What do you think?
Rate this book
Isaac and the Egg
Heartbreaking and heart-stealing, this bestselling modern-day fable is an unforgettable novel about sorrow, joy, friendship and love.
When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he's going to take it home.
A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don't even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac's life in ways he cannot yet imagine.
And maybe he will finally be able to tell the truth.
When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he's going to take it home.
A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don't even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac's life in ways he cannot yet imagine.
And maybe he will finally be able to tell the truth.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 9, 2022
About the author
Bobby Palmer
2 books193 followersBOBBY PALMER is an author and journalist whose writing has appeared in GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and more. He is co-host of the literary podcast BOOK CHAT with Pandora Sykes.
His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, was an instant Saturday Times bestseller, selling 50,000 copies in its first year of publication. A Prima and Woman & Home 'Best Book of 2022', the novel appeared on BBC Radio 4's Open Book, featured as Guardian 'Audiobook of the Week', and was chosen by Dawn O'Porter as part of her 'Dawn Loves' book club with WHSmith.
Bobby's second novel, SMALL HOURS, will publish in March 2024.
His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, was an instant Saturday Times bestseller, selling 50,000 copies in its first year of publication. A Prima and Woman & Home 'Best Book of 2022', the novel appeared on BBC Radio 4's Open Book, featured as Guardian 'Audiobook of the Week', and was chosen by Dawn O'Porter as part of her 'Dawn Loves' book club with WHSmith.
Bobby's second novel, SMALL HOURS, will publish in March 2024.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,229 reviews
June 14, 2022
Oh my! Isaac and the Egg veers from totally heart wrenching to delightfully amusing.
Isaac Addy really isn’t coping with life, and we meet him as he contemplates ending that life, by jumping from a bridge - he sees no hope after losing the love of his life, his wife Mary. However, something very strange is about to take place when he discovers a huge egg in a forest by the bridge, which unsurprisingly he decides to call ‘Egg’.
I won’t say any more about it, other than we’re able to share Isaac’s life with Egg, and believe me, what a roller coaster it is, from Isaac’s descent into mental breakdown, to his amusing and touching moments as he and Egg try to create a relationship as friends and lodgers.
A beautifully written debut novel, that would melt a heart of stone, and I suspect it’s going to be very popular! After reading this, I think you’ll agree, we all need an ‘Egg’ in our lives!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Isaac Addy really isn’t coping with life, and we meet him as he contemplates ending that life, by jumping from a bridge - he sees no hope after losing the love of his life, his wife Mary. However, something very strange is about to take place when he discovers a huge egg in a forest by the bridge, which unsurprisingly he decides to call ‘Egg’.
I won’t say any more about it, other than we’re able to share Isaac’s life with Egg, and believe me, what a roller coaster it is, from Isaac’s descent into mental breakdown, to his amusing and touching moments as he and Egg try to create a relationship as friends and lodgers.
A beautifully written debut novel, that would melt a heart of stone, and I suspect it’s going to be very popular! After reading this, I think you’ll agree, we all need an ‘Egg’ in our lives!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
August 23, 2022
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
My Blog - Twitter - Amazon - The Book Review Crew
This book was everything. It is sort of a feel-good book, but not completely, it is also a very sad book but has many funny moments. It is definitely literary fiction but the plot is divine. This is undeniably a character-driven novel and Egg and Isaac are characters you'll fall in love with, I guarantee it.
The story kept me captivated the entire time and it seamlessly blended the completely heartbreaking story of losing someone you love with the humour of trying to live with and teach an "Egg". Don't be fooled though, the Egg teaches Isaac just as much as Isaac teaches the Egg.
This book made me cry and filled me with joy in equal measure. Even though it deals with grief it is also about hope, friends, family, and the little things in life that make us happy and matter most. I found it completely filled with love.
This was a truly unique take on an old premise and an extraordinary one at that, what a marvelous debut.
This book was everything. It is sort of a feel-good book, but not completely, it is also a very sad book but has many funny moments. It is definitely literary fiction but the plot is divine. This is undeniably a character-driven novel and Egg and Isaac are characters you'll fall in love with, I guarantee it.
The story kept me captivated the entire time and it seamlessly blended the completely heartbreaking story of losing someone you love with the humour of trying to live with and teach an "Egg". Don't be fooled though, the Egg teaches Isaac just as much as Isaac teaches the Egg.
This book made me cry and filled me with joy in equal measure. Even though it deals with grief it is also about hope, friends, family, and the little things in life that make us happy and matter most. I found it completely filled with love.
This was a truly unique take on an old premise and an extraordinary one at that, what a marvelous debut.
May 19, 2024
In a Nutshell: Can’t believe this is a debut work! So nuanced, so well-developed, so innovative, so wacky! The audiobook narrator took the great plot ever higher.
Story Synopsis: (Don’t want to reveal much, so just giving the barest of outlines. But the story is a lot more than this.)
First things first. This book won’t work for those who take the written word literally. There is a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, and a plot that veers between the fantastical and the outrageous. If you want a straightforward storyline that calls a spade a spade, better avoid this book. It’s for those who would enjoy allegorical takes on pragmatic conundrums.
Where the book worked for me: (Again, trying very hard to avoid spoilers! This is tough!)
💛 Egg. That’s it. No further explanations possible. Just know, I loved Egg.
💛 Isaac’s portrayal. I laughed with him. I cried with him. I felt like whacking him. I felt like hugging him. Though known to us only through a third person narration, Isaac was almost an open book, until you discover that he wasn’t.
💛 There are a few secondary characters who have quite brief roles. But even in their limited page space, their personality shines through clearly. The best of these were Mary and Joy.
💛 This is an out-and-out character-oriented novel. Such stories are tougher to carry out successfully, but the author does a splendid job.
💛 The depiction of grief is one of the best ones I have seen in fiction. Subtle yet impactful.
💛 For a debut work, it is impressive to see how controlled the writing and the plot development is. The story doesn’t go all over the place but sticks to its focus and delivers plenty of surprises too.
💛 Though most of the plot is very intense because of grief and mental breakdowns being the prime focus, there are still some light scenes and humorous banter between Isaac and Egg. These are really well-done and don’t feel out-of-place despite the dreary theme.
💛 I was worried that the ending would shatter me. But it is heartwarming and hopeful, and more importantly, proceeds logically from the story.
💛 The nod to ET.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
💔 It gets very intense on the feelings, especially when Isaac is in the depths of despair. You feel as lost as he is, floundering to get a grip on reality while shackled by his grief. Feeling a oneness with the character works to a disadvantage when the character is struggling to cope and doesn’t want to continue living.
