Inspiration for the Mummy?

[Sarah]

Anyone else there watch the movie the Mummy and think that the Amelia Peabody books were an inspiration?

[Katonda]

Yes I thought that to while reading Crocodile on the Sandbank. This is the first book I've read in this series, and plan on reading more. I love Egypt, and mysteries so I had to read it. I love The Mummy movies also.

[Amy]

Right now I am reading MUMMY DEAREST by Joan Hess and can't help but wonder if she and Elizabeth Peters are one in the same...... or at least friends. The main character in this one is staying in Luxor, staying at the Winter Palace and is rubbing noses with the British folks that winter in Egypt and follow around the archeology circles and follow the non-Egyptian gossip like hounds. The funniest is that part of that group is the Lady Amelia Peabody Emerson who inherited some money from her grandmother (who was friends with Howard Carter and such) by publishing some family memoirs . . . . her house boy at the hotel is Abdullah and there's a precocious Egyptian girl whose dad is a professor and her name is Salima......

Honorific or borrowing characters? I'm choosing honorific and am enjoying watching for the parallels and relations to Amelia stories....

[Emilie[-MLE-]]

I really thought THE MUMMY seemed like what would happen if Amelia and Emerson were injected with some Indiana Jones genes, then went off to battle Lord Voldemort. In the second movie Evvie (full name Evelyn. ring any bells?) and her husband Rick O'Connell (like Kevin O'Connell!!) even have a precocious son who is freakishly like Ramses. The kid even falls in love in the third movie (when he's 18) with a mysterious exotic beauty. so what if she's from China, not Nubia? She still SCREAMS Nefret rip-off.

[Tigger]

i love the mummy

[Emilie[-MLE-]]

me too. It was extremely cheesy, but still cool.

[Amy]

Ldtchr wrote: "Right now I am reading MUMMY DEAREST by Joan Hess and can't help but wonder if she and Elizabeth Peters are one in the same...... or at least friends. The main character in this one is staying in L..."

I think they are the same person. I'm pretty sure somebody told me that those are just 2 of her pen names.

[Emilie[-MLE-]]

Elizabeth Peters is a pen name for Barbra Meritz. her other pen name is Barbra Michels.

[Kandice]

I am so glad I read this discussion, even though I wasn't familiar with the book! I love the Mummy movies. I agree they are cheesy, but that's a HUGE part of the appeal to me. Now I have a new series of books to look out for. Possibly more, if you guys are right and she writes under different names. Thank you!

[Emilie[-MLE-]]

The Amelia Peabody Mysteries are some of my favorite books ever.

[Travis]

Enjoyed the few Amelia books I've tried, but can't see a huge influence on the movie.
It borrowed more from Indiana Jones, the Universal movies with a bit of serial cliffhanger and Laura Croft thrown in for good measure.

[Sue]

I would love to see a movie or series actually of the Amelia books, but only if they stuck closely to the story line and not make a total different story out of it like Hollywood usually does.

[Bronwyn]

I am on # 18 "The Serpent on the Crown". I have enjoyed all of the series. I am amazed at how well Elizabeth Peters has kept the characters realistic, growing and changing and true to their personalities. Each mystery is also very well done. The clues are there, the action is fast and always makes sense. The word pictures she creates are intense and make it easy to see Eypt at the turn of the century. Enjoy.

[Amanda]

Other people agree with me that Emerson, Ramses, and Amelia are like Rick, Evie, and Alex!

[Mattie]

Elizabeth Peters is one of my favorite authors. I've been dying to see Crocodile on the Sandbank turned into a movie for years. The Mummy is the closest thing I've seen yet, although I still think Radcliffe is tougher than Brendan Fraser.

[Maria]

Emilie[-MLE-] wrote: "The Amelia Peabody Mysteries are some of my favorite books ever. "

Mine too. I've read them all and loved every one. I think they would make a fantastic TV series, by the BBC of course. Maybe Andrew Davies could do the adaption. But who would play the characters. I think Goran Visnjic would make a good Emerson. Anyone got any other ideas?

[Reed]

I am surprised that Mystery Theater has not done some of the Peabody mysteries. But who would play Amelia and Emerson? There are certainly enough folks that appear on Mystery Theater that would suffice.

[Lola]

I found all the Amelia books fun both in book form and in audio, read by Barbara Rosenblat. Ms Rosenblat brought the characters to life. I thought there might be new books in the series after Miss Peters stole 3 more of Amelia's manuscripts in "Laughter of Dead Kings". "Laughter of Dead Kings" ties the Amelia Peabody and Viki Bliss books together.

[Reed]

Will have to obtain "Laughter of Dead Kings"

[C.P.]

I think the original Mummy movies predate Crocodile on the Sandbank by a good 30 years (the current ones are remakes). But the connection is most likely not an accident, as Elizabeth Peters often has great fun with those old clichés. Just look at The Last Camel Died at Noon, which sends up H. Rider Haggard's novels.

I wish some of you folks would check out the Mertz/Peters/Michaels group, which is seriously in need of some fresh blood.

[Gay]

I enjoyed the Amelia Peabody series. I always hare to say goodbye to the characters when the series ends. I couldn't enjoy the Vickie Bliss series as well.

[C.P.]

Gay wrote: "I enjoyed the Amelia Peabody series. I always hare to say goodbye to the characters when the series ends. I couldn't enjoy the Vickie Bliss series as well."

Oh, I love Vicki Bliss, even more than Amelia. Just not the first one. And alas, the last one not so much. But everything from Street of the Five Moons to Night Train to Memphis is just delicious.

[Jennifer]

Awww!You guys just made my day!I will read the whole series!!I am crazy about the Mummy and ancient Egypt:)

[Daniela]

I too loved Vicky better than Amelia, but I love all of Peters/Michaels books!
Joan Hess and Elizabeth Peters were friends, just look at the foreword to Nighttrain to Memphis.
Saw the first mummy movie years ago and didn't really like it, always thought it couldn't decide if it wanted to be funny or brutal (there was one scene Igot nightmares from!).