The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Discussion about Wilbur Smith's Egyptian series.

The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby stubbornasamule » Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:18 pm

My father introduced me to WilburSmith when I was a young girl, I have readall his books and always await the next eagerly. Reading them one can gather what mood the author is or was in whilst writing, and can tell if he is going through certain things in his life.
I found the Quest dissapointing evaluation of his own doubts, fears and emotions. His details were descriptive and his historic facts correct, but mixed into his usual fantastic writing, was a two-bit erotic novel. He has never before centered his attention on sex so much. The whole book seemed to be about poor Taita penis and his quite incestous longing for a child he once brought up. I know Wilbur Smith loves his new wife, but I think a little less of his own longings would have done the book more justice. I have introduced my children to his books, but this is one I don´t think they can read until they reach maturity.
Nevertheless I am an avid fan and know how talented Wilbur Smith is and I can´t wait to buy his next book.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby FanfromCan » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:46 am

I agree. I didn't enjoy the Quest as much as I thought I would. Too much fantasy. Maybe Wilbur has read too many Harry Potter books lately.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby aegyptus » Sun Apr 13, 2008 4:36 pm

The Quest was actually the first novel in the Egyptian series I read. I enjoyed the adventure and plot but yes, it does have several erotic elements but not in the same sense as a adult movie. It involves more love and Taitas aparent lust for Eos probably stems from his inability to "satisfy" women in his previous life.
Last edited by aegyptus on Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby Etaeb » Fri May 09, 2008 8:50 am

If you have to break them down, you can tell that:

River God is an historical novel
Seventh Scroll is an adventure (and a few erotic scenes there too!)
Warlock is fantasy, magical etc and
Quest is emotional and raw.

They're 4 very different books which is exactly what a series should be. Granted, 4 books on the history of Egypt would be fascinating, but this is so much better.

Taita is one of the best written characters I've ever come across, and I felt almost 'closer' to him in Quest. For example, in Warlock, I think that because of his 'predicament', it made him a better magus. Not so? But it also alienated him from the rest of us 'normal' people. In Quest, he becomes a little more human again.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby giz » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:18 am

I have read all Wilbur's books and have just finished The Quest and was hugely disappointed, by far the worst I have read, fantasy is not my thing but even so it's not Wilbur's strong suit either IMHO.
I realise others may love it but I prefer his action/adventure novels
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby Seti Steve » Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:47 pm

I totally enjoyed reading The Quest from begining to end. Yes, it had its erotic moments, but it was an integral part of the story, not some tawdry titillation to sell books. The story was an excellent adventure with all of the excitement of an historical novel with some great fantasy. I just hope one day to run in to Taita and Fenn again.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby Raxephion » Fri Nov 28, 2008 2:08 pm

Isnt WS trying to draw blood from a stone with his Taita character? River God was awesome as was Seventh Scroll. Warlock was good but leaned to heavily on the supernatural, and the plot would have given monsoon a wide berth (pun intended). I haven't read The Quest yet for fear it may spoil my thoughts on his earlier books. I recognised his change in blue horizon (though it was an excellent read) The sex scenes was just a bit too much and it was if that was the foundation of the story.

Maybe that is other people's cup of tea but I prefer the historical/adventure novels instead of fantasy.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby dtasker » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:38 pm

Such a departure from all previous novels. Quest is Science Fiction/ Fantasy
I think Mr Smith has been reading to many stories by Mathew Reilly ( Australian Auth)
who creates impossible solutions to improbable plots.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby vale9472 » Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:29 am

hello there,i have to admit i like fantasy books but i've never thoutht of WS as a fantasy writer and,most of all,i've never expected taita to become a supernatural character.in river god he was just perfect,and it's quite difficult to me to identify him in warlock and in the quest,it's like these two were about someone else.but,in the next book of the sequel,i think WS is going to explain his choise to transform taita's tale in a fantasy stuff(or i hope so).i can't wait to know what it is going to happen...not to taita's penis,we know (already) enough of it.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby AfricaKelly » Fri Jan 02, 2009 1:13 am

Quest really is different. I think it does reveal some of the struggles WS has gone through. I've been going through some struggles and it has helped me to remember situations in the book were the main character struggles with extreme temptations, or lust, and how he surcomes or resists. Sometimes we get in situations where our lusts or desires veil what's really happening to us, like being manipulated. We can see it, but are overwhelmed with the temptation, even though we knew, or could have predicted, it was coming. The book deals with these situations. Its' the only book I know of that does.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby izzyeckerslike » Mon Jan 12, 2009 12:41 pm

The quest is next on my list as I have just finished Warlock, I read the first two of the series out of sequence and what confused me was I read the seventh scroll first which really got me into being a Wilbur fan and when I discovered there was a prequel I called River god so I got the book & avidly waited for the part where Taita would dam the river to enable the tomb to be excavated below water level with descriptions of all the traps that Taita would devise against future tomb robbers.

