| Title | : | House of Illusions (Lady of the Reeds, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1559212004 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781559212007 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 436 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1996 |
Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroine, Thu, a peasant girl from the village of Aswat, possesses both beauty and intelligence. To her good fortune Thu is found and brought to the center of society. She is chosen and trained for the court of Pharaoh Ramses. Her talent and guile win her a post in the harem.
Thu rises in favor, is betrayed in a court intrigue that threatens her life and falls from grace. Pharaoh spares her life but banishes her to serve the priests at the lowly temple of Wepwawet near the first cataract.
House of Illusions opens on Gedge's vividly recreated Egypt, sixteen years after Thu's banishment. During her exile she writes an account of her court life and the betrayal for which she seeks revenge.
House of Illusions (Lady of the Reeds, #2) Reviews
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Hara más de un año y medio que leí “La Casa de los Sueños”, primera parte del presente libro, en el que conocíamos por primera vez la historia de Thut de Asuat, y que en su momento recuerdo haber descrito en goodreads como un “Juego de Tronos” a lo egipcio. Fue una novela que personalmente disfruté mucho, me pareció escrita de una manera amena y fácil de leer y que nos presentaba una historia cautivadora y que enganchaba mucho, que permitía introducirte en el mundo del antiguo Egipto, que tenía un final abierto y contundente que se alejaba de cualquier convencionalismo posible, y que dejaba con ganas de saber más . Por eso me hizo mucha ilusión, aunque hubiera pasado bastante tiempo, empezar con este libro. Y realmente me ha gustado, pero a la vez me ha decepcionado un poco, ya que creo que no llega a la altura de su predecesor.A grandes rasgos es un libro que he disfrutado, al igual que “La Casa de los Sueños” se lee muy bien. La autora tiene una prosa agradable y fácil de leer, y logra transportarte al mundo y la época en la que se desarrolla la histórica, ya que el trabajo de documentación histórica sobre el mundo, la cultura y la sociedad del antiguo Egipto está realmente muy bien conseguido.
Lo primero que diré qué es lo que más me ha gustado de este libro.A mi modo de ver, lo mejor que ha tenido es su estructura narrativa. La novela se divide en tres partes de diferente longitud, cada una de ellas contada por un narrador diferente. Las dos primeras partes están contadas por el joven soldado Kanen, llamado a Asuat para una misión, y por Kana, el escriba que ya conocíamos en la primera parte y que enseñaba a la joven Thut. Estos dos narradores resultan muy interesantes para ver las consecuencias De todo lo que aconteció diecisiete años antes del inicio de esta novela, y para ver los acontecimientos desde la lejanía que aporta el personaje de Kanen, que al principio no sabe nada de estos hechos. Pero lo mejor llega con la tercera parte, en la que volvemos a oir una vez más la voz de Thut. Y realmente entendemos por qué la autora ha querido recuperar su historia. Es un personaje delicioso. Todas las desgracias que le han ocurrido desde que la dejamos en la novela anterior no han cambiado realmente su esencia, sigue siendo un personaje muy bien construido y complejo, una mujer fuerte y ambiciosa, que busca vengarse de todos aquellos que le hicieron daño hace años años. Uno no puede evitar deleitarse con los sus deseos de venganza y sus maquinaciones para conseguir sus propositos. Pero a la vez es un personaje que ha evolucionado, se ha humanizado y resulta todo esto que al lector le sea muy fácil empatizar con ella, entenderla y ponerse de su parte. No intenta justificarse, tan solo intenta arreglar las cosas que hizo mal en el pasado, y es mucho más amable y sensata de lo que era en su juventud. Sin lugar a dudas ella es el motor de esta dúología, lo que da vida a una historia que, por lo demás, es apasionante y engancha muchísimo.
