Aegypt MP3 CD – Unabridged, March 1, 2007

I have long thought that John Crowley did not entirely inhabit the same universe I was born into. Since the first novel of his I opened, in fact. Having read "Aegypt" that thought has become certainty. Crowley is a visitor to, not a resident, of this "normal" continuum. Only thus, could his magnificent ability to weave the plot of a novel from one plane of reality, into another, and back again, have come to be ---and to leave the reader a bit unsure which "reality" is really "reality". Is the main protagonist of "Aegypt" Pierce Moffet, somewhat bewildered teacher at a New York City college, seeking a different life in the countryside? Is it Rosie Mucho, disenchanted wife whose life has not developed the way she had envisioned it, desperately seeking more? Or is it Sixteenth Century cleric and astronomer Giordano Bruno, embracing new modes of thought which will eventually see him executed for heresy? Or is "Aegypt" the story of the world itself, on the cusp and in transition from what it once was, with one set of physical laws, into what it is now, with entirely different rules? I suspect the answer may be different for each individual reader. The only certainty is that once this novel is picked up and begun, the reader will continue it to the end. No other course could be contemplated. Enjoy!

John Crowley is a marvelous writer in the manner of John Irving or Salman Rushdie. His writing is evocative of visual imagery, landscapes and dreamscapes and requiring some thought. His books are not an easy read but but well worth the effort. Understanding the history of this book is helpful. It is the beginning of a 4 book series but was originally a single book. Knowing that will help you forgive some of the slower moments of thoughtful contemplation as there is room to lollygag in a 1200 page book that you would find unacceptable in a 400 pager. I was recommended to this book from a science fiction magazine and so was expecting something recognizable as science fictiony stuff.......there really is nothing that would label this wonderful book SF though.......I will read the rest of the books and take them as they are (but I hope there is something......a buried spaceship or an ancient robot...........) and I'm sure I will enjoy them as well as I did this book. You should read it.

John Crowley's novels, are not as well read as they should. The Aegypt series, 4 books in all, Aegypt or The Solitudes, being the first book, is superb reading. Completely enlightening and engaging, the stories blend modern times, historical fiction and subtle fantasy into an intoxicating tour de force. This is what reading for pleasure is all about!

Fast delivery....good read.

A great book with many HMMMMM moments. A favorite.

One to read again and again. I can't wait to order next in series. Definitely a writer I would read all he writes.

It will change the way you look at history, including the history of your own life.A very enjoyable and instructive book. I'm looking forward to 'Love and Sleep'.

Great book, really well done

Nothing quite like this. Beautifully written, as one expects from Crowley. He really is akin to a master sculptor, he nails his craft and creates beauty, often.Yet this book isn't perfect, thankfully. Nor does it make sense - thankfully. This is a book within a book. Crowley is playing a game and pushing what a novel can be, or what it wants to be. Great art, lets say painting, could solely rely upon what the eye perceives and get down on canvas just that, what we can see. Well this could seem pointless to some - when your medium, be it paint, marble or the written word - could do so much more.Well Crowley does just that. Creates a universe of endless possibility and mystery and magic and alchemy and philosophy in which the journey is much more important than the destination. Aegypt is the first of four (in the Aegypt tetralogy).Terence Mckenna was a fan of Crowley. This fact alone is worth giving this a shot if newbie, and fans of 'Little, Big' shouldn't harbor any inhibition about clicking buy now!!

Contents a disappointing ramble of mundane, ordinary people's lives. Nothing about Egypt at all, as the title Aegypt indicates. Very disappointed.