Books Reviews

The Mummy’s Curse – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Oct 29, 2012, 18:05 GMT

In the winter of 1922-23 archaeologist Howard Carter and his wealthy patron George Herbert, the Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, sensationally opened the tomb of Tutenkhamen. Six weeks later Herbert, the sponsor of the expedition, died in Egypt. The popular press went wild with rumours of a curse on those who disturbed the Pharaoh\'s rest and for years followed every twist and turn of the fate of the men who ...more

From films to novels, the idea of a long dead Pharoh's tomb complete with a curse bearing mummy has grabbed everyone's attention.  But do such curses really exist? Or they just figments of the imagination? 

Roger Luckhurst set out to investigate.  It makes fascinating reading.  Most people think that the story of the Mummy's curse first appeared with the opening of Tutenkhamen's tomb - but as Luckhurst points out similar stories appeared much earlier during Victorian times. 

It is a story which involves spooky Spritualists, smugglers, disreputable society members, scientists and soldiers as well as the writings of people like Arthur Conan Doyle, H Rider Haggard and Algernon Blackwood.  Luckhurst's research is incredibly detailed, involving museums, exhibitions and literature.  His findings are interesting to say the least.

Ultimately, each reader has to make up their own mind - but the curse of the mummy will persist in the imagination of writers and filmmakers for a long time to come!