The Twelve Rooms Of The Nile. By Enid Shomer (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
This novel was just, to sum it up, a disappointment for me.I'll start with what I did like first. I liked the idea of it, of Gustave Flaubert and Florence Nightingale and a grand tour of Egypt and what their encounters would be like. I LOVED the detail. It was so rich and vibrant. Enid Shomer's language was wonderful, making scenes in the middle of the desert transcend grains of sand and hot sun. The interactions between characters where detailed as well. The story swapped points of view between Flaubert and Nightingale, with periodic glimpses of each of their companions.That's about it.My main problem with this book was that the entire time, I felt the story was building towards something but there was just no exciting high point. There was drama, and there was action, but I never felt like anything actually HAPPENED. It was just dull and sort of plodded along.The other point I will make, and this may have been something my eyes just glossed over in the middle of the story and therefore it was made clear but I missed it, is the damn key. This key is on the cover of the book and is mentioned in the first scene, and I NEVER found out what it was for. Pointless. Beautifully written fictional account of two figures who lived at the same time, visited the same places, but probably never met. This is a poetic read, but a slow one. I found myself researching G. Flaubert and FlorenceNightingale just to compare to the novel. For that alone, this is worthwhile. Some sections are so beautifully phrased as to be near poetry. The book is also worthy as a snapshot of a moment in time when the Egyptians sold their most prized possessions, their antiquity, to whomever could carry it away. That alone makes this sad.Worth your time.
What do You think about The Twelve Rooms Of The Nile. By Enid Shomer (2012)?
Couldn't finish it. I thought I would like it because I like books about Egypt. It was just gross.
—alien991
Great concept and well written, but it moved too slow for my taste.
—snels
Gave it 100+ pages and it just couldn't keep my interest.
—password
