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The Writing in the Stone
The landscape of this dark and powerful story is the ancient world of Assyria some 3000 years ago, a time when writing was in the world's oldest script, cuneiform, and the domination of unseen forces firmly in the hands of the state’s leading Exorcist.
In the capital, Nineveh, resides a deep and complex man, the power behind the King of the World. Faced with unforeseen disaster that threatens his authority, he emerges as a psychopathic killer.
The author uses his familiarity with ancient writings preserved in the world’s museums to recreate a vanished world in which those who step from the shadows in ruthless violence to pursue ultimate control show themselves at the same time to be disconcertingly human.
The tight prose and graphic illustrations make this a gripping and unusual tale not of this world, but at the same time weirdly familiar.
In the capital, Nineveh, resides a deep and complex man, the power behind the King of the World. Faced with unforeseen disaster that threatens his authority, he emerges as a psychopathic killer.
The author uses his familiarity with ancient writings preserved in the world’s museums to recreate a vanished world in which those who step from the shadows in ruthless violence to pursue ultimate control show themselves at the same time to be disconcertingly human.
The tight prose and graphic illustrations make this a gripping and unusual tale not of this world, but at the same time weirdly familiar.
168 pages, Paperback
Published January 23, 2018
About the author
Irving Finkel
35 books208 followersIrving Leonard Finkel, Ph.D. (Assyriology, University of Birmingham, 1976; B.A., Ancient
New Eastern Studies, University of Birmingham, 1969), is a British philologist and Assyriologist. He has served as Assistant Keeper in the Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities at the British Museum since 1979. As such, he is the curator in charge of cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia, of which the Middle East Department has the largest collection—some 130,000 pieces—of any modern museum. He also is an author of fiction for children, and in 2007 co-founded The Great Diary Project.
New Eastern Studies, University of Birmingham, 1969), is a British philologist and Assyriologist. He has served as Assistant Keeper in the Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities at the British Museum since 1979. As such, he is the curator in charge of cuneiform inscriptions on tablets of clay from ancient Mesopotamia, of which the Middle East Department has the largest collection—some 130,000 pieces—of any modern museum. He also is an author of fiction for children, and in 2007 co-founded The Great Diary Project.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 27, 2018
I'd really enjoyed Dr. Finkel's Youtube videos about cuneiform studies and related topics, and was eager to pick up this book. And for most of the way through it was fine -- not brilliant, but I probably would have rated it three stars.
Then, in the space of a couple of pages, it went straight to a DNF.
The central character is a psychopath: okay. When faced with what appears to be a text he can't translate, which would then challenge his position of power, his response is to start murdering almost everone who saw the stone. Okay. Not somebody I especially enjoy reading about, but I liked the exploration of ancient Mesopotamian society.
But then the villain's henchman -- who has vaguely-defined mental disabilities -- gratuitously rapes two women. Not for any plot reason; just because they're there. The story specifies that he rapes the mother once and the daughter twice, and that they might have already been dead when he did this. Which was unpleasant and unnecessary . . . but a few pages later the henchman shows up again with a new rape victim, unquestionably dead, *stuck on him*.
I stopped reading right there. And it's going to be difficult for me to watch Finkel's videos after this, because that kind of casual violence against women, for no other reason than to hammer home that These People Are Bad (a murder spree doesn't make that clear enough?), pushing the needle all the way over into necrophilia, makes me regret I ever bought the book.
Then, in the space of a couple of pages, it went straight to a DNF.
The central character is a psychopath: okay. When faced with what appears to be a text he can't translate, which would then challenge his position of power, his response is to start murdering almost everone who saw the stone. Okay. Not somebody I especially enjoy reading about, but I liked the exploration of ancient Mesopotamian society.
But then the villain's henchman -- who has vaguely-defined mental disabilities -- gratuitously rapes two women. Not for any plot reason; just because they're there. The story specifies that he rapes the mother once and the daughter twice, and that they might have already been dead when he did this. Which was unpleasant and unnecessary . . . but a few pages later the henchman shows up again with a new rape victim, unquestionably dead, *stuck on him*.
