The Solitudes (The Aegypt Cycle)

In The Solitudes, the opening of the series, we are introduced to Pierce Moffett, an unorthodox historian and an expert in ancient astrology, myths, and superstition. The land that Moffett studies is not the real, geographical Egypt but Ægypt, a country of the imagination. When Moffett discovers the historical novels of local writer Fellowes Kraft, his course is charted. Kraft's books interweave stories of Italian heretic Giordano Bruno, young Will Shakespeare, and Elizabethan occultist John Dee--stories that begin to mingle with the narrative of Moffett's real and dream life in 1970s America. As Moffett's journey in and out of his comfortable reality continues, what becomes clear is revelatory: there is more than one history of the world.

This is the dazzling first novel in a series that will certainly take its place amongst the great books of our time. Completely revised by the author to further the power of the series as a whole, this is a perfect chance to rediscover one of our truly great writers, and one of our truly magical stories.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Excellent but Overrated, 2008-08-27
I wanted to like this book more than I did. An epic fantasy novel series written as high literature? Hermeticism, parallel universes, alternate histories? It sounds too good to be true. And it is a bit too good to be true.

There were two looming negatives I encountered. The first is that the plot is relatively dull. Perhaps it picks up in later volumes, but it limps along. Now, a good plot is hardly essential for a literary novel, particularly a modern novel. But this novel does attempt to rely on plot as part of its structure, and there isn't much to rely on. Very little "happens."

The second negative has been noted by another reviewer -- this is a surprisingly generation-bound book. It is written about a scenario in the 1970s by an author who clearly takes that time period as sort of a watershed in human existence. For those like myself, a Gen Xer, or later, it is difficult to stomach Crowley's attitude towards the 60s/70s. "Age of Aquarius" just makes us roll our eyes and snicker, but this book is predicated on taking such a generational attitude seriously. Perhaps you could fault the reader here, but great fantasy easily transcends its historical context -- see, e.g., Tolkien. The parallel that Crowley attempts to strike between the explosion of "spiritual energy" in the 1960s/70s and the Renaissance will, I think, strike most of us in later generations as rather comic (and even a bit nauseating). And for that reason, I suspect his cycle's appeal rapidly decreases for readers at Gen X and beyond -- who would much rather pick up a copy of Marquez.

In short, having read this through to the end, I wish I'd rather just read Giordano Bruno directly and skipped this attempt to express neoplatonic/gnostic ideas through a novel about a relatively tiresome crew of characters in an unappealing setting. So why do I still give it four stars overall? Well, Crowley's skill as a writer is undeniable, and the entire project was an audaciously brilliant one. I did enjoy reading it. Credit must be given. I simply did not feel he pulled it off in an especially moving, entertaining, or (for me) memorable way. It did not live up to the hype.


0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Amazing., 2008-04-06
On book 2 of 3

This story tends to jump around even more than the first. It jumps from place to place, from past to future and back and a solid timeline for whats taking place is very difficult. I don't mind working my mind a little but I also don't want it to be a dreaded chore.

I expected more forming up of the overall plot of the trilogy and some goals for the hero are discussed, but fizzle. This felt more like filler than an actual book and with Mr. Crowleys writing style, rambling prose can start to seem like babbling.


2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Worth the wait, 2008-02-11
Very few modern authors can both engage your intellect and stir your soul; even fewer can unleash your imagination. But perhaps only one writer alive today can do all that in prose that is truly awe-inspiring: John Crowley. I'd been waiting for years for Aegypt to be reissued--it says something that used copies of the first editions were going for hundreds of dollars. Finally I got my copy of Solitudes and marveled at Crowley's ability to cast a spell in only a few pages. This book takes concentration and commitment to fully appreciate, you'll also probably want to check on some other sources on topics like Hermes Trismegistus and John Dee (thank god for Wikipedia). The 1970s setting is also a bit unfortunate, as it's recent enough to carry some baggage but not recent enough for this Gen X reader to really relate to. But this book will move and transport you like nothing else out there. Find a quiet place and give it a chance.


3 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

You've got to be kidding?, 2008-01-18
I received this book from my daughter this past Christmas and am about 1/2 way through - I will finish it just because of who gave it to me, but I can't believe the rave reviews this book has received over the years. It has to be the most poorly written, pathetic attempt at a story that I've come across in years. I can't even figure out what the story line is, all the flashbacks sequences just seem to be the back story that should have stayed in the outline. And this guy teaches at Yale?? Hard to believe. Maybe the book will get more interesting, but right now there is nothing holding my interest and I am loath to finish it let alone get the next 2 volumes. I will update this review if the story turns itself around, but right now, it's a painful waste of time.




12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

RENAMED & REVISED AEGYPT, 2007-12-10
This is not a new addition to the Aegypt series. This is a "revised" version of Aegypt that they have renamed. If you already own Aegypt, you may want the revised version (I don't own both so don't know how much revision took place) or you may not want to spend the money.

I guess publishers rename books to try to catch the unwary. Why they can't simply add "Revised Edition" to the original title can only be for purposes of deception (IMHO). I don't like it at all.

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