- Paperback: 496 pages
- Publisher: Orbit; 01 edition (23 Jan. 2020)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0356513777
- ISBN-13: 978-0356513775
Synopsis
For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob – a young lawyer with an utterly normal life – hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other.
But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world, and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing. There’s someone else out there who shares his powers and it’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them – before anyone gets to The End.
Review
If ever there was a book written for book lovers it is The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry. Imagine that when you read a book you could bring characters to life, bring them into our world and have a conversation with them, and you have the premise of this book. Charley Sutherland was a child prodigy, went to Oxford University at fourteen, and is an authority on the works of Charles Dickens. He is also a ‘Summoner’ someone who can summon characters from the books he is reading. It his accidental summoning of Uriah Heep, from David Copperfield, that brings to his attention the ‘Street’ and the coming of a New World. Together with his elder brother Rob, a lawyer, and a host of literary characters, Charley and Rob must try to stop this New World, and its threat to their lives.
Often in conversations people discuss what would be their super power, and I think the idea of bringing characters from my favourite books to life would be mine. Charley has been summoning characters since he was a child, and returning them to their books. This obviously can cause problems when Sherlock Holmes appears at school, The Cat in a Hat comes for tea, so his family try and discourage this and it is kept as a family secret. It is the eponymous Uriah Heep who first gives clues to another summoner, who uses their skills for evil, , and also the location of a street full of literary characters. The street is hidden but accessible to Charley and is full of some of the most famous literary characters in history; Heathcliffe, the White Witch, Dorian Grey, Mr Tumnus, several Mr Darcy’s, The Mad Hatter. Most importantly they meet Millie Radcliffe Dix, a girl detective from books published in the 1950’s. Millie has grown into an adult but still has her detective skills and with Charley and Rob takes on the fight in this good versus evil adventure.
As well as the adventure aspect there is plenty of humour to be had along the way, I did love that one of the Darcy’s had a liking for water features and jumping into them, rather like Colin Firth’s characterisation. H.G. Parry’s writing is brilliant especially in her writing of these legendary literary figures. She really captures their quirks, their feelings, thoughts and characters as written by their authorsin their original books. The also uses the appropriate language, so Miilie is very jolly hockey sticks, and Heathcliffe is all dark and brooding in his speech. She obviously has a great love and knowledge of English Literature, and literary criticism which is at the heart of Charley’s work, an understanding of Dicken’s novels and what they represent about the social history of that period. A thread that runs through is that of family, its importance, secrets, support and how you will go to any lengths to protect those you love.
The Unlikey Escape of Uriah Heep is absolutely amazing and I have no doubt will be on my list of favourite books at the end of the year. The fabulous concept, the blurring lines of fact and fiction and combination of adventure, fantasy, drama and wonderful characters make this such an immersive and enjoyable read. H.G. Parry’s passion for literature shines through this book and you can’t help but feel the same way about it. What more can I say apart from this is utterly brilliant and a book lovers dream come true.
I would like to thank Orbit Books and Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers for inviting me to be part of the blog tour for this book.
