Ancient Egyptian: A linguistic introduction By Antonio Loprjeno (review)

462 LANGUAGE, VOLUME 74, NUMBER 2 (1998) can create empathy and narrative ambiguity. In Ch. 7, David Lee argues 'how . . . linguistic choices take us beyond the visual perception of a detached observer —narrator to interpretation and evaluation' (1 13) toan interestedparticipator. MichaelToolin's focus in Ch. 8 concentrates on various aspects of language in a short story that utilizes various words, phrases, and verbal staging 'and the absence of other, "expectable" locutions' (127). Ch. 9, by Paul Simpson and Martin Montgomery, gives the reader a model of narrative structure that can be studied to see changes in the point of view that can be brought about through translation from one medium to another —for example, narrative to film—which can have radically different characterizations. On the contextual level, the attention ofthe authors in the next group of essays focuses on an analysis of textual features. In Ch. 10, Irene R. Fatrley uses literary devices that lend themselves to narration: '[she] discusses a wide range of these devices, including methods of narration (omniscient narration, alternation narration, between narrative and dialogue , interior monologue) shifts of style, textual cohesion, figurative language, ellipsis and ambiguity ' (165). Chs. 11 and 12 combine mutual concern for greater critical awareness. Ch. 1 1, by Paul Werth, attempts to discover deictic space and the interpretation ofprose (181). Werth takes the simple premise that the reader can conceptualize the background of any novel or story and project a where, when, and who in the story. Werth takes this a step further by 'applying] the theory of text worlds to the fictional universe projected in novels and short stories' (181). In Ch. 12, Sara Mills concerns herself with narrative schemata: that part of the reader that can identify with what is familiar and allows the reader to follow a 'well-trodden pathway ' and identifies the 'narrative within the ideological complexes like sexism' (218). The main thrust of her essay is a focus on feminist text analysis and what this type of analysis can do when faced with sexist texts. David Birch ends this book with an essay that finds a need for closer attention to political dimensions within discourse by targeting communication ; he argues that this is contingent upon values people assign to meanings. The intention of this book is to offer an intensive introduction to literary stylistic criticism, for senior high school students of English, undergraduate students of English language and literature, applied linguistics , and upper intermediate and advanced students of English as a second or foreign language as the targeted audience (5). Here, I have some reservations . Although the chapters have a preface, as well as suggestions by the authors to instructors to use assignments with 'suggested further reading' and group work, I do not believe that the context of current academic learning at the high-school level adequately prepares students for this type of discourse. I would, however, highly recommend it for composition , linguistics and literature instructors and graduate students and advanced students of English as a second or foreign language as well as advanced linguistics students. The book also contains a detailed index, full glossary , and suggestions for further reading. [Teri M. Shaw, Eastern Washington University.] Ancient Egyptian: A linguistic introduction . By Antonio Loprjeno. New York: Cambridge, 1995. Pp. xx, 322. Cloth $59.95, paper $19.95. In Ancient Egyptian, Loprieno 'address[es] the interdisciplinary interests of linguists and Egyptologists ' (xi), an aim which has been systematically ignored by other published scholars in recent years. He states that 'the main goal ofthe book is to provide the linguistic audience with an introduction to the historical grammar of Ancient Egyptian . . . [and] to reach the numerically much smaller public of Egyptologists interested in linguistic issues' (xi), a feat which L performs well. The treatise is broken into seven parts: Ch. 1, "The language of Ancient Egypt' (1-10), offers an introduction to the Hamito-Semitic language family, of which ancient Egyptian is a part, as well as a brief look at Egyptological linguistics, covering: (1) the Berlin School and Egyptian morphology, (2) the fixing of the canon with A. H. Gardiner, (3) H. J. Polotsky 's 'Standard Theory' of Egyptian syntax—which L stipulates has confined the field...