River of God Is Part

River of God is part of the Egyptian novels by Wilbur Smith. Smith is a novelist, born in what is now Zambia, who concentrates on historical fiction surrounding the founding of the southern territories in Africa and the influence of European colonials on the region. The Egyptian Series is a four volume set that focuses on the time of Pharaoh Thutmose III's time and the Hyksos wars. Initially, he claimed that the first novel, River of God, was based on a set of scrolls dating to 1780 BCE, but this was later repudiated in the afterward to the sequel, the Seventh Sign. One must keep in mind that while there are historical facts scattered throughout the novel, it is not a scholarly work, but a work meant to entertain and whet the reader's appetite for more information about the time period (Smith)

River of God is very similar to Alex Haley's Roots and Gary Jenning's Aztec. All tell of broad historical issues through the eyes of a character that might seem somewhat disengranchsed from the typical population. In Smith's case, the novel is told throught the narration of Taita, a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave, owned by a Lord, but who plays a large role in the day-to-day activities of the household. This allows Taita access to political and cultural intrigue in the Pharonic Court, in which the reader becomes privy to the social and cultural divides in Egypt of the time and the new threat to the Kingdom from the warlike Hyksos. Taita faces several conundrums, is captured, and finally through his machinations, returns to Egypt with new-found wearponry and tactics, allowing Egypt to triumph over the Hykosos invadors and regain Upper and Lower Egypt as one kingdom.

One can certainly break the story down into several symbolic templates: political, cultural, sociological, and, of course, personal. The personal aspect of the story surrounds the oft-repeated theme of royal privilege and a young couple's desire to marry even though the political forces seem to be in their way.

Rive of God is hardly a romance, though, and has other implications that, even somewhat subtly, convey the author's social and political viewpoint. First, the political system, so intricately surrounding the Pharaoh is shown to be both divisive and efficient. It is efficient in the sense that there is a single authority, and realistically, it would be impossible for a real Pharaoh to have control over all the aspects Smith suggests. The system was also divisive, however, in that while its historical precedents focused on tradition, it was the quality of the human Pharaoh's personality and foibles that set the tone for the nation. Culturally, every aspect of Egypt was shown to be focused on the god-king; yet Smith accurately represents that regardless of the period of history under study, people are people -- with their errant ways, their grandeur, and their hierarchy of being. Sociologically, Smith shows Egypt to be rather monoculture -- religion surrounded the Pharaoh and the preparation for the afterlife -- but again, this was for a certain class of individuals; upper middle and royalty. Smith does not allow us insights into the workings of the common person, ostensibly because this is fiction and needs action and movement. However, in both of the other books mentioned, Roots and Aztec, the author is able to present cultural life from the ground up, thus giving the reader a better understanding of the culture as a whole.