Mark Rizk Farag > Recent Status Updates

The idea of a moving tent palace with tens of thousands of people: priests, musicians, soldiers, wives, concubines etc, is something you'd expect to see more in a fantasy book than a historical one!

Really engaging written so far... But writing a book like this with no reference section is kind of unforgivable!

Profound and extremely counter-cultural.

The stories in this book are very harrowing so far, but it's so powerful to have them all collected in one volume.

'Like many queer children, deep down I knew my existence was a transgression, that if I lived long enough I too, would be asked to step aside for someone else's respectable happines.'

Euripides is brilliant in how he focuses on the parts of Grek myths and legends that are not extrapolate on in the older stories, and challenges dominant views latent in them. The Women of Troy for example really changes the way I see the Greeks and characters I liked such as Oddyseus

Surprisingly well written sex scenes which are emotive and meaningful too!

An eccentric but fun cast of characters and well written and considered commentary on social class .

It is absolutely fascinating to read about Tupac Amaru, the revolutionary indigenous freedom fighter who inspired the name of the legendary rapper Tupac Amuru Shakur

One interesting takeaway point from 'Heracles' for a health professional like me, is not to neglect your home and family in the service of wider society...

Expected this to be stiff, inaccessible or hard to enjoy.

Its extremely psychologically and emotionally poignant and almost feminist in it's retelling of myths!

Oooooft the plot threads are all coming together!

Damn, J Cole even catching strays in my books now 😂

Why shouldn't we throw statues of colonisers and slave traders into the rivers? Especially if those statues are inexplicably in the countries where they enslaved, murdered and burned the locals?

I didn't expect the genocides against the Christian Assyrians in more modern times to feature in the book, nor did I expect the destruction of historical by ISIS to, but I'm glad they're being spoken about nonetheless.

Fascinating. Makes me want to continue with my historical reading - perhaps books about Persia, Babylon and Rome, before moving onto the works of Tom Holland.

'At the Last Judgment I shall not be asked whether I was successful in my ascetic exercises, nor how many bows and prostrations I made. Instead I shall be asked, Did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners. That is all I shall be asked...'

The idea that the Arabs were once ruled matriarchally, by queens, is absolutely fascinating given how patriarchal they currently are!

I had no idea Assyria began as a somewhat democratic state and developed into a militaristic dictatorship!

Yazz Ahmed mentioned 🔥🔥🔥.

Also the description of the culture shock of being immersed in white middle class culture at university got the first time is very relatable.

Varoufakis, similar to other Greeks, holds a bizarre and condescending view of ancient Egypt!

Easily one of the most bizarre and simultaneously one of the best books I have ever read

Much darker and also much funnier than I expected it to be. You can tell it has a heart.

Varoufakis has a rare combination of gifts. He is simultaneously extremely intelligent, and also very good at explaining things in an engaging and digestible manner.

I've just realised that this book caters mainly to a female audience who is on tik tok... I wonder if I'll like it regardless 😂

This book has me crying outside 😭

Ayt Madashi is easily one of the best written villains of all time.