💔 It’s a bit slow at the start. The audiobook helps.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 7 hrs 25 min, is narrated by Johnny Flynn. I honestly believed that no one can match Christopher Ragland when it comes to voicing non-human characters. Johnny Flynn negated my assumption. What an outstanding narration… nay… performance! When Isaac is dealing with grief, Flynn sounds depressed. When Isaac is happier, Flynn sounds jubilant. There is some communication from Egg’s perspective, and in these, Flynn sounds like… well, like how Egg would have sounded! After a long time, I had an audiobook that I couldn't stop listening to, and that took me along the highs and lows of the characters’ emotions. Brilliantly done!
There’s so much more I want to talk about, but these babblings would be tantamount to huge spoilers. I hope this is a book where a little feedback will go a long way, just like the singular theme of the story takes the plot to greater heights.
Strongly recommended to those looking for an unusual story that combines literary fiction, magical realism, and contemporary drama. It’s simultaneously weird and wonderful! If you are an audiobook aficionado, please opt for the audio version.
4.5 stars. (If I had read this, it would have been at least 4 stars, though I am not sure how I would have felt about the barrage of grief in the initial section. But the audiobook deserves a much higher rating.)
My thanks to Headline Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Isaac and the Egg”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
Story Synopsis: (Don’t want to reveal much, so just giving the barest of outlines. But the story is a lot more than this.)
Isaac Addy is contemplating suicide. While standing on the ledge of a bridge, trying to build up the courage to jump off, he suddenly hears some screaming. In following the noise, he stumbles upon a 2 feet high white egg in the forest. Isaac feels a sudden kinship with the abandoned egg and decides to take it home. Thus begins the unexpected journey of Isaac and his strange companion, whom he decides to name ‘Egg’. (Yeah, not the most imaginative guy, this Isaac!)
The story is written in the present tense using the third person limited perspective of Isaac.
First things first. This book won’t work for those who take the written word literally. There is a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, and a plot that veers between the fantastical and the outrageous. If you want a straightforward storyline that calls a spade a spade, better avoid this book. It’s for those who would enjoy allegorical takes on pragmatic conundrums.
Where the book worked for me: (Again, trying very hard to avoid spoilers! This is tough!)
💛 Egg. That’s it. No further explanations possible. Just know, I loved Egg.
💛 Isaac’s portrayal. I laughed with him. I cried with him. I felt like whacking him. I felt like hugging him. Though known to us only through a third person narration, Isaac was almost an open book, until you discover that he wasn’t.
💛 There are a few secondary characters who have quite brief roles. But even in their limited page space, their personality shines through clearly. The best of these were Mary and Joy.
💛 This is an out-and-out character-oriented novel. Such stories are tougher to carry out successfully, but the author does a splendid job.
💛 The depiction of grief is one of the best ones I have seen in fiction. Subtle yet impactful.
💛 For a debut work, it is impressive to see how controlled the writing and the plot development is. The story doesn’t go all over the place but sticks to its focus and delivers plenty of surprises too.
💛 Though most of the plot is very intense because of grief and mental breakdowns being the prime focus, there are still some light scenes and humorous banter between Isaac and Egg. These are really well-done and don’t feel out-of-place despite the dreary theme.
💛 I was worried that the ending would shatter me. But it is heartwarming and hopeful, and more importantly, proceeds logically from the story.
💛 The nod to ET.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
💔 It gets very intense on the feelings, especially when Isaac is in the depths of despair. You feel as lost as he is, floundering to get a grip on reality while shackled by his grief. Feeling a oneness with the character works to a disadvantage when the character is struggling to cope and doesn’t want to continue living.
💔 It’s a bit slow at the start. The audiobook helps.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 7 hrs 25 min, is narrated by Johnny Flynn. I honestly believed that no one can match Christopher Ragland when it comes to voicing non-human characters. Johnny Flynn negated my assumption. What an outstanding narration… nay… performance! When Isaac is dealing with grief, Flynn sounds depressed. When Isaac is happier, Flynn sounds jubilant. There is some communication from Egg’s perspective, and in these, Flynn sounds like… well, like how Egg would have sounded! After a long time, I had an audiobook that I couldn't stop listening to, and that took me along the highs and lows of the characters’ emotions. Brilliantly done!
There’s so much more I want to talk about, but these babblings would be tantamount to huge spoilers. I hope this is a book where a little feedback will go a long way, just like the singular theme of the story takes the plot to greater heights.
Strongly recommended to those looking for an unusual story that combines literary fiction, magical realism, and contemporary drama. It’s simultaneously weird and wonderful! If you are an audiobook aficionado, please opt for the audio version.
4.5 stars. (If I had read this, it would have been at least 4 stars, though I am not sure how I would have felt about the barrage of grief in the initial section. But the audiobook deserves a much higher rating.)
My thanks to Headline Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “Isaac and the Egg”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Facebook | Twitter
August 11, 2023
A moving story of a man’s struggle with grief after the death of his wife.
Isaac is standing on a bridge, contemplating taking his own life when he screams into the void. What screams back will change his live forever.
I won’t say any more as I do think it is best to go in blind and take it as it comes. But I found it to be a refreshing and devastating look at grief and guilt.
I’ll be looking out for what this author does next.
Isaac is standing on a bridge, contemplating taking his own life when he screams into the void. What screams back will change his live forever.
I won’t say any more as I do think it is best to go in blind and take it as it comes. But I found it to be a refreshing and devastating look at grief and guilt.
I’ll be looking out for what this author does next.
June 20, 2022
Isaac Addy contemplates the swirling river in the abyss beneath the bridge, his pain as deep as the dark water. He screams his agony into the night and hears an echo like scream back. He sets off blindly into the gloom, stumbling and clambering into the thick wood and there in a clearing almost nestling is an egg. That’s your lot because anything more would spoil the joy of the experience ahead and the mystery of Isaac Addy!!
One of the reasons I like reading debuts is the marvel of the discovery of a new author who makes magic with words. The characterisation is superb, Isaac is grieving, his pain is raw and acute and he doesn’t know which way is up. He’s lonely, suffering, full of anger and his misery is palpable. As for the egg, you’ll have to encounter the wonder and sheer pleasure of that for yourself!
