The House of Special Purpose [Import] [Hardcover]

John Boyne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 16, 2010

Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign.

Eighty year old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past - a past of death, suffering and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him.

As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to St. Petersburg in the early 20th century, to the Winter Palace of the Tsar. A time of change, threat and bloody revolution.

And as Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories. He is prepared to look at the dark, yet somehow manages to find whatever light was there in the first place. He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant, real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature."
— Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin

"A work that chimes perfectly with our times."
— The Irish Times

About the Author

JOHN BOYNE was born in Ireland in 1971 and is the author of seven novels. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and won two Irish Book Awards. It was also shortlisted for the British Book Award and has recently been made into a Miramax feature film. Boyne's novels are published in over 40 languages. He lives in Dublin.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday Canada (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385668678
• ISBN-13: 978-0385668675
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,814,971 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971 and is the author of seven novels for adults and two for children. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas won two Irish Book Awards, was shortlisted for the British Book Award, reached no.1 on the New York Times Bestseller List and was made into an award-winning Miramax feature film. His novels are published in over 40 languages. He lives in Dublin.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Romancing the Romanovs, October 17, 2011

By 

keetmom (South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The House of Special Purpose (Paperback)

The last days of the Tsar and what happened in "the house of special purpose" in Ekaterinburg are something every schoolboy ought to know. So there should be few surprises here. But Boyne is a clever storyteller. This time he has the narrator giving two accounts of his life - one that runs forwards and the other backwards in time until they connect at the book's dramatic dénouement. A little long winded to start, the book picks up pace and by the end is hard to put down as the reader races through to confirm the outcome he has been hinting at all along. There is just enough history to set the scene for a rather "light" but nonetheless interesting account of the early days of the Russian Revolution. This is really a romantic novel so the characters and events are somewhat thinly sketched and are there to play the parts Boyne has cast for them. This all makes for a mechanical structure to the book, but as with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Boyne helps his reader see something new in his retelling of another 20th century tragedy. It's fictional of course so readers shouldn't stress over the odd slip or improbability as it is also a good read.