The extraordinary life of a Hittite king

Would you listen to I, the Sun again? Why?

I loved this audio production of I, the Sun, the classic biographical novel of Suppiluliumas I, king of Hatti the middle 2nd millennium BC. Hearing the pronunciation of place names and people names make this audiobook a great listen and adjunct to the print novel -- no wondering how to say names that rival Tutankhamen in complexity. This story, based on ancient records, made me laugh and made me cry, and the narration suited the tale perfectly.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tasmi, the king whose throne name was Suppiluliumas (Man of the Clear Spring), and whose story this is. I also loved Khinti, his second queen, Aziru of Amurru, the bandit prince, and the Great Shepherd, his close adviser. And his first four sons are unforgettable. I should also mention Hatib, the mercenary, who worked both for Hatti and for Amarna Egypt. These characters, each in their way, bring the ancient world to life, and jump right into your heart.

Which scene was your favorite?

Tough choice, since so many scenes were great. Perhaps the scene on Alashiya, when Tasmi, Khinti, and the oldest Hittite princes meet Arizu of Amurru. Or the coup that made Tasmi king.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Absolutely. I laughed, I cried, I started over from the beginning when I got to the end. As for heart-rending scenes, I won't spoil it for you, but those and the battle scenes are among the best historical fiction I've ever read.

Any additional comments?

The print or e-book book has a map, an image of the king's seal, and images of Hittite and Egyptian chariots of the day. The audiobook has every name and country pronounced, and Christophre Crosby Morris's gifted narration of this first-person biographical novel. So I got got both together. The cover says that Jerry Pournelle called I, the Sun "A masterpiece of historical fiction" and a famous Hittite scholar praises its authenticity. If you want to experience life in the Ancient Near East, go conquering in a chariot, and found a dynasty, this is the book for you.

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2 people found this helpful

Remarkable story brilliantly told and narrated!!!

First of all "Wow"! I highly recommend this book! It was suggested by a dear friend. Thank you to them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this historic book and the narration. I found it to be a compelling story about one of the ancient worlds most remarkable unsung nation builders. Funny thing is I'd never even heard of this King before this book. Makes me wonder how much human history like this is waiting to be discovered, And yet, how profound that this one man and his accomplishments continue to influence our lives and communities thousands of years later. What this story reveals to me is that one individual can leave a lasting impression on humanity. Even when their names have been lost to time. I am grateful to the author and the researchers who discovered, translated, and wrote this wonderful work of art.

Someone! Please make this compelling book into a movie. It so deserves it. DEK

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entertaining ancient history

I accelerated the reading by twenty percent since it was annoyingly slow. In contrast, the plot moved at an especially enjoyable clip with no sacrifice of detail. My only other complaint is the anachronistic representation of the subject's 'romantic' relationships. Mr's. Morris betrays herself in her desire to make the subject more palatable to contemporary tastes - especially those of woman. Other than that, and the aforementioned reading pace I found the story highly engrossing, with very few character comprises made to plot demands. It is a very recommendable book to anyone interested in fuller view of this period in ancient history

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3 people found this helpful

Wonderfully Researched and Fantastic Performance.

What about Chistopher Crosby Morris’s performance did you like?

His voice is very rich and he adds perfect inflections of emotion into the performance.

Any additional comments?

This book is written like an autobiography of the Bronze Age Hittite king Suppiluliumas. Going in I knew absolutely nothing of the Hittites or much about the period. However, I, The Sun does not treat the reader as if they should know this time period and it keeps everything very clear to understand and follow.The first thing I realized with the book is Janet Morris's prose are outstanding. Seriously, this is one of the most well-crafted books I've ever read. The amount of research she did is also incredible. The novel is chopped full of little tiny details about everyday things that a person living in 1300 BC would have encountered. Normally I'd have expected an author that has done this much research to lay it on thick, causing the story to drag, but it never does.Christopher Morris' voice is wonderful for the role and he adds the perfect amount of emotion to his performance that adds to the whole experience.

