Ingenious Edgar Jones

by elizabeth-garner

Set in nineteenth-century Oxford, and shot through with a powerful sense of magic, Elizabeth Garner's new novel will appeal both to fans of historical fiction and to the huge Susanna Clarke/Philip Pullman fanbase.In nineteenth-century Oxford, an extraordinary child is born - Edgar Jones, a porter's son with a magical talent. Though his father cannot see beyond his academic slowness, his abilities as a metalworker and designer are quickly noticed, and become a source of tension within the family. When Edgar comes to the attention of a maverick professor at work on a museum of the natural sciences, Edgar is at once plucked from obscurity and plunged into the heart of a debate which threatens to tear apart the university. Edgar's position is a dangerous one - will he be able to control the rebellious spirit that fires his inventiveness, but threatens to ruin him, and to break up his family once and for all?

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, British Literature, Gothic, Technology

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Tamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

What? This one was odd but very well written and interesting. The ending kind of took me by surprise, but then I couldn't figure out what could possibly happen to the family. Edgar is a strange boy but he grows on you with his cleverness. I find it intriguing that this Edgar and Edgar Sawtelle both do not speak in the beginning. (The Story of Edgar Sawtelle-which I haven't completed yet)Is this a sign of their curious personalities?

"...the books stacked up inside the walls were a trap; knowledge for the sake of knowledge was no knowledge at all."

[Gemma Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it was quite a sad story about a family who, beneath the surface, didn't really know each other at all. The unique character of Edgar Jones is well portrayed throughout as simply a misunderstood child with big ideas and I liked the story following his ups and downs through his eyes and then his fathers. You get a real sense of injustice and by the end of the book it is both sad and inspiring.

Elizabeth Garner is a talented author and I will enjoy reading more of her work in the future.

[Madreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange mix of Gormenghast and Dorothy Sayers. The writing was first rate, but the story was unfocused. What was Garner trying to say? So many fascinating details, so many unfulfilled promises, so few (if any) characters one cared about (Edgar himself was, well, without real purpose)...and yet I give it four stars because if this writer ever settles on a strong story with characters I can care about, she will be someone to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book has a slow start, but is a quick read. The author's descriptions are wonderful, and she does a marvelous job of showing multiple sides of the same story. It's not until the end of the book, when the pieces start to fall - seamlessly, beautifully - together that the reader realizes they've made the same error as the characters, seeing only what they want to see.

One of my favorite passages is in the beginning. The female lead has agreed to start working from home as a seamstress: "So it was that the back parlor became Eleanor's workroom, a room of color and softness and pleasure. A room where she was neither wife nor mother, but just Eleanor, who loved a bit of finery, who loved beautiful things."

[Ronda M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an odd book. Edgar had a very unique type of intelligence, and was not understood by his parents or the world in general. He made his way into a series of apprenticeships at a very young age, to escape his father's idea of homeschooling and to use his unique talents. He wasn't old enough or aware enough to understand the motives of the people who used him, though.

Edgar's parents were characterized too extremely. The challenge of dealing with a child that you don't understand is an interesting one, but they really didn't try, unfortunately.

Anyway, I still enjoyed reading it, mostly for the development of Edgar's abilities and the things he made.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, heartbreaking and thought-provoking. I was completely swept away by the tale of this ingenious boy and his loving, frail parents with their all-too-recognizable failings. The story sweeps you along, up to the very last sentence, as you cheer on the title character. As a parent, there was much to take to heart as Edgar's parents struggled to understand and celebrate their curious offspring. There is a moment of tragic beauty, when the father, "once freed from the shackles of his expectations, called out to his boy with love and laughter..." that struck me especially.

[Junkie for the Written Word · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library and then I looked at the reviews on here so maybe I went into reading it expecting it to be bad... and was then surprised that it wasn't.

Granted the last couple of chapters took an acid trip but on a whole the book was very well written, interesting, and the characters were, for the most part, real and emotionally investable (I don't think that's a word).

