CULTURE CLUB
Book Club CAMBRIDGE EDITION RELAX WITH A SUMMER READ: THIS MONTH’S TOP PICKS INCLUDE AN ADVENTUROUS ORNITHOLOGIST, AN ANTHROPOMORPHIC EGG AND MORE
WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS
ISAAC AND THE EGG
BY BOBBY PALMER
Isaac Addy has found an egg: a two-foot- tall one that’s surprisingly light and soft, as if it’s been hard-boiled and peeled. The egg’s appearance has distracted him from an empty-hearted, last-ditch attempt to end his life, and instead he resolves to take it home and care for it. Isaac is grief-stricken and ragged with emotion at the sudden recent loss of his wife, Mary. He questions his own sanity even further when the now-warm egg sprouts arms, feet and a face, beginning
to totter around his house exploring – and in some cases, eating – remnants of the couple’s life. The duo slowly tackle the logistical challenges of returning to life after death, forming a sort of sweet double act, ticking off the tasks required to reset the house – and Isaac’s heart. A comically surreal, yet totally sympathetic exploration of the insanity felt when you lose a loved one. And a reminder of the cruel fragility of reality: all it takes is a gentle tap to break the shell.
He questions his sanity further when the egg sprouts arms, feet and a face
24 JULY 2022 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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