''The Tragedy of the Korosko'' (

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

) is a

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for '' A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...

. It was serialized a year earlier in ''The Strand'' magazine between May and December 1897, and was later turned into a 1909 play ''Fires of Fate''.

Plot summary

A group of European tourists are enjoying their trip to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

in the year 1895. They are sailing up the River

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

in "a turtle-bottomed, round-bowed stern-wheeler", the ''Korosko''. They intend to travel to Abousir at the southern frontier of Egypt, after which the

Dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...

country starts. They are attacked and abducted by a marauding band of Dervish warriors. The novel contains a strong defence of British

Imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...

and in particular the Imperial project in North Africa. It also reveals the very great suspicion of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

felt by many Europeans at the time.

''Fires of Fate''

Doyle later adapted his novel into a 1909 play ''Fires of Fate''. The play was in turn twice adapted into films; a 1923 silent film and a 1932 talkie.

External links

* 1898 British novels Novels by Arthur Conan Doyle Novels first published in serial form Works originally published in The Strand Magazine Novels set in Egypt Fiction set in 1895 Novels set in the 1890s British novels adapted into plays {{1890s-novel-stub

Plot summary

''Fires of Fate''

See also

External links