For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can't quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob - a young lawyer with an utterly normal life - hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other.
But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world, and for once, it isn't Charley's doing. There's someone else out there who shares his powers and it's up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them - before anyone gets to The End.
A joyous, inventive and engaging debut featuring a young academic with the power to bring literary characters out of their books and into the real world - the ultimate book-lover's fantasy.
“We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me.”
In the acknowledgements section of her debut novel, H.G. Parry describes THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEP as ‘a love letter to literary analysis’ and it certainly is that and so much more. Parry takes inspiration, and characters, from the great writers of the 19th century and has wonderful fun playing with the interactions between her protagonists and the likes of the titular Uriah Heep, Dorian Grey, Sherlock Holmes, Mr Darcy and many more. But as well as fun, Parry also demonstrates a keen understanding of these classic characters and they always feel like themselves and never pastiche.
Set in Wellington, New Zealand, the story concerns Charley Sutherland and his ability to bring characters from books to life, and it is important that the reader accepts this key conceit at the start - Charley just can do this. The novel is largely narrated by Charley’s older brother, Rob who, as the book begins, is called in the middle of the night to the university where Charley has ‘lost’ Uriah Heep. It would be unfair to detail any more of the plot than that but it is a fast-paced adventure. The story is also about family and the relationship between Charley and Rob is the real key to making the novel work. It is authentic and moving, full of the love and petty jealousies that siblings share.
I enjoyed the novel immensely. It is exciting and full of wonderful inventions and at times laugh out loud funny.
"Heathcliff isn't much on specificity," Millie said. "If he wants a boiled egg, he'll hint darkly at the metaphorical properties of chickens, and rage at the body's need for sustenance despite the ravages of the soul."
An excellent debut.
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