House Of Dreams

Long eons ago, in the days when the Internet was just something called Usenet... before amazon. before paperbackswap. before goodreads... back in Those Days, I made a special trip, while in Canada, to the bookstore. I'm pretty sure it was the World's Biggest Bookstore (yes, that's its name). And I bought every single one of Pauline Gedge's books, and brought them all home with me. Very heavy.<br />I never really did understand why Gedge is so popular in her home, Canada, and completely unpublicized in the US. Now, of course, you can get any book online - if you know about it - but I fail to see why publishers have seemingly believed that people in the USA are significantly more uninterested in nice, juicy historical fiction about Ancient Egypt than their neighbors to the north.<br /><br />Anyway, this was a re-read. I'd previously read it under the Canadian title, "House of Dreams."<br />I have to admit, reading it this time, it did feel slightly dated, just in the way characters interacted. I also felt mildly annoyed at having a blue-eyed protagonist (you can't really call her a heroine) in ancient Egypt. Yes, it's explained and all... but post-Memoirs-of-a-Geisha, I guess I just feel differently about it.<br />But I'm still giving it 5 stars, because I just really enjoy Gedge's writing. She manages just the right balance between historically researched details and vivid speculation; really bringing the era to life.<br />Lady of the Reeds is based on a known incident of a plot to assassinate Ramses III. However, the concubine Thu is all her creation. Starting out as a commoner, daughter of a foreigner in a small town in Egypt, Thu has always felt she is destined for greater things. Hungry for knowledge and power, she will scheme and plot to feed her ambition. She's a ruthless, and not necessarily likable character, but her story is compelling.

This book did capture my attention. The story kept me up at night reading for hours until I finished. The description of life and customs in ancient Egypt were very effective. I felt like I was right there with the characters. <br /><br />I did not care for Thu at all. I don't HAVE to like the main character of a book to enjoy it but it made it difficult for me to want to see her succeed in anything. In fact, I was rooting against her a lot of times. <br /><br />All of the characters were pretty well developed, but I didn't find some of their actions believable. The ending was especially contrived. Thu should have had a much different fate than the one she got. At first, I was excited that this book has a sequel, but the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if I could stand Thu in another book. <br /><br />In the end, I think I will read another of Pauline Gedge's novels about ancient Egypt, but I will leave Thu exactly where she is at the end of this book.

Of all Gedge’s novels, this is possibly the series where she changes the most, historically. This book, and the sequel, are based on the harem plot to murder Ramesses III (detailed in the Turin papyrus). Don't open the spoiler link if you don't want to known what happened historically versus what happens in the book. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="cf3a4aaa-1d93-4a81-9257-0b3c9716e92d" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="cf3a4aaa-1d93-4a81-9257-0b3c9716e92d">Recent re-examinations of Ramesses’ mummy have revealed that his throat was indeed cut. The perpetrators, Tiye, her teenaged son by the pharaoh, Pentaweres, and a whole host of administrative and bureaucratic officials, seemingly succeed in their plan to assassinate Ramesses, but not to put Pentaweres on the throne – the next pharaoh was Ramesses IV, another of Ramesses III’s sons – and were put on trial, executed, or ordered to take their own lives. In <i>The Lady of the Reeds</i>, also known as <i>House of Dreams</i>, Thu is a half-Libyan peasant girl plucked from her village life, where she chafes and dreams of achieving great things in life, and educated and trained to become one of Ramesses III’s concubines. Her star rises high, but plummets when she becomes pregnant and Ramesses cruelly casts her aside. In sheer desperation she plots with her sponsor, Hui, and his friends, to murder Ramesses, but the pharaoh survives and Thu is sentenced to die, abandoned by her so called friends, until by Ramesses’ mercy she is allowed to live and condemned to live out the rest of her life in squalid service to her home village’s local temple.</label><br /><br />Generally speaking, I prefer my historical fiction to be as accurate as possible, but my primary concern is always whether or not a story is well-written, and Pauline Gedge always writes a darn good book. She’s one of those consistently good authors who I know is always going to provide me with an exceptional read. As per usual, Gedge’s sheer mastery over the English, her flair and inventive usage was delightful and a pleasure to read. Somehow Gedge always creates unexpected and surprising plot twists too, even though she writes historical fiction and I’m aware of the historical facts. Thu, Hui, and the other characters are perfectly formed – deep, subtle, complex characters revealed piece by piece through show rather than tell. And Gedge’s novels always feel authentic even when she changes details – or later research contradicts what she wrote – because she does her research, she recreates all the ambiguity and complexity of real life instead of glossing over and simplifying the story, and Gedge, more than any other author I’ve ever read, understands the zeitgeist of ancient Egypt and the way ancient Egyptians thought about themselves and the world.<br /><br />Thu in particular is remarkably appealing – I wasn’t sure, before I started reading, if Gedge, much as I trust her consistent good work, could really write a book with someone who, historically, was a conspirator to murder, as the protagonist and make me empathise with her character. Well, she can. Thu aspires for a better life than the obvious path laid out for her and the circumstances she is born into. She has ambition to improve her lot and she wants more from life. When life’s luxuries are handed to her on a plate, like anyone who’s been through hardship, can we really blame her for seizing them and revelling in them? Who hasn’t dreamed of winning the lottery? Thu is incredibly human. She callously steps on others to achieve these dreams of a better life, and it’s reprehensible, but as a reader there’s a mixture of horror at what she does and identifying with her aspirations. Even Thu’s most reprehensible acts are driven by understandable emotions and the bad things that happen to her, and whilst most of us probably wouldn’t act as she does, I think the basic emotions of hurt, betrayal, and desperation are the same. Thu’s distress feels palpable. She aspires to universal dreams, and is betrayed by those she trusts and abandoned by those she loves. I didn’t quite root for her in the same way I did for Hatshepsut in <i>Child of the Morning</i>, Tiye in <i>The Twelfth Transforming</i>, Caradoc in <i>The Eagle and the Raven</i>, and Ahmose, Kamose, and Aahmes-Nefertari in <i>Lords of the Two Lands</i>, but I wanted her to succeed in creating a better life for herself, and I understood and sympathised with her. The story is definitely a tragedy, written in raw emotion.<br /><br />Pauline Gedge definitely reigns supreme over ancient Egypt historical fiction. Endorsed by a bona fide Egyptologist :) .<br /><br /><b>10 out of 10</b><br />

