The Pyramid
The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare, published by Vintage on May 26, 1998, is a historical novel set in ancient Egypt. This edition spans 176 pages and presents a narrative that intertwines the construction of the great pyramid with the exploration of state power and oppression. The story unfolds in 2600 BC, where Pharaoh Cheops is persuaded by his court sages to proceed with the pyramid’s construction, which they argue serves to keep the Egyptian populace content while simultaneously subjugating them.
Readers will find a rich tapestry of themes that delve into the paradox of power and the human cost of monumental ambition. The narrative reveals the brutal realities faced by those involved in the pyramid’s creation, highlighting the conspiracies and purges that accompany such grand undertakings. Kadare’s work invites reflection on the nature of political despotism and the societal implications of unchecked authority, making it a thought-provoking read for those interested in historical fiction and the complexities of power dynamics.
Official synopsis Publisher
From the Albanian writer who has been short-listed for the Nobel Prize comes a hypnotic narrative of ancient Egypt, a work that is at once a historical novel and an exploration of the horror of untrammeled state power. It is 2600 BC. The Pharaoh Cheops is inclined to forgo the construction of a pyramid in his honor, but his court sages hasten to persuade him otherwise. The pyramid, they tell him, is not a tomb but a paradox: it keeps the Egyptian people content by oppressing them utterly. The pyramid is the pillar that holds power aloft. If it wavers, everything collapses.
And so the greatest pyramid ever begins to rise. It is a monument that crushes dozens of men with the placing of each of its tens of thousands of stones. It is the subject of real and imaginary conspiracies that necessitate ruthless purges and fantastic tortures. It is a monster that will consume all Egypt before it swallows the body of Cheops himself. As told by Ismail Kadare, The Pyramid is a tour de force of Kafkaesque paranoia and Orwellian political prophecy.
“A haunting meditation on the matter-of-fact brutality of political despotism.” – The New York Times Book Review
“Kadare’s prose glimmers with the magic realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez.” – Los Angeles Times Book Review
“One of the most compelling novelists now writing in any language.” – Wall Street Journal
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