Édesanyám ajánlására néztem meg sok-sok évvel ezelőtt a regény alapján készített filmet. Ha jól emlékszem, akkortájt még csak vágyakoztam Egyiptomba (ha valaki akkor azt mondja, hogy nemcsak eljutok a Nílus völgyébe, de saját ásatást is vezethetek ott, azt simán lehülyézem), és az eredeti helyszíneken forgatott jelenetek, a hamisítatlan egyiptomi couleur locale szinte azonnal rabul ejtett. Hosszú ideig pontosan ez a kellemes emlék tartott vissza attól, hogy magát a regényt is a kezembe vegyem. Most megtettem. Őszinte elképedésemre, a film minden szempontból messze felülmúlta a könyveredetit; márpedig ilyesmivel eleddig csak elvétve találkoztam. Ami a vásznon hangsúlyt nyert, az a regényben elsikkad. Amit Robin Cook kissé vontatottra vett, azt a film forgatókönyv-írói remek érzékkel helyettesítették maguk alkotta, alternatív változatokkal. Így történt, könyv és film nagyjából a sztori második harmadában oly mértékben kettéágazik, hogy a kétfajta végkifejlet gyakorlatilag köszönő viszonyban sem áll egymással. A filmbéli befejezés - most már elmondhatom - minden szempontból jobb, sikerültebb. Ez persze nem azt jelenti, hogy maga a regény ne lenne élvezetes olvasmány. Izgalmas, többnyire mozgalmas, a szerző avatatlansága ellenére is jól és magabiztosan bánik a történeti korokkal és személyekkel. Arra még nem jöttem rá, a hibák és tévedések az eredeti szöveg avagy egy pocsék fordítói munka számlájára írandók. De hát ne legyünk telhetetlenek, megesik ez máshol, mással is.
I read almost all the books of Robin Cook and this is the one I like less. The plot is fine, characters are fine, the book is just that: fine. A young, beautiful american girl with a doctorate in egyptology finally has the chance to travel to this country. If she were an Italian tourist she would have had food, a romance and some horrible souvenirs; if she were German, a sunburn; but no, she's American, so she witness a murder the very first day of her touring. Obviously she doesn't report it to the police but prefers to investigate the matter on her own, supported by a French millionaire who lends her his private jet and hire a clumsy bodyguard to follow her around (he let himself be spotted too many times for my taste) and theEgyptian chief of the Department of Antiquities. They both have a crush on her, but she's focused on playing Mata Hari. While looking into the blackest of the black market in search for a precious statue she also has the time to solve some ancient mystery overlooked by professional archeologists in decades of work.I probably don't like the novel because I've only read Cook's medical thrillers, which I truly enjoy, and I don't think he added much to the genre with this exploit into an exotic location. Nevertheless, it's a mild reading suitable for a lazy afternoon.
What do You think about Sphinx (1983)?
I hadn't read a Robin Cook in a long time and this is quite different from the medical thrillers I have read by him. Erica Baron, an Egyptologist has longed to visit Egypt and, against the wishes of her almost fiance, she finally makes her trip, which results in more intrigue than anyone could have imagined, starting with a visit to an antique shop, where the proprietor is killed shortly after revealing to her secrets of the black market trade. The book continues with tours through various tombs, all of which made me convinced I never want to visit Egypt. Who are the good guys? Who are the bad guys? And how does Erica manage to avoid getting killed while she tries to uncover the truth about the black market in Egypt. But it's an intriguing story of what happens to the antiquities of the ancient rulers. As the book hurtled headlong toward the conclusion, it became more and more difficult to believe and though I was caught up in all the action, I did roll my eyes a few times at the lengths to which Cook stretched credibility. Still, I book I would recommend.
—Bev
Erica Baron, a young Egyptologist, travels to Egypt to learn more about her specialty, and to get some space from her fiance, who is trying to take control of her life. On her first day in Cairo, she is befriended by an antiquities dealer, and is shown a priceless golden statue of Seti I. A few minutes later the antiquities dealer is murdered while Erica hides, and the statue is stolen. She encounters Yvon Margeau, a sexy Frenchman who tells Erica he wants to gain control of the black market in antiquities, which Erica interprets to mean to eradicate the black market, and she meets Ahmad, the Egyptian director of antiquities, who is pursuing Yvon, and who is also smitten by Erica. We discover that, while Erica is an excellent Egyptologist, she is a poor judge of character. Neither Yvon nor Ahmad are what they seem. While Erica travels over Egypt on the trail of an astounding secret, her two admirers plot and plan.
—Tom
رواية سريعة وخاطفة في أحداثها ومتقنة في كتابتها ، استمتعت بأجواء الآثار المصرية الموجود بينَ جنباتها ..وأحداثها التي تقع بمدينة القاهرة في السبعينات من القرن الماضي .اريكا بارون عالمة مصريات تصل إلى القاهرة " بصفة سائحة " ومن القاهرة تبدأ مغامرتها المثيرة . وفي عالم الآثار الذي يتعاركُ الكثيرون لنيل جزءٍ منه ، فساد وسوق سوداء وأسرارٌ عائلية موغلة في القدم وألغازٌ لا يجرؤ أحد على سبر غورها أو الإقتراب منها ومحاولة حلها .رغمَ كوني لا أطيق فكرة البطل المطلق "الأمريكي غالباً " ذلكَ البطل الذي يصل ويقاتل كلَ الأشرار والفاسدين وحيداً وينتصر في النهاية ..وهو مايحدثُ هنا في هذه الرواية .إذا تغاضينا عن هذه النقطة بإمكاني القول أن الرواية جيدة جداً وهي أيضاً عملٌ بوليسي متقن اتخذ الآثار كـ خلفية تتمحور حوله كل الأحداث ..أرشحها لكم ، لكل محبي الأدب البوليسي وعشاق الآثار والتاريخ .ستستمتعون بقراءة هذه الرواية
—Sarah ( Paris )