This is beautifully written, it’s captivating with a delightful blend of humour and the heart breaking. Some scenes are so vivid, so well described you feel like a fly on the wall observing the frequent chaos. Many of the incidents make me smile and I doubt I’ll ever open a tin of beans or look at a toaster in the same way ever again!!!! It’s creative in a myriad of ways, it initially seems straightforward but it’s a more complex tale than it appears at first glance. I love the clever use of film to make pertinent points and the delightful originality of some of the language.
It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it baffles as you realise how much is being concealed. The ending leaves me with a huge lump in my throat. Thank you Bobby Palmer for taking me on this fantastic journey and if there’s any justice you have a bestseller on your hands!!! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
One of the reasons I like reading debuts is the marvel of the discovery of a new author who makes magic with words. The characterisation is superb, Isaac is grieving, his pain is raw and acute and he doesn’t know which way is up. He’s lonely, suffering, full of anger and his misery is palpable. As for the egg, you’ll have to encounter the wonder and sheer pleasure of that for yourself!
This is beautifully written, it’s captivating with a delightful blend of humour and the heart breaking. Some scenes are so vivid, so well described you feel like a fly on the wall observing the frequent chaos. Many of the incidents make me smile and I doubt I’ll ever open a tin of beans or look at a toaster in the same way ever again!!!! It’s creative in a myriad of ways, it initially seems straightforward but it’s a more complex tale than it appears at first glance. I love the clever use of film to make pertinent points and the delightful originality of some of the language.
It makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it baffles as you realise how much is being concealed. The ending leaves me with a huge lump in my throat. Thank you Bobby Palmer for taking me on this fantastic journey and if there’s any justice you have a bestseller on your hands!!! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
October 24, 2021
THIS BOOK. Oh my goodness. Truly one of the most beautiful stories you'll ever read (it's also the most heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of grief I've yet to find). But it's also full of JOY and pockets of wonderful humour, and it's written with generosity and warmth, and such perception. What's it about? I'd love to have a stab at explaining it to you, but I can't. You're just going to have to find out for yourself, but I can tell you one thing: it's a story for anyone who has ever lost somebody, or has ever lost their way. It's about ... an egg. And Isaac. Obviously. It's also about hope and love, and baked beans, and it is UTTERLY BRILLIANT.
May 26, 2023
I don’t really know what i just read but I know that I feel good about it (once I wipe away the tears)
January 15, 2024
Among the stupidest books I’ve read in a long time. Maybe I’m being harsh and it just wasn’t for me. I finished it out of spite. Got slightly better. But cheesy and badly written the entire way through. Great book if it were marketed for 8-10 year olds, I mean that in all sincerity not as an insult.
This book made me realise that dumb people can also have their reviews quoted on book covers, it’s literally the only explanation that makes sense for this one.
This book made me realise that dumb people can also have their reviews quoted on book covers, it’s literally the only explanation that makes sense for this one.
March 29, 2023
I have avoided the recent trend of books about grief and have issues with audio so this was another choice that perplexed me in hindsight – that was until I started listening.
It is a sad and touching tale told without over-wrought angst or melodrama.
Isaac's emotional distress is expressed through the quiet as he struggles to live through his grief, shunning all company except that of Egg.
He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them.
The spare prose is not sickly sentimental or manipulative, but has a wry, mildly humourous turn of phrase which is perfectly complimented by Johnny Flynn's narration. He has that particularly English inflection suggesting he is not taking life too seriously (despite the subject matter). And although his tone is calm and measured he manages to express such a wide range of emotion.
To be honest I was bowled over by this audiobook.
5 stars for everything and highly recommended.
I received this audiobook from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
It is a sad and touching tale told without over-wrought angst or melodrama.
Isaac's emotional distress is expressed through the quiet as he struggles to live through his grief, shunning all company except that of Egg.
He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them.
The spare prose is not sickly sentimental or manipulative, but has a wry, mildly humourous turn of phrase which is perfectly complimented by Johnny Flynn's narration. He has that particularly English inflection suggesting he is not taking life too seriously (despite the subject matter). And although his tone is calm and measured he manages to express such a wide range of emotion.
To be honest I was bowled over by this audiobook.
5 stars for everything and highly recommended.
I received this audiobook from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2022
I've really struggled to rate this book. It's like the literary equivalent of spending all your money on the finest, highest quality ingredients, and then asking the chef from McDonald's to cook them for you. There are some beautiful ideas, insight and concepts here, and the makings of an absolutely phenomenal book, but it's just not been put together right. I think this has to be the fault of the Editor; it reads like an excellent first draft which hasn't been worked up properly. Aspects haven't been fully developed, certain bits don't fit together, and what could have been beautiful metaphors, just turned out plain weird. Thus, while I've given it two stars, it's more a combination of 5 star potential, and 1-2 star execution.
November 7, 2022
Briefly - Grief and love, powerful if you become engaged
The start of this held me nicely. Isaac is stood on the bridge and considering suicide. Within that he remembers nothing, he screams and then hears a scream that is not his coming from the forest alongside the river. Despite the state he is in - and the engine is still running on his car at the end of the bridge - he heads into the forest to find the source of the scream. There he finds Egg.
This book narrates Isaac's time with Egg. Without giving things away it's actually quite hard to say a lot more about the detail of this book. Personally I think it's one to be enjoyed "fresh". I think I can safely say that it is about grief and love and very powerful if you are engaged with the story. Isaac's life is one that really has unravelled and almost terminally so. The question really is does he have a way out.
There was much I liked about this book. It was certainly different and I was engaged with it. The picture painted of Isaac's life - out of control as it was - convinced me. The Egg intrigued me even if I never really examined what I thought about it until almost the end. There was some humour here though mostly rather dark. And yet... somehow it didn't completely fully click with me. Having said that I would recommend it to anyone at all interested as a worthwhile read. 3.5/5 and rounded up for originality.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
The start of this held me nicely. Isaac is stood on the bridge and considering suicide. Within that he remembers nothing, he screams and then hears a scream that is not his coming from the forest alongside the river. Despite the state he is in - and the engine is still running on his car at the end of the bridge - he heads into the forest to find the source of the scream. There he finds Egg.
This book narrates Isaac's time with Egg. Without giving things away it's actually quite hard to say a lot more about the detail of this book. Personally I think it's one to be enjoyed "fresh". I think I can safely say that it is about grief and love and very powerful if you are engaged with the story. Isaac's life is one that really has unravelled and almost terminally so. The question really is does he have a way out.
