Pharaoh

Imbued with poetry, leavened with humor, and graced with moments of transcendent beauty, offers a compelling picture of life at every level of ancient Egyptian society.  As the story unfolds, Egypt is experiencing internal stresses and external threats that will culminate in the fall of its Twentieth Dynasty and New Kingdom. The young Pharaoh Ramses learns that challenging power leaves him vulnerable to seduction, defamation, intimidation and even assassination. The ultimate lesson learned by Ramses is the power of knowledge. Prus is a distinctive voice in world literature and was Joseph Conrad’s favorite Polish writer. This new edition of Christopher Kasparek’s translation of vividly brings this extraordinary novel to life. It includes a detailed foreword and annotations, based on extensive research and textual refinements, that will enhance the reader’s appreciation not only for ancient Egypt, but also for Prus’ composition process. has been translated into twenty-three languages and was adapted as a 1966 Polish feature film.