House of Dreams

This was the third reading for me of House of Dreams, by Canadian author, Pauline Gedge. The novel still stands up.

Set in ancient Egypt, House of Dreams takes you through political machinations and the vain dreams of an ambitious and fiesty girl known as Thu. Gedge's ability to raise an ancient world, complete with the arid atmosphere pinching your nose and the feel fine linen on your burning skin is utterly spell-binding. A power-house writer, and a fabulous read.

I came across House of Dreams quite by accident, but I'm very glad I did. The story of Thu, a peasant from Aswat, who became concubine to Ramses III was absolutely captivating. And the best part? She is the one who initiated such a huge rise.

Thu is ruthless, no doubt about that, but she also has a very human side to her that makes her sympathetic to readers. She is one of the more complex characters in the novel, but many of the characters, especially Hui and Ramses III share this wonderful duality. Since this is more of a character-driven novel than a plot-driven one, these three dimensional characters make the novel.

Set in ancient Egypt, this sweeping tale of love, lust, ambition and murder will captivate readers, even as it heads show more toward its admittedly tragic conclusion. show less

Sharp, shrewd and ambitious, Thu chafes at the limits of life in her small village, Aswat, on the banks of the Nile. She resents the fact that her beloved brother Pa-ari is allowed to go to school at the Temple of Wepwawet, where he is learning to become a scribe, while Thu has to content herself with learning to follow her mother’s trade as a herbalist and midwife. What alternative does she have? This is the 12th century BC, in the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III, and young women have limited say in their own destiny; but her family haven’t reckoned with Thu’s steely determination. This engaging novel, the first of a two-part series, draws us into the inexorable rise of a protagonist who is by turns strikingly naive and astonishingly show more manipulative, occasionally irritating, but always intriguing. Inspired by the Harem Conspiracy of 1155 BC, it’s the first of Pauline Gedge’s books that I’ve read and offers an enjoyable glimpse of Ancient Egypt seen through the eyes of a novelist who has made the period her speciality...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2019/11/04/house-of-dreams-pauline-gedge/ show less

I absolutely loved this absorbing, readable book. I raced through it, eager to see how things would turn out for Thu, the protagonist.

Pauline Gedge paints a convincing picture of ancient Egyptian life, both among the commoners and the nobility. Thu's world is entirely believable, even down to small details such as exercise regimes. I found it very easy to sink into the setting.

The characterization is equally good. Thu is both very likable and absolutely repulsive, by turns. She comes across as a real teenage girl, (albeit a very worldly one), as she struggles to advance her own fortunes while satisfying her allies and benefactors. I really felt for her, and could see the factors that led her to make such poor choices at particular times show more in the story. More than that, I could feel her disgust and shame when she realized she had erred. She is neither an entirely sympathetic figure or a hopelessly cruel one. I found that this duality made her complex and interesting in a way that a purely good or purely evil character would not have been.

This duality extends to the secondary characters as well. They are equally well drawn, with hints of both kindness and cruelty apparent in almost everyone. Gedge has created a set of complex, thought-provoking characters who'll certainly stay with me for a long time.

Overall, this was an excellent read, and one that I highly recommend to anyone interested in ancient Egypt or in good historical fiction. show less

Thu, a young peasant girl from Aswat in Egypt does not want a typical life of illiteracy, marriage, midwifery, servitude and drudgery. Her mother is the village midwife and Thu is her student, this training will serve her well later in life. However, she sees her brother going to school and learning hieroglyphics to become a scribe snd he secretly teaches her. She is a very intelligent and determined young woman and she eventually succeeds in leaving Aswat and becoming a student of Hui, the Seer to the Pharaoh Ramses.
She is beautiful, intelligent and cunning and is soon in the company of powerful men close to Ramses. She cleverly moves up the social ladder to the stage where she becomes the most favoured concubine of Ramses.
I found show more the politics interesting as the priests with their temples seem to sway more authority than the Ramses. However, Thu is drawn into a plot to assassinate Ramses and it does not go as planned. Her fall from the top is extreme as her “friends” turn on her and she is defenceless. show less

A stunningly written book. Transports the reader to the ancient land of Egypt and the life of a remarkable young girl. Much intrigue amongst the reeds and golden bracelets.

I've read this many a time. Always a great read about how cleverness and ambition can be harnessed in one young woman. Pauline Gedge is such a wonderful historical fiction writer of ancient egypt. You can tell she really puts the effort into her research.