Set in the superficially placid English village of Stillbourne, The Pyramid represents three episodes in the life of Oliver-as a schoolboy, an undergraduate, and a mature young man. A compelling tale about Oliver's increasing awareness of the deeper meanings of the relationships and events of his youth.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
Yet once more, o ye laurels? No, not from dissertation writers and literary quarterlies, who may not know quite what to make of Golding's latest. A careful, subdued story of one young man's passage from adolescence to reminiscence, from the 20's through the 40's, from the village of Stillbourne to Oxford and back, The Pyramid builds itself with dogged detachment and gradual accretions of meaning. Oliver, son of a limp pharmacist, has a few initiatory bouts with a bitter young town sexpot; an unwilling romp in the town musical show; and (the best part of the three) violin lessons from Miss Dawlish, a town eccentric beguiled by her driving teacher. Demands are made on this unresponsive, not terribly interesting hero, who tells it all in a first person sometimes arch, sometimes fine. If there's an allegory here, it's less cut and dried and ready for exegesis than is usual with Golding. Way of All Flesh rendered by Updike, the labellers might say...meanwhile, it can and will be read at face value, no great shakes but a pleasant climb. (Kirkus Reviews )
About the Author
William Golding’s Pincher Martin (1956)
Born in Cornwall, England, William Golding started writing at the age of seven. Though he studied natural sciences at Oxford to please his parents, he also studied English and published his first book, a collection of poems, before finishing college. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, participating in the Normandy invasion. Golding's other novels include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, The Free Fall, The Spire, Rites of Passage (Booker Prize), and The Double Tongue.
Pincher is a selfish man and a thief, greedy fellow. He fanatically keeps asserting his autonomy and resists the power of God, because he himself wants to be the dominant force. His ‘story of life’ is trying to subject others to his will. Martin perseveres in his defiance of God no matter how futile and painful its consequences, thus demonstrating free will at its most perverse. Martin goes on asserting his autonomy even when he is reduced to a pair of claws, even when the claws are worn away too, and Pincher Martin as a personality is annihilated.
His dogmatic attitude, his ‘enjoyment’ in challenging God; - a risk taking activity which expresses his inner need to demonstrate his strength and masculinity – are very typical for the Aggressive Style of character.
Born in Cornwall, England, William Golding started writing at the age of seven. Though he studied natural sciences at Oxford to please his parents, he also studied English and published his first book, a collection of poems, before finishing college. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, participating in the Normandy invasion. Golding's other novels include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, The Free Fall, The Spire, Rites of Passage (Booker Prize), and The Double Tongue.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Born in Cornwall, England, William Golding started writing at the age of seven. Though he studied natural sciences at Oxford to please his parents, he also studied English and published his first book, a collection of poems, before finishing college. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, participating in the Normandy invasion. Golding's other novels include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, The Free Fall, Pincher Martin, The Double Tongue, and Rites of Passage, which won the Booker Prize.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Approachable Golding,
This review is from: The Pyramid (Hardcover)
'The Pyramid' follows the trials of Oliver,an 18 year old about to go up to Oxford,in pre WW2 Stilbourne,a small English town divided by class and social taboos.Oliver lusts after Evie, a beautiful Catholic girl beneath his social station, suffers the snobberies and pretentions of the local amateur dramatic society and recalls Bounce,his music teacher and her dependency on an unrequited love of Henry Williams. This book is both funny and poignent-a surprising string in Goldings bow-and wonderfully recalls teenage angst and naivete.It tells of the unhappiness the strict social etiquettes of before the war caused,despite it being recalled as a golden age of manners and respect. That may well be because it was replaced with anarchic selfish hedonism,but times change. Its the human race that cant find the medium! Golding is seen as hard to access, but this book is a breeze and a delight to read.You end the book both satisfied and wanting more than the three interlocked novellas that make up the Pyramid. Much different to 'Lord of the Flies' 'The Inheritors' and his other great works,but warmer and no less a great book.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