Creo que el gran problema del libro es que, a grandes rasgos, su trama es ligeramente pobre e insuficiente para llenar las poco más de cuatrocientas páginas que componen el volumen. De ahí que la autora abuse de las descripciones de lugares y escenarios. Eso tiene su parte positiva, ayuda al lector a introducirse mejor en la atmósfera y el mundo del antiguo egipcio. Pero realmente no aporta mucho a la trama, solo logran relentizamiéntola y hacer que la lectura sea más difícil y, a veces, incluso aburrida. Y esa sido el gran problema que tenido con esta novela y que ha hecho que haya habido momentos que me ha costado seguirla. Hubo ratos en los que me aburría mucho, cosa que en la anterior no me sucedió. Es cierto que en esa primera historia tarde unas cuantas páginas en engancharme, y aquí me ha pasado lo mismo. Pero sí en “La Casa de los Sueños” eso solo me paso en la diez o quince primeras páginas, aquí he necesitado casi cien para empezar a conectar y disfrutar con la historia.
Lo que más me ha chirriado del libro es que se nota mucho que ha nacido a raíz de la necesidad de darle un Happy Ending a la protagonista y de cerrar la trama de “La Casa de los Sueños”. Y quizás eso sea un error, ya que ese final, a nivel narrativo, funcionaba muy bien. Pero esa necesidad de arreglar todo eso quita al segundo libro toda sensación de realismo y de contar una trama orgánica y con sentido. Esto se debe a que el cumulo de buena suerte y coincidencias que acaban por favorecer a Thut resulta poco creíble y si, muy impostado, quitando fuerza a toda la sutileza y complejidad que eran lo mas destacado de la novela predecesora. No hay nada que sorprenda ni que realmente tenga impacto real, parece que todo se da porque si. Ni siquiera un descubrimiento que debería haber sorprendido al lector y que está relacionado con Thut y Kanen, y que es decisivo para el devenir de la obra, logra impresionarle, ya que se lo va a estar oliendo desde muchas páginas antes de que se confirme, de tan claro que es. Ni siquiera después de que se trate el tema entre los dos personajes y de que Thut descarte la hipótesis que Kanen le propone, es imposible desechar tal idea de relación entre ambos caracteres. Y esto hace de esta escena un intento torpe y sin sentido que no logra su propósito de desorientar al lector.
En resumidas cuentas “El Templo de las Ilusiones” Es un cierre de historia agradable y fácil de leer. No solo presenta a unos nuevos personajes muy interesantes, también nos hace recuperar a otros que en la novela anterior podían haber quedado en un segundo plano, incidiendo más en ellos y demostrándonos que también son de excelentes caracteres. Si “La Casa de los Sueños” os gusto, debéis de leer esta continuación para descubrir su final. Pero esta segunda parte no llega a las mismas cuotas de calidad, intensidad e interés de su predecesora, cojea en muchas partes y tiene muchos defectos que no solo impiden que despegue del todo como novela. Y todo por la necesidad de darle paz y felicidad a Thut tras diecisiete años de miserias, sin ocuparse de darle al desenlace la sutileza argumental de la primera parte. -
Muy buen libro. Es la segunda parte de la casa de los sueños. En lo particular me gustó más la primera parte, sin embargo Pauline Gedge nunca decepciona,. Lo recomiendo ampliamente.
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This sequel to House of Dreams, also known as Lady of the Reeds, was actually written as a response to the overwhelming reader popularity of the character of Thu in the previous book. Gedge herself wrote that she had thought Thu’s story finished, but Thu proved so popular with readers that she decided to bring her back. Since in the previous book Thu unhistorically survives, the door was left open for a sequel, and here it is.
Since in real life Ramesses III, Thu and Pentaweres were all actually killed as a result of the harem plot, I almost prefer to think of this particular book as indulgent pure fiction merely set in a historical setting. Gedge tells the story in first person, and switches between three different character perspectives in three distinct sections, which is a change from her usual style, but it works in this case. It allows the plot to unfold at the right pace and maintain the tension, whilst keeping a good deal of mystery involved. I say this every time about Gedge’s style of writing and use of language, but she’s just so consistent with it; the writing is nuanced, evocative, and subtle, and I found myself totally engrossed and reading House of Illusions was a truly enjoyable experience.
It seems that some readers were rather switched off by the ending though. The success of the pharaohs depended on their ruthlessness and decisiveness, in the harsh, unforgiving world of the bronze age. Pharaoh’s justice was supreme and his/her word was law. The historian in me is totally calling that one out. I’m gonna have to knock a point off for that, but ultimately I can let it go. This book is comfort food, if you will. It’s a complete fictional sequel written after Gedge wrote the tragedy of the historical Thu and the first book proved so popular, I don’t see too much harm in revisiting these characters and seizing the chance to give them a satisfying ending. As usual Gedge writes so sublimely that it feels like it could be real, if I didn’t know the historical facts that the harem conspiracy ended otherwise, and at the end of the day that’s what really matters to me when I’m looking for a good book.