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5 people found this helpful

Very impressive

It took me a while to appreciate the beauty of this story. Listening to The Sun's narration of his life was absolutely intriguing. His character developed beautifully and the story around him was original and captivating. The narrator is among the best and gives The Sun a memorable voice whose expression conveys the author's words wonderfully.
10/10

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1 person found this helpful

Great story and perfect narration

Exciting, engaging, and well-researched, the story of Hittite King Suppiluliumas comes to life in this incredibly well-researched novel. I admire the author's ability to include so many historically accurate details while maintaining an engaging story line. Wonderful historical fiction.

The audio version makes the story even better: the narrator's perfect pacing, engaging manner, and great voice add a new dimension to an already great story.

Highly recommended!

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1 person found this helpful

Eavesdropping on Ancient History

Where does I, the Sun rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This audio book version is in the tippy tippy top of my audiobook list! This book takes a lot of time to get through and honestly, Christopher's voice is what makes this audiobook so great to me!

What did you like best about this story?

This is ancient history, as close to first hand as I can get! I had never dug into this time period and am now wanting to find more!

What does Chistopher Crosby Morris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am in love with a voice. THIS voice. Velvet soft, expressive, perfect pronunciations. Christopher's voice brings so much more to the story! His pauses and phrasing bring subtle nuances to the story that really do make it immensely better than just reading it!

If you could take any character from I, the Sun out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Kuwatna-ziti. He actually was my second most favored character in the book. I would find his story fascinating, as he was the one that witnessed how Tasmi grew into Suppiluliumas the great king! I see him as that uncle we all have that witness our failures and praise our triumphs. I bet he would have some epic stories of failures!

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4 people found this helpful

I wish there was more to this tale!

What made the experience of listening to I, the Sun the most enjoyable?

The best historical fiction I read in years, since picking McCullough's "The First Man in Rome", which happened some decades ago, decades that were filled with historical novels aplenty for me. But not like this one!
"I, The Sun" left me completely enthralled! It's a fairly long read and I found myself racing through it, eager to know what's next while at the same time trying to prolong the reading - I knew I won't be happy when it'll come to the end, simply because I would love to read more and more. And indeed, the moment I finished, I found myself peeking into the opening pages anew, to be caught in the magic of Suppiluliumas I's life - or Tasmisarri for some - all over again. I just didn't want to part my ways with this great Hittite king, his inner world, his glorious deeds and no less fascinating thoughts about all this, his passions and disappointments, his qualms and dilemmas, his love for his women, some of them, and his infatuations with others, his hatred for some his enemies and his understanding and acceptance of others, his patience with his children and heirs, and most of all, his reflective thoughts, the observance of his nature, or at least this is how he has been presented in this masterpiece of historical work.

Another merit of this novel is its 'rareness'. Having read historical novels concerning this or that period of Egyptian history, I never ran into Hittite's side of telling the story. Usually these people appear as a background, an exotic enemy to keep this or that Egyptian court on its toes. But not this time. This time it's all about Suppiluliumas I, the Great King, the Favorite of the Storm God, his conquests, his struggles, the story of his life. And as much as I want to, I'm not sure I will find another historical novel featuring the Hittites of Hattusas and not just as a part of the story of their powerful neighbors such as Egyptians or Babylonians.
The first person narrative made it easier to sympathize with the Great King, understand him and feel as though being one of his confidants. The author made the brilliant job of balancing the historical credibility while presenting us with a man whose values were so far away from our modern-day reader and yet whose deeds were still understandable, still acceptable, still human in the way they had been presented, through his inner thoughts and feelings. This is the most definite sign of worthy historical fiction for me, the ability of the writer to make the reader understand and sympathize with the character without taking his, or her, authenticity and believable way of behavior away.
I can't recommend this novel highly enough. I wish there was more to this tale!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Suppiluliumas himself. I loved his naivety, his defenselessness at times, his fairness and his drive to succeed.

What does Chistopher Crosby Morris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's performance was outstanding!

If you could take any character from I, the Sun out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Suppiluliumas and his second wife, definitely.

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1 person found this helpful

Tried and tried but . . .

I am so interested in this period of history but after a few hours I just couldn't get into this book!

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Ancient history fanatic.

I really looked forward to this book. The Hittites are fascinating to me.

The narrator is awful. Slow, pretentious, and perhaps stoned. I can’t tell which.

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1 person found this helpful