Great reads

I've been reading this series by Christian Jacq about Ramses the Great (Ramses II). It's interesting reading, in that it's HISTORICAL FIction so several liberties have been taken with certain things. I know from background research (librarian!) that Ramses had at least a few children by the time he actually became pharaoh, and in these books he only has two at the moment, and only has two wives. Sure, Nefretari is Great wife, and his most beloved, apparent in the impressive tombs and monuments he made for her.

I suppose if you're writing historical fiction you can do this. Especially for characters that lived over 3200 years ago. Still, it seems that Jacq idolises this particular pharaoh. So he (I think he's a he) has modernised a few elements of Ramses character. Made him a nice romantic lead, in love with his frail lady wife, not one who would wed his own daughter (yep, Ramses marries his daughter Meritamon, whom he had by Nefertari). In Egypt, this was acceptable, as it cemented royal bloodlines and the right to be pharoah. You've gotta wonder though, didn't they notice that this sort of thing produced sickly children? In lots of other cultures this was forbidden. Maybe no sex was involved. Just marriage. Prevents her from marrying other guys too. Great way for a father to keep his little girl safe from men...

eww.

I'm also reading 'The Quiet American' by Graham Greene. It's wonderfully written, so poetic and descriptive. the story is quite simple, but complex as well. I saw the movie with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser before I started to read it, but so far things are very similar. The book is more descriptive and the character of Pyle a little more naive than he seems in the movie, a bit more fleshed out. Which in turn makes him seem more dangerous. When you evetually discover his real mission in Vietnam, is seems like war mongering, but under the flag of 'helping make things right'.

School is back. Erck. Still, only one day till Anzac day, then only two days till the weekend. and, I don't think I have to drive this week. Hooray.