I don’t have anything more to say, really. I feel like I keep repeating the same things in my reviews for Pauline Gedge, about the flair and imagination of her writing, the depth of her characters, her detailed and nuanced understanding of ancient Egypt – but she’s just so consistently excellent that the same comments about quality apply to every book of hers I read!
9 out of 10 -
I love reading Pauline Gedge. Her novels are always so easy to read, but they're never simplistic, with complex characterisations and plots.
Yet there's something about House of Illusions that just doesn't sit well with me, and it's that the ending feels very idealised. The two main figures of the conspiracy – the master puppeteer, Hui, and the assassin, Thu – are left to live their lives as they like with no recriminations. Thu, at least, was punished and I was rooting for her throughout
House of Dreams and House of Illusions, but she knowingly attempted to murder the king and killed an entirely innocent person! She knew exactly what she was doing, the only thing she didn't know not to trust her co-conspirators.
But Hui's fate, ugh. I just kept thinking about how he manipulated and betrayed Thu in House of Dreams, and going "really? REALLY? You're going to trust him now?!"
I still don't know a lot about Ramses III (
Susan Redford's book about the conspiracy is on my wishlist), but I know enough to recognise that there's a few things that stand out as inaccurate. However, I'll forgive these because most of what I know comes from very, very recent discoveries.
I liked that some people were able to be redeemed, and that, in the court case, the early testimonies go unheard, while Thu's testimony is not (albeit as a summary of
House of Dreams), a direct reversal of the historical record (the papyrus cuts off just before where Thu's testimony was recorded).
But what I like doesn't outweigh the ending, which is what drags my rating down from four stars to three. It's still a very good read, just disappointing in the end. -
Pauline Gedge is becoming one of my favorite authors. 5+ stars!
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Pauline Gedge, as usual, is probably the best writer of "Egyptian Fiction". Her characters and scenes are equisitely detailed, whether she writes in the third or first person. House of Illusions continues the story of Thu, and her son, who were separated under edict of Rameses III. The ending and events, although near the end were rather fantastical and almost predictable. If you have not read Lady of the Reeds, then you probably would not enjoy this book as much, but as sequels go, it is quite well done.
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A thrilling historical novel, the follow up to 'House of Dreams'. The characters in the version were much more likeable, one of the main issues with the first book. Thu redeems herself in this page turning finale. The only downside was a sense of disbelief at the ending.
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While not as exciting and full of ups and downs as the first book, this one still delivers a great plot and ties up all the loose ends nicely. Thu has matured and calmed down and so the story is calmer as well.
Thanks, Margie. -
This a superb conclusion to the book Lady of the Reeds which I read over a decade ago. I never knew there was a sequel to it until I happened to be looking up this author on my Nook and discovered the sequel. I bought it and found it to be as amazing and rich in detail as the first novel. Gedge brings ancient Egypt and all the people in it--from noble to peasant, merchant to concubine--to a living breathing reality. Unlike the first book, which was told from the POV of Thu--a woman midwife, physician, and later concubine and royal lady to Pharoah--this book was divided between the viewpoints of Kamen, a young soldier and adopted son of a rich merchant, Kaha an Egyptian scribe, and Thu again. All the people were intertwined with one another because of the events of the first novel, which were described so well in this one that I didn't need to re-read the first book.
This book is like a roller coaster for over half the book, only slowing somewhat towards the last third, but it is still an exciting and breathless read. I couldn't put it down and was happy I had a day off yesterday to read it because I HAD to know what happened to Kamen, Thu, Kaha, Hui, Ramses and others.
This book ranks up there with other Gedge favorites--Lady of the Reeds and Child of the Morning, as well as Judith Tarr's Throne of Isis, Lord of the Two Lands, King and Goddess, and Pillar of Fire. -
An excellent sequel to the first "Lady of the Reeds" by Gedge. Obviously, read the first book in order for this book to make any difference. Quick and interesting, it will occasionally surprise you. It's also nearly impossible to read in multiple sittings--I was nearly unable to drag myself away from it, because when the story is put in motion, it's pretty much a nonstop course of events with little disconnect or break. You'll be holding your water in anticipation for a stopping point or pause that will nearly never come.