There was much I liked about this book. It was certainly different and I was engaged with it. The picture painted of Isaac's life - out of control as it was - convinced me. The Egg intrigued me even if I never really examined what I thought about it until almost the end. There was some humour here though mostly rather dark. And yet... somehow it didn't completely fully click with me. Having said that I would recommend it to anyone at all interested as a worthwhile read. 3.5/5 and rounded up for originality.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
June 27, 2022
*Thank you to Headline for sending me an ARC of this book to review!*
I had no idea what to expect from this book, I went into it completely blind not knowing anything about it - and to be honest that was perfect. I don’t think anyone could have described this book to me anyway, if I had to tell you what this book was about I’d be lost for words.
It was utterly charming, which probably sounds like the strangest description of a book about grief you could imagine but it’s true. It captured the tsunami feeling of grief so perfectly and what felt like effortlessly, feeling like you’re spiralling out of control and losing your grip on reality while life carries on for everybody else. Isaac was profoundly relatable and his emotions throughout the book felt so real.
This book was completely bizarre in the best way. At first I was extremely sceptical, I thought the events in here were a tad silly but I really warned to the odd nature of it.There were several times in here that I actually laughed out loud. It was extremely well written and I had no idea where it was going, but the journey was completely worth it. When you get to the end of the book and things start unfolding so you get the full picture of what happened, I was utterly amazed. It was so well done and hit me right in the heart.
This was a story about grief and heartbreak, but mainly about hope and moving forward and living while you still can. It was silly, it was heartfelt and so lovely I could have cried. This book was a completely unexpected gem.
I had no idea what to expect from this book, I went into it completely blind not knowing anything about it - and to be honest that was perfect. I don’t think anyone could have described this book to me anyway, if I had to tell you what this book was about I’d be lost for words.
It was utterly charming, which probably sounds like the strangest description of a book about grief you could imagine but it’s true. It captured the tsunami feeling of grief so perfectly and what felt like effortlessly, feeling like you’re spiralling out of control and losing your grip on reality while life carries on for everybody else. Isaac was profoundly relatable and his emotions throughout the book felt so real.
This book was completely bizarre in the best way. At first I was extremely sceptical, I thought the events in here were a tad silly but I really warned to the odd nature of it.There were several times in here that I actually laughed out loud. It was extremely well written and I had no idea where it was going, but the journey was completely worth it. When you get to the end of the book and things start unfolding so you get the full picture of what happened, I was utterly amazed. It was so well done and hit me right in the heart.
This was a story about grief and heartbreak, but mainly about hope and moving forward and living while you still can. It was silly, it was heartfelt and so lovely I could have cried. This book was a completely unexpected gem.
April 14, 2023
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review as part of the book tour hosted by Random Things Tours.
Isaac and the Egg is one of the most heartfelt and true portrayals of grief I've ever read. Told in a quirky way we follow Isaac Addy who's recently been left bereaved by his wife and is struggling to get through his grief. After finding a strange Egg in a forest, Isacc takes it home and this is where the story takes flight. This is definitely a book everyone should read at some stage of their life to help them understand bereavement and loss in a way that's so hard to explain to anyone who's not experienced it. I loved Egg and the presence it had in Isaacs life, just when he needed it. This book melted my heart in so many ways I didn't think was possible and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read and share this with you all. Full of rawness and relatablity, I just fell in love with the characters and felt their grief and turmoil through every page. I'm sure this won't be a book for everyone but it was certainly a book for me!
Isaac and the Egg is one of the most heartfelt and true portrayals of grief I've ever read. Told in a quirky way we follow Isaac Addy who's recently been left bereaved by his wife and is struggling to get through his grief. After finding a strange Egg in a forest, Isacc takes it home and this is where the story takes flight. This is definitely a book everyone should read at some stage of their life to help them understand bereavement and loss in a way that's so hard to explain to anyone who's not experienced it. I loved Egg and the presence it had in Isaacs life, just when he needed it. This book melted my heart in so many ways I didn't think was possible and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read and share this with you all. Full of rawness and relatablity, I just fell in love with the characters and felt their grief and turmoil through every page. I'm sure this won't be a book for everyone but it was certainly a book for me!
July 25, 2022
One of the most understatedly beautiful books I've read in a long time.
First a confession; the love of my life died very recently so this book brought me to tears so very many times. But it also made me snort with laughter.
The recently bereaved Isaac finds himself suddenly in charge of an alien he refers to as Egg. We do not what Egg is or where it has come from but Egg, it seems, is here to help Isaac with the loss of his wife. However, with Egg's arrival Isaac is forced to confront the truth that he is not coping, he is not fine and he needs help. He's also keeping secrets from Egg: where does Isaac go? Who is Isaac talking to so secretively and why is the room at the top of the house locked? Egg is determined to find out.
The story of Isaac Addy, Mary Moray and Egg is simple, sad, funny, joyful and heartbreaking. I recognised so many of Isaac's gripes from my own life - why won't people leave me alone? Why should I let go of old shoes? What's wrong with beans for every meal? Isaac's grief was rarely raw but so very powerful perhaps because of its orderiness.
A truly astounding debut novel.
Very very highly recommended. Read it.
First a confession; the love of my life died very recently so this book brought me to tears so very many times. But it also made me snort with laughter.
The recently bereaved Isaac finds himself suddenly in charge of an alien he refers to as Egg. We do not what Egg is or where it has come from but Egg, it seems, is here to help Isaac with the loss of his wife. However, with Egg's arrival Isaac is forced to confront the truth that he is not coping, he is not fine and he needs help. He's also keeping secrets from Egg: where does Isaac go? Who is Isaac talking to so secretively and why is the room at the top of the house locked? Egg is determined to find out.
The story of Isaac Addy, Mary Moray and Egg is simple, sad, funny, joyful and heartbreaking. I recognised so many of Isaac's gripes from my own life - why won't people leave me alone? Why should I let go of old shoes? What's wrong with beans for every meal? Isaac's grief was rarely raw but so very powerful perhaps because of its orderiness.
A truly astounding debut novel.
Very very highly recommended. Read it.
November 10, 2022
Audiobook review narrated by Johnny Flynn.
This book was made for audio, and made for the narrator.
I cannot describe my enjoyment of this. Although maybe enjoyment is the wrong word- there are scenes that will break your heart, but scenes that will mend it.
The Egg is a weird character, there's no doubt. but he is superb. Johnny Flynn captures the humour and warmth perfectly, and his 'egg noises' were the best part. Even my fiance said, 'this is the best audiobook you've ever listened to', and he hadn't even heard a lot of it!
