The Golden Child: A Deft Comedy of Manners Meets Classic Literary Mystery – Terrifically Witty Read

Just a very few examples: tide instead of title, caxi instead of taxi, "though" with an umlaut, "Pentel" instead of pen, and many, many, many, many more. Apparently no one felt like proofreading it but it was published anyway. As the author was a winner of the Booker Prize, I feel she would be HORRIFIED by this!The book itself is densely written in such a way that did not engage me, though it might be intriguing to others. The main protagonist is a confused fellow, who learns a lot about nothing, and the mystery to me is why he, or anyone else, even bothers. Sorry.

A comic mystery told with traditional dry British wit and an almost Monty Python sense of the absurd. An exhibition as significant as the first Tut exhibit in the 70s is bedeviled with mishaps and problems including forgery, murder, Russians, and office intrigue (why do they fight so bitterly? Because the stakes are so small). English eccentricity is so perfect and delightful and told so well that you more see the book than read it.

Penelope Fitzgerald is one of the most talented and erudite writers I have ever had the pleasure of reading. This version, however, is marred by an inexcusable number of typos, which are an insult to both the reader as well as the author. Excellent book if you can get past this, though.

I love Penelope Fitzgerald's writing. Especially her fiction. This was the last of her remaining unread novels, for me, and I am bereft to think that now I have nothing new of hers to read... but doubtless will re-read some of the books I read many years ago, since they always leave one with much to ponder. The Golden Child is such a wonderful read - it has elements of historical novel in it, whodunnit, travelogue, romance, satire and critique, all with rich character studies and that indefinable wit and dryness of Fitzgerald. She writes unlike anyone else - every page a delight... Definitely one of the best best best of English writers.

A really nice satire that had me laughing at a few points. It's obvious from Penelope Fitzgerald's writing that she saw, heard and understood the infinite jack-assery of mankind but was able to reflect this to the world with a lot of generosity and without bitterness. Maybe my 3rd or 4th favorite novel of hers.

I would like to review this e book but it has not yet been downloaded to my Kindle. Why not??

Her later work, especially the one about the bookseller, were much better.

This P Fitzgerald book proved that, unlike what I precious thought, I do NOT like everything she wrote. I loathe mysteries to begin with, silly whodunit tales, and this one bored the pants off me. Skimmed and/or skipped a large part of it. Even her writing couldn't save it from itself!

I loved this book - the writing is completely assured and confident from the very beginning. As a reader you are firmly in Penelope's grasp and she takes you wherever she wants. It is an absolute exemplar of brilliance with a large amount of humour sprinkled throughout. How this missed a Booker prize or a Pulitzer I just don't know. In a London museum a travelling exhibit is put on and everyone, in the gloom of drizzly Autumn wants to see this collection of golden objects unearthed from a Garamantian tomb. "It was the dreaded Primary Schools day. The courtyards had been partitioned by the darkly gleaming posters announcing the Exhibition. On each poster was a pale representation... of the Golden Child and the Ball of Golden Twine, with much fancy lettering and a promise of reduced prices of admission for the very old and the very young. The moving files wound like a barbarian horde..." high above roosted Sir William Livingstone Simpkin, attended by Jones, a kind of superior factotum. "It was one of Sir William's difficult days. The museum, nominally a place of dignity and order, a great sactuary in the midst of roaring traffic for the choicest products of the human spirit, was, to those who worked in it, a free-for-all struggle of the crudest kind. Even in total silence one could sense the ferocious efforts of the highly cultured staff trying to ascend the narrow ladder of promotion... Sir John himself (the Museum's Director) was immune from the necessity of being liked.""Waring Smith, as a junior Exhibition officer was not, or should not have been, of any kind of importance in the Museum. Sir William had taken notice of him at the tail end of a committee meeting, because he was young, normal, unimpressed, sincere and worried." These people, with the addition of another officer, a certain Hawthorne Mannering, who felt himself overlooked and therefore despised everyone else, are the main actors in the drama about to unfold. I defy anyone to dislike this book. It's on it's own, a marvel of literary excellence, sly humour and dreadful deeds in the museum world.

A prestigious London museum is hosting an exhibition - 'the Golden Child'. There are long queues to view the exhibits which have caught the country's imagination. Waring Smith, an employee of the museum, has had a hand in planning the exhibition but he suddenly finds himself caught up in something which is completely beyond his powers of comprehension and which will involve him in physical danger.The author captures the politics and the feuds which go on in any large organisation extremely well and many of the conversations could be overheard in any office in the real world. People are touchy and worried that someone is getting more privileges than they are and that their empires are being reduced in size. Waring Smith is refreshingly ordinary - worried about his mortgage and his wife, Haggie - he just wants to do his job well and bring the glory of the past to ordinary people.There are many comic elements in this story as well as murder and conspiracy and I loved the museum background. Waring himself reminded me of Jasper Pye in John Hadfield's 'Love on a Branch Line'. If you enjoy fiction which is a little out of the ordinary then try this. It was Penelope Fitzgerald's first work of fiction.

This was Fitzgerald's first book and is a gem. With a new Tutankhamen exhibition in the wind it was good to remind myself of the hype and excitement surrounding the first! Great sense of place, particularly of Moscow which apparently Fitzgerald had only visited on a package tour! Recommended

I am not qualified to comment on this book's real merit, finding it a little ponderous. The Bookshop is more engaging.

Book delivered early and well packaged. In good condition and well priced. A company I would recommend and use again. Thank you.