It's not going on my favorites list but I think it was a pretty good read.

[Daný · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Garner's The Ingenious Edgar Jones, we follow the Jones family - Oxford night porter William Jones, his younger wife Eleanor, who wanted to have something better in life than helping in her drunken father's bar, and their odd son Edgar.

Eleanor hopes for a girl child and everyone who sees her tells her it will be a girl. When Edgar comes in the world on the night a meteor shower is visible over Britain, she is highly disappointed. With the help of her neighbour Mrs Simms, though, she eventually manages to console herself with work and despite his difficulties she loves Edgar for who he is. William hopes to mold Edgar into a better copy of himself. Initially this works, but as Edgar has trouble learning to read, William becomes increasingly disappointed in the boy.

Although we get to experience much of the story from the eponymous ingenious Edgar's viewpoint, I didn't find him a very likeable character. Also, the amount of detail provided only works part of the time - sometimes it's fascinating, sometimes it just seems irrelevant to what's going on. Nevertheless, Garner made me want to keep reading. The end was... odd. Some of the reviews claim it reads a bit like an acid trip, and I don't find them too far wrong.

All in all a fun book, but not the best novel about Victorian families and Victorian ingenuity I've read.

[Meg Onthemove Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

A 2.5

The opening of this novel promised so much more than was delivered by the ending, unfortunately. At the time of Edgar's birth there was fire in the firmament, augering the arrival of someone truly amazing. Whilst Edgar is unusual and highly inventive, he isn't amazing or godlike or even particularly ingenious - and this is where the whole book falls down.

Edgar is unusual and highly creative, taking after his mother. His father, who thinks he's an intellectual, is really rather a pedestrian, sanctimoniously religious thinker - and can't see far beyond the Bible, and as such is a man of the age before the Victorian boom in invention. So the novel is set up from the start as conflict between father and son, and this element works until it descends into allegory.

Edgar's inventions are not particularly well described, and almost need illustrations to make clear what they are. They are also not that radical, especially when one thinks of de Vinci's inventions of centuries beforehand. The really inventive one at the end of the story being a copy of de Vinci.

Then there's some poor editing - the mother's name is Eleanor but on more than one occasion she's referred to as Emily.

The description of Oxford is nice though.

[chapterswithcarrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a bit of a thing for reading books that are set here in Oxford, it’s always fun to recognise where the characters are and I can walk the streets with them in my minds eye. I was gifted The Ingenious Edgar Jones by the author, Elizabeth Garner, and I was delighted to see that it is set in 19th century Oxford, a world of muttering gargoyles, horses and carts, the boatmen of Jericho and, of course, the University. It’s a curious tale about a curious boy and his parents who simply don’t know how to parent him best, with glimpses of the Oxford I know and the Oxford of the past, the early possibly beginnings of what in modern day Oxford would be the Natural History Museum, and some rather colourful characters this was a charming and slightly unusual read that I very much enjoyed.

[Emily Bellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, refreshing read! Elizabeth Garner's style is so distinct and different from what I usually read. I think that's one of the reasons why this unique, peculiar story will stay with me for a long time. What I most loved is that, although most of the book is written from the perfective of a child, there's an underlying darkness and very adult themes (family, relationships (between a wife and a husband, between a child and their parents), faith, ambition, talent, individualism). They come out at glimpses first, but hit home in the end. I'm an absolute sucker for well wrapped-up stories, and this is one. Each of the three main character is allowed to develop and change and is not the person they were at the beginning - and, personally, I think each one got what they deserved.

[Ian Pike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but ultimately disappointing and confusing in places.
I read this having followed a ContEd course on Creative Writing at Oxford University tutored by the author, and was curious to know if she practiced what she preached (not meant unkindly).
It is an interesting premise, and a mostly entertaining read, with Edgar in some ways an offspring of Forrest Gump, although with less fortuitous personal outcomes.
Some descriptions were hard to follow - men working on slings building a glass-roofed library; Edgar climbing university walls unaided - and the highly surreal ending left me confused.

