The Egyptologist

The Egyptologist
By Arthur Phillips
Random House, 2004. 383 pgs. Fiction

This fascinating, convoluted tale is told in a fascinating, convoluted way. Much of this story is told through correspondence and diary entries, and it may take a little while to get a sense of what this story is really all about.

The main character, Philip Trillipush, is a British archaeologist who has discovered a fragment of a work written by a shadowy figure in ancient Egyptian history--the controversial “Atum-hadu”. The fragment Trillipush discovered is some of Atum-hadu’s erotic poetry. Trillipush wishes now to locate Atum-hadu’s tomb and his efforts to that end are detailed throughout the book. Some of this story is “told” through the letters of Harold Ferrell, a private investigator who attempted to track down Paul Caldwell, an Australian child who stood to inherit a small fortune. Ferrell’s investigation intersects closely with the career of Phillip Trillipush.

Part mystery, part historical fiction (1920’s mostly), part satire, and a smidgen of horror makes this a story for many but not for everyone.

SML