Eye of the Everlasting Angel - Softcover
A picaresque journey through 1960s London, this is Noel Virtue's only novel set outside his native New Zealand. The distinctive vision and quirky humor that characterize his work are brought to bear in this accomplished and sophisticated novel.
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From the Back Cover:
A picaresque journey through the London of the 1960s, The Eye of the Everlasting Angel is Noel Virtue's fifth novel and his first work of fiction to be set in England. Young Toby Todd is abandoned by his parents and sets forth to try his luck in the big city. Unable to pay the rent, he is evicted from Calcutta Mansions by his ethnic landlord Mr Braithwaite and finds himself hungry and homeless until a chance meeting on Hampstead Heath leads to a change in his fortunes. The Eye of the Everlasting Angel is a modern fantasy peopled by an eccentric medley of characters: vagrant Lillian Pike and Olive Pinch; scheming Henry and Myra Wickham; prodigal, enigmatic Antony, who takes Toby to his first transvestite party. And ever hovering beside Toby's memory of his beloved Gran is the shining and watchful Angel.
About the Author:
Noel Virtue was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1947. The author of eight novels and an autobiography, he is now established as one of New Zealand's leading contemporary novelists.
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- PublisherPeter Owen Publishers
- Publication date1992
- ISBN 10 0720608635
- ISBN 13 9780720608632
- BindingPaperback
- Number of pages180
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Eye of the Everlasting Angel
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(1992)
ISBN 10: 0720608635
ISBN 13: 9780720608632
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Eye of the Everlasting Angel
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Peter Owen Publishers
(1992)
ISBN 10: 0720608635
ISBN 13: 9780720608632
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The Eye of the Everlasting Angel
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(1992)
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ISBN 13: 9780720608632
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. First Edition hardcover with unclipped dust jacket designed by Iain Stuart, in very good condition. Jacket edges and corners are rubbed, and page block is lightly blemished. Small ink mark on page 72. Pages are otherwise clear and bright throughout. LW. Used. Seller Inventory # 541895
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Eye of the Everlasting Angel
Published by
Peter Owen Publishers
(1992)
ISBN 10: 0720608635
ISBN 13: 9780720608632
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Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. First Edition. 224 pages. A picaresque journey through 1960s London, this is Noel Virtue's only novel set outside his native New Zealand. The distinctive vision and quirky humor that characterize his work a re brought to bear in this accomplished and sophisticated novel. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Set in the swinging Lo ndon of the 1960s, New Zealand writer Virtue's fifth novel is a s mall treasure trove of eccentricity and la vie de Boheme . Toby T odd is a teenager with a slow smile, gypsy ancestors and a taste for helping elderly people. Abandoned by his parents, the 16-year -old Toby lives with his grandmother, who is not only his best fr iend and protectress but also his guide to the world of spirits a nd how to survive in the woods. When she dies, Toby sets off for London where he sleeps in doorways and lives by his wits until he builds a new family for himself composed of the wounded and home less friends he makes along the way: a wealthy widow who holds co nversations with the ghost of a Maori girl; her son Antony and Lo la (who are the same person); and an elderly lesbian couple. As t his plucky innocent makes his way through a grubby world, the plo t occasionally seems like third-generation Dickens, but the book never succumbs to cliche and the nutty characters' voices are as sharp and distinctive as they are touching. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Gran was a gypsy and taught her young grandson, Toby, to watch for the Angel, a s ign in others that would tell him he could trust them. When Gran dies and Toby is abandoned by his parents, he heads for London, w here he encounters some homeless women, a transvestite and his lo nely mother, and several schemers who mean to do them all harm. T hroughout these adventures, Gran's Angel watches over Toby, suppl ying the wisdom he needs to triumph in colorful 1960s Britain. Al though this is Virtue's sixth novel (among the others is Then Upo n the Evil Season , Peter Owens, 1989), he remains a fresh, impor tant voice in fiction. This is a short, sweet, and memorable read . Highly recommended, despite the steep price for a brief text. - Rosellen Brewer, Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Lib. System, Cal. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Kirkus Revi ews Fifth novel, set in the late 60's, from Virtue (Among the Ani mals, 1988--not reviewed): a mishmash of genres--picaresque, comi ng-of-age, gay, fantasy--that manages to build up enough steam to keep the story moving against the grade. Toby Todd is a Gypsy. A t 16, he has spent the whole of his life in Southampton, but when his grandmother dies and his father abandons him, he sets off fo r London and a life on the streets. Eventually he's adopted by th e eccentric Alicia Wickham and her transvestite son Antony, and s hares their ramshackle Hampstead Heath mansion with several other vagrants. Very quickly he becomes Antony's lover. But throughout every change of circumstance, he is watched over by the Angel wh om his grandmother told him would always guide his steps: ``You'l l see the Angel in folks' eyes as they come near you. Those will be the ones that you must trust. All the rest will be selfish bas tards.'' Of the latter there are no lack, and throughout the stor y they keep popping up whenever Toby starts to settle down. The D ickensian slant of Toby's life is pushed a bit far at times, but Virtue manages to keep up the pace right to the end--and fortunat ely the fantasy and folklore, which could have weighed the plot d own, appear only in the background and don't intrude. A creaky pl ot, but quite readable. -- Copyright ®1993, Kirkus Associates, LP . All rights reserved. From the Back Cover A picaresque journey through the London of the 1960s, The Eye of the Everlasting Angel is Noel Virtue's fifth novel and his first work of fiction to be set in England. Young Toby Todd is abandoned by his parents and sets forth to try his luck in the big city. Unable. Seller Inventory # 958f
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