Short Summary:<br /><br />Peasant girl with ambitious streak's journey to become Pharaoh's top concubine and her lack of moral scruples that become her downfall.<br /><br />My thoughts:<br /><br />I could be biased because I just LOVE Ancient Egyptian books, but I quite enjoyed it. Yes the main character was hard to like at times becuase she doesn have the moral depth of a spoiled brat. However she is intelligent and witty albeit conniving. And really, how many books can you read with your character being the pinnacle of virtue without wanting to strangle the self-righteous voice and tell her that she's a human being damnit, and faults are what make her that way. The reason I docked it a star was because I found the ending to be less than satisfactory and the character's temperment and personality to be too abruptly changed. Quite frankly I didn't believe it. However for the majority of the book I was in it with rapt attention and I would recommend you pick it up if you're short on reading material.

Excelente libro. Te sientes en Egipto. Mientras lo lees casi puedes sentir el calor,, las palmeras, el susurro de nilo y probar pasteles de azafrán. Los personajes están . que sienten a lo largo de la novela. Te adentras en el antiguo Egipto donde la autora está perfectamente documentada. La trama se hace adictiva y viene la segunda parte El templo de las ilusiones el cuel ya estoy leyendo.

A fantastic book by a very gifted author. Excellent!

Esperaba bastante más tratandose de esta autora, bastantes capítulos se me han hecho lentos, mucha descripción y poca acción pero el final me ha gustado, ha sido emocionante. Se deja leer pero aún dudo si leeré la segunda parte.

Oh, I loved this! <br /><br />I wasn't really expecting to enjoy it this much, since I don't have a strong interest in Rameses III and had heard reports that the narrator-protagonist, Lady Thu, was unlikable and unpleasant. I didn't have an issue with Thu herself, because while she did unlikable things and was presumptuous, she remained likeable.<br /><br />I must have a thing for Gedge's pharaohs, because the Rameses III makes three out of three of her pharaohs I've fallen in love with, though this Rameses is more human and fallible than Amenhotep III and Rameses II. Though, this is probably because we got to see more of him.<br /><br />While the ending did strike me as unfair, I don't think it's out of character. Thu has always been a character with great flights of fancy, and, particularly as she has lost so much, I wouldn't be surprised if she died on her deathbed dreaming of being rescued by Rameses. <br /><br />Based on the little knowledge I have of this period, I'd say that the story jives well with historical knowledge. Even the very recent discovery that Rameses III's throat was cut could fit well within the story Gedge presents us. I don't know how it works in the sequel, <i> <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/1182858.House_of_Illusions" title="House of Illusions by Pauline Gedge" rel="noopener">House of Illusions</a> </i>, though I'm dying to find out. <br />

Terminado. 2 semanas inmersa en Egipto y disfrutando de la pluma de esta autora. La historia está muy bien narrada, las descripciones tanto del lugar como de las costumbres, consigue meterte de lleno y además la vida de Thu es muy interesante. Cómo crece en una aldea, Asuat, y cómo llega a ser concubina favorita de Ramsés, además de enseñarnos la vida del harén y de palacio. Un libro de 10 para leer sin prisas y disfrutarlo. 5 estrellas.

One of my favourite novels set in ancient Egypt. This time the setting is the court of Ramses III, and a young peasant girl who gets mixed up in intrigue. You may not like what Thu does, but you can't help but be interested in her. <br /><br />For the complete review, please go here:<br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.epinions.com/content_38134713988">http://www.epinions.com/content_38134...</a>