[Henry Jefferies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like a lot of previous reviewers I found that the book started off with great promise but soon enough descended into fairly unrelieved misery. The husband takes refuge in suicide at the end, his son in madness or suicide and the wife is left to walk away from a life left in utter ruins. The entire book was like a trudge through misery. However, the author is clearly gifted. Some of her writing is marvellous. She can tell a story extremely well. The problem here was that the story is not one likely to appeal to many readers.

[Susan Crowther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful literary fiction but the story is difficult to follow at times because of the abundance of figurative language. Also, there are times where I'm not sure if I am to take Edgar's inventions literally or if he is describing what he is imagining. It reads like a dream at times. This was a slow read for me because of all these challenges.

Also making it hard to read is the relentless difficulties Edgar keeps experiencing. I get rising tension but I was tense the whole time I was reading. If you like stories like David Copperfield, you'll like this.

[Ntshh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Due to all the good reviews, I tried my best to stick with the story. Waiting it out if it got better. After finishing the first half, I gave up. I simply cannot finish the book. To me, the story was not gripping, the genre was ambiguous and it was confusing. It revolves around a young boy with great gifts set in nineteenh-century Oxford. Couldn't tell more... The other reviews will do you more good, hopefully.

[Helen Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evocative writing of characters carried me into the strange world and life of Edgar, his growing up and his growing away. Three people, strangers to each other in a family. Garner evoked the places and atmosphere of Edgar's Oxford beautifully.

[Tebogo Mbuyazi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whilst clearly written by a talented writer, this book fails to perpetually grip the reader. The ending also feels like an arbitrary attachment to the rest of the book.

[Lissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Garner writes beautifully and because of this I want to love it but I struggled with the story and found myself anxious throughout.

[temporalsoup · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

[Bob Dyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I see that I'm going against the trend here, but I thought this rather poor. The Ingenious Edgar Jones - the author's second novel - strikes me as something of an apprentice piece. It's implausible, full of small mistakes of fact and language, and peopled by depthless characters and groanworthy stereotypes. There is no really authentic sense of place (a novel set in Oxford could have been much more vivid than this, especially since the author lives there herself) and the clumsily surreal ending comes as an unsatisfying - and, I thought, depressing - anticlimax to an underwhelming story.

Researched? Not really. 'Superficial' 'smug' and 'careless' are words that came into my mind at various points. The author's smattering of 'physiognomy' could have been picked up from any number of obvious sources; Oxford colleges and Oxford dons and college porters are not as she depicts them; the things that happen in a blacksmith's shop are not as she imagines; criminal trials are not conducted in the way that she describes ... and so on. It wouldn't be quite true to say that there is something on every page that makes the alert reader wince - but it wouldn't be too far from true, and nearly all of them could have been avoided with a little more care and attention to detail. Sometimes I think, too, that copy-editing must be a dying art.

The Ingenious Edgar Jones is altogether too self-consciously 'literary'. Parts of Philip Pullman's Northern Lights and Lyra's Oxford are set in the same Oxford suburb of Jericho that Elizabeth Garner uses. The comparison is illuminating, and does not flatter Ms Garner. It is clear that she has set out to produce a clever and original book about the life of a mysterious 'changeling' child, and in my view she has not done it very well. On the whole, I suspect that she lacks the knowledge and experience - and perhaps the talent - to accomplish the task she has undertaken. The Ingenious Edgar Jones isn't terrible - I don't feel that I can give it only one star; but I have to say that two feels just a little generous.

[Harsha Priolkar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't get it I suppose. I bought this because the blurb seemed interesting - Oxford in the 19th century and terms like 'curious baby' and 'no ordinary boy' and 'born inventor' held promise of an exciting adventure story. I must admit to being hugely disappointed :( It never feels good to me to dislike a book, hence the two stars, but this one was just tedious. I finished it only coz it's what I do when I read.