The warmth comes with pain though, and there are depictions of grief that literally took my breath away with their accuracy. I just want to be able to listen to this audiobook when my own grief becomes overwhelming.
It is outstanding.
This book was made for audio, and made for the narrator.
I cannot describe my enjoyment of this. Although maybe enjoyment is the wrong word- there are scenes that will break your heart, but scenes that will mend it.
The Egg is a weird character, there's no doubt. but he is superb. Johnny Flynn captures the humour and warmth perfectly, and his 'egg noises' were the best part. Even my fiance said, 'this is the best audiobook you've ever listened to', and he hadn't even heard a lot of it!
The warmth comes with pain though, and there are depictions of grief that literally took my breath away with their accuracy. I just want to be able to listen to this audiobook when my own grief becomes overwhelming.
It is outstanding.
June 8, 2023
3.5 stars
A unique take on healing from grief with a sympathetic character, lots of pop culture references, and a walking, talking egg that might be an alien or a figment of the MC's imagination. I rooted for Isaac from the beginning and keenly felt his despair, but his overall sadness weighed the book down. It lifts back up in the end, but I needed more of a balance in the middle. Still, I'm glad that I read it.
A unique take on healing from grief with a sympathetic character, lots of pop culture references, and a walking, talking egg that might be an alien or a figment of the MC's imagination. I rooted for Isaac from the beginning and keenly felt his despair, but his overall sadness weighed the book down. It lifts back up in the end, but I needed more of a balance in the middle. Still, I'm glad that I read it.
October 30, 2023
I cried. This tale of love, loss, and companionship will stay with me for a long time.
July 3, 2022
⭐️ 1 star sorry.
This is not my usual genre of book but every now and then I like to try something different so when I saw the reviews for this, I decided to give it a go.
However I just couldn’t get into it. I stopped and started it a couple of times but I just found the storyline and the concept of the egg really silly.
This is the first time ever where I have given up on a book.
This is not my usual genre of book but every now and then I like to try something different so when I saw the reviews for this, I decided to give it a go.
However I just couldn’t get into it. I stopped and started it a couple of times but I just found the storyline and the concept of the egg really silly.
This is the first time ever where I have given up on a book.
August 12, 2022
At several points throughout my reading of Bobby Palmer’s wonderful debut Isaac and the Egg, I was reminded of similar fictional explorations of loss. Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to mind, but, more obviously, David Almond’s seminal Skellig. Like both these books, Isaac and the Egg utilises the motif of an “alternate”: a non-human guide who appears at a critical juncture in the protagonist’s life in order to guide them towards transformation. Just like these novels, too, Isaac and the Egg is a fairy tale in the purest sense of the genre, utilising both occasional darkness and magical realism to interrogate the starkest realities of the real world.
When we first meet Palmer’s protagonist Isaac Addy he has already reached critical mass, staring into the abyss from a bridge after the death of his beloved wife, Mary. When a chance echo of Isaac’s own scream - similarly feral in its desperation - is heard in the nearby forest, Isaac is compelled to investigate. Whether what follows is real or simply a manifestation of his fractured psyche is a moot point. As readers we are already on board, equally compelled to discover whether even in the darkest of circumstances hope can be found.
This is a deceptively complex novel; a skillful sleight of hand which charms us so fully with its accessible and hugely sympathetic two-hander that we become unaware of what it’s doing under the surface. One of the hallmarks of timeless, classic fiction is to make the specific universal, and stripped of its outer eccentricities this is exactly what Palmer’s novel does. For Isaac is both himself and all of us: in our particular capacity to both love and lose what we love and to grieve its absence in absolutely human ways.
Any notion that Palmer’s conversational prose style is straightforwardly “easy” is quickly undercut by the art of his set pieces. This is especially true in the earlier chapters where the unflinching gaze of Issac’s grief is imbued with such vulnerability that our reading becomes almost invasive. Those of us who have experienced the bone-numbing, pyjama-wearing, time-as-syrup chasm of a close loss will only nod in agreement at these scenes, whilst those who haven’t will find themselves shrinking in fear at their possibility. What is equally so impressive about these chapters, and throughout the novel, is the author’s level of command over his material. In lesser hands, it would be perilously easy to slip into the saccharine, the sentimental, but Palmer manages to control his tonal pedal with immense skill, so that the reader feels moved but never manipulated, seen but never objectified.
A great deal of this control is achieved through the novel’s humour which is threaded throughout. Sometimes it’s with the wry, easy smile of a film reference, or the excellently positioned epigraph, but at other times it’s via the perfectly timed punchline, such as that which comes after Isaac and Egg’s shopping trip to town which had me laughing out loud. Make no mistake, this level of calibration - this pitch-perfect tone of the confessional - is HARD to achieve, but when done well it is masterful in its subtlety.
There are so many wonderful moments in this book seamlessly joined by metaphor and subtext. The idea of grief as an incommunicable language, for example, finds voice in Issac’s initial attempts to understand Egg which gradually evolves through the novel as Isaac begins to emotionally emerge.
If the peripheral characters - even that of Isaac’s wife, Mary - seem shadowy at times, I think this is both intentional and appropriate. The story doesn’t need the frills of excessive backstory nor an excessively drawn cast. To do so would be to dilute the laser focus on its protagonist and, by consequence, the singular nature of his grief which in its rawest state exists at the exclusion of the world.
And it is this authenticity of feeling that proves most impressive about this novel - that rare willingness to be vulnerable on the page which so many authors shy away from - which will stay with readers. Through Isaac’s journey from loss to resurrection we gain the highest recommendation of fiction: to come away learning something new about the world and ourselves.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Headline PG, for the ARC in return for providing an impartial review.
TWs for suicide and death.
When we first meet Palmer’s protagonist Isaac Addy he has already reached critical mass, staring into the abyss from a bridge after the death of his beloved wife, Mary. When a chance echo of Isaac’s own scream - similarly feral in its desperation - is heard in the nearby forest, Isaac is compelled to investigate. Whether what follows is real or simply a manifestation of his fractured psyche is a moot point. As readers we are already on board, equally compelled to discover whether even in the darkest of circumstances hope can be found.
This is a deceptively complex novel; a skillful sleight of hand which charms us so fully with its accessible and hugely sympathetic two-hander that we become unaware of what it’s doing under the surface. One of the hallmarks of timeless, classic fiction is to make the specific universal, and stripped of its outer eccentricities this is exactly what Palmer’s novel does. For Isaac is both himself and all of us: in our particular capacity to both love and lose what we love and to grieve its absence in absolutely human ways.