This isn't a spoiler, necessarily, but it might be a question better put to those who have already read it:
The book makes you question, ultimately, whether Gedge's intention is to subvert justice for a romantically satisfying conclusion, or whether she's suggesting a certain moral relativism in Egyptian philosophy and society. It's hard to answer, although I'm hoping it's the latter. -
I enjoyed this book as much as I did "House of Dreams." I saw where one reviewer said he or she (sorry, I cannot remember which) didn't particularly like how the story switched narrators. I really thought about that a lot while I was reading this novel, and I came to the conclusion there really wasn't a way to tell this particular story in first person and have enough to fill a whole novel. Also, I think having the those other perspectives help lend some depth to the story.
I don't think this novel will make much sense without having read "House of Dreams." I could be wrong about that. Hopefully someone who has read "House of Illusions" first will have something to say about it.
Again, I enjoyed these two books quite a bit, but I am ready to move into another genre for a while. -
Great Gedge! Sequel to Gedge's House of Dreams provides closure for most of heroine Thu's issues left over from that book: her son, her pharaoh, her passion, her craft, and her own survival. High levels of poetic prose provide pleasure to literary readers and general alike. Historical base seems accurate, and cultural details were as amazing as in House of Dreams. A real treat with a believable Egyptian woman of the time period who acts always to win and to survive among the powers that surround her.
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A follow up to House of Dreams and every bit as good. I thought I had read this some years ago but if I did it was in my Dreams because I simply did not remember it. So I have read it now and sorted out my lists for this year.
Set in Egypt at the time of Ramses it finishes the story of Thu a concubine of the great Ramses accused of trying to poison him. She is banished and made to serve 17 long years of hard labour to the priests. A very good story of retribution and discovery.
Pauline Gedge writes really great stores and I wish to wrote more. -
Fantastic! Just loved it to the very last page! Great and consistent style of narration made this book just one of a kind. Lots of twists and turns to the last moment made it so interesting for me. Whole story was intriguing and totally thought out so nothing was left unanswered, everything had its closure. I loved the ending, I really did. Maybe a good opening for the third book? :)
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House of Illusions by Pauline Gedge is the sequel to House of Dreams. Thu's story progresses through finding her son to escaping her drudgery life as she heads back to the seat of power. The denouement is exciting, satisfying and intriguing! A must-read pair of books.
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Nunca decepciona Paulina Gedge.
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*Spoilers*
I liked House of Dreams but I wasn’t in love with it. Unfortunately, I feel the same way about House of Illusions. It had a fantastic start but the ending ruined the entire book; I’ll discuss this more in a moment. House of Illusions is told from multiple points of view. I don’t always enjoy this style but as I mentioned in my review for House of Dreams, Thu is extremely unlikable. I was pretty happy that I wouldn’t be stuck in her head for the entire book.
The story begins with Kamen. It’s clear early on that Kamen is Thu’s son. She was separated from him when she was exiled because of her part in the conspiracy to murder Ramses III. After learning the truth about his parentage, Kamen helps his mother return and forms a plan to exonerate her. However, Hui and his co-conspirators are determined to make sure their roles in the plot aren’t discovered… by any means necessary.
This book was really good until around the 75% point. Up until then, I enjoyed everything about it but it started to drag and the ending INFURIATED me. Hui and Thu end up together after all the others involved in the murder plot are discovered and put to death. For some unknown reason, Ramses III not only saves Hui’s life but he allows him to marry Thu… it’s just so stupid. Hui is the ENTIRE reason that Thu tried to murder the Pharaoh. He used and manipulated her repeatedly.
In House of Dreams, Thu didn’t want to get pregnant. Hui got annoyed with her and as punishment, instead of giving her fresh herbs to use as birth control, he gave her old ones. She inevitably got pregnant. This is just one of the many horrible things that Hui did to Thu. Literally every single bad thing that happened to her was because of him so no, I can’t be satisfied with an ending where they live happily ever after. This book would have been at least a four star read if not for that.
