House of Dreams [Mass Market Paperback]

Pauline Gedge (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books Canada, Limited; First Thus edition (1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140238182
• ISBN-13: 978-0140238181
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,780,852 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece... Published as "Lady of the Reeds" in the US, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: House of dreams (Paperback)

House of Dreams is the personal diary of Thu of Aswat, and it is a fascinating document. Written in the first person, each page chronicles her life from poor peasant girl in the rural Nile farming village of Aswat, to favored concubine in the Royal Harem of Ramses III at Pi-Ramesse. Omitting nothing, this blue-eyed daughter of an Egyptian midwife and Libu mercenary takes us on a journey that travels a path from childish innocence to vile debauchery. We are with her every step of the way. We walk with the young Thu as she leads the family bovine "Precious Sweet Eyes" to the banks of the Nile. We plunge into the Nile with Thu in the dead of night and board the barge of the Seer Hui, where she offers her virginity to the gods of ambition. We witness the education and humiliation she endures to achieve external beauty and power. We sympathize with her as she is cruely manipulated by those with a terrible agenda. Sadly we watch, as by her own choice she becomes a murderess to fulfill her impossible dreams. Lady of the Reeds is a self-serving diary, as Thu attempts to justify her actions to all who read it. Not only do we see through this transparancy, but in the end so does she. What is chilling about this story is our recognition... that we all have some Thu in us. The life story of Thu of Aswat continues sixteen years later in the sequel, House of Illusions.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Descriptive and entriging novel about Ancient Egypt., June 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: House of dreams (Paperback)

I'm only 12 and I have a great interest in Egypts history. I enjoyed this book very much but was disappointed with some of the situations in this novel. I would defainately recommend this novel to a friend but not to someone my age because some parts in the book were inapropriate for me to be reading. This was one of the best novels I have ever read considering the fact that I haven't read that many novels, with me only being 12. This was one of those books that I couldn't put down and there is alot of books that I will put down. I can't wait to read the sequel House of Illusions.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Such a wonderful story teller..., December 18, 2001

By 

Fran59 (Nord - France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of dreams (Paperback)

As usual Pauline Gedge makes you enter the world of Ancient Egypt keeping you in it until you finished the book. This is just another wonderful story as she knows how to write them.
The sequel "House of Illusions" is not as good though, it seems like she had to write an end to the first one which did not need it. One of my favorite authors anyway.