Pharaoh
A groundbreaking new translation of the only historical novel by noted Polish writer Bolesław Prus.
“ . . . unique in world literature of the nineteenth century”
--Czesław Miłosz
Imbued with poetry, leavened with humor, and graced with moments of transcendent beauty, Pharaoh offers a compelling picture of life at every level of ancient Egyptian society. As the story unfolds, Egypt is experiencing internal stresses and external threats that will culminate in the fall of its Twentieth Dynasty and New Kingdom. The young Pharaoh Ramses learns that challenging power leaves him vulnerable to seduction, defamation, intimidation and even assassination. The ultimate lesson learned by Ramses is the power of knowledge.
Prus is a distinctive voice in world literature and was Joseph Conrad’s favorite Polish writer. This new edition of Christopher Kasparek’s translation of Pharaoh vividly brings this extraordinary novel to life. It includes a detailed foreword and annotations, based on extensive research and textual refinements, that will enhance the reader’s appreciation not only for ancient Egypt, but also for Prus’ composition process.
Pharaoh has been translated into twenty-three languages and was adapted as a 1966 Polish feature film.
Bolesław Prus (1847-1912), who took the pen surname Prus from the appellation of his family’s coat of arms, at age 15 joined the 1863 Polish Uprising against Imperial Russia, where he suffered severe battle injuries. He was spared resettlement on Russian imperial lands and was able to complete secondary school. He studied mathematics and physics at Warsaw University, until his studies there were cut short by penury. At age 25 in 1872, Prus embarked on a forty-year career as a newspaper columnist, urging Poles to study science and technology and to develop industry and commerce. After achieving great acclaim with his short stories, between 1886 and 1893 he wrote three novels on the “great questions of our age”: The Outpost, The Doll, and The New Woman. In 1894-95, he completed his only historical novel, Pharaoh.
Christopher Kasparek studied Polish literature at the University of California-Berkeley with Nobel laureate Czesław Miłosz and studied medicine at Warsaw Medical School in Poland. Kasparek practiced psychiatry for 33 years. He has published articles and translations on a wide range of subjects. He resides in Carmel, California.