Any notion that Palmer’s conversational prose style is straightforwardly “easy” is quickly undercut by the art of his set pieces. This is especially true in the earlier chapters where the unflinching gaze of Issac’s grief is imbued with such vulnerability that our reading becomes almost invasive. Those of us who have experienced the bone-numbing, pyjama-wearing, time-as-syrup chasm of a close loss will only nod in agreement at these scenes, whilst those who haven’t will find themselves shrinking in fear at their possibility. What is equally so impressive about these chapters, and throughout the novel, is the author’s level of command over his material. In lesser hands, it would be perilously easy to slip into the saccharine, the sentimental, but Palmer manages to control his tonal pedal with immense skill, so that the reader feels moved but never manipulated, seen but never objectified.
A great deal of this control is achieved through the novel’s humour which is threaded throughout. Sometimes it’s with the wry, easy smile of a film reference, or the excellently positioned epigraph, but at other times it’s via the perfectly timed punchline, such as that which comes after Isaac and Egg’s shopping trip to town which had me laughing out loud. Make no mistake, this level of calibration - this pitch-perfect tone of the confessional - is HARD to achieve, but when done well it is masterful in its subtlety.
There are so many wonderful moments in this book seamlessly joined by metaphor and subtext. The idea of grief as an incommunicable language, for example, finds voice in Issac’s initial attempts to understand Egg which gradually evolves through the novel as Isaac begins to emotionally emerge.
If the peripheral characters - even that of Isaac’s wife, Mary - seem shadowy at times, I think this is both intentional and appropriate. The story doesn’t need the frills of excessive backstory nor an excessively drawn cast. To do so would be to dilute the laser focus on its protagonist and, by consequence, the singular nature of his grief which in its rawest state exists at the exclusion of the world.
And it is this authenticity of feeling that proves most impressive about this novel - that rare willingness to be vulnerable on the page which so many authors shy away from - which will stay with readers. Through Isaac’s journey from loss to resurrection we gain the highest recommendation of fiction: to come away learning something new about the world and ourselves.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Headline PG, for the ARC in return for providing an impartial review.
TWs for suicide and death.
August 2, 2022
So, what do you do when you read (and listen) to a book that you want the whole world to read, but you don't want to tell them too much about it, because this book is one of the most personal books that I have come across in a long time and it is a book that is best started with absolutely no preconceived ideas.
I wanted to sit and talk about this wonderful creation while I was absorbing it, because that's what it does, Bobby Palmers narrative will seep into your very pores. You will want to share every last paragraph of this multilayered triumph, while at the same time wanting to stay quiet, to understand what others make of it, wonder whether you share the same thoughts. My advice is to read it with people, many people, experience it with company.
This book truly stole the air that I was breathing, a tale of tragic loss and the most unfathomable grief, but a story told with the most exquisitely clever humour. A book that, on the surface, its simplicity could be mistaken for a book for a younger audience, but for me that is where it's true power hides. A multilayered, gentle unravelling of a man who feels that he has lost everything, a tender meditation on the power of the mind.
There are ET vibes and there are laugh out loud moments, but the beauty of this book is in its perfectly paced reveal and the intricate weave between what is real and what is imagined.
Can't recommend highly enough, the book of the summer I think.
I wanted to sit and talk about this wonderful creation while I was absorbing it, because that's what it does, Bobby Palmers narrative will seep into your very pores. You will want to share every last paragraph of this multilayered triumph, while at the same time wanting to stay quiet, to understand what others make of it, wonder whether you share the same thoughts. My advice is to read it with people, many people, experience it with company.
This book truly stole the air that I was breathing, a tale of tragic loss and the most unfathomable grief, but a story told with the most exquisitely clever humour. A book that, on the surface, its simplicity could be mistaken for a book for a younger audience, but for me that is where it's true power hides. A multilayered, gentle unravelling of a man who feels that he has lost everything, a tender meditation on the power of the mind.
There are ET vibes and there are laugh out loud moments, but the beauty of this book is in its perfectly paced reveal and the intricate weave between what is real and what is imagined.
Can't recommend highly enough, the book of the summer I think.
January 15, 2024
This is a contemporary novel by English author Bobby Palmer dealing with grief and loss.
Isaac Addy is struggling badly since the loss of his wife Mary. Then there is the surprising day he finds a giant egg in the forest. He takes the egg home and even more surprisingly Egg learns to talk, cook breakfast after a fashion, and generally help Isaac as he flails and flounders his way through his overwhelming grief. The humorous moment helps counterbalance what otherwise would be a very heavy story.
If you read this book you must listen to the audio version otherwise you will miss the amazing egg noises. This was an engaging, quirky but accurate look at grief.
Isaac Addy is struggling badly since the loss of his wife Mary. Then there is the surprising day he finds a giant egg in the forest. He takes the egg home and even more surprisingly Egg learns to talk, cook breakfast after a fashion, and generally help Isaac as he flails and flounders his way through his overwhelming grief. The humorous moment helps counterbalance what otherwise would be a very heavy story.
If you read this book you must listen to the audio version otherwise you will miss the amazing egg noises. This was an engaging, quirky but accurate look at grief.
November 21, 2022
I am so conflicted with this one. I think I may have gone in with too high expectations.
I wished I loved this book and I don’t even have a good reason why I didn’t. I love the story line and how it unravels, I love the humour, I love our little egg, yet… I still didn’t love this book.
Maybe it’s because Isaacs life is (understandably) so dull and boring (despite living with a fluffy egg alien) that it just didn’t captivate me. I found myself getting quite board half way through and really struggled to get through it.
Yet I would still probably recommend this book, because it still feels worth reading? I don’t know, I’m confused on this one guys. Thoughts?
I wished I loved this book and I don’t even have a good reason why I didn’t. I love the story line and how it unravels, I love the humour, I love our little egg, yet… I still didn’t love this book.
Maybe it’s because Isaacs life is (understandably) so dull and boring (despite living with a fluffy egg alien) that it just didn’t captivate me. I found myself getting quite board half way through and really struggled to get through it.
Yet I would still probably recommend this book, because it still feels worth reading? I don’t know, I’m confused on this one guys. Thoughts?