The story starts off promisingly with a baby born during a meteor shower, but the fantastic tale promised never arrived. Edgar Jones is indeed a 'curious' boy in the literal sense of the word. And he's clever and yes he is ingenious, but his dysfunctional family background bogs him down and he craves a freedom that is always tantalisingly out of reach. I liked Eleanor his mother the best...she's strong in her own way and I feel she grows most as a character - from a new wife with dreams, to a confused and often distant mother, to a woman disillusioned with marriage and life, retreating into a private world of comfort in her sewing, to a woman cognisant of her own folly, ultimately undefeated in her resolve to start a new life even as her old one lies in shambles around her.

The descriptions of Oxford were good but not great and not as atmospheric as I wanted them to be. And somewhere the passion that Edgar feels for his 'Iron' felt forced and banal. After a while the whole story began to feel that way, and I knew what the end would be. Also, the way it was written seemed out of sync with the rest of the book to me...sudden elements of fantasy interjected as if to resuscitate a dying story...didn't work and came too late in the book for me...I didn't really care anymore. Now Erin Morgenstern's Night Circus - that was a fabulous blend of fantasy and realism...beautifully written with a great story! I think I was expecting something along those lines...I was wrong.

Avoidable.

[Hank · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Victorian Age, in a locale as esteemed as Oxford with its legendary intellectual pursuits, it is no wonder that the emerging evidence of a creation story not exactly in tune with a literal translation of the Genesis account would bring debate and conflict. This is the backdrop of the story of an unusual child, gifted beyong imagination with creativity and insight.

Loving all things British and especially having visited Oxford made this story even more enjoyable. In the midst of the debate surrounding the truth of scripture and the evidence of science are those who see them as complementary in the fullest sense instead of opposites and contridictory. As I resonated with these characters I was made aware (again) of the fact that there is an underlying truth (facts) regarding the creation of the universe and mankind. Scripture gives us the truth as God would have us understand it in relation to him and his plan for mankind. Science can only reveal what can be seen and pieced together in theory, often proved and then disproved. Having a high regard for science, I see no contridiction and am settled in my reverence for revelation in scripture and revelation through observation. They both must speak of the truth and it is up to us to embrace them both, for if we do not then will be will some part of what God wants us to know about himself.

If any of this seems of interest to you, I suggest you read this story. Charming in places, a bit fanciful, insightful to the times and thought-provoking. Truth-seekers should check it out. Another reviewer criticized the story as too domestic (of or related to home-life) but that setting is essential to the story and not to be overlooked. What was it like to live in Oxford in the Victorian Age? I think the author performed her research well and gives us a good read.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Dickens would be proud---up to a point. This novel of class distinction and the difficulty of overcoming poverty, even with the best of intentions and hard work is classic Dickens, where oftentimes luck and fortune is of more import than effort. The setting is mid-nineteenth century Oxford and Edgar is the newborn son of a guardian porter at one of Oxford University’s thirty nine colleges and I must say here that I learned more about Victorian Oxford University tradition than I expected. Edgar is born into this world during a night of extraordinary meteor showers and the falling stars convince his father that this is a premonition of his son’s wonderful future. His father had no idea just how correct this intuition of a remarkably different child might prove to be. After a puzzling period as a toddler where Edgar refuses to speak but exhibits an unusual interest in his surroundings, he suddenly springs forth as a child not only full of questions but, in an adult like fashion, decides to plan a future for himself---something he’s certain will make his father proud. Elizabeth Garner’s novel is based on certain factual events of the period but becomes more ethereal and poetic as it progresses. As she says in her “Historical Note” at the novels end: “As a writer, I have always been fascinated by the missing elements of history: the gaps and contradictions within the reported events”…”At such points I begin to wonder what if?” Her musing makes for a fascinating story that, as it draws to a close, brings to mind C.S. Lewis or perhaps more likely, from her point of view, William Blake.

[Michelle Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s actually quite hard to capture this book within a ‘blurb’, as it has a style all of it’s own. It’s set in a world where The University is everything.. a world of learning that is in control of Oxford, and is looked up to by all. In awe of all the University stands for is Edgar’s father, and to him, a successful, loveable son is one with academic ability, which Edgar lacks.

