SCARAB FOR LUCK

Thebes in the time of the pharaohs is a bustle with ancient activity in this tale of Harkuf, an eleven year old boy. The fact that the lad is captivated by chariots and spears instead of tanks and guns does not give him much individuality; he is brave; he is pleasant and gregarious, but he is as flat as a painting in an Egyptian tomb. In an attempt to give a sense of ancient life, the author interjects information and description of every typically Egyptian object and custom along the way. As a result, the picaresque tale is often a plodding one.