September 4, 2022
Oh dear - I skim read this in one evening just to find out if this silly egg was really Mr Tickle and well, I was not far wrong. Sorry, I am not a fan - the egg was annoying, Isaac was grieving - nothing much happened. Yes, it was different but didn’t resonate with me personally - I’m probably lucky in that sense…
July 26, 2023
In Bobby Palmers originellem Debütroman „Isaac und das Ei“ geht es um das Thema Trauer – und ein Dino-Ei-großes Ei, das Arme hat, laufen, schreien, letztlich sogar sprechen kann. Klingt komisch? Ist es! Das Buch steckt voller Widersprüche – und so finden sich immer wieder humorvolle Szenen inmitten der trübseligen Stimmung.
Ich hätte gerne mehr mitgefühlt, habe die Geschichte einfach heruntergelesen, ohne wirklich zu fühlen, was auf dem Papier steht.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es ein herrlich eigenartiges und kreatives Werk, das einige Interpretationsmöglichkeiten bietet. Ich werde das Ei nicht so schnell vergessen. „Wawuuu“.
Ich hätte gerne mehr mitgefühlt, habe die Geschichte einfach heruntergelesen, ohne wirklich zu fühlen, was auf dem Papier steht.
Nichtsdestotrotz ist es ein herrlich eigenartiges und kreatives Werk, das einige Interpretationsmöglichkeiten bietet. Ich werde das Ei nicht so schnell vergessen. „Wawuuu“.
August 18, 2023
4 stars. a very peculiar story but one that was as heart-wrenching as it was heart-warming. my advice would be to go into this book knowing as little about it as possible, and you'll have a surprisingly good time with it. strange but touching.
April 25, 2023
How do I review a book that is simultaneously heartrendingly sad AND hilariously funny?
Twenty-nine year old Isaac Addy is unmoored, adrift, and suicidal. His beloved wife, Mary, has died. He cannot fathom a life without her in it. Just after an aborted suicide attempt, he finds a huge egg in the forest. Fanciful? well yes. Isaac takes this ‘egg’ home and lives with it as he seeks to cope with his debilitating grief.“For Isaac, losing Mary might as well have been losing everyone. And though he’d never say this to anyone, he’d rather lose everyone else if it meant not losing her.”
Isaac and Mary were two halves of the same whole. He was an illustrator, she wrote children’s books. They worked together fabulously, complimenting each other in myriad ways.
Now, with Mary gone, he cannot move forward. His sister, Joy, worries about him. He no longer goes out or sees his friends. He stays at home, unwashed, unshaven… he hardly eats anything other than beans on toast. He goes away for extended periods of time. He has blackouts and panic attacks. However, the egg keeps him company. Oh… and there is a mysterious room at the top of the stairs. A room which Isaac never enters.
Egg is a two foot tall, ovoid shaped creature with white fur, huge black eyes, and ultra long hairy arms. He eats just about everything and he never goes to the bathroom. Isaac and Egg are buddies. After reading this novel, I have to assume that Egg IS Isaac. A product of his illustrator’s vivid imagination – company for Isaac while he grieves for his late wife. A coping mechanism if you will. It seems no coincidence that Egg could be Isaac’s own fragile shell. A shell that keeps all his anguish and heartache encapsulated. When Egg is gone, then Isaac’s shell will be gone. He’ll then have to engage with the world again, move on with his life without Mary.
The writing will keep you mesmerized. Though your brain tells you that Egg cannot really exist, the author has made him so lifelike, so cute and lovable, that he IS a real character. Some of the scenes featuring Egg are hilarious in a slapstick kind of way.
Quirky, imaginative, poignant, and very unique, this book is one you’ll remember with fondness. A stellar and original debut novel. A bizarre black comedy. As Egg would say,
“Wawooo!”
Twenty-nine year old Isaac Addy is unmoored, adrift, and suicidal. His beloved wife, Mary, has died. He cannot fathom a life without her in it. Just after an aborted suicide attempt, he finds a huge egg in the forest. Fanciful? well yes. Isaac takes this ‘egg’ home and lives with it as he seeks to cope with his debilitating grief.“For Isaac, losing Mary might as well have been losing everyone. And though he’d never say this to anyone, he’d rather lose everyone else if it meant not losing her.”
Isaac and Mary were two halves of the same whole. He was an illustrator, she wrote children’s books. They worked together fabulously, complimenting each other in myriad ways.
Now, with Mary gone, he cannot move forward. His sister, Joy, worries about him. He no longer goes out or sees his friends. He stays at home, unwashed, unshaven… he hardly eats anything other than beans on toast. He goes away for extended periods of time. He has blackouts and panic attacks. However, the egg keeps him company. Oh… and there is a mysterious room at the top of the stairs. A room which Isaac never enters.
Egg is a two foot tall, ovoid shaped creature with white fur, huge black eyes, and ultra long hairy arms. He eats just about everything and he never goes to the bathroom. Isaac and Egg are buddies. After reading this novel, I have to assume that Egg IS Isaac. A product of his illustrator’s vivid imagination – company for Isaac while he grieves for his late wife. A coping mechanism if you will. It seems no coincidence that Egg could be Isaac’s own fragile shell. A shell that keeps all his anguish and heartache encapsulated. When Egg is gone, then Isaac’s shell will be gone. He’ll then have to engage with the world again, move on with his life without Mary.
The writing will keep you mesmerized. Though your brain tells you that Egg cannot really exist, the author has made him so lifelike, so cute and lovable, that he IS a real character. Some of the scenes featuring Egg are hilarious in a slapstick kind of way.
Quirky, imaginative, poignant, and very unique, this book is one you’ll remember with fondness. A stellar and original debut novel. A bizarre black comedy. As Egg would say,
“Wawooo!”
June 6, 2023
5 stars for this beautifully written debut ⭐
Isaac and the Egg has taken me completely surprise.. Started out not knowing what I was reading and if I was going to fully engage with the story but ohh my..
This book started coming together brilliantly and started to make sense the more you read and that was it, I was hooked.
The cover is such a fabulous representation of the book and I love it...so much so I just sat staring at the cover after I'd finished the book fully understanding what the cover was about.
As someone who struggles with grief on a daily basis this book resonated with me on so many levels and at times found myself totally understanding the relationship between Isaac and Egg (the need for comfort/reason to go on).
Ultimately in grief-nothing makes sense and the clever use of Egg is obviously a wonderfully clever play on this notion.
Such a unique book that will be adored by many I'm sure.
Would highly recommend 💕
Isaac and the Egg has taken me completely surprise.. Started out not knowing what I was reading and if I was going to fully engage with the story but ohh my..
This book started coming together brilliantly and started to make sense the more you read and that was it, I was hooked.
