Eye of the Everlasting Angel by Noel Virtue
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. Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly Set in the swinging London of the 1960s, New Zealand writer Virtue's fifth novel is a small treasure trove of eccentricity and la vie de Boheme . Toby Todd 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 friend and protectress but also his guide to the world of spirits and 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 homeless friends he makes along the way: a wealthy widow who holds conversations with the ghost of a Maori girl; her son Antony and Lola (who are the same person); and an elderly lesbian couple. As this plucky innocent makes his way through a grubby world, the plot 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 sign in others that would tell him he could trust them. When Gran dies and Toby is abandoned by his parents, he heads for London, where he encounters some homeless women, a transvestite and his lonely mother, and several schemers who mean to do them all harm. Throughout these adventures, Gran's Angel watches over Toby, supplying the wisdom he needs to triumph in colorful 1960s Britain. Although this is Virtue's sixth novel (among the others is Then Upon the Evil Season , Peter Owens, 1989), he remains a fresh, important 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 Reviews Fifth novel, set in the late 60's, from Virtue (Among the Animals, 1988--not reviewed): a mishmash of genres--picaresque, coming-of-age, gay, fantasy--that manages to build up enough steam to keep the story moving against the grade. Toby Todd is a Gypsy. At 16, he has spent the whole of his life in Southampton, but when his grandmother dies and his father abandons him, he sets off for London and a life on the streets. Eventually he's adopted by the eccentric Alicia Wickham and her transvestite son Antony, and shares 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 whom his grandmother told him would always guide his steps: ``You'll 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 bastards.'' Of the latter there are no lack, and throughout the story they keep popping up whenever Toby starts to settle down. The Dickensian 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 fortunately the fantasy and folklore, which could have weighed the plot down, appear only in the background and don't intrude. A creaky plot, 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 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.
Publication Details
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Binding: Hardcover
Published by: Peter Owen Publishers: , 1992
Edition: First edition
ISBN: 9780720608632 | 0720608635
224 pages.
Book Condition: Very Good
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