The Etruscan

Mika Waltari (1908 – 1979) was a Finnish author, notable among other things for the historical accuracy of his novels. He's best known for his book The Egyptian (Sinuhe egyptiläinen). I actually read it last summer but neglected to write a post about it before it was no longer fresh in my mind. I would note though that 'Sinuhe of Egypt' would've been a cooler title for the English translation.

The Etruscan is another of Waltari's novels. It's originally titled Turms, kuolematon ('Turms, immortal'). It is quite similar to The Egyptian, taking its reader on an adventure in a historical setting, around the Mediterranean Sea.

Like The Egyptian, The Etruscan starts from the end, the protagonist reminiscing his life. The story begins after young Turms has been struck by lightning and lost his memory. He had also set some temple on fire but I'm not entirely sure if it was before or after the lightning strike. Turms decides to let divine omens lead him to rediscover himself.

Waltari's novels have numerous similarities and you can already see the patterns after reading two. One of the common elements is the protagonist falling for the absolute worst kind of woman that only brings misery to their lives. Sinuhe at least wasn't too badly chained to the love of his life. Turms on the other hand decides to basically carry a priestess of Aphrodite with him. A beautiful but terribly manipulative woman. During the time she's with Turms, Arsinoe gives birth to two children -- and neither are Turms's.

Meeting Arsinoe was a big turning point for worse. I liked the first part of the novel a lot more; Turms was free to sail the seas with his friends and engage in piracy and other fun activities. With Arsinoe stuff started dragging. Turms does eventually break free for a more positive ending but overall the novel wasn't as entertaining as The Egyptian. The latter had a lot more detail, and I feel Sinuhe's profession as a doctor made it partly so interesting.