Book Review: In the Belly of the Sphinx by Grant Buday (fiction)

 Set in Victoria, BC during the Victorian era (1837-1901), In the Belly of the Sphinx is about Pearl (daughter) and Florence (mother) Greyland-Smith.

Story question: how is a murderer made?

photo by ldyck

In the Belly of the Sphinx

Grant Buday

Brindle and Glass

an imprint of TouchWood Editions

historical fiction

2023

273 page

I purchased my copy from Books on Mayne

Pearl is raised by her upperly mobile mother in an upper-middle-class household. Appearance, and status matter to Florence. She will do everything it takes to ensure her daughter's future but will Pearl?

Chapter by chapter, I watch Pearl mature from a nine-year-old girl grieving her soldier father to a young woman with her own secrets. Chapter by chapter, I witness the evolution of the mother-daughter relationship.

"'It has always seemed to me that a woman's lot in the world is a precarious one.'"

Grant Buday is a skilled Mayne Island author who uses suspense and secrets to entice his readers and makes history live on the page. He also flavoured this tale with references to Victoria, BC events and landmarks. I was especially pleased that he used Craigdarroch Castle as a backdrop for one of the most significant scenes. Craigdarroch Castle is one of my favourite places on Vancouver Island. 

Tip: Read the Prologue.

More...

a pictorial tour of Craigdarroch Castle

book review: Delusionist by Grant Buday

Next Sunday...

And...

Writing about Writers (list of quotes) collected by Leanne Dyck

On October 10th this blog will be nine years old. Do you believe it? Nine. To celebrate, I re-read the quotes I gathered since 2012--when I started reviewing books for this blog. I'll offer these quotes in thematic collections over the next three months--including October, including today. Please click on the links provided under each quote to read my book reviews.

"An Autumn Road" photo by ldyck

Writing about Writers

To be a successful writer:  ' "You must have talent. A thick skin. And most important luck... To make luck you must be clever, or blessed." ' The Delusionist, Grant Buday

'I wonder if I'll ever write anything worth anything.' 

The Help, Kathryn Stockett

'What's the point of writing something that no one will ever read? I forget who said that a work of art does not exist without an audience--that it's not enough for it to be made.' 

Motherhood, Sheila Heti

'[N]early everything seems a letdown after a writer has finished writing something.' 

The World According to Garp, John Irving

'This is how we go on:  one day at a time, one meal at a time, one pain at a time, one breath at a time... If you write books, you go one page at a time.' Bag of Bones, Stephen King

'As a child I wrote small books which I began with the words The End. I needed to know the end was guaranteed.' 

Bluebeard's Egg, Margaret Atwood

'The writing had burned off all thoughts of the real world, at least temporarily. I think that, in the end, that's what it's for. Good or bad, it passes the time.' Bag of Bones, Stephen King

My teacher 'said that when you are writing a book you have to include some descriptions of things... She also said that I should describe people in the story by mentioning one or two details about them so that people could make a picture of them in their head.' 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Mark Haddon

'When you make your daily bread in the land of make-believe, the line between what is and what seems to be is much finer.' 

Bag of Bones, Stephen King

'Writers are a strange breed. Magpies, scavengers. So fearful of the world they would prefer to describe it than live in it, yet brave to the point of idiocy when in pursuit of inspiration. The real ones will slip their heads into the noose and pull the lever themselves if they think a hanging would make a good tale.' 

The Only Child, Andrew Pyper

'[B]ut in dreams, perhaps everyone is a novelist.' 

Bag of Bones, Stephen King

'Flowers in the Fall' photo by ldyck

Next Sunday evening on this blog... 

23 Book Bloggers
a list of 23 bloggers who review books

If you enjoyed this list of quotes, you'll also enjoy...

Writing about Writing (list of quotes)

will be published on this blog on Sunday, November 3

Hmm... (list of quotes)
I invite you to select a quote to focus on during December--a challenging month for many.
will be published on this blog on Sunday, December 1

Leanne Dyck and other authors reading on Mayne Island

I'm pleased to report that Mayne Island's literati is alive and well. In fact, we had a ball on Saturday, April 27, 2017, when local authors entertained a small but devoted audience. There was something for every reader from children's literature to romance to mysteries to...

