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The Lone And Level Sands
Pharaoh Ramses II hasn't seen his long-lost cousin Moses in nearly forty years. Yet while pressed by the Hittites to the North and construction delays in the South, Ramses must make time for this ancient desert rascal, the long-ago mystery he represents, and the impossible demands of an alien deity. Drawing on the Bible, the Qur'an, and historical sources, writer A. David Lewis (Mortal Coils) and artist Marvin Perry Mann (Arcana Jayne) present a retelling of the Book of Exodus through the eyes of the man who is either its greatest leader or its worst a man trying to rule wisely, love his family well, and deal justly in the face of a divine wrath.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 8, 2007
My favorite graphic novel of last year; a terribly underrated book. The story of Moses told from Pharaoh's perspective - a story that actually makes you feel bad for the man that's dismissed as a villain in the bible. It's a tremendous read, and the hardcover/full-color version put out by Archaia was so gorgeous that I purchased a copy despite already having the soft cover/B&W.
This is an amazing piece of literature from one of the more scholarly creators within comics. David Lewis and Marvin Mann are currently working on their follow-up, a flood-myth book entitled SOME NEW KIND OF SLAUGHTER. It's also coming from Archaia - look out for it. And buy this book!
This is an amazing piece of literature from one of the more scholarly creators within comics. David Lewis and Marvin Mann are currently working on their follow-up, a flood-myth book entitled SOME NEW KIND OF SLAUGHTER. It's also coming from Archaia - look out for it. And buy this book!
April 19, 2012
I read this, because it was by the authors/illustrators of another book I liked very much, which focused on flood myths... but "The Lone and Level Sands" is really an altogether different kind of beast, and I didn't care for it nearly as much.
It is a re-telling of the story of Rameses and Moses and the plagues of the bible (among other religous writings! this 'myth' spans more than one religon!)... and it attempts to bring humanity and characterizations into play, instead of simple facts.
Although I did feel there was /some/ good character, and a decent writing/retelling, it really just frustrated me. As a pagan myself, I have heard many of the various tellings of this tale, and I am always interested in why each religon feels these series of events happened...
...but in this book, the author makes it out to be a simple matter of FATE. God just WANTED it to happen.
At every turn, Rameses wants to do the right thing, but GOD (or some god, some supernatural force) steps in and forces him to up the stakes, to further his people's suffering- and at the end (not a huge spoiler) he is a broken man, who doesn't understand why he had to be the puppet of this great new god... why suffering and death, why his own life had to be shattered... only to be told that it was what god wanted.
For me, this echoes a current problem- in absence of a 'why' people will say that God "Wanted It"... they want everyone to believe he is an all knowing, always in control, somehow benevolant being, and yet when something horrible happens (like rape) they fall back on 'God Wanted It for a REASON' ... and I just don't buy that. If that was the God they worshipped, then I would want no part of it-
The book felt very sour that way. It didn't even give us reasons why the God might WANT that kind of show of power. Didn't give us a reason he might punish or put them through trials... it was pointless.
In addition, the choice of artwork, meant to mimic the sands and sculptures of Egypt, just really felt cluttered and irritated to my eyes. It didn't feel congruent with the story being told, the way the other book did- it felt.... forced. I just don't know, I wasn't very pleased, even tho it wasn't a half bad book- it fell flat and sour by the end, in my opinion.
November 9, 2007
If comic books are fair game, then this one is one of the very best. We all know Moses and Aaron led the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The Israelites are the good guys and the Egyptians are the bad guys. Really?
The Lone and Level Sands is the Exodus tale from Ramses' view. One quote from Ramses: "What more would you have of me? ...Why do this? What sick pleasure comes from our suffering? Revenge for the Hebrews? Sheer entertainment? You could have freed them without harm to us? You could have prevented their enslavement in the first place!"
Yeah, it's like that. It's that good.
The Lone and Level Sands is the Exodus tale from Ramses' view. One quote from Ramses: "What more would you have of me? ...Why do this? What sick pleasure comes from our suffering? Revenge for the Hebrews? Sheer entertainment? You could have freed them without harm to us? You could have prevented their enslavement in the first place!"
