Sphinx

by D.M. Thomas

Set in present-day London, Rome, and Leningrad, Stalin's Moscow, and the St. Petersburg of the czars, this novel centers on the cold war between truth and lies

Genres: Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

D.M. Thomas was born in Cornwall in 1935. After reading English at New College, Oxford, he became a teacher and was Head of the English Department at Hereford College of Education until he became a full-time writer. His first novel The Flute-Player won the Gollancz Pan/Picador Fantasy Competition. He is also known for his collections of verse and his translation from the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova.

He was awarded the Los Angeles Fiction prize for his novel The White Hotel, an international bestseller, translated into 30 languages; a Cholmondeley award for poetry; and the Orwell Prize for his biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He lives in his native Cornwall, England.

Reviews

[Rhys · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third in D.M. Thomas' quartet about politics, betrayal and improvisation. I'm enjoying the series and all the parts are very well-written but if you asked me to give you a summary of the plot I don't think I could. It's too intricate. Nonetheless, in my view D.M. Thomas is one of the best of the 'forgotten' 80s authors.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this from the library back in the late eighties. Very much of it's time. Cold war, feminism, etc.

I remember liking it which is why I guess I have kept it but now is the time to let it go I think.

[Toby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a great shame that these books have disappeared into obscurity. They are genuinely brilliant. A unique mix of sex, politics and poetry, incredibly complex and rich. If you have any time for Pushkin then they are a must-read. You really need your wits about you to follow the intricate shifts of time and perspective but the entire series is highly rewarding. DM Thomas is due for a reappraisal - an incredible talent.