Sinuhe the Egyptians

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Sinuhe the Egyptian is a historical novel by the Finnish writer Mika Waltari from 1945. The German translation by Charlotte Lilius was first published in 1950 under the title Sinuhe, the Egyptian. Novel. 15 books from the life of the doctor Sinuhe approximately 1390 to 1335 before the birth of Christ, both published by the German publishing house Toth (Hamburg) and the Swiss Linden publishing house (Bern). This transmission (published by Bastei Lübbe since the 1970s ) was used for all German-language editions until 2014. However, the translation by Charlotte Lilius was not made from the Finnish original, but is based on the slightly abbreviated Swedish translation by the Finnish-Swedish publicist Ole Torvalds . It was not until autumn 2014 that the first unabridged translation by Andreas Ludden , made directly from the Finnish original, was published by Verlag Bastei Lübbe in Cologne .

content

The adventurous life of the Egyptian doctor Sinuhe is portrayed in first person form. At the time of Pharaoh Akhenaten, Sinuhe initially worked as a personal physician at the royal court. Later he made several trips to Babylon , Crete and other regions of the then known world.

background

With his worldwide success, Waltari has succeeded in creating an extensive cultural and moral history of the pre-Christian Orient. This was preceded by extensive historical studies. This novel has also found recognition among Egyptologists .

Waltari's work was inspired by The Story of Sinuhe . This ancient Egyptian text, which is considered to be one of the oldest literary works, dates from the time of Pharaoh Amenemhet I , the founder of the 12th dynasty (20th century BC).

Film adaptations

In 1954, the book by Michael Curtiz was made into a film under the title Sinuhe the Egyptians .

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