If you’re in the mood from some ancient Egyptian fiction, this duology isn’t terrible. It was fast paced and fun, despite its flaws.
For other reviews, go to
https://thebookandbeautyblog.com/ -
As an Egyptologist, and someone who has specialized in the history of the late 20th Dynasty, I am truly grateful for Pauline Gedge's literary work. There are very few authors who can authentically present ancient Egypt, and Gedge is certainly among them. This is the fifth book I've read from her and I keep coming back for more even though I haven't truly enjoyed any of them.
I have a few returning issues. First and least importantly, I don't particularly like first person narratives. And in this case I found the three points of view totally unnecessary.
More important is that while I really enjoy reading Gedge's descriptions of Egypt, its landscape and society, her protagonists are not very engaging. Moreover, I found Thu, the main character of the Lady of the Reeds series, quite unlikable and irritating, therefore I couldn't root for her or care about her fate. Some of the minor characters were intriguing though, they should have been given more of a central stage.
Lastly, the story is a little thin for 400+ pages. The "Harem Conspiracy" and the plots to murder Ramses III are truly fascinating, the travails of Thu not so much. The ending was quite predictable and also unfortunately too good to be true. -
Its exciting for about 2/3's as everyone scrambles as all the chickens come home to roost, but once we get to what should be the climatic trial, the pace slows down to a crawl, everything is sorted out slowly but without tension, and there is a long, long wrap up, with a very weird ending that I guess is supposed to be a happily-ever-after? -
Historia de un intento de regicidio en él antiguo Egipto y su conclusión. Perfectamente fiel a la época y espiritual como lo puede ser una novela basada en esa cultura. Va ganando a medida que se van sucediendo los acontecimientos, pero fue una buena lectura.
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the ending was unexpected....but a part of me is glad how everything turned out.
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Perfecto colofón para la fascinante historia de Thu de Asuat. El estilo de Pauline es sencillamente impecable. Recomendada si te has leído antes la primera parte, por supuesto.
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4.5⭐
This duology has made it to my favorites list. I will miss it😣 -
Una maravilla de bilogía. Es verdad que me gustó más el primero, pero esta segunda parte es buenísimo también. Me encanta esta autora, pero creo que estos son los que más me han gustado de ella.
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Como ya os mencione en el anterior libro, no suelo leer mucha novela histórica, ya que a veces me da la sensación que la trama es terriblemente lenta y pasan bastantes páginas sin que pase nada reseñable (obviamente no todas las novelas históricas son iguales, y el ritmo de la lectura dependerá del estilo del autor y los gustos del lector), con La casa de los sueños me sucedió eso y hubo algunas partes que me resultaron bastante aburridas, aunque luego la historia mejoro bastante. En esta ocasión, las "partes lentas" han sido menos, quizás porque la historia esta contada en tres partes y cada parte es narrada por un personaje diferente, y por este motivo he disfrutado bastante más de la historia.
En este libro volveremos a encontrarnos con personajes del anterior (Thu, Hui, Paais, Hunro, Kaha, el príncipe Ramsés...) pero también conoceremos personajes nuevos, que sin duda para mi han sido de lo mejor de esta historia, me ha gustado especialmente el personaje de Kamen, ya que considero que es un personaje noble, con un fuerte sentido de la justicia y capaz de luchar por sus seres queridos ante cualquiera, aunque obviamente también hay ciertas actitudes con las que no me he sentido identificada, otro personaje con el que he disfrutado mucho ha sido con el de Tajuru, la prometida de Kamen, aunque en el principio se nos la presenta como una niña malcriada que lo único que la importa es la riqueza y salirse con la suya, evoluciona muy positivamente a lo largo de la historia capaz de hacer cualquier cosa por ayudar, y creo que es una verdadera pena lo poco que ha aparecido.
Con respecto al personaje de Thu he tenido mis más y mis menos, ya que a diferencia del anterior libro que teníamos que lidiar con un personaje ambicioso y arrogante, capaz de hacer cualquier cosa por salirse con la suya y creerse superior a cualquiera, en este libro comprobamos que su exilio le ha servido para madurar y dejar ciertos comportamientos de lado, pero aún así hay en algunas ocasiones que vuelve a ser un personaje arrogante con el que es difícil de empatizar.
