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Aug. 11th, 2009 11:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsThe back cover of Dorothy Clarke Wilson's Prince of Egypt reads thusly:
When the beautiful Hebrew girl, Miriam, hurled mud at the arrogant Egyptian, Prince Moses, she knew of him only as a corrupt nobleman, a favorite of the King, the reputed lover of Princess Nefretiri. She could not know that this giant among men would someday give up a throne to lead her own people out of bondage!
For this Prince Moses, worshipped by a lustful people, husband of two passionate women, had a dream that was so powerful, a vision of a new faith that was so compelling, that it remade his life. Compelled by his driving ambition, the great Prince voluntarily became a humble shepherd, the all-powerful ruler turned himself into a lowly brickmaker, in order to lead the Jews of Egypt into the wilderness to create a new nation dedicated to one God!
HOW COULD I NOT BUY THIS THIRTY-CENT BOOK, GUYS? It reads like the setup for a torrid Miriam/Moses romance! That is not even factoring the cover in all its glory. (Moses' face says: WTF Miriam put your shirt on!)
Surprisingly, though, it turned out to be not as hilariously ridiculous as the back cover led to believe! I actually don't know whether to be disappointed or not. Dorothy Clarke Wilson seems to have actually done her research - on the Biblical story, at least; I can't speak to how much research she did on Ancient Egypt, though she delves in a pretty interesting way into the interesting political stuff going on with Akhenaten and Aten and the religious controversies. And, much to my surprise, I didn't actually hate most of the theology (though I'm not going to go into the specifics, since this is a public post, and I don't feel like talking about my Thoughts On Religion in public.)
Which does not mean that there were no lulz to be had, of course! I was especially amused by Tharbis Sue, who was here lifted up to the status of Moses' True Love (because Zipporah was ambitious and therefore eeevil, of course). She was innocent and sweet and childlike and selfless! And wore plain clothes in public and fancy clothes when by herself, in the great oudoors, because she was just that sweetly eccentric! And just wanted to get to know ~the wilderness~! And occasionally burst into random song! (Well okay that last is not uncommon in the Bible, BUT STILL.)
ALSO there is a point at which someone says, "Oh, Moses, you fool! You stubborn, stubborn fool! I come to you with all I have to give, and you scorn me like - like a common dancing girl! Oh, I should hate you, despise you! But I don't! I love you!" WHICH HILARITY MADE IT ALL WORTH IT.
Other characterizations: Wilson's Miriam is energetic and powerful and kind of a badass, but Wilson also tends to focus a lot on her being STOMPY AND RACIST, so . . . I did not love that. Then again, it was the 1940's, and I should know better than to expect positive portrayals of powerful women. :/ I also had to squish my eyes shut and pretend REALLY HARD that Moses did not actually have a Nubian servant in order to get through the book, because OH MY GOD THE RACISM. Aaron doesn't get much love either. Nefretiri is exactly what you'd expect. Moses' adoptive mother Sitra is complicated and scheming and kind of fascinating and may have been my favorite. Moses himself is actually a conflicted and pretty interesting character! At least half the book is Moses character development in his youth in Egypt, and all the desert and plagues stuff comes pretty fast at the end (and Wilson runs with "the plagues were natural phenomena, political maneuvering, and hyperbole mostly," which is very interesting but I am not sure how I feel about it.)
Anyway, in short: actually an interesting interpretation, and not as overwrought and lulzy as I thought it would be. However, you do happen to be looking for lulzy Moses fanfic, I recommend 10 Things I Hate About Commandments!
When the beautiful Hebrew girl, Miriam, hurled mud at the arrogant Egyptian, Prince Moses, she knew of him only as a corrupt nobleman, a favorite of the King, the reputed lover of Princess Nefretiri. She could not know that this giant among men would someday give up a throne to lead her own people out of bondage!
For this Prince Moses, worshipped by a lustful people, husband of two passionate women, had a dream that was so powerful, a vision of a new faith that was so compelling, that it remade his life. Compelled by his driving ambition, the great Prince voluntarily became a humble shepherd, the all-powerful ruler turned himself into a lowly brickmaker, in order to lead the Jews of Egypt into the wilderness to create a new nation dedicated to one God!
HOW COULD I NOT BUY THIS THIRTY-CENT BOOK, GUYS? It reads like the setup for a torrid Miriam/Moses romance! That is not even factoring the cover in all its glory. (Moses' face says: WTF Miriam put your shirt on!)
Surprisingly, though, it turned out to be not as hilariously ridiculous as the back cover led to believe! I actually don't know whether to be disappointed or not. Dorothy Clarke Wilson seems to have actually done her research - on the Biblical story, at least; I can't speak to how much research she did on Ancient Egypt, though she delves in a pretty interesting way into the interesting political stuff going on with Akhenaten and Aten and the religious controversies. And, much to my surprise, I didn't actually hate most of the theology (though I'm not going to go into the specifics, since this is a public post, and I don't feel like talking about my Thoughts On Religion in public.)
Which does not mean that there were no lulz to be had, of course! I was especially amused by Tharbis Sue, who was here lifted up to the status of Moses' True Love (because Zipporah was ambitious and therefore eeevil, of course). She was innocent and sweet and childlike and selfless! And wore plain clothes in public and fancy clothes when by herself, in the great oudoors, because she was just that sweetly eccentric! And just wanted to get to know ~the wilderness~! And occasionally burst into random song! (Well okay that last is not uncommon in the Bible, BUT STILL.)
ALSO there is a point at which someone says, "Oh, Moses, you fool! You stubborn, stubborn fool! I come to you with all I have to give, and you scorn me like - like a common dancing girl! Oh, I should hate you, despise you! But I don't! I love you!" WHICH HILARITY MADE IT ALL WORTH IT.
Other characterizations: Wilson's Miriam is energetic and powerful and kind of a badass, but Wilson also tends to focus a lot on her being STOMPY AND RACIST, so . . . I did not love that. Then again, it was the 1940's, and I should know better than to expect positive portrayals of powerful women. :/ I also had to squish my eyes shut and pretend REALLY HARD that Moses did not actually have a Nubian servant in order to get through the book, because OH MY GOD THE RACISM. Aaron doesn't get much love either. Nefretiri is exactly what you'd expect. Moses' adoptive mother Sitra is complicated and scheming and kind of fascinating and may have been my favorite. Moses himself is actually a conflicted and pretty interesting character! At least half the book is Moses character development in his youth in Egypt, and all the desert and plagues stuff comes pretty fast at the end (and Wilson runs with "the plagues were natural phenomena, political maneuvering, and hyperbole mostly," which is very interesting but I am not sure how I feel about it.)
Anyway, in short: actually an interesting interpretation, and not as overwrought and lulzy as I thought it would be. However, you do happen to be looking for lulzy Moses fanfic, I recommend 10 Things I Hate About Commandments!
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Date: 2009-08-11 07:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 08:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 08:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 08:10 pm (UTC)I--I have nothing else to add.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 08:17 pm (UTC)STEP DOWN BIBLICAL PROPHETS
THERE'S A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN
no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 10:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-11 11:36 pm (UTC)*is giggling helplessly*
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 01:19 am (UTC). . . or, you know, its disadvantages. YOU DECIDE.
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 02:37 am (UTC)...Sitra?
no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-08-12 02:41 am (UTC)*sulks*
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Date: 2009-08-12 02:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-22 08:16 pm (UTC)Does not compare to the Prince of Egypt movie.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-22 08:23 pm (UTC)