancient artifacts. Since that was not something that I understood I could not understand many sections of the book. I did finish the book hoping it would get better but it didn't and I wish I would have dropped it.
January 17, 2024
I give this book two stars for it’s nice writing. The descriptions of the environment and historic details were lovely to read.
Other than that, I felt like this book had a lose structured plot, at best. The characters were constantly bouncing around different places, which made the story difficult to keep track of. In truth, I had a hard time understanding what was happening half of the time.
I also felt that almost every secondary character was underdeveloped and used to invoked some type of emotion in the reader, which is difficult when the characters are no more than a name and one distinguishing physical feature. I had a hard time caring for or sympathizing with any character, including the main one, and that makes it difficult to care about a story at all.
Other than that, I felt like this book had a lose structured plot, at best. The characters were constantly bouncing around different places, which made the story difficult to keep track of. In truth, I had a hard time understanding what was happening half of the time.
I also felt that almost every secondary character was underdeveloped and used to invoked some type of emotion in the reader, which is difficult when the characters are no more than a name and one distinguishing physical feature. I had a hard time caring for or sympathizing with any character, including the main one, and that makes it difficult to care about a story at all.
November 13, 2025
Lots of references to Egyptology and lots of metaphors. Great lines and lines of deep thought.
A guy that works in a museum decrypting artifacts brings a girl in and they have sex while someone (this is a bit foggy, it may being her as it never came out who did it) and drills a hole in a lock to steal a paprus and takes it to her master. A whole gang of oddities that he goes after to save his job. Daughter of main character meets up with him. He left her when she was three yrs old. Estranged relationship. Weird book and would not read another but it had great lines in it. This is a first book for this author.
A guy that works in a museum decrypting artifacts brings a girl in and they have sex while someone (this is a bit foggy, it may being her as it never came out who did it) and drills a hole in a lock to steal a paprus and takes it to her master. A whole gang of oddities that he goes after to save his job. Daughter of main character meets up with him. He left her when she was three yrs old. Estranged relationship. Weird book and would not read another but it had great lines in it. This is a first book for this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2024
Long-winded explanations of Egyptian artifacts with hardly any relation to the story. The main character is weak and pretty exasperating - making the same mistakes, drinking, and doing drugs. He's a mess.
Story line was interesting - stolen artifact, but by the middle of the book, I figured out nothing was really going to happen, no development, just running around in circles with flashbacks of his wife, and his icky daughter was in there for some reason. Not sure why. Long, tedious read.
Story line was interesting - stolen artifact, but by the middle of the book, I figured out nothing was really going to happen, no development, just running around in circles with flashbacks of his wife, and his icky daughter was in there for some reason. Not sure why. Long, tedious read.
May 9, 2022
Slow and fast at the same time. It almost seemed the author was writing a novel he was hoping would be turned into a movie.lots of good visual excitement and adventure, but then in between were long descriptions of Egyptology which I couldn't understand and anyway wanted to get on With the story....which finally, doesn't really go anywhere. I hung on to the bitter end hoping..... very frustrating and unsatisfying. The best parts are the descriptions of London.
March 11, 2024
At first I felt like I was reading someone’s paper, then it began to read more like a story. Lots of detailed information about reading texts from ancient Egypt. I assume it was real information, but I don’t know. All the characters were interesting. I enjoyed the book, it was a long read - the word thick describes it better. I recommend it, but you might have to look up a few things - that may be my curiosity speaking.
September 7, 2018
Infinidad de detalles totalmente innecesarios que hacían que se alargara todo, siendo super tedioso. La historia no terminó de convencerme. Lo único que hizo que no deje el libro son los datos interesantes sobre egiptología que ponía entre la historia, Los cuales tampoco me parecían correctamente encajados, mas bien muy forzados.
August 25, 2020
"Quando fecho os olhos ainda vejo a Estela. Vejo-a agora nas profundezas escuras do museu, a sua face implácavel coberta com lona, as palavras na escuridão. Não me importo. Temos de deixar as coisas correrem por si mesmas, deixá-las subir a colina em direção sao Sol. O lugar em que tudo vem a ser. Temos de deixar que a história prossiga sem nós"
October 23, 2021
I read “The Third Translation” by Matt Bondurant. It’s kind of a “DaVinci Code” wannabe, and as such the plot and characters are ridiculous, nonsensical, and thinly drawn. However I did enjoy the descriptions of London and the discussions of Egyptology (even though they were often pointless digressions), so it was fine in that respect. Not good, but not bad either.
March 10, 2018
This is a mystery story but there is something missing. It is too academic and never really comes to life. The main character, Walter Rothchild, is not really believable or compelling. He is a clunk. I don't think I would be interested in reading further Bondurant novels.
January 24, 2019
The writing style is very poetic. However, the constant flashbacks and twists and turns lead to an unsatisfying ending. I enjoyed reading this book, but it took me months to finish because it sort of gave me a headache.
October 1, 2020
This book was piss-poor. I'm sorry; I'm a sucker for a good Classics/Egyptology-related romp as much as the next guy, but this was just awful. The whole thing was all over the place. It tried to be edifying and it tried to be salacious and didn't manage to do much of either.
August 18, 2021
Abbandonato dopo vari tentativi di capire dove volesse andare a parare...: da nessuna parte, direi.
A forza di saltare le pagine inutili, sono arrivata alla fine senza trovare una trama: però nell'epilogo c'è un utile riassunto di 5 pagine, potete risparmiarvi la lettura del resto del romanzo.
A forza di saltare le pagine inutili, sono arrivata alla fine senza trovare una trama: però nell'epilogo c'è un utile riassunto di 5 pagine, potete risparmiarvi la lettura del resto del romanzo.
October 22, 2018
Outstanding!
Bondurant is my favorite new author. Besides being funny, smart, and thought-provoking, this book is a fascinating lesson in ancient Egypt. Could not put it down.
Bondurant is my favorite new author. Besides being funny, smart, and thought-provoking, this book is a fascinating lesson in ancient Egypt. Could not put it down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews