Reviews and Comments

Scary, scary story of a possible dystopian future. I started reading it in the bath and it captivated me so much that I didn't get out until I'd finished; I just couldn't move from it. Definitely read it.

The first half of the book is wonderful. The descriptions are rich and vivid as Smith takes his time to slowly unravel their stories. The pace is perfect. As the characters age, though, Smith spends less and less time exploring their psyche until eventually the book writes more or less as a factual listing of events. I wish he'd kept the slow, easy pace throughout - of course given the already hefty size of this book it probably would have meant splitting it in two. As it is, though, I felt a bit cheated when I reached the end. Nevertheless it's a great read, and I'll pick up the others in the Ancient Egypt series at some point.

A friend loaned me his copy of the book at a very significant time in my life. It became a friend on lonely nights, a beacon, a pick-me-up and a companion. Even if you don't agree with the principles therein, it's a lovely read filled with a range of heartfelt emotions; a real inspirational tale.

I lived in Cambridge city for a while and it fast became one of my favourite cities. This book brought back lots of fond memories and wrapped them in a rich history - it's whimsically written, the story is superbly paced and tense - a great read.

The first chapter of the book takes place on the slopes of a dangerous mountain that a woman and her husband are attempting to climb. I'm not typically a fan of extreme mountain climbing, know nothing about the terminology, don't follow it as an activity - and yet found myself completely drawn in to the passionate summary of events given by the author.

And then the scene ended, the rest of the book began, and I struggled through a few chapters of dull writing before giving up. Such a huge shift in style and readability just between that one scene at the beginning and what came after. So I haven't read the full book. I might go back and try to finish it, if I ever find myself mind-numbingly bored one day.