House of Illusions [Paperback]

Pauline Gedge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2000

Pauline Gedge is a master at recreating the golden age in Egypt. Her heroin, 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. These events took place three thousand years ago. Daily life and custom are woven into the story. In a world without soap and little water, natron serves quite well. Gedge is able to get into the mind

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Ancient history comes alive and stays that way as Thu, the Egyptian peasant in Lady of the Reeds (1995) who became a pharaoh's concubine and was then banished, now triumphantly vindicates herself. Like its predecessors, this fifth in a series is set at the height of ancient Egypt's influence. Gedge excels at setting the scene and subtly evoking a sense of the period as she tells a timeless story of greed, love, and revenge--a story that picks up 17 years after Thu has been banished to her native village of Aswat for her part in a plot to murder the Pharaoh Ramses. Kamen, a young soldier and the adopted son of a merchant, now on his way back from Nubia, spends the night in Aswat and is accosted by a blue-eyed woman who asks him to deliver an intricately bound package to the pharaoh. Kamen's companions dismiss the woman as mad, but he himself, not entirely convinced of her madness, agrees to take it. Back in the capital, he hands it over to his commanding general Paiis, and when Paiis realizes what the package contains--Thu's account of the role Paiis and others played in the plot to murder Ramses--he and his co-conspirators act quickly. Kamen is commanded to bring the woman to the city, and so, once again in Aswat, he and Thu narrowly escape an assassin. As Thu seeks a hearing in the capital, she and Kamen are ruthlessly hunted down by the former plotters. Only the intervention of the dying Ramses and his heir saves them. Justice is done, and Thu is not only reunited with her long-lost son but meets up again with the only man she's ever loved--the man who used, deserted, but never forgot her. Thu is larger than life, and coincidences abound, but Gedge is so splendid a teller of tales that all is forgiven. First-class historical fiction. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Pauline Gedge's books have been published in several languages and have won many awards. Her first novel, Child of the Morning, was an international best seller. She won the Writers Guild of Alberta Best Novel of the Year Award for The Twelfth Transforming. She lives in Alberta, Canada.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Moyer Bell Ltd (June 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559212462
• ISBN-13: 978-1559212465
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,473,931 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 Egypt Vividly Recreated, April 4, 2002

By 

S. Brand "sandra807" (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: House of Illusions (Hardcover)

I LOVE Pauline Gedge's books about Egypt (as well as her other books). "Illusions" opens with the main character, Thu, a woman who has been banished to live alone in the desert, serving the priests in a temple there, because of an accusation that she attempted to kill Pharaoh when she lived at court. Thu wishes desperately to send a message to Pharaoh explaining what really happened, but she is never given the opportunity, until one day a young court officer arrives, and agrees to help her. Discovering that this is his mother, he helps her plot revenge on the group of people who set her up for the crime which caused her exile. In the process of intrigue, Thu does not always act wisely, and her character is not always admirable. Thus, though she is the heroine of the story, Thu is not necessarily lovable, but she is definitely fascinating. The plot is complex, involving all the characters that surround Pharaoh. The scenery, the buildings, the poorer sections of the city, the clothing, the feasts...everything... is so vividly described, that I am caught up in these images. This feeling of being transported there is reason enough to read Gedge's books, but combined with the drama and suspense, they are unforgettable.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The story of Thu of Aswat continues..., July 7, 2000

By 

Standing In Motion - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of Illusions (Hardcover)

House of Illusions picks up the story of Thu of Aswat sixteen years after her diary ends in Lady of the Reeds. For the past interval, Thu has been serving internal banishment in her native village of Aswat for her part in the harem plot to murder Ramses III. The terms of her exile are thus: She must remain in Aswat and exist in simplicity. She must provide sustenance for herself. Her feet must be unshod. She cannot marry or have a consort, as technically she remains a concubine of Ramses III. She must perform menial manual labor in the local temple of Wepwawet. Thus it has been until one day... a royal messenger barge docks in the temple canal at Aswat. Per form, Thu begs the occupants to deliver a box to Pharaoh on their return to Pi-Ramesses. This box contains her diary, the story of her life. Thu hopes that upon reading her diary, Ramses will realize how badly and by whom she was manipulated, and true justice will finally prevail. She also dearly hopes Ramses will remember the great love they once shared, and perhaps a softening of his hard heart by these joyous and sensual memories will induce him to pardon her or commute sentence. A young soldier, Kamen, agrees to deliver the box. Unbeknownst to either at this time, Thu and Kamen are mother and son. House of Illusions continues the story of Thu of Aswat in a trilogy of different perspectives. The first is that of the young soldier Kamen, whose life changes forever the moment he accepts the box from Thu. The second perspective is that of Kaha, a minor scribe at the estate of Hui when Thu lived there, but now the chief scribe for the wealthy merchant Men, who is Kamen's adoptive father. The last and most endearing perspective comes from Thu herself. I will not reveal the ending to this story, but merely say that justice prevails in a manner that is incredible, and yet so sweetly poetic.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sequel that easily stands on its own, September 2, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (St. John's, Newfoundland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: House of Illusions (Hardcover)

The return of some of the most intriquing characters in Ancient Egypt! The first book was wonderful, with characters that exposed dark and human sides and a main character that draws readers in to her incredible story. In the sequel, Gedge has beautifully developed her characters in the seventeen years since the first segment of the story of the concubine Thu. While a few outcomes were expected, overall it was a suspenceful and romantic read that showed how close all humans are, regardless of the era in which they live. I think I have found my new favorite author!