Before I started reading Isaac and the Egg, I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that there was a lot of hype surrounding this book, which is released this week, Thursday 18 August. I definitely did not expect Isaac and the Egg to melt my heart, warm my heart and break my heart. Yet it did all three, over and over again as I progressed through the novel. Now that I have read it, I can honestly say that Isaac and the Egg is one of the best books I have ever read. It definitely deserves all the hype that is surrounding it.
Rich in humour and emotional intelligence, this is a sublime novel about grief. Even though it is so surreal, it is very real and raw as it explores the pain, anger and emotional torment that is part of grief. This is also a poignant novel about the fear of failure and not feeling good enough.
When the story opens ‘Isaac Addy stands on a bridge, unsure whether to jump or not.’ He is on the brink of suicide following the sudden death of his wife Mary. In pain and anguish Isaac screams so loud that the ‘forest holds its breath…Then, out of nowhere, something screams back.’ That scream, igniting a strange curiosity in Isaac, results in him investigating the surrounding woods. Isaac discovers a two foot egg ‘sitting resplendent in the middle of a clearing.’
And so begins a quirky, hilarious, moving and poignant story of friendship, pain and hope. I really don’t want to say too much as part of the beauty of this novel is discovering it all for yourself. Yet throughout the narrative Bobby Palmer brilliantly juxtapositions emotional pain with warmth and hilarity. For example the scene when Isaac, with pesto smeared across his cheeks ‘like a commando‘, cleans the kitchen with the Egg’s help is hilarious, yet it is also heart wrenching. There are so many scenes in this novel that made me smile and made me laugh, yet also made me cry. In fact I struggled to read the end as I was crying that much.
I also need to point out the very clever and funny use of movie references including Dirty Dancing, A Wonderful Life and ET. This is just sheer brilliance as it enhances the story and also the comedy that runs throughout the whole novel.
Thank you to Alara Delfosse from Headline for my beautiful gifted copy of Isaac and the Egg and for inviting to be part of the blog tour of this stunning debut novel – it is a true modern masterpiece. However the biggest thank you must go to Bobby Palmer for giving the world Isaac, Mary and the Egg.
I now want an Egg, but I don’t want any egg, I want the Egg.
To follow the blog tour please see below.
Happy reading everyone! 🙂
