Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever read. This book is just sublime . . . It will be a crime if millions of people haven’t read it this time next year One of the reasons I like reading debuts is the marvel of the discovery of a new author who makes magic with words. The characterisation is superb, Isaac is grieving, his pain is raw and acute and he doesn’t know which way is up. He’s lonely, suffering, full of anger and his misery is palpable. As for the egg, you’ll have to encounter the wonder and sheer pleasure of that for yourself! Dit is een emotioneel, krachtig, kwetsbaar, verfrissend, verrassend en uniek verhaal over liefde, vriendschap, rouw, mentale gezondheid, geheimen, verbinding, hoop en de kleine dingen die het leven zo waardevol maken. Zodra het verhaal je grijpt laat het je niet meer los, het bezorgt je kippenvel, laat je glimlachen en is zeker het lezen waard! Dat is het moment waarop Isaac Egg ontmoet, een groot ei met een pluizige witte vacht, een geel gezichtje, grote ogen en lange armpjes. Hij kan dit bijzondere wezentje niet achterlaten in het bos en neemt hem mee naar huis, waar Egg alles op z’n kop zet, maar waar Egg er ook voor zorgt dat Isaac weer een reden heeft om uit bed te komen. Ze proberen elkaar steeds beter te begrijpen en Isaac gaat over belangrijke zaken nadenken, zet zijn overtuigingen op een rijtje en komt tot nieuwe inzichten, hij zet weer stappen in de buitenwereld en kan zijn gevoelens niet meer wegdrukken maar moet dwars door zijn rauwe rouw heen om weer voorzichtig licht in de duisternis te kunnen waarnemen. Hoewel Isaac wel inziet dat Egg te bijzonder is om met anderen te kunnen delen, wil hij ook geen afscheid van hem nemen. Zal hij ooit sterk genoeg zijn om weer op zijn eigen benen te kunnen staan?

Isaac is a widower and he’s struggling. On a visit to the woods, he happens across a very large egg and without a second thought he takes it home and settles into a bizarre domesticity with the egg.A tender, funny and surprising meditation on grief and hope . . . like nothing I've ever read before' STYLIST Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer is not a book I would normally read. It is different but it was entertaining. It has moments of sadness where you can feel the pain that Isaac is feeling. The struggle is so real, in dealing with loss, of trying to survive. You are taken on a journey of grief, from denial to anger and finally acceptance. The story is well-written, poignant, and a little quirky. Lisa, QLD, 4 Stars Unique and very special is how I’d describe it, and a book you will probably always remember with great fondness and a lasting impression – I know I will. Isaac has no idea where the egg has come from or what it’s doing there but he’s overcome with the need to protect it, so he bundles it up and takes it home. Isaac's emotional distress is expressed through the quiet as he struggles to live through his grief, shunning all company except that of Egg.

I read it in one breath… true and tragic and funny and hopeful and big – big enough somehow to contain all of our stories and all of our lives inside it’ JOANNA GLEN In a series of scenes that intentionally bring to mind seminal moments from ET, Isaac takes the egg – is it an alien? Some sort of beast? – home, where it becomes a fluffy, yolk-faced lodger, and Isaac’s salvation, as he considers, eventually, how to help it return home. No-one escapes grief and heartbreak and everyones journey through it will be different. Despite this story dealing with grief, it is wonderfully hopeful, charming and even funny at times. Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever listen to.It's a tale that might seem familiar. But how it speaks to you will depend on how you've lived until now. Though most of the plot is very intense because of grief and mental breakdowns being the prime focus, there are still some light scenes and humorous banter between Isaac and Egg. These are really well-done and don’t feel out-of-place despite the dreary theme. He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them.

What a remarkable story. It is one that will stay with me for quite a while. Isaac Addey is grieving. He is lost and hopeless. We meet him on the worst day of his life when he stumbles across Egg in the woods and decides to take him home. The story follows Isaac’s journey through the stages of grief with Egg by his side, trying to make sense of his companion. It is at times heartbreaking and difficult, but always compelling. It is a story with a big heart. Melissa, QLD, 5 Stars Isaac and The Egg was not the type of writing I am used to reading, as such, I did find it a bit unusual and abstract at the beginning, however, it does all start to come together and make more sense as you move through it. The story looks at grief and the range of emotions, thoughts and actions a person experiences with grief. As a person who has experienced grief myself, I could relate to the feelings. I am not exactly sure that I loved this book, but that is certainly more about my personal reading likes as I think it was a well written and interesting book. Sue, WA, 3 Stars

Customer reviews

This is beautifully written, it’s captivating with a delightful blend of humour and the heart breaking. Some scenes are so vivid, so well described you feel like a fly on the wall observing the frequent chaos. Many of the incidents make me smile and I doubt I’ll ever open a tin of beans or look at a toaster in the same way ever again!!!! It’s creative in a myriad of ways, it initially seems straightforward but it’s a more complex tale than it appears at first glance. I love the clever use of film to make pertinent points and the delightful originality of some of the language. I wanted to sit and talk about this wonderful creation while I was absorbing it, because that's what it does, Bobby Palmers narrative will seep into your very pores. You will want to share every last paragraph of this multilayered triumph, while at the same time wanting to stay quiet, to understand what others make of it, wonder whether you share the same thoughts. My advice is to read it with people, many people, experience it with company. Isaacs rouwproces wordt indringend en levensecht beschreven, je wordt helemaal meegenomen in zijn ellende en zijn gevoelens zijn confronterend, realistisch en intens. Wanneer de radeloosheid alles over lijkt te nemen ontmoet hij Egg, en deze onvoorwaardelijke vriend is alles wat Isaac op dat moment nodig had. De exacte rol van Egg blijft lastig te duiden, maar of hij nu een wezentje is, een hallucinatie, een metafoor voor het rouwproces of een soort gids die Isaac telkens een extra stapje laat zetten, je moet je uiteindelijk maar gewoon aan zijn bestaan overgeven en zijn rol in dit verhaal accepteren. En hoewel de fantasie voor mij op sommige momenten net te veel botste met de aangrijpende gebeurtenissen, waardoor het geheel dan iets té absurd werd, zorgt Egg ook voor ontwikkeling, een zekere luchtigheid en humor en sluit je hem alleen daarom al in je hart.