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Little Egypt Lesley Glaister

Little Egypt By Lesley Glaister

Little Egypt by Lesley Glaister

Reviews:
£3.50
New RRP £9.99
Condition - Like New
Only 1 left
Like NewVery Good

Summary

Little Egypt was once a well-to-do country house in the north of England. Now it's derelict and trapped on a small island of land between a railway, a dual carriageway and a superstore, and although it looks deserted it isn't.

Little Egypt Summary

Little Egypt by Lesley Glaister

Winner 2014 Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize

Longlisted: International Dublin Literary Award 2016

Sunday Herald Book of the Year 2014

Elderly, Egypt-mad twins Isis and Osiris find their neglected English lives disturbed to catastrophic effect by the arrival of American Anarchist, Spike

New from Lesley Glaister, winner of the Somerset Maugham, Betty Trask and Yorkshire Post Author of the Year prizes

'This tale of imprisonment and neglect explores our passion for nostalgia, with hints of Dodie Smith's darker side. An excellent read that pulls at the heart as well as the head.' -Victoria Clark, The Lady

'Eerily atmospheric Little Egypt, made me shudder; certain passages were read through half-closed eyes, the way you watch grisly scenes in a film - desperate to know what happens, but not wanting to disturbing images imprinted on your mind.' -Rosemary Goring, The Herald

Little Egypt was once a well-to-do country house in the north of England. Now it's derelict and trapped on a small island of land between a railway, a dual carriageway and a superstore, and although it looks deserted it isn't. Nonagenarian twins, Isis and Osiris, still live in the home they were born in, and from which in the 1920s their obsessive Egyptologist parents left them to search for the fabled tomb of Herihor - a search from which they never returned. Isis and Osiris have stayed in the house, guarding a terrible secret, for all their long lives until chance meeting between Isis and young American anarchist Spike, sparks an unlikely friendship and proves a catalyst for change.

'I was gripped by the story from start to finish, finding it a perturbing, poignant and, in places, a darkly humorous read.' -Amazon.co.uk

This enormously accomplished novel took twenty years to come to fruition: it is well worth the wait - buy your copy now.

Little Egypt Reviews

Eerily atmospheric Little Egypt, made me shudder; certain passages were read through half-closed eyes, the way you watch grisly scenes in a film - desperate to know what happens, but not wanting to disturbing images imprinted on your mind.

-- Rosemary Goring * The Herald *

Glaister's greatest success in Little Egypt is in her pacing and her use of language to obscure change; through effortless and consistently engaging prose, Isis's transformation, the degradation of the house, the growing panic over her parents' prolonged absence, and the book's more sinister themes, all emerge discreetly.

-- Claire Kohda Hazelton * Times Literary Supplement *

Glaister is very good at creating an atmosphere of rank gloom, and her alternating structure gives her rich opportunities for dramatic tension, which she exploits brilliantly. She slowly ramps up the grotesqueries with just the right amount of dark and light: a gleam of macabre humour leavens the misery, while there is always empathy for Isis, doomed to suffer a horrible life to protect her disturbed and disturbing twin.

-- Jane Housham * The Guardian *

Switching between the twins' 1920s childhood and their present day decay until the horror of their existence becomes all too clear, Little Egypt perfectly demonstrates why Glaister is the suspense writers' suspense writer. With Little Egypt, she is back on Honour Thy Father form. I still have that slow, sick, ache in the pit of my stomach to prove it.

-- Sam Baker * Harper's Bazaar *

A quirky, quintessentially British story about two unfortunate offspring of batty amateur Egyptologist parents and the senior citizens those children become. This deftly written, heady mixture of poignancy and eccentricity is just the thing if you fancy a change from literacy humdrum.

-- Ani Johnson * The Bookbag *

Little Egypt is a highly original and atmospheric novel.

* A Little Blog of Books *

Beautifully written and with fully rounded characters there is much humour alongside the poignancy of the unfolding tale. I loved the idea that this old lady, born to privilege, should derive pleasure from all she is able to see of modern life, this superstore, and dream of selling up and moving on. With so much emphasis these days on preservation it is refreshing to consider change as good. The old days and ways recounted here offer little to remember of past times which should ever be considered fondly.

* Neverimitate *

Lesley Glaister's writing is delightful; she has some superb turns of phrases and despite the subject matter this is not a book without humour. The characters are beautifully drawn (though the strange Osi remains in the background as something of a mystery), and the 'crime' committed is certainly not one I've come across before. Highly recommended.

* Book Muse *

About Lesley Glaister

Lesley Glaister is the prize-winning author of thirteen novels, most recently, Little Egypt. Her short stories have been anthologised and broadcast on Radio 4. She has written drama for radio and stage and published a pamphlet of poetry 2015. Lesley is a Fellow of the RSL, teaches creative writing at the University of St Andrews and lives in Edinburgh.

Additional information

GOR011060749
9781907773723
190777372X
Little Egypt by Lesley Glaister
Lesley Glaister
Used - Like New
Paperback
Salt Publishing
20140330
320
Joint winner of Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize 2014 (UK) Long-listed for International Dublin Literary Award 2016 (Ireland)
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
The book has been read, but looks new. The book cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket is included if applicable. No missing or damaged pages, no tears, possible very minimal creasing, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins

Customer Reviews - Little Egypt