Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Mesopotamian Riddle:
Nerdiest race ever.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the race to decipher one of the world’s oldest dead languages.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
Cuneiform means “wedge-shaped” which makes a lot of sense when you look at it.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
Cuneiform is one of the earliest forms of writing and was used for over 3,000 years.
My Take on The Mesopotamian Riddle:
I am horrible with languages. Two years of Russian and 4 years of Spanish resulted in my ability to say about 10 words (total) in each language. I can’t fathom trying to figure out a language that no one else speaks anymore. And yet, that is the plot of Joshua Hammer’s The Mesopotamian Riddle.
Now, there are a lot of different stories contained in the book. I’d argue a bit too much even while the entire narrative is interesting. In short, the book follows multiple people around the 1850s as they attempt to decipher some cuneiform. The main characters are Henry Rawlinson and Edward Hincks with other people in their orbit. The two men could not have been more different with the singular exception that they both were driven to decipher some archaeological findings.
This is not, however, a book on pure intellectual discussions. Hammer ranges far and wide to fill in historical gaps about ancient leaders, international politics, and personal conflicts. At times, I think Hammer jams a bit too much into the narrative. His digressions are always well written and engaging, but I found myself a few times wishing we could return to the main story of Rawlinson and Hincks. Ultimately, the book is a very good read if a little overstuffed.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.)
Verdict:
Very interesting and entertaining. Buy it here!
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