Narrating Ancient Egypt

Ancient and modern Egypt feature in numerous fantastic stories by Victorian and Edwardian writers. This book explores how works of popular Egyptianising fantastic literature can be read as critical texts which comment on the Oriental mind-set of Europe, and especially Britain. The analysis of the genre and the discussion of possible reasons for the frequent use of Egyptianising elements show that Egypt was simultaneously a real and an imagined place - a perfect ingredient to create gothic stories and magical events, and, at the same time, of specific interest to Great Britain for cultural and political reasons.

Maria Fleischhack lectures at Leipzig University with a special research focus on Victorian and postmodern fantasy literature, the literary reception of ancient Egypt, Scottish identity and devolution, adaptation studies, English theatre and Sherlock Holmes.

Contents: Ancient Egypt in Literature - The West versus the East - Mummies and other Egyptian characters and objects - Magic and alchemy - Self-criticism - Orientalism - Tourism - Museums - Collections - Encounters with the Other - Encounters with ancient Egypt.