However the story describes a completely different tomb - just a minor part of the story really and not really elaborated at all so and in no way comparable the tomb excavated in modern times in the second book. What happened there? did Wilbur ever give his reasons for why he did this ?
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby Greeker » Wed May 19, 2010 1:26 pm

Didn't enjoy The Quest as much as I did the earlier of the three series.

I should say this guy was a pretty huge influence on how I write. It was through him that I came to love descriptive writing...
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic novel

Postby johnrogers » Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:05 pm

Yes I totally agree about your opinion on the Quest novel especially as the final book in the Egyptian series.The first three books were perhaps for me the best read I have ever encountered.Most of the people in this forum would agree with your dissappointment - However this is my take on the matter.I think Wilbur was trying to give something to his readers with a new twist to it.He went in the erotic and supernatural aspect to please his fans and give us something new.It did not work out. - I sure would like to see one more in the Egyptian series but back to the original style as in the River Gods or the Seventh schroll
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic n

Postby Mira » Sun Nov 09, 2014 1:37 pm

Quest was the first new WS novel I read in a long time. Was so shocked to read it.

It was not the fantastical or even the horror aspects that bothered me.

It felt insulting...there were so many holes in the story. The flow was erratic and hodgepodge. Uneven character arcs. Some places too too obvious and other places too seemingly glaringly misleading. It was hard to connect with any of the major characters. The lostris image kept feeling like a misleading impersonation...one kept excepting fenn to turn out to be somehow maleficent...and then the new taita did not feel like taita at all. The whole endeavour felt rather 'dark' and yucky and very manipulative. It did not feel like WS at all.

Anyway...I suppose I could just say I did not like it...but I love WS...there is always an element of humanity to even his most minor and unlikeable characters...

But after thinking about it, I concluded it must after all still be him...the whole preoccupation with immortality and youth and sex...some of the themes in the book are worth addressing, and I am quite sympathetic towards those topics...love across time and space...but the handling...sorry, old boy, you dropped the ball on this one.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic n

Postby johnrogers » Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:37 pm

Mira wrote:Quest was the first new WS novel I read in a long time. Was so shocked to read it.

It was not the fantastical or even the horror aspects that bothered me.

It felt insulting...there were so many holes in the story. The flow was erratic and hodgepodge. Uneven character arcs. Some places too too obvious and other places too seemingly glaringly misleading. It was hard to connect with any of the major characters. The lostris image kept feeling like a misleading impersonation...one kept excepting fenn to turn out to be somehow maleficent...and then the new taita did not feel like taita at all. The whole endeavour felt rather 'dark' and yucky and very manipulative. It did not feel like WS at all.

Anyway...I suppose I could just say I did not like it...but I love WS...there is always an element of humanity to even his most minor and unlikeable characters...

But after thinking about it, I concluded it must after all still be him...the whole preoccupation with immortality and youth and sex...some of the themes in the book are worth addressing, and I am quite sympathetic towards those topics...love across time and space...but the handling...sorry, old boy, you dropped the ball on this one.

I agree the Quest is the weirdest offering Wilbur ever produced.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic n

Postby Captain Reactionary » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:43 pm

FanfromCan wrote:I agree. I didn't enjoy the Quest as much as I thought I would. Too much fantasy. Maybe Wilbur has read too many Harry Potter books lately.



To be honest I think Warlock and The Quest are total crap and not on the same planet as River God or The Seventh scroll.

Both the first two were full of magic and mystery, but it was kind of similar to The Omen. Weird things happen you just KNOW that are down the Devil, but they fit seamlessly in with real world happenings and accidents.

Warlock and The Quest were just trashy crap that would have fitted in far more with Dungeons & Dragons.

As a side note, I've suspected for some years that Mr. Smith has a foot fetish and reading The Quest made me bloody certain of it.
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Re: The Quest is a dissapointment and similar to an erotic n

Postby Captain Reactionary » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:48 pm

izzyeckerslike wrote:The quest is next on my list as I have just finished Warlock, I read the first two of the series out of sequence and what confused me was I read the seventh scroll first which really got me into being a Wilbur fan and when I discovered there was a prequel I called River god so I got the book & avidly waited for the part where Taita would dam the river to enable the tomb to be excavated below water level with descriptions of all the traps that Taita would devise against future tomb robbers.

However the story describes a completely different tomb - just a minor part of the story really and not really elaborated at all so and in no way comparable the tomb excavated in modern times in the second book. What happened there? did Wilbur ever give his reasons for why he did this ?



I read them in the opposite order to you, so I ended up encountering my puzzlement in reverse order.

The thing is though, there i nothing in River God that contradicts The Seventh Scroll, it's just that Taita's description of the building of Pharaoh Mamose's tomb in Ethiopia covers about a page and a half tops and gives no details. Considering the premise of the book is that we're reading translations of something Taita put down on funereal scrolls in the funeral tomb of Lostris, that is no surprise. Taita knows that Tanus is lying in that tomb and there would be no way in hell he'd reveal details of the location or construction of the tomb. That would be a secret kept in his and Lostris' minds.
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