Dracula Chronicles and Mika Waltari (An Embarrassing Confession)
Dracula Chronicles third volume, House of War, has received the following one-line, cryptic, and intriguing review from an anonymous reader:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five Stars By Amazon Customer on July 17, 2016, Format: Paperback | Verified Purchase
Victor Foia knows how to write historical fiction rivaling Mika Waltari.
When I read this Amazon review I realized that despite my sixty-years-plus of extensive reading I had never heard of the famous Finnish author. It is an embarrassing admission and those who are better read than I have the right to snicker. But, I resolved long time ago that I shall not conceal my ignorance, as long as I’m all too quick to show off my erudition (always trailing ignorance by long and shameful miles). The next day I started to listen to the audio book edition of Waltari’s most famous novel, The Egyptian. I found Waltari to be a superb writer and the comparison with him, though wholly undeserved, is flattering.
As a side note, Paulo Coelho, an author of a far superior class than the one I belong to, must’ve been a fan of Waltari, for his excellent novel, ”The Alchemist”, bears the firm imprint of The Egyptian. That makes Waltari an even more towering literary personality than indicated by the honors that have deservedly been bestowed upon him.