I stopped reading right there. And it's going to be difficult for me to watch Finkel's videos after this, because that kind of casual violence against women, for no other reason than to hammer home that These People Are Bad (a murder spree doesn't make that clear enough?), pushing the needle all the way over into necrophilia, makes me regret I ever bought the book.
August 13, 2019
A psychopath is roaming the land of ancient Mesopotamia. The writings on an obscure stone has pushed the already insane Exorcist over the edge for good. Apart from his literacy and obvious knowledge of rituals and science of the time this bad guy reminded me of a certain US president.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
He knew now what he was after. The vision had been sharpening itself as he walked or even when he slept. There was nothing left to strive for but central power. Triumph when his word was paramount was gratifying but transitory, and it was invariably power confined to right or wrong, success or failure, respect or calumny; not life itself and death itself. And that was his rightful arena, to play king, pitting rival against rival, manoeuvring chaos to restore order or order to chaos, dispensing pain and loss of life with a free hand, the sole intermediary with divinity, in ultimate, untouchable control.Personally I think this novella would have gained a lot with a little more depth to the characters and a little less violence.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
June 26, 2018
How often do you read a novel that uses cuneiform writing as a central part of the narrative? This is one and a great read indeed. Beautifully produced and a timeless tale from Mesopotamia.
May 23, 2018
A very easy to read book about a tablet with mystery writing. The book clearly reflects the author's love of mysteries and mystery writing. There were a good number of hidden references to ancient Mesopotamia but I found it too short to be able to enjoy as much as I would have done otherwise. I liked more than anything the setting.
October 12, 2020
What the actual hell neatly sums up this book. I have seen Irving finkle on you tube and thought I would give his book a shot. For my $56 the pages were very thick and the text was only printed on the middle inch of the page meaning this is actually a short story rather than a novel. The writing is clunky and I found it hard to read with no character building. I managed to get 3/4 through before two scenes were so mindlessly horrible that I put it down. Why he chose to write such things is beyond me as they added nothing to the story. I do not recommend wasting your money. First one star review I have ever given.
August 12, 2020
It must be stressed that The Writing in The Stone is first and foremost a dark tale about black magic and unseen forces. Approached as a horror novella, it is an extremely atmospheric and often disturbing book which pulls off the difficult feat of 'selling' the dark arts in such a way that doesn't lead the story over into fantasy. A scene in which the main character extracts information from a corpse is extremely chilling, and stuck with me long after finishing. It has a good, strong dose of lingering imagery (aided considerably by gorgeous and sinister illuminations).
Needless to say, this is for a very different audience than Finkel's usual work, and it is not surprising that readers who are used to his educational work react as they often do to this book. It is definitely not appropriate for children. Taken for what it is, though, it is an outstandingly creepy tale of the supernatural grounded in real archaeology.
Needless to say, this is for a very different audience than Finkel's usual work, and it is not surprising that readers who are used to his educational work react as they often do to this book. It is definitely not appropriate for children. Taken for what it is, though, it is an outstandingly creepy tale of the supernatural grounded in real archaeology.
February 7, 2019
I have read some of Irving Finkel's more serious books and was hoping this novella would be something I might use to entice my godchildren into Mesopotamia, after having successfully infected them with the bug of Greek mythology. Unfortunately, and although this is a very interesting book which rather calls to mind Irving's Halloween videos for the British Museum in the sense that it breathes life into the world of magic, spirits and divination as it was experienced and practiced in daily life in Assyria, the level of sex and violence makes it unsuitable for children. For a grown up audience, if you have no qualms with demons or psychopaths this is your book. If you are spooked by the idea of spirits and/or have no interest in geology, steer clear.
January 17, 2018
Not for the faint-hearted, but I absolutely loved this Mesopotamian horror story by Irving Finkel. I've read his children's books, Miss Barbellion and The Last Resort Library, but haven't tried his adult fiction before. I was not disappointed. The writing was as enthralling as ever and left me feeling like I'd stepped straight into Ancient Assyria. The Gods play a pivotal role in this re-imagining of our ancestors and an undercurrent of magic leaves the ready feeling uneasy. I feel incredibly lucky to have read this one early having pledged for it on Kickstarter and can't wait to see the trade edition.
July 19, 2018
2.5 stars.
I've thoroughly enjoyed Finkel's previous novels, The Princess Who Wouldn't Come Home, and The Last Resort Library, but this is a very different kettle of fish. I was excited to hear that he'd written a story based on his knowledge of ancient Assyria, especially because I recently read and loved his Ark Before Noah history book. The result, however, is rather unsettling: very bleak and dark, with scenes of extreme violence, and a plot which only really makes sense when you've read the afterword. The Exorcist, a powerful priest-diviner at the court of King Ashurbanipal, finds his authority threatened by a mysterious fragment of text that he can't decipher. To make matters more alarming, it has been written in stone rather than in clay - an impossible feat, which proves that it must be a divine message from the gods. Thirsty for power, the Exorcist will stop at nothing to hide his ignorance - and to find the source of this remarkable artefact, in the hope of discovering further messages from the gods.
Now, while I found the story itself rather unpleasant (and perhaps that simply comes down to the fact that there isn't a single character one can really get behind), I did like the way that Finkel conveys the enormous power of cuneiform script - its complexity and the many different levels of meaning that could be encoded within a text as the writer and reader became more advanced. And I was interested by the way that he makes demons and gods a very present and active part of Mesopotamian life, just as people at the time believed they were. But ultimately I found it a rather cold book, perhaps more of an academic thought experiment than the warm and engaging novels Finkel has written before. I'll be very interested to see what other people make of it.
I've thoroughly enjoyed Finkel's previous novels, The Princess Who Wouldn't Come Home, and The Last Resort Library, but this is a very different kettle of fish. I was excited to hear that he'd written a story based on his knowledge of ancient Assyria, especially because I recently read and loved his Ark Before Noah history book. The result, however, is rather unsettling: very bleak and dark, with scenes of extreme violence, and a plot which only really makes sense when you've read the afterword. The Exorcist, a powerful priest-diviner at the court of King Ashurbanipal, finds his authority threatened by a mysterious fragment of text that he can't decipher. To make matters more alarming, it has been written in stone rather than in clay - an impossible feat, which proves that it must be a divine message from the gods. Thirsty for power, the Exorcist will stop at nothing to hide his ignorance - and to find the source of this remarkable artefact, in the hope of discovering further messages from the gods.
Now, while I found the story itself rather unpleasant (and perhaps that simply comes down to the fact that there isn't a single character one can really get behind), I did like the way that Finkel conveys the enormous power of cuneiform script - its complexity and the many different levels of meaning that could be encoded within a text as the writer and reader became more advanced. And I was interested by the way that he makes demons and gods a very present and active part of Mesopotamian life, just as people at the time believed they were. But ultimately I found it a rather cold book, perhaps more of an academic thought experiment than the warm and engaging novels Finkel has written before. I'll be very interested to see what other people make of it.
February 1, 2018
This was a very interesting story of Magic and murder in ancient Babylon. Written by a man whose one of the leading experts in the field. It was wonderful to read a story with an ancient setting that you knew was done so accurately. Here was a glimpse of magic, beliefs and people's lives from thousands of years ago. The story's theme was about the magic of writing, and how that gave you power. I really liked it. Except for the repeated and unnecessary rapes done by the cook character! In a story without women, having women show up, simply to be raped to death, and in one case, a child raped to death and then her corpse was left impaled on the guy's dick and had to be cut off! Really that was totally unnecessary! It also told us nothing about the culture and history. The scenes of necromancy were gruesome, but consistent within the story and were a great example of the magic. Rape as a plot device, or not even a plot device in this simply a bit of added characterisation is something that male writers really need to stop doing.
May 15, 2019
Well written, interesting novel by Irving Finkel a philologist and Assyriologist who reads cuneiform inscriptions for the British Museum. His use of language is excellent. While concise, I was immediately drawn into this ancient world, that I felt I could see, smell and taste.
The main character is a psychopath, despicable with no endearing qualities to engage me as the reader. Which meant I really did not care what was in store for him. I did care for his victims however.
If you like crime thrillers, you may enjoy this book. Its not a genre I usually read, but was attracted by the historical connection, which was interesting.
The main character is a psychopath, despicable with no endearing qualities to engage me as the reader. Which meant I really did not care what was in store for him. I did care for his victims however.
If you like crime thrillers, you may enjoy this book. Its not a genre I usually read, but was attracted by the historical connection, which was interesting.
November 12, 2019
The story is simple, but carries some weight that is unknown before you learn more about the stone and the cuneiform. It is short (and could easily have been longer with more filling character descriptions and intrigues), but it exemplifies the fact that humans have behaved like humans (at least) for the last 3000 years. It would have been great with even more details about the stone and cuneiform at the end, but I think it adds just that flavour, that would otherwise leave the story tasteless and irrelevant.
Read
February 11, 2024Read as a supplement to my History of Books class for library school. The author is an Assyriologist (archaeologist specializing in Ancient Mesopotamia) first and foremost, and it shows. The story is fine, except where it's abruptly brutal and deeply misogynistic.
I don't want my time back from reading it, exactly, many of the books I read are brutal and this one was short, but I also wouldn't recommend it to others.
I know a few of my middle school teacher friends follow me here so I'm going to spell this one out: DO NOT USE WITH YOUR STUDENTS. Not kid-friendly.
I don't want my time back from reading it, exactly, many of the books I read are brutal and this one was short, but I also wouldn't recommend it to others.
I know a few of my middle school teacher friends follow me here so I'm going to spell this one out: DO NOT USE WITH YOUR STUDENTS. Not kid-friendly.
May 24, 2018
First time reading a book by the fascinating Irving Finkel, keeper of ancient scripts at the British Museum. This book is beautifully put together with lovely illustrations at the beginning of each chapter and short sentences in the centre of the page. The story isn't the easiest read, without a single named character and much rape and murder, but there is joy to be found in the ancient setting as told by one of the world's leading experts in the area.
July 6, 2019
Honestly unlike other novels of the same genre, the fact that it’s based entirely on the study of the Assyriology brought to life shines through, blending fact with faith and belief systems
My only complaint was the novel’s short length and a quite unnecessary scene of sexual violence by the main character’s henchman, the only way I can excuse it is to suppose that it was lifted in some way from a cuneiform text the author had come across
My only complaint was the novel’s short length and a quite unnecessary scene of sexual violence by the main character’s henchman, the only way I can excuse it is to suppose that it was lifted in some way from a cuneiform text the author had come across
August 17, 2020
A good thriller through ancient Sumeria, the main character is a psychopath. A surprising, fun, easy read. Could be better with some more description and ancient Sumerian day-to-day, which could have been easily added-on by the author. Still an fun read to travel through time.
March 12, 2018
This book was... Bizarre. But curious. The plot was odd, the description was disturbing at times, but it was a new experience.
September 18, 2020
Not worth it.
Disturbing in many ways. The only interesting part was the few pages at the end where the author explain what artifacts inspired him.
Disturbing in many ways. The only interesting part was the few pages at the end where the author explain what artifacts inspired him.
February 17, 2021
Disturbing as Hell. Psychopath murder rampage and rape through the entire book.
September 2, 2023
Original
Dr Finkel is one of my favorite academics for his wit and prose, and it is shown to full effect here. A sinister protagonist, a genuinely amazing and brilliant MacGuffin(s), and some wonderful and immersive mythology. Well worth the read, I’m only sad it’s not longer and that there isn’t a movie
Dr Finkel is one of my favorite academics for his wit and prose, and it is shown to full effect here. A sinister protagonist, a genuinely amazing and brilliant MacGuffin(s), and some wonderful and immersive mythology. Well worth the read, I’m only sad it’s not longer and that there isn’t a movie
June 2, 2021
This was an Interesting little Novella by the British Museum Curator, Irving Finkel, a Philolgist and Assyriologist. The story takes place in Ancient Mesopotamia, a scribe finds this shard of a tablet, that looks like it was a message, but on further examination. He cannot read what was written, this “message from the gods” drives the scribe to psycopathy, murdering everyone who knows about the shard, so as to not ruin his reputation as the best scribe who knows everything.
This was, a weird read, Short and sweet, but terrifying. It wasn’t usually something I’d read, as it isn’t strictly historical fiction or Fantasy/Sci-Fi (it more borderlines a psychological horror/thriller based in history) but I wasn’t dissappointed, just, nothing truly amazing out of this.
A solid 3/5 Ill probably read this again next year at somepoint, makes a nice short suspenseful story for those who dont really like long epic series (or who just want a break from the longer stuff)
This was, a weird read, Short and sweet, but terrifying. It wasn’t usually something I’d read, as it isn’t strictly historical fiction or Fantasy/Sci-Fi (it more borderlines a psychological horror/thriller based in history) but I wasn’t dissappointed, just, nothing truly amazing out of this.
A solid 3/5 Ill probably read this again next year at somepoint, makes a nice short suspenseful story for those who dont really like long epic series (or who just want a break from the longer stuff)
October 16, 2022
Story concerning a stone with mysterious writing. It's got a lot of murders in it and the ending was unsatisfactory and sudden, as if the author ran out of story. There is also an inconsistent mixture of fantasy and realism that interrupts the story in several places. While the writing is good I cannot recommend the book.
November 4, 2017
A great modern day fable on what might have happened if a psychopath in ancient Mesopotamia was left with no choice but to kill everyone who knew about an accidental message from the gods in the hopes of gaining glory and taking the place of his king.
This is a short story, not a novel by any means. And it took about an hour and a half to read. The story glosses over large swathes of time and plenty of details that would be important to a detailed plot and character development. The way it reads brings to mind Aesop fables or Grimm's tales, rather than a modern fiction story, and would work very well as spoken word.
While not an amazing work of fiction, it is definitely a fun read and worth the few hours it takes to read. And the kickstarter hardcover release is also an amazing work of art, story aside.
This is a short story, not a novel by any means. And it took about an hour and a half to read. The story glosses over large swathes of time and plenty of details that would be important to a detailed plot and character development. The way it reads brings to mind Aesop fables or Grimm's tales, rather than a modern fiction story, and would work very well as spoken word.
While not an amazing work of fiction, it is definitely a fun read and worth the few hours it takes to read. And the kickstarter hardcover release is also an amazing work of art, story aside.
January 16, 2018
What gave me the greatest satisfaction was the lightness and pleasingly unpedagogic wat the author draws on his knowledge and learning to fuel a rich imagining.
The prose style serves the narrative well: it is never less than well wrought and often allows subtle detail to be pinned down.
The pacing works well: dramatic opening; gradual exposition following; shift of location; development of character; opening out to journey/quest with a denouement that has a moral dimension that gives the narrative more gravitas without being heav-handed.
The Gothic tenor of the telling is an effective way of evoking an unfamiliar world and making it credible and calls to mind Peake’s Gormenghast at times.
The book is more niche than mainstream, perhaps for those who look for fantasy with a distinctive and strongly evoked setting. Some strong meat makes it less appropriate for younger children.
The design, production and illustration of the hardback edition, including a distinctive “punched-out” title on the cover make it suitable as a presentation edition.
The prose style serves the narrative well: it is never less than well wrought and often allows subtle detail to be pinned down.
The pacing works well: dramatic opening; gradual exposition following; shift of location; development of character; opening out to journey/quest with a denouement that has a moral dimension that gives the narrative more gravitas without being heav-handed.
The Gothic tenor of the telling is an effective way of evoking an unfamiliar world and making it credible and calls to mind Peake’s Gormenghast at times.
The book is more niche than mainstream, perhaps for those who look for fantasy with a distinctive and strongly evoked setting. Some strong meat makes it less appropriate for younger children.
The design, production and illustration of the hardback edition, including a distinctive “punched-out” title on the cover make it suitable as a presentation edition.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews