Sometimes when an author has such great success with a debut novel, he thinks they can generate that same success the second time around. Arthur Phillips' debut novel, "Prague," was a national bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and received various other awards. However, his second novel, "The Egyptologist," falls extremely short of anything but 383 pages of pure drivel.
Arthur Phillips deceives the reader by creating a great opening scene of a grippingly intense love letter to a woman named Margaret from a man named Ralph M. Trilipush. In the letter, Ralph expresses his love and excitement at the thought of seeing his fiancé Margaret again.
However, hidden within the text there is an urgent undertone, which signals distress and worry over a group of journals and an ancient Egyptian tomb — "But Margaret. But. You have seen as clearly as anyone the malevolence of those who would have us fail, and one never knows when fatal accidents or worse might befall one. And so I am taking the liberty of sending you the enclosed journals. Dear God, may it all arrive safely." The reader is instantly pulled into the story, only to be let down.
The story continues with way too much description. Keeping with the letter theme, Phillips has the remainder of the novel relaying random pieces of information to a person named Mr. Macey. This is a character never fully understood. Why is he writing to this character? Why is he telling him about his day? Is this really a journal entry? The reader becomes confused, so much so that one is tempted to just put the book down.
Without even reading the novel, the reader gets the feeling that it is similar to the recent trend of books by other novelists such as Dan Brown. The book could have been one of those novels. It had the content, and it had the beginnings of a riveting novel. However, Phillips might have been reaching too far.
The novel isn't without merit. For example, Phillips does a good job of telling the story through dialogue. It is believable and captures the time period of the novel's setting — "Of the utmost importance, of course, we must always maintain, the manner in which we proceed from chamber to chamber within the tomb, my admiration extends far beyond your discoveries and encompasses also your heart" — a task not mastered by many writers. Also, when the description is needed, Phillips paints a pretty picture of the Egyptian desert.
Overall, the novel is a huge disappointment. Watching a well-known and gifted author spit out something overdone and so dry, like "The Egyptologist," makes one wonder if the rest of his novels will be cooked the same way. Hopefully this is a one-time thing, and his next novel is as plump and juicy as his first.
Grade: F