Product Description

This autobiography is about growing up in Egypt. It is also an investigation into childhood perception in which the author uses herself and her memories as an insight into how children see and know. It is a look at Eygpt up to, and including, World War II from a small girl's point of view, which is also, ultimately, a moving and rather sad picture of an isolated and lonely little girl.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123568 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-27
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Review
"Vivid . . . forthright and witty. . . . [Lively] turns her hand to autobiography with the same depth of feeling and meaning that characterizes her fiction."-- "New York Times Book Review""The vivid confusions of childhood and the shadings that come with retrospect are seemingly blended."-- Merle Rubin, "Wall Street Journal""A quite stunning mediation on the archaeology of memory and time's predations."-- "Kirkus Review" (starred review)

Customer Reviews

Vivid & insightful, not prudish.
She actually tries to analyse the prejudices with which she was brought up. The impressionistic perception of Egypt here is interesting in comparison to the 'grown-up' experience created for her main character in Moon Tiger, which contains echoes of it.

Probably the most annoying book in the world.
In this book, Penelope Lively attempts to record her childhood in a way which will interest the reader. She also aims to analyse her childhood, and throughout the book there are several references to developmental psychology and her fascination with the 'anarchic vision of childhood'. Unfortunately, this is accompanied with a tone and that is aloof and at times quite patronising. Lively writes of her distaste at the class system, but the way in which she describes the other cultures in Egypt, particularly the Egyptian fellaheen themselves and the Sudanese is demonstrative of her prudishness and feelings of superiority. However, there is good characterisation even if they are not fully developed as they could have been. Lively's autobiography is an intriguing story, so much so, it becomes incredible at points. If she had written it in a less irritating manner, then perhaps I could be persuaded that it is actually a true to life, interesting account. Then again, maybe not.