Yeah, it's like that. It's that good.
February 17, 2010
A great way to get into graphic novels. A good story of the Exodus written from the perspective of the Pharaoh. Well done.
July 17, 2011
A superb depiction and retelling of the Exodus story (the enslaved Israelites vs. Pharoah). The author and illustrator make us feel for Pharoah and the plight of everyone concerned.
October 4, 2018
Not what I was expecting. More like a long fairy tail than what I'm used to.
November 6, 2017
Well drawn and well told. The story is fascinating told from this perspective. If only people were able to see things from the point of view of "the other side" all the time. Absolutely loved the argument Moses makes for proof over faith.
May 31, 2012
I love alternate telling of familiar stories. I enjoyed The Red Tent, An Acceptable Time (Time, #5), heck, even though I've never seen the entirety of Gone with the Wind I liked The Wind Done Gone: A Novel.
So it isn't much of a surprise that I've rated this book four stars. The story is the Israelite exodus from Egypt, but the main star is the Pharaoh of Egypt, not Moses.
AND, it's a graphic novel to boot!
The art and coloring were well done. Only a few panels fell flat. The lettering was well done, and important for what the words conveyed.
It was interesting to note that passages written outside of the panel were sometimes actually lines spoken by characters in the picture above, sometimes a character's internal thoughts, and sometimes simply narration setting up the scene.
One thing I would have liked to see in the book would have been a list of references, or a list for further reading, akin to what was done in the Age of Bronze books - A Thousand Ships. Something that pointed readers to source materials for story & art.
Very good book. Appropriate for all readers, but probably especially for middle schoolers, or readers going through religious rites of passage.
So it isn't much of a surprise that I've rated this book four stars. The story is the Israelite exodus from Egypt, but the main star is the Pharaoh of Egypt, not Moses.
AND, it's a graphic novel to boot!
The art and coloring were well done. Only a few panels fell flat. The lettering was well done, and important for what the words conveyed.
It was interesting to note that passages written outside of the panel were sometimes actually lines spoken by characters in the picture above, sometimes a character's internal thoughts, and sometimes simply narration setting up the scene.
One thing I would have liked to see in the book would have been a list of references, or a list for further reading, akin to what was done in the Age of Bronze books - A Thousand Ships. Something that pointed readers to source materials for story & art.
Very good book. Appropriate for all readers, but probably especially for middle schoolers, or readers going through religious rites of passage.
March 23, 2011
Have you ever thought about Moses and The Exodus story and wondered how the Egyptians felt about it? Do you think they were truly evil and, considering the plagues that befell them, extremely stupid for continuing to defy God's will? This book attempts to humanize the Egyptians and the Pharoah who crossed Gods with Moses by putting them in an historical perspective taken from a number of sources. Moses, to them, was someone who came in, disrupted their way of life and almost destroyed their civilization. As much as he was a hero to the slaves, he sure wasn't to the Egyptians. I'm sure you can see and understand the paradox. For that alone, this book is a gem. Add to it the impression of daily life back then, and it becomes a treasure of imagination, thought, and story. The art, unfortunately, was something I couldn't always get a handle on -often losing visual on who was who. The coloring, on the other hand, was just perfect.
September 20, 2014
The plot s not entirely complete or cohesive. The narrative techniques were extremely lacking and confusing. Character development is minimimal. The art makes it confusing to identify the characters. Inks were heavy handed and it made the art feel sloppy. It was not enjoyable visually. Page layouts were poorly done. All around a very disappointing book that did not feel like it was made by a coordinated team.
July 31, 2009
A decent graphic novel (the ending is especially good) but the art at times makes it very difficult to follow (e.g., the pharaoh & his advisors look very similar).
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July 28, 2011This is a wonderfully complex look at the tale of Moses and the colors are amazing.
June 23, 2013
Very good.
As long as I only read the really good graphic novels, I can continue to convince myself that this is a viable genre. ;-)
As long as I only read the really good graphic novels, I can continue to convince myself that this is a viable genre. ;-)
December 1, 2014
very thought-provoking read!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews