The Last Egyptian (1908) is a novel by L. Frank Baum. Although he is more widely known as the author of the Land of Oz series, Baum also used several pseudonyms to make forays into more conventional fiction for adults. The Last Egyptian, published anonymously, is a story of corruption, betrayal, romance, and adventure. It was adapted into a 1914 silent film by Baum and J. Farrell Mac Donald, an influential and prolific figure in early American cinema. “‘I regret, ’ said he, with mock politeness, ‘that I have never before heard of your great forefather.’ ‘But why should you?’ asked the Egyptian. ‘You are, I suppose, one of those uneasy investigators that prowl through Egypt in a stupid endeavor to decipher the inscriptions on the old temples and tombs. You can read a little—yes; but that little puzzles and confuses you.’” Traveling across Egypt alone, English Egyptologist Winston Bey encounters an interesting local named Kāra. According to the young man, he is the descendant of Ahtka-Rā, a powerful advisor the Rameses II. Although he questions the truth of this claim, Winston enlists Kāra’s help. Back home, Kāra cares for his ailing grandmother Hatatcha, who reveals a life-changing secret upon her deathbed: he is the grandson of Lord Roane, a powerful Englishman who abandoned her while she was pregnant. From then on, Kāra swears to exact revenge on the man and his family. Before she dies, she shows him the way to their family’s ancient treasure, a horde of jewels and priceless artifacts with which he will fund his plot. While The Last Egyptian is far from the fantasy and fairy tale style most of Baum’s readers adore him for, it remains an entertaining work of adventure fiction for devoted fans of the Oz series and newcomers alike. This edition of L. Frank Baum’s The Last Egyptian is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.
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About the author
L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American author of children’s literature and pioneer of fantasy fiction. He demonstrated an active imagination and a skill for writing from a young age, and was encouraged by his father who bought him the printing press with which he began to publish several journals. Although he had a lifelong passion for theater, Baum found success with his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), a self-described “modernized fairy tale” that led to thirteen sequels, inspired several stage and radio adaptations, and eventually, in 1939, was immortalized in the classic film starring Judy Garland.
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