Details Based On Books The Etruscan

Title	:	The Etruscan
Author	:	Mika Waltari
Book Format	:	Hardcover
Book Edition	:	Special Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 381 pages
Published	:	1956 by G.P. Putnam's Sons (NY) (first published 1955)
Categories	:	Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. European Literature. Finnish Literature. Classics

The Etruscan Hardcover | Pages: 381 pages

Narration Conducive To Books The Etruscan

My comments on this book must be prefaced by two caveats. First, I am reading a translation from the 1950s (by Evelyn Ramsden), which I suspect would benefit from being updated. Second, it seems that this translation has drastically slashed the length of the original novel, resulting in a story that alternately drags and leaps without any real internal logic. It's hard to tell how much of my assessment is based on the unsympathetic editing and how much on the original story, so I wanted to make that clear at the outset! Set in the 5th century BC, this is the story of Turms, an exile who has come to Delphi seeking judgement in the aftermath of a religious crime. Recognised by the oracle as a man of destiny, he is acquitted and then embarks on a journey around the ancient Mediterranean, taking in battle with the Persians, piracy and - eventually - a romance with a priestess of Aphrodite, the alluring Arsinoe. As Turms follows this beguiling woman from the Greek colonies of Sicily to the nascent republic of Rome, he grows ever closer to his fate. With all this taken into account, it's quite remarkable how this translation manages to make it all so dull. Turms spends the vast majority of the book aimlessly wandering around the Mediterranean, and even when he meets the much-vaunted Arsinoe, his relationship with her is thoroughly implausible. One moment he can see right through her, as she flirts outrageously with his friends; the next minute he is plunged into a frenzy of desire for her. Arsinoe herself is merely a cardboard cut-out femme fatale. The gods are invoked to explain sudden changes of loyalty, friendships or allegiances that can't be justified by rational human behaviour, and the whole thing is an awkward mess. Judging by comments from people who've read the original, Waltari's text is actually much richer and more lyrical than is suggested in this translation. It's unfortunate that such an admired writer isn't given justice, but I really can't recommend this particular edition. If anyone should happen to find a more successful translation into English, I'd be enormously grateful for recommendations. You can find further bafflement, and a longer review, here on my blog: http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/20...

Present Books As The Etruscan

Original Title:	Turms, kuolematon
ISBN:	9997408950 (ISBN13: 9789997408952)
Edition Language:	English URL http://www.mikawaltariseura.fi/

Rating Based On Books The Etruscan

Ratings: 4 From 1500 Users | 71 Reviews

Discuss Based On Books The Etruscan

Somehow did not manage to submerge into the story in similar way than with Waltari's earlier historical novels.

Good story, i like it, but I dislike the character of Arsinoe. I was hoping all the time, that Turms would get rid of her...

I'm not really sure what to think about this book. Don't get me wrong, I liked it but still it is no Sinuhe, which I absolutely love. Maybe it's fault of the translation I read it in, pretty old and with some errors. It just didn't captivate me as the Egyptian. Maybe some day I'll read it in English translation just to compare...

Wonderful, spiritual, thoughful autobiography of a man of the world, circa 490 BCE. The Etruscan people reminds me of several Native American peoples during their decline and assimilation by a ruder, more prolific culture. It's so magical knowing about what went on before...

It's amazing how Mika Waltari can immerse you in the ancient world, the story is just amazing and it will make you want to cry, run, hit someone. It's THAT good.

In a historical setting about a human who would like to find his way in the world.The books world is between reality and magical.

This book is mesmerizing! I enjoyed it more the second time. It works on many levels, an adventure, a history lesson of the Mediterranean and a view of how the divine worked in Etruscan culture in 500BC. Enjoy all of Mika Waltari historical novels!