Inspired by her granddaughter, Livia Wolfs, Dorothy Peters wrote the delightfully altruistic picture book Tomorrow, When I'm Bigger. Dorothy also read from her memoir for adults:  Daughters of the House of Jacob:  A Memoir of Migration.

 Prolific author D.R. Graham talked about her many titles and captivated us by reading from a manuscript she's currently working on. It's set on Mayne Island. I want to write more about it...but I won't.

Fans of Amber Harvey's Mary Magdalene Summer series (Magda's Mayne Island Mystery, Mayne Island Aliens, Mayne Island Skeletons, Magda's Mysterious Stranger) will be pleased to note that Amber is working on the next book in the series. She read from the opening chapters.

And...

There was more 

Arlene Pare

her latest book:  He Leaves His Face in the Funeral Car 

(a book of poetry)

Grant Buday

Jack Schofield

but... Well, I have to admit it was all a little too much for this hermit. Inspired,  I had to leave early to return to my writer's cave.

Here's some of what I said before I left...

I'd like to thank the library for this opportunity to share my writing. What have I been doing since the last Festival Active Pass on Mayne Island in 2015?

My writing life is like watching a duck swim -- on the surface, very little is happening.

On the surface... 

In 'My Life with Letters' (included in the anthology From the Heart), I wrote about being an author with dyslexia. Dyslexia is an inherited condition that affects the way my brain processes written and spoken language.

From the Heart was published in 2015. Proceeds benefitted BC youth seeking higher education.

On the surface...

In 'Christmas with Family' (included in the anthology In the Moment) I wrote about how my desire to be with family for Christmas resulted in my husband and me getting stuck in the snow on Salt Spring Island. 

In the Moment was published in 2016. Proceeds were donated to Children's Wish.

To order, From the Heart and  In the Moment, please email publisher Gary Doi (garydoi@telus.net).

If you look into the water, at a duck's feet, you'll notice that they are paddling like mad. 

Hidden in my writer's cave, I've been writing picture books for children, a novel for young adults, and short stories for adults.

What led me to write picture books?

In the 1980s and 90s...

-I took a children's literature course at the University of Winnipeg

-as an Early Childhood Educator, I read scores of picture books to groups of children

-I owned a children's bookseller business

All of these experiences fuel my writing...

Bim has a new cozy bed thanks to Loving Care Pet Products

Book Review The Delusionist by Grant Buday

In 2006, with the help of my amateur sound-man husband, I self-published an audio book short story collection. It was my first publication of size; my first book. And I was so proud. After that, when people asked me what I did, I said, "...and I'm an author."

Grant Buday celebrating the release of The Delusionist

Grant Buday and I live on the same island. So it didn't take long for someone to point out, "You're not an author; Grant's an author." 

That's how Grant Buday became the walking, talking example of my goal--to become a traditionally published author. 

Last year or the year before, I attended a literary event where I listened to Anvil Press talk about their future publishing plans. "And Grant Buday's new book," they said and I didn't need to hear anymore. I was ready to buy that book even before it was published. A few months after that, I was a member of a captivated audience, listening to Grant Buday read excerpts from his soon-to-be-released book. This August I bought The Delusionist. And it was well worth the wait. 

Buy this book

The Delusionist is about a beginning: establishing a career in the arts; developing a loving relationship. 

In the opening chapters we are introduced to Cyril. And we learn that he is a gifted artist. But in order to claim this gift Cyril must discover who he is. He must learn to value himself. He must have the courage to stand-up and say, "Yes, this is who I am." How does he learn to do that without the example of a strong, adult male?

In the opening chapters Cyril is drawn to Connie. Unlike Cyril, Connie is unafraid of being different. In fact, she rebels in it. And Connie is driven to succeed. How can Connie build a relationship with Cyril and be free to reach for this success? 

These are the story questions but the tale is much more then the sum of these parts. 

The urban Vancouver setting comes to live at the hands of a master. The reader is treated to a complete sensory tour of the city--sights, smells and tastes. 

I would highly recommend The Delusionist to all artist--but especially to painters.

Thank you, Grant Buday, for this book. For me, it was a gripping ride--with lows of grief and highs of laughter. Please keep writing.

Grant Buday reading a scene from his new book--The Delusionist

More about this book...

Literary Press Group of Canada


Sharing my author journey...