Yoo Seong-hwan: The Story of Sinuhe, the First Novel

What comes to mind when you think of ancient Egypt? A scorching sandy desert. Pyramids rising above it. A pharaoh's golden mask. A black, parched mummy inside a lavish coffin. Cleopatra's tragedy and the pharaoh's curse. Most of what we know consists of images adapted and caricatured through visual media. We don't really understand how culturally rich ancient Egyptian civilization was. A book that reveals the true face of ancient Egypt, which flourished for more than 5,000 years along the fertile Nile, has been published: The Tale of Sinuhe, the First Novel. Created between 1911 and 1830 BCE, The Tale of Sinuhe is considered the finest work of ancient Egyptian narrative literature. It tells of the life of Sinuhe, a noble who left Egypt and later returned during the Middle Kingdom (2055–1650 BCE). Scribes copied it countless times on papyrus and stone fragments, which is why it survives today in its most complete form. Vividly conveying the lives, desires, dreams, and hopes of ancient Egyptians, the tale has great literary and scholarly value as an origin of the mythical journey, a source revealing the ancient Egyptian imagination, and a work bringing together diverse narrative techniques. Above all, it clearly reveals the limitless appeal of ancient Egyptian civilization and will catch the eye of readers who appreciate the value of the original text. Dr. Yoo Sunghwan, who fell in love with Egyptian hieroglyphs, studied Egyptology in the United States, and now teaches ancient West Asian civilizations in Seoul National University's Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, devoted himself to a careful translation and commentary. This is the first Korean translation made directly from the ancient Egyptian original.

Korean title: 최초의 소설 시누헤 이야기

Korean author: 유성환

Korean publisher: 휴머니스트

ISBN-13: 9791170871514