Para acabar me gustaría comentar brevemente el final, sin entrar en spoilers, pero para mi ha sido un final un poco injusto ya que creo que todos los que tuvieron una implicación importante en la conspiración deberían haber recibido el mismo castigo.
En definitiva, El templo de los sueños es una continuación que he disfrutado más, ya que no estamos ante capítulos sin gran peso en la historia sino que todo sucede de una forma más rápida, con respecto a la autora seguro que en un futuro leo alguna de sus otras historias y en cuanto a las novelas históricas seguiré intentando poco a poco leer más de este género.
Reseña completa en mi blog: The Island of Neverland -
Pokračovanie... po 17. rokoch...
Thu je stále vo vyhnanstve v Asvate a snaží sa ľuďom, ktorí tadiaľ prechádzajú, odovzdať spísaný svoj život a odovzdať ho faraónovi. Všetci ju považujú za pomätenú a nikto sa nechce ujať jej škatuľky s papyrusmi, až kým jedného dňa sa jeden vojak, Kamen, nad ňou nezľutuje a škatuľku vezme. A tu sa všetko začína. Hui, Paiis, Hunro a spol. uspaní rokmi pokoja sa prebúdzaj v strachu o svoj život a snažia sa Thu odstrániť. Vyhráva však spravodlivosť.
Nečakane (na rozdiel od predchádzajúceho dielu) sa nám prihovárajú tri postavy.
Kamen, vlastným menom Pentuar, Thuin syn. Mladý vojak, ktorého srdce je čisté ako ľalia.
Kaha, pisár, kedysi pôsobiaci v službách Huiho, teraz zamestnaný u Kamenovho nevlastného otca. Pod jeho ťažkým svedomím sa postaví na Thuinu stranu a vypovedá v jej prospech.
A nakoniec, Thu, už dospelá žena, ktorá nie je viac naivných dievčaťom, ale skúsenou a múdrou ženou.
Bolo to zaujímavé čítanie. Všetci tri hlavné postavy mali niečo do seba, spájala ich spoločná túžba a každý sa k nej inak aj dostal. Škoda, že po súde sa nám Kaha stráca a nevieme, čo sa s ním stalo.
Celkové dobré zakončenie príbehu o Thu, aj keď... Nemyslím si, že Hui by skončil tak, ako skončil. Faraón bol naňho priveľmi mierny.
Akože, povedzme si úprimne, Huiho a Thu som shipovala od začiatku. Chcela som, aby skončili spolu, ale Hui sa zachoval ako kretén. Veď v tomto diele ju chcel aj zabiť, ale nakoniec mu vlastne odpustili a žili spolu šťastne až do smrti. WTF?! Hui mal trpieť za to všetko, čo jej spravil. Mám s jeho postavou proste problém a nepáči sa jeho "nepotrestanie". Jeho činy nemali vôbec žiadne následky. Je to strašne nefér.
Na druhej strane musím pochváliť prekladateľa (iného ako v predchádzajúcich knihách), ktorý porazil môjho odvekého nepriateľa - čechizmy, a nedočkala som sa ani jedného "okamžiku". Bola som šťastná.
Potom sú tu ešte mierne problémy s... ako to nazvať... kontinuitou? Proste niektoré veci nedávajú zmysel. Kamen si prečítal Thuin papyrus, takže vie všetko. Napriek tomu akosi odignoroval, aké je jeho pôvodné meno a keď mu ho Thu prezradí, čuduje sa.
Thu sa tiež čuduje, či faraón vie, že kedysi s jeho synom uzavrela dohodu, že z nej bude kráľovná. Je povedané, že faraón so synom jej papyrus čítali, takže to tam byť muselo. Či mladý Ramesse otcovi niektoré časti neprečítal? HMM?!
Takže okrem týchto drobností (na jednom mieste má Thu 33 rokov, na druhom 35... tak koľko?!) to bolo úžasné, napínavé, hoci možno pridlhé. Posledných 60 strán je len čakanie na samovraždu Hunro a Paiisa. Na čo? Zomreli a bolo. Koniec teda naozaj ťahá knihu ku dnu, čo je škoda, lebo zvyšok bol veľmi dobrý. Koniec je najslabší a podľa mňa úplne zbytočne rozpísaný.