The cover is such a fabulous representation of the book and I love it...so much so I just sat staring at the cover after I'd finished the book fully understanding what the cover was about.
As someone who struggles with grief on a daily basis this book resonated with me on so many levels and at times found myself totally understanding the relationship between Isaac and Egg (the need for comfort/reason to go on).
Ultimately in grief-nothing makes sense and the clever use of Egg is obviously a wonderfully clever play on this notion.
Such a unique book that will be adored by many I'm sure.
Would highly recommend 💕
June 10, 2023
I was really sceptical when this was chosen as our Book and Pudding club’s read of the month. Sounded too weird for my taste. However, I am learning to trust in the views of others and go out of my comfort zone. This was a fascinating read and I embraced the weirdness completely. The exploration of grief was so relatable. The use of language intriguing. The touches of humour were wry and engaging. I rarely give 5 stars, but considered it here then decided on a solid 4. Thank you Dawn and fellow Book and Pudding Clubbers for such a wonderful read. Looking forward to the discussion at our next meeting.
January 24, 2023
So wholesome! Wish I could read it for the first time again
January 25, 2023
Isaac Addy is in een diep, donker dal beland, een dal waarin geen licht lijkt te kunnen doordringen. Sinds de dood van zijn grote liefde lijkt alles leeg en uitzichtloos en hij probeert zichzelf te verdoven om maar niets te hoeven voelen, hij heeft vrijwel iedereen van zich afgeduwd, verwaarloost zichzelf, is erg depressief en weet niet of hij nog wil leven. Op een dag staat hij op een brug, hij twijfelt of hij moet springen en hij schreeuwt… en dan schreeuwt er iets terug.
Dat is het moment waarop Isaac Egg ontmoet, een groot ei met een pluizige witte vacht, een geel gezichtje, grote ogen en lange armpjes. Hij kan dit bijzondere wezentje niet achterlaten in het bos en neemt hem mee naar huis, waar Egg alles op z’n kop zet, maar waar Egg er ook voor zorgt dat Isaac weer een reden heeft om uit bed te komen. Ze proberen elkaar steeds beter te begrijpen en Isaac gaat over belangrijke zaken nadenken, zet zijn overtuigingen op een rijtje en komt tot nieuwe inzichten, hij zet weer stappen in de buitenwereld en kan zijn gevoelens niet meer wegdrukken maar moet dwars door zijn rauwe rouw heen om weer voorzichtig licht in de duisternis te kunnen waarnemen. Hoewel Isaac wel inziet dat Egg te bijzonder is om met anderen te kunnen delen, wil hij ook geen afscheid van hem nemen. Zal hij ooit sterk genoeg zijn om weer op zijn eigen benen te kunnen staan?
Isaacs rouwproces wordt indringend en levensecht beschreven, je wordt helemaal meegenomen in zijn ellende en zijn gevoelens zijn confronterend, realistisch en intens. Wanneer de radeloosheid alles over lijkt te nemen ontmoet hij Egg, en deze onvoorwaardelijke vriend is alles wat Isaac op dat moment nodig had. De exacte rol van Egg blijft lastig te duiden, maar of hij nu een wezentje is, een hallucinatie, een metafoor voor het rouwproces of een soort gids die Isaac telkens een extra stapje laat zetten, je moet je uiteindelijk maar gewoon aan zijn bestaan overgeven en zijn rol in dit verhaal accepteren. En hoewel de fantasie voor mij op sommige momenten net te veel botste met de aangrijpende gebeurtenissen, waardoor het geheel dan iets té absurd werd, zorgt Egg ook voor ontwikkeling, een zekere luchtigheid en humor en sluit je hem alleen daarom al in je hart.
Dit is een emotioneel, krachtig, kwetsbaar, verfrissend, verrassend en uniek verhaal over liefde, vriendschap, rouw, mentale gezondheid, geheimen, verbinding, hoop en de kleine dingen die het leven zo waardevol maken. Zodra het verhaal je grijpt laat het je niet meer los, het bezorgt je kippenvel, laat je glimlachen en is zeker het lezen waard!
3.5⭐️
Dat is het moment waarop Isaac Egg ontmoet, een groot ei met een pluizige witte vacht, een geel gezichtje, grote ogen en lange armpjes. Hij kan dit bijzondere wezentje niet achterlaten in het bos en neemt hem mee naar huis, waar Egg alles op z’n kop zet, maar waar Egg er ook voor zorgt dat Isaac weer een reden heeft om uit bed te komen. Ze proberen elkaar steeds beter te begrijpen en Isaac gaat over belangrijke zaken nadenken, zet zijn overtuigingen op een rijtje en komt tot nieuwe inzichten, hij zet weer stappen in de buitenwereld en kan zijn gevoelens niet meer wegdrukken maar moet dwars door zijn rauwe rouw heen om weer voorzichtig licht in de duisternis te kunnen waarnemen. Hoewel Isaac wel inziet dat Egg te bijzonder is om met anderen te kunnen delen, wil hij ook geen afscheid van hem nemen. Zal hij ooit sterk genoeg zijn om weer op zijn eigen benen te kunnen staan?
Isaacs rouwproces wordt indringend en levensecht beschreven, je wordt helemaal meegenomen in zijn ellende en zijn gevoelens zijn confronterend, realistisch en intens. Wanneer de radeloosheid alles over lijkt te nemen ontmoet hij Egg, en deze onvoorwaardelijke vriend is alles wat Isaac op dat moment nodig had. De exacte rol van Egg blijft lastig te duiden, maar of hij nu een wezentje is, een hallucinatie, een metafoor voor het rouwproces of een soort gids die Isaac telkens een extra stapje laat zetten, je moet je uiteindelijk maar gewoon aan zijn bestaan overgeven en zijn rol in dit verhaal accepteren. En hoewel de fantasie voor mij op sommige momenten net te veel botste met de aangrijpende gebeurtenissen, waardoor het geheel dan iets té absurd werd, zorgt Egg ook voor ontwikkeling, een zekere luchtigheid en humor en sluit je hem alleen daarom al in je hart.
Dit is een emotioneel, krachtig, kwetsbaar, verfrissend, verrassend en uniek verhaal over liefde, vriendschap, rouw, mentale gezondheid, geheimen, verbinding, hoop en de kleine dingen die het leven zo waardevol maken. Zodra het verhaal je grijpt laat het je niet meer los, het bezorgt je kippenvel, laat je glimlachen en is zeker het lezen waard!
3.5⭐️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,229 reviews