One thing that Edgar does have is a fierce determination, and without the appropriate guidance from his parents, this often pushes him towards trouble. He looks up to certain people, and when they fail him, you can feel the way it hurts him.

The book has the feel of a dark, grown up fairytale. At the beginning the style does feel a little difficult, but I soon settled into it, and it became a story I couldn’t wait to get back to. The characters are well written and memorable, and I couldn’t help but love some, and dislike others. This is an unusual book that will stay with me for some time.

[Jenina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't bad book, despite the two stars I have given it. But it is a 'worthy' book that misses because it is neither emotionally engaging nor a page-turner. The inward-looking character development is set against descriptions of a 19th-century Oxford university town that almost belongs in a work in the fantasy genre. But the expectation of the action of fantasy novel are not met.

Instead what unravels is a story about thwarted personalities and expectations, in the context of a brutal class-riven society, ignorance and (yes) a learning difficulty. By the end of the book I felt it was a piece of social commentary masquerading as a take on 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' with in a Dickensian (Oliver Twist to be exact) setting.

It was readable, but I can't say I enjoyed it.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book--until the end. I liked the voice and the clashes of pre- and post-education/industrialization and of science and religion, and the illustration of the way people began to question the established order. It also had a kind-of "Tom Jones" quality, with a boy (much younger) setting out to find himself and make his way in the world. It had a sort of 19th century tone, which I did like.

I kept thinking as I read that I was hoping the book didn't fall apart at the end, but, alas, it did, in my view. The lion's share of the book was realistic, with the emphasis on the new science and rational thought, but then, what happened at the end? I still don't know, unless (as I suspect) there was a complete descent into fantasy. I felt let down, as if the author didn't know how to end this cool tale. Disappointing after such a strong beginning and middle.

[Melissa D · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out interesting enough and read it in a couple of days but that was more to do with Garner's poetic verse rather than the greatness of the story. I wanted more from the plot and characters. Most of characters felt underdeveloped to the point that they just became cartoon versions of what people are supposed to be like.

The ending is rushed. The court drama should have been the middle of the book and whatever happens after a lot longer and more thought out. I think *spoiler* that William being "released" means he's killed himself and all I honestly thought that he was being an overdramatic and unbending ass. Really throughout the entire novel William seems to have his head so far up his own ass that I thought he deserved everything he got. His wife Eleanor, and Edgar deserved better, and they also deserved a better story to belong to.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I found the notes at the end of this book more interesting than the actual story. I did not care for the characters, even the main character - a young "ingenious" boy. The book takes place during an important time in history, when science is making its break from religion. The book seemed to be more about nature v. nurture than it was about God v. science. Either way, Edgar's dealings with Oxford destroy his family and teach him a great deal about invention, and yet very little about life itself. This is a very classic Dad's old vision against the new up and coming vision tale, and it is rather poorly drawn. I believe Garner may have done better simply writing a good non-fiction book about the time period.

[Ann Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about a strange boy born to disfuntional parents - one a college night porter and one an ex barmaid who loves dressmaking. Their son is very peculiar - probably aspegers syndrome but this is set in a pre-indutrial Oxford where such conditions are completely misunderstood. Edgar is obsessed with technology, iron and flying. He is unable to learn to read but turns out to be amazing with his hands. He gets involved with a Professor in the colleges and starts creating strange machinery and structures. This difficult child puts an enormous strain on the parents and his father in particular is badly affected by his son's abilities and oddities.

[Misty · Rating 2 out of 5]

The problem with this story was pushed storyline and the sci-fi type ending (this would not be a problem except for the fact that the story had no other sci-fi pull EXCEPT at the end). I do have to say that the characters and their development were great. In fact, the characters and their personal stories would make great book group discussions. I would have liked to have had some resolve at the end, in any direction. The book just kind of stopped and didn't really give room for ponderment.